Research on Co-simulation of Rigid- flexible

Coupling System of Parallel Robot

Yongxian Liu
School of Mechanical
Engineering and Automation
Northeastern University,
Shenyang, 110004,China
email:yxliu@mail.neu.edu.cn
Chunxia Zhu Zhao Jinfu
School of Mechanical Liaoning ZLX Imp. & Exp.
Engineering and Automation Co. Ltd
Northeastern University Shenyang110032,.China
Shenyang 110004, China

Abstract A co-simulation method for rigid-flexible coupling
system is proposed in this paper, it is simple and easily carried out. In
order to solve the dynamics of 3-TPT parallel robot more accurately,
its three driven links are regard as flexible bodies and the other parts
are rigid bodies to form the rigid-flexible coupling system, and the
dynamics equation of the coupling system is educed by Lagranges
equation, but it is very complex and difficult to educe number
solution, so the co-simulation method using ADAMS and ANSYS is
put forward, which the dynamics analysis is fulfilled in ADAMS and
stress analysis in ANSYS. The concrete steps are also introduced. In
order to observe the simulation results better, The simulation results
are compared with rigid system, and the results show that the forces
applied on flexible bodies appear high nonlinear, This state is closer
to the truth, so the simulation results are more authentic and can
reflect actual dynamics characteristic of 3-TPT parallel robot.
I. INTRODUCTION
Parallel robot as a kind of new type mechanism has some
merits such as high stiffness, stronger carrying capacity, fast
respond speed and small error, so they have extensive applied
domain. With their further application and study, the studies
on their theory and application have become scholastics
popular tasks. In general, there are some achievements on
researches of kinematics analysis, performance analysis,
dynamic characteristics and control methods. The flexible
deformation of slender links has a great effect on rationality of
result during the course of structure optimization, kinematics
analysis, dynamics analysis and dynamics simulation. In the
past dynamics researches, the slender links were regarded as
rigid bodies and their deformation was often neglected, which
leads to the results that are not conform to the fact and cause
errors. In order to better describe the structural characteristic
of 3-TPT parallel robots, in this paper we take its driven links
as flexible bodies to simulate and analyze its dynamics
characteristic.
Modeling rigid-flexible system has attracted intense interest
for more than three decades [1]. However, many of the
research reports have been conducted on serial mechanisms,
i.e. open-loop mechanisms, while there is less work on
closedloop structures, such as four-bar linkage mechanisms[2]
or slide-crank mechanisms[3]. Dynamics modeling of parallel
robots, which are characterized by multiple closed-loop chains,
has not been studied extensively. We note that in the rigid link
case, parallel robots are easily modeled with independent
coordinates, while parallel robots with flexible links [4] are
more difficult to model because of the unavailability of
closed-form solutions. Consequently, dynamics coupling
effects amongst the various kinematic chains of the
mechanisms, and coupling between rigid body motion and
flexible motion are generally more complex to model than in
the serial mechanism case.
Fattah et al.[5] use a linear elasticdynamics approach to
model a parallel platform by assuming that the influence of
flexible motion on rigid body motion is negligible. While
ignoring this coupling leads to a simplified linear dynamic
model, the validity of this assumption is questionable when the
effects of flexible motion on rigid body motion are not
ignorable[6]. In cases in which the effects of flexible motion
on rigid body motion must be considered[7,8], dynamic
formulations that include nonlinear coupling of rigid body
motion and flexible motion must be adopted.
This paper is organized as follows: section 2 presents the
dynamics equation of rigid-flexible coupling system of 3-TPT
parallel robot using Lagranges equation. In section 3 we
explain how to unite ANSYS and ADAMS software to set up
complicated rigid-flexible coupling system model of parallel
robots, and then give the 3-TPT parallel robot dynamics
simulation results. Finally, conclusions are given.
II. LAGRANGES EQUATION OF RIGID-FLEXIBLE COUPLING
SYSTEM OF 3-TPT PARALLEL MACHINE TOOL
Dynamics modeling of rigid-flexible coupling system
can be completed by various dynamics principles such as: law
of conservation of energy, Newton-Eulers equations,
Lagranges equation and Kanes equation, etc. Among them
Lagranges equation is built based on the viewpoint of energy.
The method of modeling which using Lagranges equation
[9,10,11] is mature, so a lot of software adopts this method
including ADAMS. But it is very complex, and there is a large
calculation mount for computing, but the method also has
some advantages that it can easily fulfill recurrence modeling
and can directly describe boundary conditions and physical
characters.
The 3-TPT parallel robot which is made up of base
platform, mobile platform and driven links is showed in Fig.1.
The driven links are regarded as flexible bodies due to its 1 0 0 0 0
0 0
2
weak stiffness, and the other bodies are regarded as rigid = 0 1 0 (1 )l 0 0 l
bodies. The dynamics equation will be built by above 0 0 1 (1 )l 0 0 l
assumption using Lagranges equation, we firstly built the
mass matrix, stiffness matrix and generalized force matrix of Where, = x / l , = z / l , = y / l
branched chain and constraint equations, and then assembled The Euler quaternion is P = [ E0 , E1 , E2 , E3 ]T the rotated
them into the overall Lagranges equation.
transformation matrix of mobile coordinate system relative to
stable one is:
1 2 E22 2 E32 2( E1 E2 E0 E3 ) 2( E1 E3 + E0 E2 )
3
A = 2( E1 E2 + E0 E3 ) 1 2 E12 2 E32 2( E2 E3 E0 E1 )
2( E1 E2 E0 E2 ) 2( E2 E3 + E0 E1 ) 1 2 E12 2 E22

