Design and Control of Products Including Parts with Impacts

Abstract: Today's product development process should be rapid andcost-efficient, and should result in innovative and reliableproducts. A crucial factor is the dynamic behaviour of theproduct.This thesis focuses on theoretical, numerical andexperimental approaches to achieve a comprehensiveunderstanding of dynamical phenomena occurring in nonlinearproducts, especially in products with parts that includeimpacts. The aim is to show the usefulness of nonlineartheories to better understand and optimise the dynamicbehaviour of products and thereby account for nonlinearphenomena already in the product development process.This is achieved through an investigation of researchefforts in the field of nonlinear dynamics; identification ofimportant research directions; a study on the effect ofcouplings between nonlinear parts; a detailed study on thedynamic behaviour of a product component; investigations oflow-cost strategies for controlling the dynamics of a nonlinearsystem; and the design and implementation of experimentalset-ups of two studied products.The investigation of research efforts shows that nonlinearparts are frequently included in products. Most common areparts that are nonlinear due to impacts and friction. Twoimportant areas are identified; to study coupling effectsbetween nonlinear subsystems and to study how nonlinearanalysis can be used to improve existing designs.Considering the studied products; a pantograph on a trainand a Braille printer, it can be concluded that thecharacteristics of a part can largely affect the dynamicbehaviour of the product. Typical nonlinear behaviour, such ascoexisting solutions and irregular motions, do occur. Theanalysis of the pan- tograph motion shows important aspects toconsider in the modelling process; coupling effects. In thecase of the Braille printer it is shown possible to create alow-cost control, by taking advantage of an existingdiscontinuity, to achieve a desired motion.Altogether, this work contributes to improved understandingof the be- haviour of nonlinear parts in products, especiallythose including impacts, pro- viding greater knowledge aboutaspects to consider in the design process.Keywords:Nonlinear Dynamics, Impacts, Discontinuities,Subsystems, Chaos, Irregular Behaviour, Printer Dynamics,Suspensions, Coupled Systems, Control.