TechnoSphere by Atmosfer Spring 2015 | Page 28

Te c h n o S p h e r e Volume 01 | Spring 2015 Technology Projects & Trends TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS & TRENDS SanTez Project: A Kinematically Redundant Planar Laser Cutting Machine by IZTECH and Coşkunöz Submitted by: Dr. M. İ. Can Dede; Dr. Gökhan Kiper; and Emre Uzunoglu  Project Code: 01668.STZ.2012-2  Grant Period: December 2012 – June 2014  Principal Investigator: Assist. Prof. M. İ. Can Dede  Project Partners: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology & Coşkunöz Metal Form, R&D Department  Project Group: Assist. Prof. M. İ. Can Dede (IzTech), Assist. Prof. Gökhan Kiper (IzTech), Assist. Prof. Dr. Erkin Gezgin (İzmir Katip Çelebi University), Emre Uzunoğlu (IzTech), Dr. Tayfun Sığırtmaç (Coşkunöz), Ercan Mastar (Coşkunöz), Sinan Tangül (Coşkunöz)  Budget: 1.070.000 TL Scope Designing a New Generation Machine This study focuses on the design, production and verification tests of a new generation planar laser cutting machine. Conventional planar laser cutting machines cannot achieve high acceleration values while keeping desired positioning precision due to the inertial effects of large moving masses. Although developing laser cutting tool technology enables cutting machines to operate at high speeds with less reaction times, conventional cutting machines maximize this potential, only reaching up to 1.5-2g acceleration without loss of precision. In the last 5-10 years, various international companies configured kinematically redundant mechanisms by adding extra actuation systems and were able to reach 5-6g acceleration levels. This concept integrates an extra mechanism with relatively smaller workspace to the main mechanism. Due to the relative sizes of the mechanisms, the smaller one is called the micro mechanism and the bigger one is called the macro mechanism. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL REDUNDANT MACHINE DESIGN, WHICH CAN REACH HIGH ACCELERATION LEVELS (>6G) WHILE PRESERVING THE SAME AMOUNT OF POSITIONING PRECISION AS THE CONVENTIONAL MACHINES. Conventional cutting machines do not possess the micro mechanism. In this hybrid structure, the macro mechanism moves along the global x and y axes while the micro mechanism moves along local x and y axes. A perfect analogy of this type of assembly would be the human arm and wrist. The hand cannot write fast enough with the required precision if the wrist is locked. However, with the aid of the wrist one can write much faster. Therefore, the positioning speed and acceleration characteristics are enhanced with the aid of the micro mechanism. Thanks to the relatively much more small inertia of the parts of the micro mechanism, the machine can reach higher accelerations. This project also requires a kinematically redundant robot controller to optimize the actuator motion for the highest acceleration that can be achieved by the mechanism. . TechnoSphere (28) www.atmosfertto.com