Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 7845

Special Issue Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: modern mechanical design methods; digital design and advanced manufacturing technology; electromechanical system modeling; simulation and control methods; reliability analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality review papers in the fields of mechanical engineering. We encourage researchers to highlighting the latest developments in their research field, or to invite relevant experts or colleagues to do so. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Mechanism and machine design;
  • Electromechanical integration and automation;
  • Mechanical control and equipment;
  • Manufacturing science and technology;
  • Instrument science and technology;
  • Material science and engineering;
  • Transportation engineering;
  • Thermodynamics;
  • Fluid mechanics;
  • Reliability engineering;
  • Industrial engineering.

Prof. Dr. Wei Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • modern mechanical design methods
  • digital design and advanced manufacturing technology
  • electromechanical system modeling
  • simulation and control methods
  • reliability analysis

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 10471 KiB  
Article
Robust Input Shapers for Acceleration-Limit Actuators
by Chang-Lae Kim and Yoon-Gyung Sung
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(22), 12499; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132212499 - 20 Nov 2023
Viewed by 527
Abstract
In this study, robust input shapers consisting of only three impulses are proposed for reducing the residual deflection of flexible systems with acceleration-limit actuators, while maintaining the robust control performance associated with system parameter uncertainties. The unequal acceleration and braking delays of such [...] Read more.
In this study, robust input shapers consisting of only three impulses are proposed for reducing the residual deflection of flexible systems with acceleration-limit actuators, while maintaining the robust control performance associated with system parameter uncertainties. The unequal acceleration and braking delays of such actuators can produce large residual oscillations owing to the distortion of shaped commands in undamped flexible systems during rest-to-rest operations. Thus, two types of robust input shapers are analytically developed using a phase vector approach with the adoption of the ramp-step function to approximate the dynamics of acceleration-limit actuators and with the utilization of conventional robust shapers. The proposed robust input shapers are numerically evaluated with respect to the command completeness effect, and the residual deflection and parameter uncertainties are experimentally validated using a mini bridge crane. The proposed robust shapers exhibit a higher robustness performance than classical robust input shapers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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18 pages, 3000 KiB  
Article
Development and Validation of a System for Game Control Based on a Force Plate
by Zoran Vrhovski, Goran Benkek, Krunoslav Husak and Ivan Sekovanić
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(21), 11753; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132111753 - 27 Oct 2023
Viewed by 681
Abstract
A force plate is a device that measures the ground reaction force caused by a shift in the human body’s center of mass (CoM). Using a controlled change in the human body’s CoM, the human body’s center of pressure (CoP) is shifted in [...] Read more.
A force plate is a device that measures the ground reaction force caused by a shift in the human body’s center of mass (CoM). Using a controlled change in the human body’s CoM, the human body’s center of pressure (CoP) is shifted in a 2D plane, along with an acceleration of the CoM along the plane perpendicular to the force plate, which allows for a generation of reference values for game control. In this paper, the development and validation of a system for game control based on a force plate are described. The game control system consists of a force plate, an electronic board used for measuring and PC communication via USB, and a PC application for data acquisition, system calibration, and game control. Based on the measured values of the player’s CoP and the CoM acceleration along a plane perpendicular to the force plate, the game control system simulates pressing the UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, and SPACE keyboard keys or moving the mouse and clicking the left mouse button, which allows players to control simple games. A mathematical model has been developed for the game control system which includes running system calibration procedures in the system for each individual player. The mechatronic game control system is described in detail, and experiments were run on said system for the purpose of system validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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22 pages, 7225 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Design of Henry Muncaster’s Two-Cylinder Compound Vertical Steam Engine with Speed Control
by José Ignacio Rojas-Sola and José Francisco Gutiérrez-Antúnez
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(16), 9150; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13169150 - 11 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1435
Abstract
This article offers an analysis, from the mechanical engineering viewpoint, of an invention by Henry Muncaster from 1912: the two-cylinder compound vertical steam engine with speed control. This is an invention with a large number of components (106) that was used as an [...] Read more.
This article offers an analysis, from the mechanical engineering viewpoint, of an invention by Henry Muncaster from 1912: the two-cylinder compound vertical steam engine with speed control. This is an invention with a large number of components (106) that was used as an engine in boats and railways. The ultimate objective of this investigation was to determine the operating conditions (maximum pressures of water vapor in the admission of high- and low-pressure cylinders) according to the criteria of resistance of materials since there is no information about this. Therefore, two critical operating conditions were simulated that resemble the start-up of the machine (flywheel locked as the most unfavorable situation) in order to determine those operating conditions that ensure both its safety and optimal operation. For this, a static linear analysis based on the finite element method (FEM) of the 3D CAD model was carried out under real operating conditions, according to the criteria of resistance of materials, using the Autodesk Inventor Nastran 2023 software. The results of the static linear analysis (von Mises stress, displacement and safety factor) confirmed the maximum values of the vapor pressure in the admission of the cylinders: 0.3 MPa on the high-pressure piston plunger and 0.15 MPa on the low-pressure piston plunger. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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19 pages, 4856 KiB  
