Kinematic optimization of ball-screw transmission mechanisms

The paper proposes a method for the kinematic optimization of transmission mechanisms, where non-circular (NC) gears are used to perform a mechanical control on the output motion. The investigation presented here deals with the motion control of a ball-screw transmission mechanism. The objective is lowering the peak acceleration value of the screw, by designing a pair of variable radius gears as a driving mechanism. The kinematic characteristics of the ball-screw mechanism are analyzed by means of non-dimensional motion equations in order to formulate the optimization problem. A genetic algorithm (GA) is then implemented to optimize the objective function, and a penalty method is used to fulfil the design rules. The kinematic analysis of the optimal mechanism revealed a 37% reduction of the peak acceleration of the screw in comparison with a constant pitch screw, operated at a constant speed. A kinematic simulation is used to validate the method. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.