Advanced
search

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Design of an electromagnetic prismatic joint with variable stiffness

Yong Zhao (State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China)
Jue Yu (State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China)
Hao Wang (State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China)
Genliang Chen (State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China)
Xinmin Lai (State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China)

Industrial Robot

ISSN: 0143-991x

Article publication date: 20 March 2017

462

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose an electromagnetic prismatic joint with variable stiffness. The joint can absorb the sudden shocks and improve the natural dynamics of robotics. The ability of regulating the output stiffness can also be used for force control in industrial applications.

Design/methodology/approach

Unlike some existing designs of variable stiffness joints (VSJs) in which the stiffness regulation is implemented using the stiffness adjustment motor and mechanisms, the main structure of the electromagnetic VSJ is a permanent magnet (PM) arranged inside coaxial cylinder coils. The adjustment of input current can cause the change of magnetic force between the PM and the cylinder coils, and thus leads to the variation of output stiffness.

Findings

According to the theoretical model, the output stiffness of the electromagnetic VSJ is linearly proportional to the input current. The experiments further indicate that the current-controlled stiffness can make the stiffness variation response of this VSJ more rapid for practical applications. Due to the large damping introduced by the copper-based self-lubrication bearings, the VSJ shows good properties in motion positioning and trajectory tracking.

Originality/value

In summary, the electromagnetic VSJ is compact in size and light in weight. It is possible to realize the online adaptability to work conditions with dynamic load by using this VSJ.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 51305256), the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB046600) and the SJTU SMC-Morningstar Young Scholars program (Grant No. AF0200105).

Citation

Zhao, Y., Yu, J., Wang, H., Chen, G. and Lai, X. (2017), "Design of an electromagnetic prismatic joint with variable stiffness", Industrial Robot, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 222-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-09-2016-0249

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

Join us on our journey