Virtual Prototyping of a Parallel Robot actuated by Servo-Pneumatic Drives using ADAMS / Controls
Advanced pneumatic drives for servo-pneumatic positioning allow for new generations of handlings and robots. Especially parallel robots actuated by servo-pneumatic drives allow the realization of very fast pick and place tasks in 3-D space. The design of those machines requires a virtual prototyping method called the mechatronic design [ 1]. The most suitable software tools are ADAMS for mechanics and Matlab/Simulink for drives and controllers. To analyze the overall behavior the co-simulation using ADAMS/Controls is applied. The combination of these powerful simulation tools guarantees a fast and effective design of new machines.
TRIPLANAR-a new process-machine type developed by means of the mechatronics design
TRIPLANAR is the name for a new machine type with six degrees of freedom. It serves for highly precise processing and measurement tasks. The design principle with new parallel kinematics was proposed by Mechatronics Laboratory Paderborn. An optimal design (both hardware and software) of the system can only be achieved by applying the so-called mechatronics design method. The core of this method is the consideration of the overall system including the interactions of all components involved. Special attention is paid to the actuators of the machine. These consist of three planar hybrid steppers each serving for two directions. The drives applied, however, are converted into servo drives which allow the actuator to induce a force into the mechanical system. The modelling of the drives is explained in greater detail.
Evaluation of buckling load and dynamic performance of steel shear wall retrofitted with strips made of shape memory alloy
One of the most imperfections of the steel shear wall is out of plane displacements that cause severe damage in both structural and non-structural elements. In this paper, the effects of shape-memory alloys on steel shear walls are investigated. First, a numerical analysis using the finite element method in ABAQUS software has been carried out according to an experimental test. The results of the numerical analysis have been verified with experimental results. Next, shape-memory alloy fibers have been added vertically and horizontally to various parts of the steel shear wall. The results show that retrofitting with the shape-memory alloy reduces the out-of-plane displacement of the steel shear wall under both cyclic and seismic loadings. Besides, the buckling load in the steel shear wall increases when it is retrofitted with the shape-memory alloy. Also, the total out-of-plane movement (accumulated absolute displacements) of the steel shear wall and non-structural damage are controlled by the characteristic of a shape-memory alloy material called “super-elastic”.