ADAMS Software Research Articles

Measurement and Dynamic Analysis of the Centroid Trajectories of Angular-Contact Ball Bearing Cages

When a high-speed rolling bearing cage comes into contact with rollers, it experiences random movement due to friction and collision, which significantly impacts the overall performance of the bearing. To further investigate the motion law of cages, a test bench for a 7010C angular-contact bearing cage was constructed. This setup utilized laser sensors to obtain changes in attitude and displacement during operation. After analyzing how cage deflection errors influenced trajectory measurements, corrections were applied to the measurement results. Additionally, an investigation was conducted into the effects of varying rotational speeds on the dynamic performance of the cage. Simulations were performed using ADAMS software, which verified both the effectiveness of the measuring method and the testing results. The findings indicated that within the tested range of rotational speeds, the centroid trajectory stability of the cage gradually improved as rotational speed increased and then began to show a tendency to deteriorate. Furthermore, there existed a negative correlation between the deflection error of the cage and the centroid trajectory stability.

An Exoskeleton Design and Numerical Characterization for Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

This research addresses a feasibility study for validating an exoskeleton with kinematic considerations. The designed exoskeleton will be used for children with congenital disorders, especially for a case study characterized by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The research core focuses on virtual simulations carried out through the multibody systems theory under an MSC Adams software environment, with an exoskeleton constructive solution. The designed exoskeleton mechanism is characterized by simplicity, low-cost, and easy-operation features criteria. The results obtained through a numerical processing analysis validate the feasibility study of the proposed prototype.

Development of a multibody model for go-karts considering frame flexibility

AbstractThis study focuses on the optimization dynamics of racing go-karts, which is heavily influenced by the frame's stiffness. Lacking suspensions and differentials, go-karts rely on the frame stiffness for wheel balancing and skid prevention by lifting the inner rear wheel during turns. Utilizing a rigid-flexible model in MSC Software ADAMS View, validated by frame deformation measurements, this research integrates finite element analysis with multibody techniques. The model, leverages computer aided design files for frame geometry and employs finite element analysis for frame validation. It facilitates evaluating go-kart dynamics through simulations, aiding in maneuver testing and design optimization. This approach provides a comprehensive framework for advancing go-kart designs.

Kinematics and dynamics characteristics of a double-ring truss deployable antenna mechanism based on triangular prism deployable unit

In order to effectively improve the single-ring truss deployable antenna mechanism due to the large aperture caused by the problem with low structural strength and low-profile accuracy, a series of double-ring truss deployable antenna mechanisms (DRTDAM) are proposed with constant height during folding and deployment process. First, a variety of DRTDAMs are proposed based on tetrahedral units and their topologies are analyzed. Secondly, degree-of-freedom (DOF) characteristics of DRTDAM proposed in this paper are analyzed based on the screw theory and screw-constrained topological graphs and based on this, the kinematic characteristics of DRTDAM is investigated. Thirdly, the dynamics of the whole DRTDAM is built with Newton-Euler equations of multi-rigid body system. Finally, the correctness of above analysis is verified through dynamics analysis software ADAMS and numerical analysis software MATLAB, and the principle prototype is produced to verify the correctness of DOF analysis. The mechanism proposed in this paper enriches the configuration of DRTDAM, and the process of kinematic characterization method is clear and simple, which is meaningful for the research in space complex mechanism.

The Dynamics Stability Judging Method for a Gantry-type Welding Robot

In order to improve the dynamic performance of gantry-type welding robot, this paper introduces the structural dynamics model and Lyapunov stability criterion of the gantry-type welding robot frame with nine degrees of freedom. The dynamic equations of the welding robot satisfy the Euler–Lagrange form, and the calculation index of welding robot Lyapunov stability is judged by matrix eigenvalues. Combining with the specific design parameters of an industrial welding robot, the motion stability of the gantry-type welding robot frame and the displacement response of the welding torch are analyzed. The influence of the change of the frame design structure on the stability of the welding torch for end effector of welding robot is discussed, furthermore, the improvement direction of vibration damping and anti-interference of welding robot system is pointed out. Finally, the dynamics simulation of the optimized gantry-type welding robot end effector is carried out by using ADAMS software, and the torque variation curve of the end effector is obtained, which provides a strong basis for the selection of motor models and the design of control system.

