ABSTRACT
The design and realization of micro-and meso-actuators benefit from simulation methods based on finite elements that allow a high precision level. Particularly, different integrated and visual metaphysics-freeware or commercial-instruments are available to developers’ and users’ communities, utilizing the experience of the former, the examples proposed by the latter, and the performing computational power, in a single environment. The advantages of this type of instrument consist, primarily, in the robustness of the computational process and the reasonable development time, whereas the disadvantages can be associated with a certain complexity to realize simple operations, which implies a sort of entry barrier for occasional users; also, a high complexity in realizing very simple custom operations can be a limitation for exigent and specialized users. After an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages, we believe that finite element simulators are very interesting instruments to perform the most common design operations and realize a virtual prototype, and, after a good experience of the designer, they can be really useful also for special situations. Therefore, in this chapter, we examine the use of a finite element model (FEM) multiphysic environment for our specific interests relative to micro-and meso-actuators, particularly the ANSYS multiphysics software for its wide diffusion in technical and scientific circles, which, hence, can be used as a reference solution for comparison with other similar software. This deveopment environment is provided with a user-friendly graphic interface that allows a rapid learning of the first rudiments; further, a textual interface remains in the ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). We refer to the APDL approach rather than the graphical input because the textual approach allows a rapid elaboration of repetitive actions and a consciousness of the simulative process, at least initially, and is suitable for an exposition in a textual monograph. On the other hand, the graphical interface can be learned more easily by the user without special preliminary explanations. We must specify that the proposed description regarding some commands and examples of ANSYS’ use are not intended to replace the user manual but is only an overview of how this instrument is suitable for useful analyses of actuators or, in general, of microsystems. Therefore, before producing technical results, their validity should be accurately reviewed by an expert familiar with the user manual, with proper experimental calibration and comparison with the scientific/ technical literature (Gyimesi M., Wang J. S., Ostergaard D., 2001), (Gyimesi M., Ostergaard D., 1999).
