Global stiffness modeling of a class of simple compliant couplings

Abstract Thorough theoretical investigations collaborate the experimental findings that in general stiffness matrices are asymmetric. This work details the results for the simplest types of compliant couplings that consist of translational springs acting in-parallel. The resulting stiffness matrices are global, which means that they are functions of the configuration of their respective compliant couplings. A new parameter ( ϱ = l 0 / l , ratio of unloaded to current spring length) is introduced for each translational spring, and the deviations of ϱ i from unity indicate how and when the stiffness matrix becomes asymmetric.