Assessing the Effect of Head and Neck Orientation on Head Injury Parameters in Taekwondo

Background: Brain injuries may be caused by the linear and rotational acceleration of the head and neck; in fact, head and neck orientation are one of the factors determining the type and severity of brain injury when the impact delivered to head is a less important consideration. This investigation has analyzed the effect of head and neck orientation on linear and rotational acceleration in Taekwondo. Methods: The ADAMS software model has been used to determine the linear and rotational acceleration in the taekwondo roundhouse kick in various orientations. Results: The results revealed that the maximum linear and rotational acceleration was related to neck 0° were 99g, and 4576 , respectively. The head and neck orientation did not affect the magnitude of the linear and rotational acceleration in the sagittal plane. However, as the angle of the head and neck orientation increased in the frontal plane, the magnitude of the linear and rotational acceleration decreased. Conclusion: In general, the results indicate that only rotational acceleration was the cause of brain injury in taekwondo. Increasing the angle of orientation of the head and neck in frontal plane would lead to a reduction in intensity.

Learning complex nonlinear dynamics of a 3D translational parallel manipulator using neural network

This study investigates modeling the dynamics of a 3D translational parallel manipulator with closed chains using feedforward neural networks (FFNNs). The dataset exceeds 50,000 samples, incorporating experimental data collected from a robot prototype using MATLAB® real-time workshop and the National InstrumentsTM DAQ toolbox, as well as CAD simulation data from MSC ADAMS software. While achieving satisfactory mean squared error (MSE), some predictions did not fully capture the manipulator's dynamics, with small overfitting observed. A Deep Neural Network (DNN) was tested but faced overfitting and high computational costs, despite being trained on a subset of the dataset. This highlighted the limitations of DNNs for modeling such complicated parallel robots with closed chains and parallelograms. FFNNs were preferred for their simplicity and lower overfitting risk. L2 regularization and k-fold validation were applied to improve performance. Transfer learning (TL) was also employed, fine-tuning a new network with weights from pre-trained FFNNs using a smaller, unseen dataset. This approach significantly reduced MSE and completely eliminated overfitting, demonstrating the effectiveness of TL in refining model performance for forward and inverse dynamics. These findings suggest that FFNNs, combined with TL, L2 regularization, and k-fold validation, offer a robust method for accurately modeling complex robotic dynamics, enhancing control and optimization strategies for complicated robotic systems. Training for all networks was conducted within the MATLAB® environment.

Dynamics Modeling and Analysis of Small-Diameter Pipeline Inspection Gauge during Passing Through Elbow

Abstract With small diameters, numerous elbows and complex internal environment, gathering and transportation pipelines are widely applied in the oil and gas pipeline network. To guarantee their safety, a pipeline inspection gauge (PIG) driven by the pressure differential is used. When the PIG collides with the elbows in the pipeline, it exhibits complex nonlinear dynamic behaviors and its reliability and stability may also be greatly affected. To study the vibration response characteristics passing through the elbow, the dynamic modeling of the small-diameter PIG is conducted first in this paper based on the ADAMS software. Then, the fluid-structure coupling is achieved by combining the dynamic model and the numerical calculation program of the fluid equation in Simulink. The simulation results indicate that the axial and swing acceleration amplitudes of the two sections increase with the increasing speed of the double-section detector, while the opposite trend is observed for the vertical acceleration amplitudes. By comparison, it is found that the acceleration response in the second section is generally greater than that in the first section. The results also show that the axial offset of the PIG at the elbow is inversely proportional to the speed and radius of the elbow, which is the main cause of the lift-off values of sensors.

Fatigue life prediction of rubber suspension bushings based on virtual road load spectrum pulses

Rubber suspension bushings have mainly been studied under single- or multi-axis load cycling, while research on rubber suspension bushings under random load cycling is not deep enough. This study conducted uniaxial tensile and fatigue tests on N60 rubber dumbbell-shaped plate samples to obtain stress–strain curves and S–N curves. Using the uniaxial tensile test data, a Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic constitutive model was fitted using Abaqus software, and a finite element model of the rubber suspension bushing was established. A 3D virtual road surface was constructed using Adams software, and characteristic features of typical road surfaces were extracted for statistical analysis, resulting in the generation of a load spectrum showing variations in force over time. Based on the Miner linear damage accumulation theory, finite element fatigue life prediction of the rubber suspension bushing was conducted using pulses from the 232 s region of the load spectrum. The predicted fatigue life was compared to the results from benchtop fatigue testing, resulting in a relative error of less than 6.443 %. The findings suggest that the method is effective in predicting the fatigue life of rubber suspension bushings under random loads.

