Flexible coupling of drive and guide elements for parallel-driven feed axes to increase dynamics and accuracy of motion

Productivity enhancement is achievable by increasing the dynamics of machines. This can be accomplished by decreasing the moving mass or by increasing the driving forces. One possibility for increasing the drive forces lies in the use of multiple parallel-acting actuators. Because of the mechanical coupling between the drives, undesirable interference of the actuators occurs. This limits the control bandwidth of the feed axis. Feed axes of machine tools are mostly equipped with linear guides fitted with rolling elements. Since they dispose of just one degree of freedom, small errors in their alignment or thermally induced errors cause constraining loads. In this paper compliant mechanisms are used to mechanically decouple the slide from the guide and drive elements. The application of flexible joints in gantry axes with linear motors and ball screws is investigated. The dynamic behaviour of the feed axis components are modelled using the Finite Element Method. By applying the modal reduction technique, the dynamic behaviour is included in an elastic multibody simulation. With the mechanical decoupling of the drive and guide elements it is possible to increase the control bandwidth of the system. Deviations in motion may also be corrected with parallel-driven feed axis by applying compliant mechanisms.