Novel Design of a 3-DOF Parallel Manipulator for Materials Handling

In this paper, a new design of a parallel manipulator is proposed for industrial applications, specifically for material surface finishing processes. Though most current parallel mechanisms have been based on the Stewart-Gough platform which has 6 degrees of freedom (DOF), the focus of this design is on a 3-DOF manipulator with one novel configuration. In order to benefit production, a parallel kinematic machine (PKM) capable of high speed industrial operations with high accuracy and rigidity is necessary. First, system modelling includes mobility study, inverse kinematic model, Jacobian matrix, singularity analysis and workspace calculation are conducted. Then, a CAD model is presented showing the optimum design features and detailed mechanics. Finally, finite element analysis is carried out for the device optimization.Copyright © 2008 by ASME