Modeling and motion simulation study of a three-dimensional sewing device

Abstract In response to the sewing demands of steering wheels and their unique shapes, a multi-robot arm cooperative three-dimensional sewing device was designed to achieve efficient and precise sewing operations. Utilizing SolidWorks, a collaborative three-dimensional sewing device involving multiple robotic arms was engineered, and its mechanism model was established in ADAMS software for motion simulation analysis to evaluate the device’s performance and motion characteristics. This three-dimensional sewing device is capable of fulfilling the sewing requirements of special curved surface items such as steering wheels, enhancing production efficiency and saving labor. Taking the constructed physical prototype as the research subject, motion experiments simulating the sewing process were conducted. Combined with the simulation results, curves, and three-dimensional motion effects, the feasibility of the design was successfully verified, providing a foundation for subsequent sewing trajectory planning and motion control of the device.

Design, Analysis and Optimization of Four Degrees of Freedom of Parallel Gripper Mechanism for Industrial Automation

Objectives: To obtain the positions, velocities, and acceleration of actuators of the 4-DOF of the parallel gripper, and optimization of the mechanism is carried out to find the optimal dimensions of the mechanism. Methods: Kinematic analysis is carried out to find the positions and velocities of the gripper of the mechanism. The method used to solve the position of the mechanism is inverse kinematics. A source code is written in MATLAB software to find the positions and velocities of the gripper. This software is a computing platform which can solve large size matrices easily which is most suitable for robots. A model of the mechanism is created in CATIA with constraints. The developed CATIA model is used in ANSYS software for structural analysis. The method used for finding optimal dimensions is Genetic algorithms. Optimization is carried out using Genetic Algorithms (GA’s) using the Energy Manipulation Index as an objective for obtaining the optimal dimensions of the parallel gripper mechanism. Finally, ADAMs software is used to simulate the mechanism. Findings: using inverse kinematic equations the results of displacements, velocities, and accelerations obtained for in-plane horizontal motion, and in-plane vertical motion s plotted. After checking the gripper performance, It is observed that the in-plane vertical transmission is better than the in-plane horizontal transmission. Based on the Energy Manipulation Index (EMI), the performance-to-effort ratio of the gripper object is calculated. It tells about the physical significance of energy transfer efficiency. If the energy occupied by the end-effector is higher than the 4-DOF Parallel Gripper achieves higher efficiency and possesses better manipulability performance. Maximum EMI is taken as an objective for optimization using GA. Simulation is carried out using ADAMS software to determine the driving forces or torques. Novelty/improvement: In this paper the performance index EMI is taken as objective to find the optimal dimensions of the 4-DOF of parallel gripper. Keywords: ­ DOF parallel gripper, In­hand manipulation, In­hand twisting, Driving force, Energy Manipulation Index (EMI)

Design and Fatigue Life Analysis of the Rope-Clamping Drive Mechanism in a Knotter

A knotter is a core component for the automatic bundling of agricultural materials, and a knotter with double-fluted discs is one type. Currently, the research on knotters with double-fluted discs has gradually transitioned from structural design to reliability optimization. To address rope-clamping failures in the rope-clamping drive mechanisms in knotters, the specific failure position of the rope-clamping mechanism and the failure causes were analyzed first. The redesign of the rope-clamping drive mechanism in knotters with double synclastic fluted discs was proposed, including structure optimization and 3D modeling using the GearTrax/KISSsoft and SolidWorks software. A virtual prototype model of a knotter with a flexible rope was established by combining ANSYS with the ADAMS software. A rigid–flexible coupling dynamic simulation of the knotter was carried out using ADAMS, and the simulation results were used as the data input for the ANSYS nCode DesignLife module for the fatigue life simulation of the weak parts (the worm shaft) of the knotter. The operation test results for the rope-clamping drive mechanism indicate that the redesigned rope-clamping drive mechanism is reliable in transmission, with a rope-clamping success rate of 100%. The actual operation times for the worm shaft exceed the minimum fatigue life obtained through joint simulation. The applied joint simulation method has high simulation accuracy.