The position vector of arbitrary point in branched
chain when it is deformed is expressed as u :
q f 5 + l + (1 )q f 1
4
u = u0 + u f = (1 )q f 2 + q f 6 (1 )l q f 4 l q f 8
(1 )q + q (1 )l q l q
f3 f7 f4 f8
Fig.1. The sketch of 3-TPT parallel robot
Where, u0 is position vector when the body have no
qf 3 qf 7 deformation.
qf 4
A. The mass matrix, stiffness matrix and generalized force
qf1 C qf 5 matrix of branched chain
A
C The mass matrix of branched chain can be expressed as
qf 2 qf 8 q
f6
M:
Fig.2 The sketch of flexible driven link with coordinate
mRR mR mRf
5
The length of the driven link is l , mass density is , M = m R m m f
elastic modulus is E , sectional area is A , the mobile platform m fR mf m ff

is a equilateral triangle, length of side is a , each link only Where, mRR is the inertia of rigid mobile part of follow-up
consider its gravity. According to the character of motion and
frame of reference of branched chain;; mR is the inertia
deformation, the coordinates is set as in Fig.2, the undeformed
line between the end points C and A is picked as the x2 coupling between rigid movement and rotation of follow-up
axis of mobile coordinate system, so the elastic deformation frame of reference of branched chain; mRf is the inertia
relative to mobile coordinate system is equal to the vibration coupling between rigid movement and deformation of
of a space element, then the deformation amount of each point follow-up frame of reference of branched chain; m f is the
on flexible driven link can be expressed: as equation (1).
inertia coupling between rigid rotation and deformation of
u f = q f 1
follow-up frame of reference of branched chain; m is the
Where q f = [q f 1 , q f 2 , q f 3 , q f 4 , q f 5 , q f 6 , q f 7 , q f 8 ]T is the inertia coupling of rigid rotation of follow-up frame of
generalized coordinate of corresponding elastic deformation, reference of branched chain; m ff is the inertia of elastic
they represent the corners and displacements in x direction deformation of follow-up frame of reference of branched
of end points C and A ; q f 1 , q f 5 are displacements in x2 axis chain.
direction; q f 2 , q f 6 are displacements in y2 axis direction; The stiffness matrix of branched chain corresponds to
2 elastic coordinate q f can be expressed as equation (6).
q f 3 , q f 7 are displacements in z axis direction; q f 4 , q f 8 are
torsions around x2 axis; is matrix of Ritz primary function, In the external forces of branched chain CA , the
the Ritz primary function can be expressed: as equation (2).: restraint forces are appeared with the Lagrange multiplier
 4 EI 4 EI C (a11 a22 ) = (a11 )T a22 = 0
l 0 0 0 C (a1 // a1 ) =
1 2
l
C (a1 a3 ) = (a1 ) a3 = 0
1 2 1 T 2

