Browse Topic: Mechatronics
ABSTRACT The mechanical behavior of a military vehicle during off-highway operation is complex and highly nonlinear. Some current vehicle concepts include added intelligence through the implementation of sensors and controllers to enable autonomous or semi-autonomous operations. Control systems have typically been developed with controls software where the mechanical plant and sensors are represented as simplified and often linearized blocks, resulting in a poor vehicle assessment. This paper describes the development of an integrated environment for a control system, mechanical system dynamics, and sensor simulation for an improved assessment of the vehicle system performance. The vehicle chosen is an autonomous robot that attempts to follow a prescribed path along an off-highway terrain. The effect of including a stability controller for vehicle mobility is assessed. The architecture of the integrated simulation environment is described and its potential to improve schedule and
Manually checking the quality of components or products in industry is labor-intensive for employees and error-prone on top of that. The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM is unveiling a solution that provides total versatility in this area. In an it’s OWL supported collaboration with Diebold Nixdorf and software specialist verlinked, Fraunhofer IEM has created a combination of collaborative robot (cobot), AI-based image analysis and IoT platform. The system frees employees from having to perform visual inspections and can be incorporated into all kinds of testing scenarios. The Fraunhofer researchers presented a demonstrator of the cobot/IoT platform at the 2024 Hannover Messe Trade Show in February
Industrial startup and mechatronic pioneer Mirmex Motor has developed a new method of manufacturing high-power density electric micromotor windings. Constructed from flexible printed circuits and developed using artificial intelligence (AI), the micromotors can be up to 50 percent more compact and 70 percent more dynamic than traditional micromotors. They have three times fewer heat losses and are assembled 10 times faster than most existing motors that use conventional windings made from copper wire
NVH has always been an important performance parameter for Automotive requirements, both from comfort standpoint as well as regulatory perspective. Over the years, lots of refinement has happened in a vehicle in NVH field, especially in the powertrain, vehicle structure, aerodynamic and tyre side. However, the customer sensitivity and expectations have only increased and even a slight discomfort from lesser contributing sources like mechatronic systems, which are increasingly getting commoditized with the introduction of newer safety regulations, have potential to create annoyance for the customer. The objective of this work is to investigate and subsequently mitigate the noise issues emanating from a small mechatronic brake system, using experimental (objective and subjective testing) and numerical modelling approaches. The paper highlights the details, which goes into identification of systemic root causes and how design corrections (including software changes) could lead to
During the 21st century, our society has been at the forefront of discovering new solutions through advanced technology for medical device and clinical laboratory applications. These innovative solutions have utilized linear motion to develop state-of-the-art medical imaging, diagnostic, and surgical equipment. Linear motion is a common need for all types of advanced equipment and machines; but precise, smooth, reliable, and repeatable linear motion is fundamentally important for several applications within the medical industry. Precision ground ball screws have become the preferred choice for precise linear motion because they deliver smooth and accurate movement ensuring reliable and repeatable results
The tightening of the emission legislation and political and social demands for sustainable mobility are forcing the automotive industry to develop complex, high precision mechatronic drive systems. The increasing precision of mechatronic components generally leads to an increase in structural excitation and thus to a rise in noise. The so-called ticking of the fuel injection system has a rather low sound pressure level compared to the residual engine noise. Nevertheless, the impulsive and high frequency noise character leads to a decline concerning the perception of comfort and sound quality. In order to identify the sound quality of fuel injection systems as a frontloading measure, a system test bench has been developed which represents the structure-borne and airborne sound radiation of the stand-alone injection system in a close to series configuration. In this paper, measures for the acoustic optimization of injection systems and their effects on the robustness of the system are
Tier-1 supplier Magna evaluates its proven Puro virus-killing technology for a potentially new role: sanitizing vehicle interiors. An ozone-generating process that kills germs is being evaluated by supplier Magna for potential use in vehicle cabins, as the mobility industry seeks sustainable solutions for protecting passenger health. Magna's Puro branded product, soon to enter volume production, is a portable, plastic container that sanitizes clothing, toys, stuffed animals or other items placed inside a latched and locked bin. “Our immediate focus for our sanitizing technology is to help with the current personal protection equipment (PPE) shortage being experienced by our front-line coronavirus workers. That said, we hope to leverage this Magna technology to sanitize ride sharing vehicles and other future mobility applications,” Scott Mitchell, global director of New Technology & Innovation for Magna Mechatronics, told SAE's Autonomous Vehicle Engineering