Modeling and Experimental Validation of an Off-Road Truck’s (4 × 4) Lateral Dynamics Using a Multi-Body Simulation

In the automotive sector, the use of multi-body software for modeling of existing vehicles has become essential due to its advantages in understanding vehicle dynamics in different situations and improving vehicle performances. This paper aims to model an off-road truck (4 × 4) by using ADAMS software 2020. Several steps must be achieved, including experimentally identifying some truck characteristics such as the mass, center of gravity coordinates, and tire vertical stiffness. The truck features leaf springs in both the front and rear suspensions, which must be validated before their integration into the full model due to their modeling complexity. This validation is performed by comparing the force–displacement characteristics obtained experimentally with simulation results from ADAMS, showing a good agreement. Then, the full truck is modeled in ADAMS software and validated through an experimental test using a repeated double-lane change scenario with two tests for the validation of the truck’s lateral dynamics. The comparison between the results shows a good correlation, validating the multi-body truck model.

Design optimization of a wearable chair using The Bees Algorithm

A wearable chair is designed to reduce musculoskeletal disorders in workers. Two-staged optimization process using The Bees Algorithm is conducted to determine the lowest operable height of the chair and minimize the maximum force among the three supports. Geometric, dimensional, and rotational angle constraints are defined accordingly. A CAD model of the chair is imported into ADAMS software for simulation. The simulation results identified the most stressed rod in the chair. A spring is selected and implemented in ADAMS to counteract the applied force on this rod. A comparison between the force on the most stressed support and the spring force through a defined motion revealed minimal differences, indicating that the spring effectively counteracted the applied force. The results demonstrated the successful application of The Bees Algorithm to wearable chairs and the successful implementation of a spring to counteract applied force, thereby achieving the objectives of this study.

Research on fruit picking test of blueberry harvesting machinery under transmission clearance

Since China possesses the vast territory and a large blueberry planting area, blueberry harvesting with hand is laborious and time consuming. As the blueberry planting agronomy in China is different from other countries, it is pretty significant to develop blueberry harvesting machinery applicable to the domestic planting agronomy to achieve mechanized harvesting of blueberries. In blueberry harvesting operation, the harvesting system as the core component of the machine is the key technology of the harvesting machinery. The previous study found that: in terms of harvesting machinery, most of the literature has studied the dynamic characteristics, while few articles have been published to study the transmission clearance. But the clearance collision force generated by the transmission clearance of the harvesting system directly affected the output load moment and harvesting force of the machine developed by acting on the plant, and then affected the picking efficiency and the quality of picked fruit. Therefore, this paper focuses on the study of the transmission clearance of the blueberry harvesting machine. Firstly, the MLSD modeling method was applied to establish the transmission clearance model of the harvesting device, and the corresponding mechanical analysis of the transmission clearance was carried out. Secondly, after programming in MATLAB software and simulation in ADAMS software, the correctness of the transmission clearance model of the harvesting device was verified in different environments. The multi-body dynamics analysis software ADAMS was used for building the transmission clearance model of the harvesting device and perform mechanical simulation to analyze the clearance collision force and the output load moment of the harvesting device. Pro/E, ADAMS and ANSYS software were integrated to establish the flexible body of blueberry plant. Then the flexible body was combined with the mechanical model of harvesting device for rigid-flexible coupling simulation analysis to study the fruit harvesting force under different transmission clearances. Finally, the orthogonal method was used to conduct field test on blueberry harvesting to study the influence of the transmission clearance on the quality of picked fruit and picking efficiency of the machinery. Therefore, the best combination of the transmission clearance of the harvester was obtained as follows: cam clearance (the clearance joints of cam) was 0.25 mm, the slider clearance was 0.2 mm, left connecting rod clearance pair was 0.1 mm, right connecting rod clearance pair was 0.2 mm; the field picking test was conducted to obtain the machine's picking efficiency was 3.93 kg min−1, the shedding rate of unripe fruit was 3.1 %, and the damage rate of picked fruit was 2.8 %. The research findings of this paper can offer referenced basis and theoretical support for berry harvesting machinery, and also can provide guidance for the design and improvement of other agricultural and forestry harvesting machinery.

The Experimental-Numerical Study of Aviation Autocannon Mechanisms

The objective of this research was to investigate the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of selected components and mechanisms of the GSh-23 aviation autocannon (specifically, the bolt and the connecting lever of the feeding mechanism). During the research implementation, measurements of linear and angular displacements of the chosen mechanisms of the GSh-23 aviation autocannon were carried out on a purpose-built research platform. This platform enables the movement of the weapon mechanisms without the use of ammunition, utilising compressed air instead. Parts and mechanisms were carefully selected for the study, allowing their motion to be recorded by a high-speed camera without the need for disassembling crucial weapon components. The results of measuring kinematic quantities using the high-speed camera and TEMA software were employed to validate a numerical model of the weapon mechanisms in MSC ADAMS software. The displacement and velocity characteristics obtained from the simulation were reasonably consistent with the experimentally obtained characteristics.

