This paper presents the motion accuracy simulation considering loads such as workpiece weight, cutting force, cogging force of a linear motor, and force caused by misalignment and runout error of a ballscrew in linear motion units. The transfer function method is basically utilized to estimate 5-DOF motion errors, together with the equilibrium equations of force and moment on the table. The transfer function method is modified in order to consider clearance changed according to the loads in the double sided hydrostatic/aerostatic bearings. Then, the analytic model for predicting the 5-DOF motion errors is proposed with the modified transfer function method. Motion errors were simulated under different loading conditions in the linear motion units using hydrostatic, aerostatic, and linear motion bearings, respectively. And the proposed analytic model was verified by comparing the estimated and measured motion errors.

Ballscrews are important motion transfer and positioning units of industrial machinery and precision machines. Positioning accuracy of the feed drive system depends upon axial stiffness of ballscrew systems. As the nut stiffness depends upon preload and operating conditions, analytical modeling of the stiffness is performed through the contact and body deformation analysis. For accurate contact analysis, the contact angle variation between balls and grooves is incorporated in the developed model. To verify the developed mathematical stiffness model, experiments are conducted on the test-rig. Through the uncertainty analysis according to GUM (Guide to the expression of Uncertainty in Measurement), it is confirmed that the formulated stiffness model has over 85% estimation accuracy. After constructing the ballscrew DB, a quick turnaround system for the nut stiffness estimation has been developed in this research.

Linear motion (LM) ball guides have good accuracy and high efficiency. They are widely applied for precision machinery such as machine tools, semiconductor fabrication machines and robots. However, friction force incurs heat between the balls and grooves. Thermal expansion due to the heat deteriorates stiffness and accuracy of the LM ball guides. For accurate estimation of stiffness and accuracy during the linear motion, friction models of LM ball guides are required. To formulate accurate frictional models of LM ball guides according to load and preload conditions, rolling and viscous frictional analyses have been performed in this paper. Contact loads between balls and grooves are derived from Hertzian contact analysis. Contact angle variation is incorporated for the precision modeling. Viscous friction model is formulated from the shear stress of lubricant and the contact area between balls and grooves. Experiments confirm validity of the developed friction model for various external load and feedrate conditions.

One of common challenges in designing modern production machines is realizing high speed motion without sacrificing accuracy. To address this challenge it is necessary to maximize the stiffness of the mechanical structure and the control system with consideration on the main disturbance input, cutting forces. This paper presents analysis technologies for realizing high stiffness in production machines. First, CAE analysis techniques to evaluate the dynamic stiffness of a machine structure and a new method to construct the physical machine model for servo controller simulations are demonstrated. Second, cutting forces generated in milling processes are analyzed to evaluate their effects on the mechatronics system. In the effort to investigate the interaction among the structure, controller, and process, a flexible multi-body dynamics simulation method is implemented on a magnetic bearing stage as an example. The presented technologies can provide better understandings on the mechatronics system and help realizing high stiffness production machines.

Chattering during the milling process causes severe problems on both the workpiece and cutting tools. However, chatter vibration is the inevitable phenomenon that operators require the prediction before the process or monitoring system to avoid the chatter in real-time. To predict the chatter vibration with the stability lobe diagram, the dynamic parameters of machine tool are extracted by considering cutting conditions and adapting the material properties. In this study, experimental verifications were taken for various aluminum types with different feed rates to observe the effect of the key parameters. The comparison between experimental results and the predictions was also performed.

Design and application of hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) for design of CNC-controlled machine tool feed drives is discussed. The CNC machine tool is a complex mechatronics system where the complexity results from the software-based controller composed of a variety of functionalities and advanced control algorithms. Therefore, using a real CNC controller in the control simulation has merits considering the efforts and accuracy of the simulation modeling. In this paper challenges in HILS for a CNC controlled feed drive, such as minimization of time delay and transmission error that are caused by discretization of the feed drive model, is elaborated. Using an experimental HILS setup of a machine tool feed drive applications in controller gain selection and CNC diagnostics are presented.

This paper deals with an experimental verification of a temperature-dependent power loss model of a DC/DC converter in severe temperature conditions. The power loss of a DC/DC converter is obtained by summing the losses by the components constituting the converter including switching elements, diodes, inductors, and capacitors. MIL-STD-810F stipulates that any electronic devices must be operable in the temperature ranging from $-50^{\circ}C$ to $70^{\circ}C$. We summarized the temperature-dependent loss models for the converter components. A SEPIC-type converter is designed and built as a target. Using a constant-temperature chamber, a test rig is set up to measure the power loss of the converter. The experimental results confirm the validity of the loss model within 4.5% error. The model can be useful to predict the efficiency of the converter at the operating temperature, and to provide guidelines in order to improve the efficiency.

Solar cell is typical representative of renewable green energy. Silicon wafer contributes about 66 percent to its cost structure. In its manufacturing, micro-cracks are often occurred due to manufacturing process such as wire sawing, grinding and cleaning. Their detection and classification are important to process feedback information. In this paper, a classification method of micro-cracks is proposed, based on the fusion of principal component analysis(PCA) and neural network. The proposed method shows that it gives higher results than single application of two methods, in terms of shape and size classification of micro-cracks.

This paper presents the robot vision control schemes using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) method for the slender bar placement in the appearance of obstacles during robot movement. The vision system model used for this study involves the six camera parameters($C_1{\sim}C_6$). In order to develop the robot vision control scheme, first, the six parameters are estimated. Then, based on the estimated parameters, the robot's joint angles are estimated for the slender bar placement. Especially, robot trajectory caused by obstacles is divided into three obstacle regions, which are beginning region, middle region and near target region. Finally, the effects of number of obstacles using the proposed robot's vision control schemes are investigated in each obstacle region by performing experiments of the slender bar placement.

This paper presents a proof-of-concept of a wheel-based magnetostrictive energy harvester (EH), which is a vibration-based EH. Coil-wound Galfenol cantilevers with two permanent magnets (PMs) act EH, while rotating wheels provide a forced vibration to EH. Four different cantilevers are designed and simulated for various end deflection. As expected from the simulation, the cantilever end deflection with triple cavity is the most. Three experiments are conducted to characterize the EH: the first with a magnetostrictive actuator, the second with a motor-driven wheel, and the third with the dummy weights. From the first experiment, the power reaches about 50 mV due to the relatively small displacement of the magnetostrictive actuator. From the second experiment, the power reaches about 120 mW. The power from the Galfenol cantilever is estimated to be about 60% of the total power from the wheel-based magnetostrictive EH.

Electric handbike can be easily detachable to various sizes of manual wheelchair and the elderly and people with disabilities can use them easily. Therefore, connectors used for coupling between the handbike and manual wheelchair must secure structural stability for occupant safety. However, related research is rare. The aim of this study is to find the connector with highly structural stability by comparing static and dynamic mechanical characteristics among three typical connectors(a snatch lock, a slide latch, and a fastener) by computational simulations. To perform static and dynamic simulation, we referred to durability test based on Korean Standards and then calculated mechanical stresses in connectors. The results showed that the snatch lock addressed the lowest von-mises stress under the same mechanical condition. Therefore when using the combination of a handbike and a wheelchair, we concluded that the snatch lock is considered as the structurally stable connector to structural stability and usability.