Workspace and Kinematic Analysis of the VERNE machine

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the workspace and kinematics of the VERNE machine, a 5-axis hybrid serial-parallel machine tool, providing insights into its geometric capabilities and motion analysis.

Contribution

It presents the inverse and direct kinematic analysis and workspace characterization of the VERNE machine, a novel hybrid 5-axis machine designed for advanced manufacturing.

Findings

Workspace shape varies with tool length

Parallel module combines rotation and translation

Kinematic analysis enables precise motion control

Abstract

This paper describes the workspace and the inverse and direct kinematic analysis of the VERNE machine, a serial/parallel 5-axis machine tool designed by Fatronik for IRCCyN. This machine is composed of a three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) parallel module and a two-DOF serial tilting table. The parallel module consists of a moving platform that is connected to a fixed base by three non-identical legs. This feature involves (i) a simultaneous combination of rotation and translation for the moving platform, which is balanced by the tilting table and (ii) workspace whose shape and volume vary as a function of the tool length. This paper summarizes results obtained in the context of the European projects NEXT ("Next Generation of Productions Systems").