Amplification in micro-positioning devices using hydraulic boosters

In many applications, it is desired to amplify the motion provided by micropositioning actuators. It is shown that mechanical amplification by lever mechanisms reduces the overall system stiffness, which limits the ability of high frequency operations. In this paper, a hydraulic booster is proposed. If the hydraulic fluid used is not compressible, the system stiffness is not affected. Different designs of the booster are examined experimentally to find a booster without hysteresis. Several experiments are performed to characterize the booster. A model for the booster is proposed and evaluated using experimental data.