Article
Research on Continuous Machining Strategy for Five-Axis Machine Tool: Five-Axis Linkage to Four-Axis Linkage
by Yesong Wang, Liang Ji, Jiashang Dong, Manxian Liu and Jiang Liu
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 7038; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127038 - 12 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1937
Abstract
The article presents a novel strategy for enhancing the efficiency of machines that are used for complex structure machining. It proposes a low-cost five-axis four-linkage milling system as an alternative to the more expensive five-axis five-linkage system. Kinematic analysis of the machine tool [...] Read more.
The article presents a novel strategy for enhancing the efficiency of machines that are used for complex structure machining. It proposes a low-cost five-axis four-linkage milling system as an alternative to the more expensive five-axis five-linkage system. Kinematic analysis of the machine tool is conducted to establish a correlation between the tool location data and the displacement of kinematic axes. An interpolation algorithm is then devised to determine a four-axis linkage milling strategy. The theoretical errors of the interpolation trajectory are observed to be reduced following the transformation. The research employs impeller processing as a case study, wherein the five-axis linkage machining path is translated into a more efficient five-axis four-linkage path using the interpolation algorithm. The practical application of this novel milling strategy confirms its effectiveness in processing the integral impeller within acceptable efficiency parameters. The results provide a theoretical foundation for the practical application of the low-cost five-axis four-linkage machining strategy in high-precision five-axis five-linkage machine tools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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27 pages, 12319 KiB  
Article
Research on Mechanism Design and Kinematic Characteristics of Self-Propelled Photovoltaic Cleaning Robot
by Jing Yang, Xiaolong Zhao, Yingjie Gao, Rui Guo and Jingyi Zhao
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 6967; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13126967 - 09 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1281
Abstract
A hydraulic drive-based self-propelled photovoltaic panel cleaning robot was developed to tackle the challenges of harsh environmental conditions, difficult roads, and incomplete cleaning of dust particles on the photovoltaic panel surface in photovoltaic power plants. The robot has the characteristics of the crawler [...] Read more.
A hydraulic drive-based self-propelled photovoltaic panel cleaning robot was developed to tackle the challenges of harsh environmental conditions, difficult roads, and incomplete cleaning of dust particles on the photovoltaic panel surface in photovoltaic power plants. The robot has the characteristics of the crawler wheel drive, rear-wheel-independent turning and three-point-independent suspension design, which makes it adhere to the walking requirements of complex environmental terrains, more flexible in turning and automatically levelling so that the stability of the boom mechanism during walking can be ensured. The kinematics model of the upper arm structure equipped with the end cleaning device was built, and the optimized Circle chaotic map and nonlinear weight factor were introduced to enhance the search ability and convergence speed of the sparrow algorithm. Furthermore, the boom running track was optimized in combination with the seven-order non-uniform B-spline curve. Through optimization, the running time of the boom was reduced by 18.7%, and the cleaning efficiency of photovoltaic panel surface was increased. The effectiveness of self-propelled photovoltaic panel cleaning robot cleaning and the reliability of time-optimal trajectory planning were confirmed through simulation and experiment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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17 pages, 2244 KiB  
Article
Reliability Prediction and FMEA of Loading and Unloading Truss Robot for CNC Punch
by Kaiyue Zhang, Zhixin Jia, Renpeng Bian, Ketai He and Zhicheng Jia
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 4951; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13084951 - 14 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1276
Abstract
Loading and unloading truss robot for computer numerical control (CNC) punch is widely used in the production of sheet metal parts, as its reliability level is directly related to the quality of sheet metal parts. Especially for the automatic sheet metal production line, [...] Read more.
Loading and unloading truss robot for computer numerical control (CNC) punch is widely used in the production of sheet metal parts, as its reliability level is directly related to the quality of sheet metal parts. Especially for the automatic sheet metal production line, it is urgent to predict the reliability of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch. In this paper, a new method for the reliability prediction of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch is proposed. The method uses the component counting method to predict the failure rate and mean time between failures (MTBF) of the electrical control system. Then, according to the MTBF value of the electrical control system, the MTBF value and failure rate of the mechanical system and pneumatic system are calculated by expert scoring method based on fuzzy theory. The MTBF value and failure rate of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch are estimated, and the weak link of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch is obtained. Finally, through the collected fault maintenance data records, the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch is carried out, and the reliability prediction method proposed in this paper is validated by the fault location analysis results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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