Investigations of Width Effect in the Dynamic Modelling of Flexible Manipulator System

This paper presents theoretical investigations into the dynamic characterisation of a flexible manipulator system. A constrained planar single-link flexible manipulator is considered. A dynamic model of the system, incorporating structural damping and hub inertia, is developed using finite element method. Simulation exercises are performed with bang-bang input torque applied to the actuator. The simulation algorithm thus developed is implemented in Matlab. To study the effects of width on the response of the flexible manipulator, the results are evaluated with varying beam’s width in the algorithm. Simulation results are presented in time and frequency domains. Performance of the algorithm in describing the dynamic behaviour of the system is examined in terms of level of vibration frequencies and time response specifications. Finally, a comparative assessment of different beam’s width to the system performance is assessed and discussed.