Development of Modified Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm for Compliant Mechanisms

Abstract

A compliant mechanism is a mechanism that obtains its mobility or force from the flexibility and elastic deformation of its components. Topology for compliant mechanism is very sensitive and can be obtained very variously according to topology optimization methods and computation conditions. A modified ant colony optimization algorithm is suggested for compliant mechanisms in order to obtain a stable and robust optimal topology. The modified ant colony optimization algorithm was applied for both linear and geometrically nonlinear compliant mechanisms. Using three kinds of objective functions commonly used, optimized topologies were compared for compliant mechanisms. And it was concluded that the modified ant colony optimization algorithm can successfully be applied for linear and geometrically nonlinear compliant mechanisms, and the algorithm provides very stable and robust topologies.