South Ural State University Chelyabinsk, Russia
With an ever-increasing number of vehicles on Indian roads, the safety and ease of driving has become a very important criterion for the customers. In passenger and commercial vehicles, while launching a vehicle on gradient or stop and go traffic in hilly region, the vehicle tends to roll back/forward in the opposite direction of the intended movement. This undesirable movement is also a safety issue, as this may cause collision with the vehicle on the rear or in front. It requires a skilled driver to coordinate between the clutch pedal, brake (also handbrake in some situations) and accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling back while handling such situations. It also leads to clutch disc wear and heating as the driver may tend to slip the clutch to prevent the vehicle from rolling back. Hill hold is a driver assist feature which prevents the vehicle roll back/roll forward during launch operation on uphill/downhill conditions. Hill-hold is offered as an add-on feature on
As electronics make their way into the fuel system, a shift in problem solving can be seen. Previously high risk items were tackled mainly through proving component durability and decreasing the statistical odds of the problem occurring. With an electronically controlled system however it is possible and necessary to define degraded modes, in the event that certain components fail, in order to provide at least a limited functionality for the customer. This paper will discuss some different use cases, and how embedded software can be used to improve functionality over a passive system
Manual transmissions play a dominant role in India with a market share of more than 90%. Any technology that improves their fuel consumption and their comfort for end users is highly welcome if it is affordable regarding “value for money”. Schaeffler offers a technology to meet these challenges with the concept of Electronic Clutch Management (ECM). By implementing an intelligent mechatronic clutch actuator with specific, integrated sensors directly inside the actuator, this development prepares the ground for a new era that says farewell to the clutch pedal and achieves the target of using a 2-pedal system
In the coming half-century, the global transport industry is expected to be affected by two technological revolutions - the first will start upon admission of autonomous vehicles to public roads, while the second will finalize a complete removal of manned vehicles away from them. As a result of the above revolutionary shocks, several major changes are anticipated: the modification of whole paradigm of ground vehicles; introduction of new business models in the transport sector, as well as new vehicle ownership forms; transition to technologies of collective and cooperative management and synchronized parrying the dangerous traffic collisions. The paper defines the major goals of intelligent transport systems development for the next decade, namely: creation of highly adaptable mechatronic modules and systems, accumulation of knowledge about the variability of road situations and creation of dangerous situations scenarios; development of methods for evaluating and proving the safety of
Current vehicles, especially the electric ones, are complex mechatronic devices. The pickup vehicles of small sizes are currently used in transport considerably. They often operate within a repeating scheme of a limited variety of tracks and larger fleets. Thanks to mechatronic design of vehicles and their components and availability of high capacity data connection with computational centers (clouds), there are many means to optimize their performance, both by planning prior the trip and recalculations during the route. Although many aspects of this opportunity were already addressed, the paper shows an approach developed to further increase the range of e-vehicle operation. It is based on prior information about the route profile, traffic density, road conditions, past behaviour, mathematical models of the route, vehicle and dynamic optimization. The most important part of the procedure is performed in the cloud, using both computational power and rich information resources. Suitable
This paper presents a power assisted braking control based on a novel mechatronic booster system. A brake pedal feel control unit is first discussed which includes a pedal emulator with an angular sensor to detect driver’s pedal travel, a signal processing module with a Kalman filter for sensor signal conditioning, and a driver braking intention detection and behavior recognition module based on the displacement and velocity of the pedal travel. A power assisted braking control is then presented as the core of the system which consists of controls on basic power assist, velocity compensation and friction compensation. The friction is estimated based on a generic algorithm offline. A motor controller is designed to provide the desired torque for the power assist. Finally, a novel mechatronic booster system is designed and built with an experimental platform set up with a widely adopted rapid prototype system using dSPACE products, such as MicroAutoBox, RapidPro, etc. Extensive
