Stiffness Estimation and Experiments for the Exechon Parallel Self-Reconfiguring Fixture Mechanism

The Exechon X150, a new smaller member of a successful series of parallel kinematic machines, has been recently developed as a component of a mobile self-reconfigurable fixture system within an inter-European project. This paper is the first to address the stiffness analysis of the parallel mechanism on which the design is based. The stiffness modeling method uses reciprocal screw theory as well as the virtual work principle, resulting in a simpler formulation and more convenient than ones obtained with traditional stiffness-modeling methods. Based on this model, the stiffness map within the workspace is obtained. The stiffness of the mechanism at a typical configuration is carried out. The complete finite element analysis and simulation used to verify the effectiveness of the stiffness model. Using geometric spatial decomposition, numerical examples of the mechanism at three typical configurations are presented.