Type Synthesis of 2T1R Planar Parallel Mechanisms and Their Moduling Development Applications

The two translational degrees-of-freedom (DOF) and one rotational DOF (2T1R) planar parallel mechanisms (PMs) have the characteristics of simple structures, simple kinematic and dynamic models, and ease of control and allow for a variety of application prospects. This paper concentrates on the derivations of the 5-DOF hybrid manipulators based on the synthesized mechanisms. To understand the effect of the constraint on the motion of a rigid body clearly, the method of reciprocal product between the wrench screw (constraint) and the twist screw (motion) is used and the relationships between the constraint and the motion of a rigid body are analyzed as well. The results are extended to the relationships between the limb constraint and the axes of limb joints. Then, limbs are divided into planar motion and spatial motion limbs in view of their motion characteristics, and some common limbs with constraint are listed. After that, based on the type synthesis method, a class of 2T1R planar PMs with common limbs is carried out. Meanwhile, some typical planar closed chains with two same limbs are obtained in the process of type synthesis. Finally, a 2T1R kinematically redundancy planar PM and two 2R1T spatial PMs are derived by making simple changes to the obtained mechanisms, and detailed derivations of three 5-DOF hybrid manipulators with the ability of processing spatial complex surface are given. Proved by the test parts, the accomplishment of deriving novel robot configurations with regard to expectant motion are quite valuable and practical.