Nowadays, the vehicle market puts forward urgent requirement for new kinds of braking booster because the traditional vacuum booster cannot meet the demands of new energy vehicles anymore. However, one problem that all the new plans should face is how to guarantee an ideal pedal feeling. In this paper, a novel mechatronics braking booster is proposed, and servo motor introduced into the booster makes the assist rate can be adjusted under a great degrees of freedom, so the structural parameters and control parameters of the booster should be determined elaborately to get an optimal pedal feeling. The pedal feeling is always represented by the pedal stoke-force curve which is influenced by different parameters. In this paper, the pedal stoke-force curve is firstly studied by batch simulation using AMESim, different structural and control parameters, such as the parameters of the decelerating devices, the stiffness coefficient of the return spring, the assist rate of the booster, are
An electro-hydraulic servo system makes the basis for a mechatronic locomotion module (LM) and for a complex comprising an LM and an undercarriage of a vehicle. The servo system of the wheel module/LM complex is a combination of the information and power channels of the electro-hydraulic wheel drive within the steering system. A combination of the servo systems makes up a complex of servo systems of the steering system of the multi axis wheel mover of the vehicle. Theoretical and experimental studies of the functioning all-wheel steering were aimed on substantiation the rational algorithmic maintenance of the automatic control system. The results of the study allowed formulating the basic principles of designing and calculating the functionality algorithms for the steering system of the complex of mechatronic modules of the multi-axis vehicle. A comparative analysis and evaluation of the impact of different algorithms of the control system on the parameters of turning of the vehicle
Despite the increasing application of automated systems, manual tasks still plays an important role in industrial production. The intelligence and flexibility of human enable quick response and adaptive production for the individual requirements and the changes in market. Moreover, some manufacturing tasks with sensible and high-value components (e.g., in electronic and aircraft production) requires attentive manual handling. Regarding the requirement of increasing productivity as well as ergonomic improvement and the aging of the employees, there is a significant need for technologies which support the staff individually by performing tasks. Human Hybrid Robot, a hybrid system with direct coupling (serial and/or parallel) of human and mechatronic elements, is a new trend in application of robotic technologies for supporting manual tasks. It realizes a synchronous and bidirectional interaction between human and mechatronic and/or mechanic elements in the same workspace. This paper will
The emergence of tougher environmental legislations and ever increasing demand for increased ride comfort, fuel efficiency, and low emissions have triggered exploration and advances towards more efficient vehicle gearbox technologies. The growing complexity and spatial distribution of such a mechatronic gearbox demands precise timing and coordination of the embedded electronics, integrated sensors and actuators as well as excellent overall reliability. The increased gearbox distributed systems have seen an increased dependence on sensors for feedback control, predominantly relying on hardware redundancy for faults diagnosis. However, the conventional hardware redundancy has disadvantages due to increased costs, weight, volume, power requirements and failure rates. This paper presents a virtual position sensor-based Fault Detection, Isolation and Accommodation (FDIA), which generates an analytical redundancy for comparison against the actual sensor output. The proposed FDIA scheme has
Many vehicle subsystems were in essence mechatronic (electro-mechanical) designs. Modern vehicles have various subsystems which provide mechanical movements which were controlled by electronic and electrical systems. At the same time, they collect and track data about system performance and environmental conditions for on board diagnostics. Advances in mechanical, electrical, and embedded systems were making vehicles more intelligent. However, these mechatronics systems face new challenges including design for compliance and ensuring that all product specifications are transferred into the company's product data management system. This is especially important for electrical and electronic subsystems since they have to comply with ongoing changes related to the management of hazardous substances. Since modern vehicles were being manufactured in a global environment through outsourcing of many different components, this poses challenges with material tracking. Environmental regulations
The article enumerates the main problems encountered in creating main traction-transport vehicle (TTV) units as mechatronic systems. The authors review the results of theoretical and experimental studies of creating TTVs - automobiles of the future based on mechatronic systems. The analysis of the results shows that TTV progress is only possible based on a broad introduction of mechatronic modules into vehicle designs. This significantly increases the role of electronics and control systems. The paper shows that TTVs with mechatronic systems cannot be unambiguously described mathematically based on the existing theory of applied mechanics. A theory describing the laws governing the functioning both of individual TTV systems with their interrelationships and of the object as a whole should be developed. The importance is now given to the problem of creating the algorithmic and software support of the devices for power conversion and control, coordination and achievement of the systemic
