Accuracy Enhancement for High Precision Gantry Stage

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Control of the interaction of a gantry robot end effector with the environment by the adaptive behaviour of its joint drive actuators

The thesis examines a way in which the performance of the robot electric actuators can be precisely and accurately force controlled where there is a need for maintaining a stable specified contact force with an external environment. It describes the advantages of the proposed research, which eliminates the need for any external sensors and solely depends on the precise torque control of electric motors. The aim of the research is thus the development of a software based control system and then a proposal for possible inclusion of this control philosophy in existing range of automated manufacturing techniques.The primary aim of the research is to introduce force controlled behaviour in the electric actuators when the robot interacts with the environment, by measuring and controlling the contact forces between them. A software control system is developed and implemented on a robot gantry manipulator to follow two dimensional contours without the explicit geometrical knowledge of those contours. The torque signatures from the electric actuators are monitored and maintained within a desired force band. The secondary aim is the optimal design of the software controller structure. Experiments are performed and the mathematical model is validated against conventional Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control. Fuzzy control is introduced in the software architecture to incorporate a sophisticated control. Investigation is carried out with the combination of PID and Fuzzy logic which depend on the geometrical complexity of the external environment to achieve the expected results

Three dimentional control of a diode based laser cutter

Includes bibliographical referencesLaser cutting is a widely used technology in many areas of industry and research. Conventional laser cutters only offer control of two axes and either cut through a material or rudimentary control of the third dimension is possible by varying the power, pulse rate and travel rate of the laser beam. These rudimentary three-dimensional systems (often called 2.5D laser cutters) do not incorporate any feedback mechanism to control the depth of cut. The idea of measuring distance using diode lasers (and other laser technologies) is a relatively mature technology and is common to various consumer and industrial products. Recently diode lasers have become powerful enough to perform as laser cutters allowing a merger of these technologies. The aim of this project is to verify the concept of using a laser diode to achieve both material processing and distance measurement. This would allow the creation of a full three-dimension laser cutting machine that is capable of accurate material processing in all three dimensions. This would also offer the ability to cut non-homogenous materials, such as timber, which current ‘2.5D’ laser cutters are unable to cut with any accuracy. A gantry system was designed and constructed, which was able to move the laser cutting toolhead in the x-y plane, using stepper motors and a belt-driven drive system. A 2W single emitter laser diode was used for both laser cutting and distance measurement. Optics were designed and assembled that focused the laser onto the workpiece and directed light reflected back from the workpiece onto a photodiode. Laser driver circuitry was constructed to control the DC current of the laser and to modulate the laser power at the high frequencies required for accurate phase shift measurements. A photodetector and phase shift measurement circuit was designed, simulated and constructed. The phase shift circuit amplified the signal from the light reflected off the workpiece and then compared that signal to a reference signal in order to determine the phase shift between the two. An Atmel® ATmega2560 microcontroller was used to control the gantry, laser driver circuitry and to measure the phase shift output of the phase detector circuitry. Software written in MATLAB® was used to command the microcontroller and to interpret the data received from the microcontroller The photo sensor circuit was not sensitive enough to detect the weak signals that were present when the workpiece had a low reflectivity but was able to be tested using reflective tape. On the other hand the laser diode was not powerful enough to cut reflective tape as it absorbs very little energy from the laser. Nevertheless, the same laser diode was used, without changing any configuration other than the workpiece material, to measure distance and to cut materials. Testing of both the materials processing ability and the distance measurement ability were carried out. Many aspects of each of these major functions were tested, individually and together, in order to determine the areas that performed well and those that need more research. In conclusion, this project was able to verify the concept of a three-dimensionally controlled diode powered laser cutter. Future work will be needed before a practical and useful laser cutter can be built but this project should prove a good starting point for any such future work

