Search results for " mac"
showing 10 items of 3066 documents
Direct analysis of power-split CVTs: A unified method
2018
Abstract This paper provides a fast kinematic analysis method for compound power-split CVTs, which consents to identify their functional parameters. Such parameters permit the assessment of power flows, torques and efficiency, and the design of equivalent transmissions by the use of a recently published mathematical model. The same method can easily address either simpler or more complex transmissions by mean of kinematic equivalent parameters, without the need to arrange separate systems of equations. As a case study, we performed the kinematic analysis of the “Voltec” multi-mode GM transmission.
A methodology for evaluating the influence of batch size and part geometry on the environmental performance of machining and forming processes
2016
Metallic material processing plays a significant role in terms of global environmental impact. As a result, energy- and resource-efficient strategies in the metal shaping technology domain need to be identified urgently. Recently, the scientific world has been paying more and more attention to the environmental impact analysis of manufacturing processes. Despite this increased attention, the state of the art in the domain of environmental impact analysis of metal shaping processes is still characterized by gaps in knowledge and in methodologies. In particular, metal forming processes are still not well documented, in terms of their environmental impact, and there is a lack of systematic and…
On the impact of recycling strategies on energy demand and CO2 emissions when manufacturing Al-based components
2016
Abstract The industrial world is facing the challenge of reducing emissions by means of energy- and resource-efficient manufacturing strategies. In some cases, the exerted emissions and the energy demands related to conventional manufacturing processes are not as intensive as those required to extract and produce the raw materials of which the workpieces are made. Therefore, the consciousness of the impact of material usage and the eco-informed choice of the end-of-life scenarios are both needed in view of sustainable development. Aim of this paper is to offer a contribution to a better understanding of the environmental impact of forming and machining processes, for the production of Al-ba…
Flexible integration of robotics, ultrasonics and metrology for the inspection of aerospace components
2016
The performance of modern robotic manipulators has allowed research in recent years, for the development of fast automated non-destructive testing (NDT) of complex geometries. Contemporary robots are well suited for their accuracy and flexibility when adapting to new tasks. Several robotic inspection prototype systems and a number of commercial products have been created around the world. This paper describes the latest progress of a new phase of the research applied to a composite aerospace component of size 1 by 3 metres. A multi robot flexible inspection cell was used to take the fundamental research and the feasibility studies to higher technology readiness levels, all set for future in…
Mechatronic Design for an Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Machine
2017
3D printers, especially in the implementation of innovative extrusion processes which do not have a long history of development, are often built by adapting mechanical designs, drives and controls previously developed for generic machine tools. This is done through a process of choice and integration which is based principally on empirical criteria and taking into account separately the different aspects and parameters. Hereafter, we present an integrated mechatronic approach which has been adopted to design from the scratch a machine to implement the innovative metal injection moulding (MIM) technology. Its extrusion rate involves the adaptation of the generated trajectories and consequent…
Novel concept for stabilising a hydraulic circuit containing counterbalance valve and pressure compensated flow supply
2016
In this paper, a novel concept for stabilising a hydraulic system containing a counterbalance valve and a pressure compensated flow supply is presented. The concept utilizes a secondary circuit where a low-pass filtered value of the load pressure is generated and fed back to the compensator of the flow supply valve. The novel concept has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. A linear model has been developed to verify the improved stability conditions. The novel concept has been implemented on a single boom actuated by a cylinder. The results show that the pressure oscillations in an otherwise unstable system can be suppressed with the novel concept. This happens without any c…
Identification and control design for path tracking of hydraulic loader crane
2017
The controlled operation of hydraulic machines with multiple degrees of freedom is challenging due to complex nonlinear dynamics of cylinder actuators, in addition to multibody dynamics like in the case of hydraulic manipulators. This paper addresses the system identification and control design for path tracking of a standard hydraulic loader crane. The kinematics of the crane is solved for operation in the vertical plane and generation of trajectories for the tool tip to be followed. A frequency response measurements and analysis have been done for dynamics modeling of both hydraulic cylinders actuating main boom and jib. The static dead-zone type input non-linearity has been identified an…
Power losses in power-split CVTs: A fast black-box approximate method
2018
Abstract This paper addresses the mechanical losses of planetary transmissions, with particular attention to power-split CVTs in their hybrid electric versions. It provides unified layout-independent analytical relationships, which can be used for both analysis, design and control purposes, and a simplified approach; the latter overcomes the necessity to segment the operating range of the power-split CVT in order to keep its loss model physically consistent. An example of application to a real hybrid electric PS-CVT is performed to show the simplicity, accuracy and generality of the proposed method.
Online fitted policy iteration based on extreme learning machines
2016
Reinforcement learning (RL) is a learning paradigm that can be useful in a wide variety of real-world applications. However, its applicability to complex problems remains problematic due to different causes. Particularly important among these are the high quantity of data required by the agent to learn useful policies and the poor scalability to high-dimensional problems due to the use of local approximators. This paper presents a novel RL algorithm, called online fitted policy iteration (OFPI), that steps forward in both directions. OFPI is based on a semi-batch scheme that increases the convergence speed by reusing data and enables the use of global approximators by reformulating the valu…
Ultrasonic phased array inspection of a Wire + Arc Additive Manufactured (WAAM) sample with intentionally embedded defects
2019
In this study, Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture (WAAM) was employed to manufacture a steel specimen with intentionally embedded defects which were subsequently used for calibration of an ultrasonic phased array system and defect sizing. An ABB robot was combined with the Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) Gas Metal Arc (GMA) process to deposit 20 layers of mild steel. Tungsten-carbide balls (ø1-3 mm) were intentionally embedded inside the additive structure after the 4th, 8th, 12th and 18th layers to serve as ultrasonic reflectors, simulating defects within the WAAM sample. An ultrasonic phased array system, consisting of a 5 MHz 64 Element phased array transducer, was used to inspect the WAAM sample…