Presenting a Railbound Forging Manipulator

PETRESCU Florian Ion1, a *, PETRESCU Relly Victoria2,b

1

Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Theory of Mechanisms and Robots department, Bucharest,

RO

Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Transport, Traffic and Logistics department, Bucharest, RO

a

petrescuflorian@yahoo.com, bpetrescuvictoria@yahoo.com
* The corresponding author

Keywords: Railbound forging manipulator, heavy load, control, reliability, manipulate objects to be
forged, moving on a railway, precision, stability, geometry, structure, cinematic, forces.

Abstract. Heavy payload forging manipulators are mainly characterized by large load output and
large capacitive load input. The relationships between outputs and inputs have greatly influence
about the control and the reliability. Forging manipulators have become more prevalent in the
industry today. They are used to manipulate objects to be forged. The most common forging
manipulators are moving on a railway to have a greater precision and stability. They have been
called the railbound forging manipulators. In this paper one presents the general aspects of a
railbound forging manipulator, like geometry, structure, general kinematics and forces of the main
mechanism from such manipulator. Kinematic scheme shows a typical forging manipulator, with
the basic motions in operation process: walking, motion of the tong and buffering. The lifting
mechanism consists of several parts including linkages, hydraulic drives and motion pairs. An idea
of establishing the incidence relationship between output characteristics and actuator inputs is
proposed.

Introduction
A railbound forging manipulator is presented in the fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Photo of a railbound forging manipulator

Presenting a Railbound Forging Manipulator

The kinematic chain plan (the kinematic diagram) of the main mechanism, which fall within a
single plane or in one or more of the other plane parallel to each other, is presented in the fig. 2 [15].

Fig. 2. Cinematic schema of a forging manipulator main mechanism

Nomenclature
c1 - lifting hydraulic cylinder; c2 - the buffer hydraulic cylinder;
c3 - leaning hydraulic cylinder; l1, l2, l3 variable lengths;
A-L linkages; A, B, K, F fixed linkages; 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 - variable angles; a-g constant
lengths; xB, yB, xA, yA, xK, yK, xF, yF constant coordinates; , , 4 constant angles; - an angle
which must be maintained constant (=-) to keep permanently the segment GM horizontally.
Fm1, Fm2, Fm3 the driving forces of the mechanism.
Mechanism structure
Then can be determined easily and the structural schema (see the fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Structural schema of a forging manipulator main mechanism

Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol.

The structural formula can be determined from the structural diagram (relationship 1).
EF (0) DM1(1,2,7) DM 0(3,4) DM1(5,8,9) DM1(6,10,11)

(1)

It is obtained: three motor dyads, one classic dyad, and a fundamental item 0 [1-5].
The mobility of the mechanism is determined with the formula (2).
M 3 3m 2C5 C4 3 11 2 15 0 33 30 3

(2)

It follows three degrees of freedom corresponding to the three actuators (motors) linear.
The wiring diagram can be determined now using the structural formula (see the fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Wiring diagram of a forging manipulator main mechanism

Mechanism kinematics
Permanently one knows the constant lengths (a-g) and the coordinates (xB, yB, xA, yA, xK, yK, xF,
yF), and the angle who must to be maintained constant [1-5].
In direct kinematics one knows l1, l2 and must be determined: intermediary (with systems I, II,
III) l3, 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 and finaly (with system IV) xM, yM [1-5].
In inverse kinematics one knows xM, yM and must be determined 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, l1, l2, l3 with
systems I, II, III, IV.
It takes four independent vector contours (KLFK, KIGEDB, AHIK, AHGM) and one can write
the below systems (I, II, III, IV) [1-5].
( xK xF ) g cos(3 ) l1 cos 8
(I)

( yK yF ) g sin(3 ) l1 sin 8

( xA xK ) l2 cos 10 a cos 6 e cos 3

(III)

( y A yK ) l2 sin 10 a sin 6 e sin 3

xK b cos l3 cos 1 2a cos 6

(II)

yK b sin l3 sin 1 2a sin 6

( xA xM ) l3 cos 10 f cos( ) a cos 6

(IV)

( y A yM ) l3 sin 10 f sin( ) a sin 6

Inverse kinematics relationships computing

Then can be determined easily the parameters 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, l1, l2, l3 solving the four systems
I, II, III, IV. Following relationships are obtained (systems 3 and 4) [1-5].

