Dynamics of Flexible Mechanisms

The description of the kinematics of structures as given in the finite element method is a good starting point for the numerical treatment of mechanism analysis. In this analysis the relations between deformation and displacements play a central role. Methods are presented for the calculation of the transfer functions of multi-degree of freedom mechanisms. The theory is completed with the formulation of dynamics. Due to the approach with finite element notions, the method presented includes the description of the mechanical behaviour of flexible link mechanisms. The equations derived are therefore not only applicable to rigid link mechanism dynamics but to flexible link mechanisms as well.