Stiffness Analysis of 3-d.o.f. Overconstrained Translational Parallel Manipulators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel stiffness modeling approach for overconstrained 3-DOF translational parallel manipulators, combining FEA-based link stiffness evaluation with a new solution strategy for kinetostatic equations.

Contribution

It presents a multidimensional lumped-parameter model that accurately computes stiffness matrices for overconstrained and singular configurations, improving analysis capabilities.

Findings

The method effectively evaluates stiffness in overconstrained architectures.

Application examples demonstrate the technique's accuracy and advantages.

Comparative analysis shows improved stiffness assessment over existing methods.

Abstract

The paper presents a new stiffness modelling method for overconstrained parallel manipulators, which is applied to 3-d.o.f. translational mechanisms. It is based on a multidimensional lumped-parameter model that replaces the link flexibility by localized 6-d.o.f. virtual springs. In contrast to other works, the method includes a FEA-based link stiffness evaluation and employs a new solution strategy of the kinetostatic equations, which allows computing the stiffness matrix for the overconstrained architectures and for the singular manipulator postures. The advantages of the developed technique are confirmed by application examples, which deal with comparative stiffness analysis of two translational parallel manipulators.