Machatronic design of a 3-DOF parallel translational manipulator

Abstract

This paper presents the development steps of a fast manipulator, up to the building of the experimental device, in a context of mechatronic design which implies the integration of several engineering disciplines. High performance of the manipulator has been achieved by means of the suitable integration of the mechanical part and the drive part. For the mechanical part we choose a 3-dof parallel translational solution that allows high stiffness, low weight and low dynamic forces, mostly because of the closed loop chains implied by their structure. For the drive part we adopted brushless motors that show high dynamic performance and high efficiency. The design of the manipulator, as well as the selection of transmissions and motors, has been carried out by means of a multibody software that implements specific features aimed at the simulation of the mechanical behaviour of robotic devices.