Analysis of Dynamic Error and Wear Cycle Behavior of Kinematic Pair for Planar Flexible Multi-link Transmission System Including Revolute Clearance Joints with Irregular Rough Surfaces

Traditional contact models of revolute clearance joints consider the contact surface shape of bushing and pin to be regular and neglect the effect of wear, which reduces the prediction accuracy of dynamic model. A method for multi-body dynamic modelling, wear prediction and dynamic error analysis of a planar flexible multilink mechanism including revolute clearance joints with irregular rough surfaces is presented. In order to describe the collision behavior between two elements of kinematic pair, an improved contact model of revolute clearance joint with irregular rough surfaces is proposed considering the wear effect of the sliding bearing clearance joint. Then, with the flexibility of linkage considered, a multi-body dynamics model of planar flexible multi-link transmission system with including revolute clearance joints with irregular rough surfaces is developed using the absolute nodal coordinate method. Compared with the results based on the traditional models with regular smooth surfaces, the dynamic responses of the multi-link mechanism based on the improved model agree better with experimental data, which verifies the validity of the proposed method. The simulation results show that CuSn10P and CuPb30 are selected as the material of bushing in the revolute clearance joint, which can reduce the slider’s dynamic response deviations of the multi-link mechanism and improve its motion accuracy. Too high surface roughness will increase the wear of kinematic pair, while too low surface roughness will reduce the absorption of collision energy due to the asperities on the bushing surface. In addition, wear aggravates the irregularity of the bushing surface profile, which increases the instability of the dynamic response for the multi-link mechanism and reduces the corresponding motion accuracy. © 2022 Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering. All rights reserved.