0 4 EI 2 EI 7
0 0 C (d12 a2 ) = ( d12 ) a2 = 0
2 T 2
l l 6
C (d12 // a12 ) =
C (d12 a3 ) = ( d12 ) a3 = 0
2 T 2
K ff = 0
EA
0 0 0
l
2 EI
4 EI C (a1 a 2 ) = ( a1 )T a 2 = 0
0 0 0 2 1 2 1
l l There are five constraint equations in the equation group.
2 EI 4 EI
0 0 0 1
There is only one freedom of degree which a1 slips along
l l
items. So there is only need to consider active forces, so the 2
with a1 between the two links.
generalized force can be written two parts, one part Q f is (2) The constraint equations of Hook joints in branched
leaded by gravitate, the other is caused by time varying of chain
mass matrix and the elastic deformation of branched chain, so The branched chain1 is connected with mobile platform
there is generalized force QV correlated with quadratic term of by Hook joints. Firstly we set a unite vector a0 on base
velocity, which are centrifugal force of inertia and Coriolis platform and its direction is from O to B1 . And the body
force of inertia.
coordinate of swing link1 is also set on B1 , so the cross axle
The mass matrix and generalized force matrix of base
center of Hook joint is the overlap point, the vectors
platform can be got with the same method when taking no a0 and a11 in cross axle are the unite vectors on the two bodies,
account of the effect of elastic deformation. they are perpendicular all the time. These two conditions
determine the constraints of hook joints as follows:
B. The constraint equations
C ( B1 = o1 ) = RO1' + A1u1 RB1 A0u = 0 8
' '
3-TPT parallel robot is a closed loop system, its
constraints are many and complicated. We will analyse them
C ( a0 a1 ) = ( a0 ) a1 = 0
1 T 1
detail as follows.
(1) The constraint equations of mobile joint in branched There are four scalar equations in above equation group,
chain1 and they restrict the four freedoms of motion of swing link and
they only have two rotate freedoms of motion which around
1
the vector a0 and a1 .
The branched link1 is also connected with base platform
by Hook joints, the analytical method is similar to above one,
and we also can get four constraint equations. For branched
chain 2 and 3, we also can build their constraint equation refer
to above analytical method. So in each branched chain, there
are 13 constraint equations and in this parallel mechanism
there are 39 constraint equations brought by motion constraints
in all.

Fig.3. The sketch of branched chain 1 of 3-TPT parallel robot with coordinates
The branched chain 1 showed in Fig.3, the body
coordinate o1 x1 y1 z1 and o2 x2 y2 z2 of the swing link1 and the
driven link 1 are set on points B1 and A1 respectively, and the
vector a = [ a1
1 1 T
a12 a31 ] and a1 = [a11 a12 a31 ] are
T
their unit vectors. d12 is the vector connected A1 and B1 ,
the two links are connected by translation joint, the constraint
equations can be expressed as equation (7).:
B. The overall control equation
After getting all the constraint equations, we can
assemble them into the overall control equation. The general
expression of system control equation is:
Mq&& + Kq + CqT + (CPP )T T = QV + QF 9
C ( q , t ) = 0
Where is the Lagrange multiplier.
From above we can see that after assembling the
constraint equations into the control equation, it must be very
complicated and difficult to work out its solution. So we
suggest the following co-simulation method to solve it. node numbers; the more it has the more precise the simulate
results will be.
III. CO-SIMULATION WITH VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING AND FINITE (2) Interface points: The interface points are exterior
ELEMENT TECHNIQUE nodes; they are used for connecting flexible bodies with other
parts in ADAMS. If the constraints and forces need to be
Virtual prototype (VP) is an engineering technique that applied on flexible bodies, they are only can be applied on
can build model of mechanism similar to physics prototype, its them. So they are very important.
core parts are multibody system kinematics, dynamics (3) Unit: The unit must be appointed for finite element
modeling and corresponding numerical algorithm and it can analysis when creating the modal neural file. Because it will
simulate system motion and dynamics characteristic in the real be transformed into ADAMS, It must conform to the unit in
environment. At present ADAMS software is broadly applied , ADAMS.
its inner module ADAMS/Flex can fulfill dynamics modeling
and analyze of elastic body.
There are two ways to generate flexible bodies in
ADAMS[12]: one is that rigid bodies automatically generate
flexible bodies, it creates modal neutral file (MNF) by using
ADAMS/AutoFlex module; the other is that the modal neutral
file creates in finite element software such as: ANSYS,
NASTRAN and is translated into these software relying on
date interface between ADAMS/Flex module and finite
element software.

A. The realization of co-simulation of rigid-flexible coupling Fig.4. The finite element model of driven links
system with ANSYS and ADAMS

