The Optimal Design of Three Degree-of-Freedom Parallel Mechanisms for Machining Applications

TL;DR

This paper presents an optimal design approach for a simple three-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism tailored for machining, focusing on kinematics, singularities, and potential extension to four-axis systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simple parallel mechanism with two translational and one rotational degree of freedom, optimized for machining applications.

Findings

Kinematic analysis and singularity identification of the proposed mechanism

Optimization method for mechanism design

Potential extension to four-axis machining systems

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the optimal design of a parallel mechanism intended for three-axis machining applications. Parallel mechanisms are interesting alternative designs in this context but most of them are designed for three- or six-axis machining applications. In the last case, the position and the orientation of the tool are coupled and the shape of the workspace is complex. The aim of this paper is to use a simple parallel mechanism with two-degree-of-freedom (dof) for translational motions and to add one leg to have one-dof rotational motion. The kinematics and singular configurations are studied as well as an optimization method. The three-degree-of-freedom mechanisms analyzed in this paper can be extended to four-axis machines by adding a fourth axis in series with the first two.