Geometric modeling with small defects of over-constrained Parallel Kinematic Machine

Abstract

In the case of over-constrained mechanisms, the system can only be assembled or move under strict geometric conditions. A crucial step is to identify these conditions from the geometric model. Classically, the geometric model of a robot is computed from the Denavit–Hartenberg formalism. However, when imperfect mechanisms are studied, this formalism does not introduce exhaustively small geometric defects. In this article, a formalism based on kinematic joint invariants is preferred to describe the geometric behavior. The efficiency of this formalism is demonstrated for the accuracy improvement of a serial robot. A stationarity analysis of the geometric model is then performed to determine the geometric constraints induced by the over-constrained systems and to reduce the number of geometric parameters initially introduced. The methodology is first illustrated on an over-constrained slider–rod–crank system. Then, it is applied to the over-constrained mechanism of the Tripteor X7, a Parallel Kinematic Machine-tool. The benefit of our methodology is validated by a comparison of the geometric model obtained with a CAD model and a previous geometric model proposed in the literature. Finally, the identification of the parameters of the defined geometric model is conducted in order to quantify the potential accuracy benefit.