Presenting a Railbound Forging Manipulator

A A A3 A22 A32 A12

cos 6 1 2
6 arccos(cos 6 ); l2 A4 A42 e 2
A22 A32

2
2
2
A0 4a ( x K b cos ) ( y K b sin ) 4a[( x K b cos ) cos 6 ( y K b sin ) sin 6 ];

2a cos 6 x K b cos

cos 1
l3

l3 A0
1 sign(sin 1 ) arccos(cos 1 )

sin 2a sin 6 y K b sin

l3

a cos 6 f cos( ) xM x A
cos 10
l3

10 sign(sin 10 ) arccos(cos 10 )

a sin 6 f sin( ) y M y A

sin 10
l3

(3)

x x K l2 cos 10 a cos 6
cos 3 A

3 sign(sin 3 ) arccos(cos 3 )
sin y A y K l2 sin 10 a sin 6
3

l1 [ x K x F g cos( 3 )]2 [ y K y F g sin( 3 )]2

cos x K x F g cos( 3 )
8

(4)
l1

8 sign(sin 8 ) arccos(cos 8 )

sin 8 y K y F g sin( 3 )
l1

A 3a 2 ( x b cos ) 2 ( y b sin ) 2 [ x x f cos( )]2 [ y y f sin( )]2

K
K
M
A
M
A
1
A

4
a

(
x

cos

2
a

[
x

cos(

)]
2
K
M
A
A 4a ( y b sin ) 2a [ y y f sin( )]
K
M
A
3

A4 cos 10 (a cos 6 x A x K ) sin 10 (a sin 6 y A y K )

Determining driving forces of the main mechanism

RELATIONSHIPS COMPUTING
In step 1 (starting from system 5) it calculated the all external forces from the mechanism (The
inertia forces, gravitational forces and the force of the weight of the cast part).
F ix m x
12
G1
G1
FGiy m12 yG m12 g
1
1
M 1i J G1 1

FGix4 m4 xG4
iy
FG4 m4 yG4 m4 g
i
M 4 J G4 4 0
ix
FM M xM
iy
FM M yM M g
M i J
M
M

FGix3 m3 xG3
iy
FG3 m3 yG3 m3 g
i
M 3 J G3 3

FGix6 m6 xG6 m6 xH
iy
FG6 m6 yH m6 g
i
M 6 J H 6

FGix5 m5 xG5
iy
FG5 m5 yG5 m5 g
i
M 5 J G5 3

FGix7 m7 xG7
iy
FG7 m7 yG7 m7 g
i
M 7 J G7

FGix8 m89 xG8

iy
FG8 m89 yG8 m89 g
i
M 8 J G8 8

(5)

FGix m10,11 xG
10
10
iy

y
G10
10,11
G10 m10,11 g
i
M 10 J G10,11 10

Is then calculated all the forces from couplers. In the end we can determine and (three) driving
forces [1-5]. In figure 5 can be monitored engine element c1 composed of kinematic elements 8-9.

Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol.

Determine motive power Fm1 with relations of the system 6; being two relations of calculation may
be carried out a check.

FGix8 RLx
(8)
ix
x
F

cos

x
m1
8
G8
L
m1
cos 8

FGiy8 RLy

(8)
iy
y
F

sin

m1
8
G8
L
m1
y
sin 8

(6)

Fig. 5. Kinematics schema of the motor mechanism c1

In figure 6 can be monitored engine element c2 composed of kinematic elements 10-11, and
determine motive power Fm2 with relations of the system 7 [1-5].

Fig. 6. Kinematics schema of the motor mechanism c2

FGix10 R Hx
(10)
ix
x
Fx 0 Fm2 cos 10 FG10 R H 0 Fm2
cos 10

FGiy10 R Hy

iy
(10)
y
F

sin

y
m2
10
H
m2
G10

sin 10

(7)

Presenting a Railbound Forging Manipulator

In figure 7 can be monitored engine element c3 composed of kinematic elements 1-2, and
determine motive power Fm3 with relations of the system 8 [1-5].

Fig. 7. Kinematics schema of the motor mechanism c2

FGix1 R Ex
(1)
ix
x
Fx 0 Fm3 cos 1 FG1 R E 0 Fm3
cos 1

FGiy1 R Ey

(1)
iy
y
Fy 0 Fm3 sin 1 FG1 R E 0 Fm3 sin
1

(8)

Conclusions
Forging manipulators themselves have become more prevalent in the industry today.
An idea of establishing the incidence relationship between output characteristics and actuator
inputs is proposed (see the relations from systems 3 and 4).
The main problems are solving positions, speeds and motor forces of the main mechanism. In
the end we can determine and (three) driving forces (the relations from systems 6-8).
References
[1] F. Gao, W. Z. Guo, Q. Y. Song, F. S. Du, Current Development of Heavy-duty Manufacturing
Equipment, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 46, No. 19, 2010, p. 92-107.
[2] H. Ge, F. Gao, Type Design for Heavy-payload Forging Manipulators, Chinese Journal of
Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2012, p. 197-205.
[3] G. Li, D.S. Liu, Dynamic Behavior of the Forging Manipulator under Large Amplitude
Compliance Motion, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 46, No. 11, 2010, p. 21-28.
[4] C. Yan, F. Gao, W. Guo, Coordinated kinematic modeling for motion planning of heavy-duty
manipulators in an integrated open-die forging center, Journal of Engineering Manufacture,
Vol. 223, No. 10, 2009, p. 1299-1313.
[5] K. Zhao, H. Wang, G. L. Chen, Z. Q. Lin, Y. B. He, Compliance Process Analysis for Forging
Manipulator, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2010, p. 27-34.