An investigation on the retrofitment of an industrial robotic manipulator with a composite arm: Design, analysis, and fabrication.

摘要

The dynamic performance of industrial robotic manipulators which feature structural components fabricated in composite materials yield superior performance characteristics relative to traditional manipulator designs employing aluminum structural components. Composites can be tailored to yield desired stiffness, mass, and damping characteristics depending upon the required application. To evaluate relative dynamic performance between aluminum and composite forearms, a composite laminate sequence was synthesized to match static equivalent stiffnesses. A composite forearm was fabricated for retrofitment on a General Electric P-50 process robot employing graphite/epoxy prepreg material using the hand lay-up technique. The composite arm had 57 percent less mass than the aluminum arm, a higher first natural frequency, and superior damping characteristics. The robot featuring the composite forearm exhibited equivalent performance characteristics.