Analysis of the Compliance Properties of an Industrial Robot with the Mozzi Axis Approach

In robotic processes, the compliance of the robot arm plays a very important role. In some conditions, for example, in robotic assembly, robot arm compliance can compensate for small position and orientation errors of the end-effector. In other processes, like machining, robot compliance may generate chatter vibrations with an impairment in the quality of the machined surface. In industrial robots, the compliance of the end-effector is chiefly due to joint compliances. In this paper, joint compliances of a serial six-joint industrial robot are identified with a novel modal method making use of specific modes of vibration dominated by the compliance of only one joint. Then, in order to represent the effect of the identified compliances on robot performance in an intuitive and geometric way, a novel kinematic method based on the concept of \u201cMozzi axis\u201d of the end-effector is presented and discusse

Lipoprotein(a): Just an Innocent Bystander in Arterial Hypertension?

Elevated plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a relatively common and highly heritable trait conferring individuals time-dependent risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Following its first description, Lp(a) triggered enormous scientific interest in the late 1980s, subsequently dampened in the mid-1990s by controversial findings of some prospective studies. It was only in the last decade that a large body of evidence has provided strong arguments for a causal and independent association between elevated Lp(a) levels and CVD, causing renewed interest in this lipoprotein as an emerging risk factor with a likely contribution to cardiovascular residual risk. Accordingly, the 2022 consensus statement of the European Atherosclerosis Society has suggested inclusion of Lp(a) measurement in global risk estimation. The development of highly effective Lp(a)-lowering drugs (e.g., antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA, both blocking LPA gene expression) which are still under assessment in phase 3 trials, will provide a unique opportunity to reduce “residual cardiovascular risk” in high-risk populations, including patients with arterial hypertension. The current evidence in support of a specific role of Lp(a) in hypertension is somehow controversial and this narrative review aims to overview the general mechanisms relating Lp(a) to blood pressure regulation and hypertension-related cardiovascular and renal damage

Dynamics of cylindrical parts for vibratory conveying

Vibratory conveyors are widely used to feed raw materials and small parts to processing equipment. Up to now, most of the research has focused on materials and parts that can be modeled as point masses or small blocks. This paper focuses on the conveying of cylindrical parts. In this case, the rolling motion is an essential feature of conveyor dynamics. First, the dynamic equations governing the rolling motion are stated, and the effects of friction and rolling resistance coefficients on the behavior of the system are analyzed. Then, a non-linear numerical model is developed in MATLAB. It takes into account the transition between pure rolling and rolling with sliding and the impacts of the cylindrical part on the edges of the conveyor. Numerical results showing the effect of the operative parameters of the conveyor and of friction properties on the traveled distance are presented and discussed. Finally, a comparison between numerical and experimental results is presented

Modeling and identification of an industrial robot with a selective modal approach

The stiffness properties of industrial robots are very important for many industrial applications, such as automatic robotic assembly and material removal processes (e.g., machining and deburring). On the one hand, in robotic assembly, joint compliance can be useful for compensating dimensional errors in the parts to be assembled; on the other hand, in material removal processes, a high Cartesian stiffness of the end-effector is required. Moreover, low frequency chatter vibrations can be induced when low-stiffness robots are used, with an impairment in the quality of the machined surface. In this paper, a compliant joint dynamic model of an industrial robot has been developed, in which joint stiffness has been experimentally identified using a modal approach. First, a novel method to select the test configurations has been developed, so that in each configuration the mode of vibration that chiefly involves only one joint is excited. Then, experimental tests are carried out in the selected configurations in order to identify joint stiffness. Finally, the developed dynamic model of the robot is used to predict the variation of the natural frequencies in the workspace

A dynamic model for the optimization of rotatory feeding devices

Component feeding is an important process in assembly and packaging lines, affecting the throughput. It is therefore important to optimize the feeding process with the aim of reducing the takt time of the production line. In kitting lines, the feeding devices are typically used to create little groups of components, preparing the batches for final grouping into a kit. In the paper, a dynamic model is developed and validated, which describes the interaction of the components to be fed with the blades of a rotating feeding unit. Then, an optimization method is proposed based on the dynamic model using a weighted cost function, which allows to define the shape of the blade according to a set of design objectives

Improving Components Feeding: A Rotatory Device

Packaging lines need to create small batches of components before the \ufb01nal kitting operation. This task is usually performed by mechanical hoppers that require a certain amount of time to be ready for the next loading operation. In this paper, a new device that reduces this amount of time is proposed. Such device is composed of a single rotational part whose shape is optimized to help components falling with a free falling motion, minimizing the takt time of the device. The blades of the device are designed with a proper algorithm that consider the composition of motion of the impeller and of the components

A multi-method study on expenditures by families and students for nursing education

In this study we compare expenditures by families and students for Nursing Education in five european countries using PPP metho