Drive Energy Minimization of Decentrally Actuated Mechanisms by Motion Optimization

Abstract:
The subject of this paper is the demonstration of the potential of motion optimization in decentrally driven mechanisms applied in packaging machines for confectionary products. This aims to minimize the required drive energy, which is composed of potential, kinetic, friction, and process energy components. Often, packaging machines are characterized by a fast-running mode of operation, which is why the kinetic energy of mechanisms dominates the necessary drive energy. These energy amounts lead to mechanical and thermal loadings, wherefore the optimization aims at minimizing this amount. In order to achieve this goal, a two-step approach consisting of a kinematic and a dynamic motion optimization is demonstrated at an exemplarily decentrally driven mechanism. The results achievable with this approach are compared to a benchmark solution resulting from a state-of-the-art-method.