Micro tracking and positioning using off-the-shelf servopneumatics

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2014

Authors

João Pedro Falcão Carneiro (Author) FEUP; Fernando Gomes Almeida (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing

Vol. 30

Pages: 244-255

ISSN: 0736-5845

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 5 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 10 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Mechanical engineering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-HKD

DOI: 10.1016/j.rcim.2013.10.003

Abstract (EN): Conventional pneumatic systems do not exhibit significant heat or magnetic fields and present high force to volume ratios. They are, however, typically confined to simple motion tasks owing to their control complexity. Leveraging on a sliding mode based control strategy, the authors have shown in previous works that good tracking and positioning results can be achieved using off-the-shelf servopneumatics. This paper extends the previously mentioned works by applying a modified version of the control law to a new experimental setup comprising different valves and actuators and a better resolution encoder. The modification of the control law involves the use of a new boundary layer thickness variation law, different from the one previously used. Experimental results show that the modified control law leads to very accurate motion control. The positioning error from a control perspective is only limited by the encoder resolution, 1 pm, in any position of the piston stroke and when carrying loads of 3 kg and 8 kg, without any controller retuning. Good results in the micrometer range are also obtained when tracking sinusoidal and triangular references.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12