Multi-scale metrology for automated non-destructive testing systems

This thesis was previously held under moratorium from 5/05/2020 to 5/05/2022The use of lightweight composite structures in the aerospace industry is now commonplace. Unlike conventional materials, these parts can be moulded into complex aerodynamic shapes, which are diffcult to inspect rapidly using conventional Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques. Industrial robots provide a means of automating the inspection process due to their high dexterity and improved path planning methods. This thesis concerns using industrial robots as a method for assessing the quality of components with complex geometries. The focus of the investigations in this thesis is on improving the overall system performance through the use of concepts from the field of metrology, specifically calibration and traceability. The use of computer vision is investigated as a way to increase automation levels by identifying a component's type and approximate position through comparison with CAD models. The challenges identified through this research include developing novel calibration techniques for optimising sensor integration, verifying system performance using laser trackers, and improving automation levels through optical sensing. The developed calibration techniques are evaluated experimentally using standard reference samples. A 70% increase in absolute accuracy was achieved in comparison to manual calibration techniques. Inspections were improved as verified by a 30% improvement in ultrasonic signal response. A new approach to automatically identify and estimate the pose of a component was developed specifically for automated NDT applications. The method uses 2D and 3D camera measurements along with CAD models to extract and match shape information. It was found that optical large volume measurements could provide suffciently high accuracy measurements to allow ultrasonic alignment methods to work, establishing a multi-scale metrology approach to increasing automation levels. A classification framework based on shape outlines extracted from images was shown to provide over 88% accuracy on a limited number of samples.The use of lightweight composite structures in the aerospace industry is now commonplace. Unlike conventional materials, these parts can be moulded into complex aerodynamic shapes, which are diffcult to inspect rapidly using conventional Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques. Industrial robots provide a means of automating the inspection process due to their high dexterity and improved path planning methods. This thesis concerns using industrial robots as a method for assessing the quality of components with complex geometries. The focus of the investigations in this thesis is on improving the overall system performance through the use of concepts from the field of metrology, specifically calibration and traceability. The use of computer vision is investigated as a way to increase automation levels by identifying a component's type and approximate position through comparison with CAD models. The challenges identified through this research include developing novel calibration techniques for optimising sensor integration, verifying system performance using laser trackers, and improving automation levels through optical sensing. The developed calibration techniques are evaluated experimentally using standard reference samples. A 70% increase in absolute accuracy was achieved in comparison to manual calibration techniques. Inspections were improved as verified by a 30% improvement in ultrasonic signal response. A new approach to automatically identify and estimate the pose of a component was developed specifically for automated NDT applications. The method uses 2D and 3D camera measurements along with CAD models to extract and match shape information. It was found that optical large volume measurements could provide suffciently high accuracy measurements to allow ultrasonic alignment methods to work, establishing a multi-scale metrology approach to increasing automation levels. A classification framework based on shape outlines extracted from images was shown to provide over 88% accuracy on a limited number of samples

Energy-Optimal Control of Over-Actuated Systems - with Application to a Hybrid Feed Drive

Over-actuated (or input-redundant) systems are characterized by the use of more actuators than the degrees of freedom to be controlled. They are widely used in modern mechanical systems to satisfy various control requirements, such as precision, motion range, fault tolerance, and energy efficiency. This thesis is particularly motivated by an over-actuated hybrid feed drive (HFD) which combines two complementary actuators with the aim to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing positioning accuracy in precision manufacturing. This work addresses the control challenges in achieving energy optimality without sacrificing control performance in so-called weakly input-redundant systems, which characterize the HFD and most other over-actuated systems used in practice. Using calculus of variations, an optimal control ratio/subspace is derived to specify the optimal relationship among the redundant actuators irrespective of external disturbances, leading to a new technique termed optimal control subspace-based (OCS) control allocation. It is shown that the optimal control ratio/subspace is non-causal; accordingly, a causal approximation is proposed and employed in energy-efficient structured controller design for the HFD. Moreover, the concept of control proxy is proposed as an accurate causal measurement of the deviation from the optimal control ratio/subspace. The proxy enables control allocation for weakly redundant systems to be converted into regulation problems, which can be tackled using standard controller design methodologies. Compared to an existing allocation technique, proxy-based control allocation is shown to dynamically allocate control efforts optimally without sacrificing control performance. The relationship between the proposed OCS control allocation and the traditional linear quadratic control approach is discussed for weakly input redundant systems. The two approaches are shown to be equivalent given perfect knowledge of disturbances; however, the OCS control allocation approach is shown to be more desirable for practical applications like the HFD, where disturbances are typically unknown. The OCS control allocation approach is validated in simulations and machining experiments on the HFD; significant reductions in control energy without sacrificing positioning accuracy are achieved.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146104/1/molong_1.pd

