Modelling structural flexibility in industrial robots and production machines

Weight reduction is more than ever an essential design objective in modern mechanical and mechatronic systems. The motivation for lightweight machines and equipments can be driven by safety constraints, energy considerations, dynamic performances or cost minimization. An important technical limitation then comes from the growing influence of the structural deformations within the mechanical components, which may alter the motion accuracy and induce detrimental vibration, fatigue and wear phenomena. These deformations should thus be taken into account at an early stage in order to target optimal structural and control designs. For that purpose, engineers need reliable and efficient models able to capture the flexibility of structural components of their machines, that can be used for mechatronic simulation, motion and vibration control and design optimization purpose. This presentation gives an overview of recent research results, ongoing projects and future challenges related with the modelling of flexible structural components in industrial robots and production machines.