This paper establishes a chassis multi-body dynamics model for integrated chassis control system with ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and ARC (Active Roll Controller), using ADAMS/Mechatronics modules in ADAMS/Car, And a co-simulation is carried out in ADAMS and MATLAB/Simulink for the integrated control system with single lane change on both dry and wet sliding roads. The simulation results show that the integrated chassis control system is effective and necessary. In addition, the co-simulation method with ADAMS/Mechatronics and MATLAB can be an effective way for the study of integrated chassis control system, providing a reference for future researches
With the huge improvements made during the last years in the area of integrated safety systems, they are one of the main contributors to the massively rising complexity within automotive systems. However, this enormous complexity stimulates the demand for methodologies supporting the efficient development of such systems, both in terms of cost and development time. Within this work, we propose a co-simulation-based approach for the validation of integrated safety systems. Based on data measurements gained from a test bed, models for the sensors and the distributed safety system are established. They are integrated into a co-simulation environment containing models of the ambience, driving dynamics, and the crash-behavior of the vehicle. Hence, the complete heterogeneous system including all relevant effects and dependencies is modeled within the co-simulation. This allows validating the distributed integrated safety system by performing a number of fast and efficient co-simulation
The main trend in designs of modern automobiles is a widespread use of mechatronic modules and systems. These modules are built as a symbiosis of electric, electronic and hydraulic components, united by means of the control system and intended to fulfill particular targeted functions. In the article results of a comprehensive theoretical and experimental study aimed at creating a drive and a control system of a wheel module intended to be used with the steering and spring systems of an automobile and a mobile robot have been considered. Also the basic principles of the a complex of mechatronic drives of the wheel module (CMD WM) and technical requirements for the components of the complex as a mechatronic module of the system of active safety of the automobile and mobile robot have been formulated. The operation of all the subsystems of the CMD WM of the all-wheel steering system with various types of the electro-hydraulic servo drive of wheel turning, and with the regulated wheel
Effective requirements elicitation and management is a common need in supplier-OEM relationships, and continues to play a vital role in all aspects of the product development lifecycle. While traditional methods address the business goals for requirements and provide guidance in ensuring the accuracy of the “Descriptive-Prescriptive-Explanatory” outputs for requirements gathering and documentation, engineering organizations continue to encounter challenges with respect to capturing and communicating change, accommodating the addition of relevant design details and efficient propagation to inform development. These challenges become more difficult to overcome in mechatronic systems, which combine mechanical systems with integrated software. As software development can produce an overwhelming volume of information that requires accurate tracking and proliferation, it cannot be effectively managed using traditional hardware-centric systems. This increased complexity introduced by software
Machine design and deployment requires integration of various technologies such as controls, mechanics, vision, lasers, data acquisition, and software, to mention only a few. These mechatronic solutions usually target a specific purpose such as part manufacturing, marking, packaging, etc. Often the controller is a key focus in the design because it must connect and coordinate all of the processes on the machine. Using separate programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and motion controllers necessitates integration, which is costly and time-consuming. Using a single controller for the machine eliminates the need for integration and shortens design and deployment time and cost
The article presents results of comprehensive theoretical and experimental studies aimed at creation of traction-and-transport vehicles (TTVs) - trucks and tractors of the future, which meet the modern requirements for their active and environmental safety. The concept is based on the original complex mathematical model (CMM), which allows simulating various interaction schemes of all TTV systems, including those accounting for the contact (tribological) interaction of the wheel with the rolling surface. The CMM was used to study the work of all the subsystems of TTVs equipped with electric transmission, all-wheel steering and electro-hydraulic servo system of wheel turning, as well as with the wheel-springing system and the onboard information-and-control system. Besides, the CMM and its individual units were used as simulators for programming the functionality algorithms of all these subsystems and their relationships with each other. Based on theoretical studies, unique experimental
Mechatronics can be defined as the science to optimize the performance and capabilities of machines using a multi-domain synergistic design approach. It is also described as the combination of mechanical, electronic, computer, software, control, and systems de - sign engineering. Simply put, this concept enables machine builders to produce machines that produce the highest quality at maximum throughput. Additionally, it empowers manufacturers to make incremental improvements to existing assets to ultimately meet or exceed core key performance indicator (KPI) targets
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