Model Referenced Condition Monitoring of High Performance CNC Machine Tools

Generally, machine tool monitoring is the prediction of the system’s health based on signal acquisition and processing and classification in order to identify the causes of the problem. The producers of machine tools need to pay more attention to their products life cycle because their customers increasingly focus on machine tool reliability and costs. The present study is concerned with the development of a condition monitoring system for high speed Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machine tools. A model is a simplification of a real machine to visualize the dynamics of a mechatronic system. This thesis applies recent modelling techniques to represent all parameters which affect the accuracy of a component produced automatically. The control can achieve an accuracy approaching the tolerance restrictions imposed by the machine tool axis repeatability and its operating environment. The motion control system of the CNC machine tool is described and the elements, which compose the axis drives including both the electrical components and the mechanical ones, are analysed and modelled. SIMULINK models have been developed to represent the majority of the dynamic behaviour of the feed drives from the actual CNC machine tool. Various values for the position controller and the load torque have been applied to the motor to show their behaviour. Development of a mechatronic hybrid model for five-axis CNC machine tool using Multi-Body-System (MBS) simulation approach is described. Analysis of CNC machine tool performance under non-cutting conditions is developed. ServoTrace data have been used to validate the Multi-body simulation of tool-to-workpiece position. This thesis aspects the application of state of art sensing methods in the field of condition monitoring of electromechanical systems. The ballscrew-with-nut is perhaps the most prevalent CNC machine subsystem and the condition of each element is crucial to the success of a machining operation. It’s essential to know of the health status of ballscrew, bearings and nut. Acoustic emission analysis of machines has been carried out to determine the deterioration of the ballscrew. Standard practices such as use of a Laser Interferometer have been used to determine the position of the machine tool. A novel machine feed drive condition monitoring system using acoustic emission (AE) signals has been proposed. The AE monitoring techniques investigated can be categorised into traditional AE parameters of energy, event duration and peak amplitude. These events are selected and normalised to estimate remaining life of the machine. This method is shown to be successfully applied for the ballscrew subsystem of an industrial high-speed milling machine. Finally, the successful outcome of the project will contribute to machine tool industry making possible manufacturing of more accurate products with lower costs in shorter time

Advanced Mobile Robotics: Volume 3

Mobile robotics is a challenging field with great potential. It covers disciplines including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, cognitive science, and social science. It is essential to the design of automated robots, in combination with artificial intelligence, vision, and sensor technologies. Mobile robots are widely used for surveillance, guidance, transportation and entertainment tasks, as well as medical applications. This Special Issue intends to concentrate on recent developments concerning mobile robots and the research surrounding them to enhance studies on the fundamental problems observed in the robots. Various multidisciplinary approaches and integrative contributions including navigation, learning and adaptation, networked system, biologically inspired robots and cognitive methods are welcome contributions to this Special Issue, both from a research and an application perspective

Pneumatic motion control systems for modular robots

This thesis describes a research study in the design, implementation, evaluation and commercialisation of pneumatic motion control systems for modular robots. The research programme was conducted as part of a collaborative study, sponsored by the Science and Engineering Research Council, between Loughborough University and Martonair (UK) Limited. Microprocessor based motion control strategies have been used to produce low cost pneumatic servo-drives which can be used for 'point-to-point' positioning of payloads. Software based realtime control strategies have evolved which accomplish servo-controlled positioning while compensating for drive system non-linearities and time delays. The application of novel compensation techniques has resulted in a significant improvement in both the static and dynamic performance of the drive. A theoretical foundation is presented based on a linearised model of a pneumatic actuator, servo-valve, and load system. The thesis describes the design and evolution of microprocessor based hardware and software for motion control of pneumatic drives. A British Standards based test-facility has allowed control strategies to be evaluated with reference to standard performance criteria. It is demonstrated in this research study that the dynamic and static performance characteristics of a pneumatic motion control system can be dramatically improved by applying appropriate software based realtime control strategies. This makes the application of computer controlled pneumatic servos in manufacturing very attractive with cost performance ratios which match or better alternative drive technologies. The research study has led to commercial products (marketed by Martonair Ltd), in which realtime control algorithms implementing these control strategy designs are executed within a microprocessor based motion controller

Design and implementation of the SBX1: a smart environment chamber for biological research and discovery

2021 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Modern biomedical laboratories make significant use of environmentally controlled chambers for incubation and examination of live cell samples. They require precise control over temperature, humidity, and gas concentration to mimic natural conditions for cell survival and growth. Many incubators and live cell imaging systems exist as commercial products; however, they are prohibitively expensive, costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on capabilities of the system. This thesis presents the electrical, optical, mechanical, and software design of the SBX1Smart Environment Chamber. This device aims to fulfill the needs of most users at a lower cost than current commercial offerings, providing an opportunity for less funded labs to pursue biomedical research and development. The chamber provides temperature, humidity, and gas concentration controls, an internal microscope with an automated stage, and an integrated ARM microcomputer to with a graphical user interface for control and monitoring of the system. A patent has been filed for the SBX1; application no. US 2020/0324289 A1