In the model of 3-TPT parallel robot, because of the

complicated structure of driven links, their 3D model were
built in 3D software SolidWorks, and then the files were saved
as parasolid which is fit for date interface to transmit into
ANSYS. After introduced into finite element procedure
ANSYS, it was divided into thousands of elements with proper
element type[13], and set its attributes and corresponding
parameters. For connecting with ADAMS, in ANSYS
software we must set the exterior nodes which are built on the
center of relative gyration of flexible body to other parts in
mechanical system, they are dealt with by setting rigid region.
After the simulation in ANSYS was executed, the exterior
nodes were chose to generate the modal neutral
file(MNF)(Fig.4) which including the information of the
flexible body ,such as mass, center of mass, moment of inertia,
frequency, mode shapes and participation factors. When the
MNF files were generated they can be transformed into
ADAMS for simulation. After the MNF files were introduced
into ADAMS, the motion pairs were set up between exterior
nodes and rigid bodies to connect flexible bodies and rigid
bodies. When the flexible bodies were joined with other rigid
bodies, we applied drive forces and control procedure on the
coupling system and carried out the simulation. The flowchart
of co-simulation with ANSYS and ADAMS is showed in Fig.5
Fig.5 The flowchart of co-simulation of rigid-flexible coupling system
and the model of rigid-flexible coupling system of 3- TPT
parallel robot in ADAMS is shown in Fig.6.
There are some questions to be taken into account when
introducing the modal neural file[13].
(1) Node numbers: The modal neural file has no limit on
 (c) The driven link 3
Fig.7. The force curves of flexible driven links were compared with rigid ones

Fig.6 The model of rigid-flexible coupling system of 3-TPT parallel robot

B. Results of co-simulation for 3-TPT parallel robot

When the model of coupling system is built, we can set

the motion trace of effector or apply the drive forces on driven
links to carry out the simulation. In order to express the force
characteristic of flexible bodies more visual, in our simulation,
we set the effector moving along with X direction with the
velocity of 10m/s, and the results were outputted in
postprocessing for analyzing. To know the dynamics
characteristic of flexible driven links exactly, the force curves (a) The driven link 1
of three driven links were compared with rigid ones are
showed in Fig.7. After the dynamics simulation was carried
out in ADAMS, the load files which were including the forces
information of the driven links were output as .lod files and
imported into ANSYS for stress analyzing. And the results of
stress analysis also are showed in Fig.8.

(b) The driven link 2

(a) The driven link 1

(b) The driven link 2

(c) The driven link 3

Fig.8 The stress of flexible driven links
 The above results showed that the amplitude of Automation and Robotics, Minneapolis, MN, USA, vol. 1, pp. 369_374,
fluctuation of forces applied on rigid links is smaller and has 1988.
good linearity; but the one on flexible links is bigger and [5] A Fattah, J Angeles, A K Misra. Dynamics of a 3-DOF spatial parallel
presents high nonlinearity. In actual motion of parallel robot, manipulator with flexible links, Proceeding of the IEEE International
with the driven links move near to its limit, the capability of Conference on Robotics & Automation, pp.627-632. 1995.
bearing forces of flexible links is weaker and weaker, so it [6] J. Garcia de Jalon, E. Bayo, _Kinematic and Dynamic Simulation of
appears nonlinear. The situation of flexible links is more Multibody Systems: The Real-Time Challenge,_Springer-Verlag, 1994.
approximate to the fact, we should sufficiently consider the [7] W Chen. Dynamic modeling of multi-link flexible robotic manipulators,
flexibility of the flexible links when designing and optimizing Computers and Structures, vol.79, pp.183-195, February 2001
the structure; In the Fig.8 we can get that the stress on the [8] V O Gamarra-Rosado, E A O Yuhara. Dynamic modeling and simulation
three driven links are basically well-proportioned and do not
of a flexible robotic manipulator, Robotics, vol. 17, pp. 523-528, May
exceed the permissible stress. However, the baggiest stresses
1999.
all appeared on the place where changed suddenly. So when
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IV. CONCLUSIONS
vol. 21, pp. 387-389, March 2002.
Generally speaking, the dynamics modeling of [11]B Simeon. On Lagrange multipliers in flexible multibody dynamics,
rigidflexible coupling system is based on the assumption that Computer methods in applied mechanics and engineering, vol.195,
the systems components are perfect. In actual systems, pp.6993-7005, 2006.
however, clearances, friction, material non-uniformities and [12]Mechanical Dynamics Inc. ADAMS/FLEX Users Manual, Mechanical
manufacturing and assembly errors can have a significant Dynamics Inc, 2004
effect on the system. In this paper, the dynamics model for the [13]Modeling and Meshing Guide, Release 10.0, Ansys Inc, 2005.
3-TPT parallel robot and a co-simulation method are
developed.
The dynamics simulation of rigid-flexible coupling
system, which is complex and can reflect practical motion
characteristics, can be easily carried out by ADAMS and
ANSYS, but the prerequisite is that we must ensure the
accuracy of the model; By using this method we dont need to
analyse and derive numerical solution of the equations of
motion and dynamics, which is helpful for exactly predicting
the system performance and saving time when designing
structures. All above results can be taken as reference for
structural improvement and optimization. So the co-simulation
method is a good way for solving the dynamics of
rigid-flexible coupling system. It is also fit for other
mechanism.

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