Finite Element Analysis and Comparison of Two Hybrid Robots-the Tricept and the TriVariant

Abstract

This paper deals with the finite element analysis (FEA) of two 5-DOF reconfigurable hybrid robots, the Tricept and the TriVariant, by means of ANSYS parametric design language (APDL). The research interests are focused on: (1) precise FEA formulation of different types of joints by setting of contact elements, and (2) the development of an effective modeling strategy for the rapid stiffness and natural frequencies estimation associated with different configurations. The computational results show that two robots are of similar static and dynamic performances provided that they have identical geometrical dimensions, elastical and inertial parameters