Fault identification of centrifugal pump using WGAN-GP method with unbalanced datasets based on kinematics simulation and experimental case

Abstract In practical engineering applications, the accuracy and stability of fault identification for centrifugal pump will be significantly reduced due to unbalanced distribution between normal and fault datasets, i.e., the number of normal working samples is far more than the fault samples. To alleviate this bottleneck issue, this paper explores the fault identification of centrifugal pump based on Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty (WGAN-GP) through combining kinematics simulation and experimental case. Specifically, ideal unbalanced vibration datasets from failure patterns such as damaged impeller of centrifugal pump are simulated and collected by prototype ADAMS software, then the unbalanced vibration signals are transformed into 2D grey-scale images. Furtherly, the generated grey-scale image datasets are feed into the original grey-scale image dataset as new datasets for training when the Nash equilibrium of the WGAN-GP model is reached. Eventually, the fault patterns of centrifugal pump are identified using confusion matrix graph. Meanwhile, another public dataset of centrifugal pump is employed for verifying the accuracy of the WGAN-GP model. Results indicate that fault identification accuracies with 95.07% and 98.0% of both kinematics simulation and experimental case are obtained, respectively, and the issues of unbalanced distribution and insufficient dataset can be overcome effectively.

Capture dynamics and driving method of origami capture mechanism in orbit

This article focuses on the dynamic problem of origami capture mechanism capturing space debris in orbit. It delves into the envelope characteristics of the origami capture mechanism, analyzing the motion laws of its axisymmetric folding state. Furthermore, it establishes a kinematic model for the axisymmetric envelope of the origami capture mechanism. A rigid body dynamic model of the origami capture mechanism and a generalized torque equation for the hinge at the crease were established based on the D–H parameter method and the Lagrange method. The enveloping process of the origami capture mechanism in the microgravity environment was simulated using ADAMS software, and the accuracy of the rigid body dynamics model of the origami capture mechanism and the generalized moment equation of the hinge at the crease was verified. Using Ls-Dyna software to simulate the capture process of space debris by force-driven and displacement-driven flexible origami capture mechanisms in microgravity environments, the results show that displacement-driven origami capture mechanisms can quickly capture space debris and are suitable for capturing large-sized space debris; The force-driven origami capture mechanism can quickly complete envelope capture of space debris, suitable for capturing small-sized space debris.

A Novel Explicit Canonical Dynamic Modeling Method for Multi-Rigid-Body Mechanisms Considering Joint Friction

Friction is an inevitable phenomenon in mechanical systems that affects the dynamic characteristics of systems. To reduce the modeling complexity of complex multi-rigid-body mechanisms, a novel explicit canonical dynamic modeling method considering joint friction is proposed. Based on the explicit dynamic modeling theory that we have proposed, the solution of the constraint force required by the joint friction modeling of multi-rigid-body mechanisms is derived and improved, which greatly simplifies the solution of the constraint force. According to the obtained explicit expression of the constraint force equations, two joint friction models of the Coulomb–viscous effect and Stribeck effect are derived in analytical form. Moreover, the Stribeck effect of the joint is experimentally analyzed. A five-axis tree-chain mechanism and a three-loop closed-chain mechanism are chosen to demonstrate the method and compared with ADAMS software. Moreover, the proposed model is analyzed and compared with other methods.

Recursive dynamic modeling for attitude control of fully flexible spacecraft with central body and appendages

A spacecraft composed of a central body and flexible appendages is a typical rigid-flexible coupling system. Current modeling methods generally regard the central body as rigid. As the central body becomes larger and more flexible, the elastic deformation of the central body may not be ignored. In this study, considering the flexibility effect of the central body and based on the recursive kinematics, a complete coupled dynamic model of the orbit, attitude, and elastic deformation of a fully flexible spacecraft is established. Compared with traditional methods, the model has smaller generalized coordinate dimension and can more clearly reveal the kinematic relationship between the appendages and the central body. By comparing the simulation results of typical working conditions with the ADAMS software, the correctness of the built model is verified. The PD controller for the attitude of the spacecraft is used, and three models of different rigid/flexible settings are compared in detail. The dynamic response of the system in uncontrolled and controlled states are discussed. Numerical simulation results show that the flexibility of the central body poses a certain influence on the attitude response of the spacecraft, the flexible vibration of the appendages, and the attitude control accuracy.