Linkages Modelling as Multibody Systems

A large variety of methods are mentioned in literature for the analysis and conception of linkages, applicable to planar and/or spatial mechanisms developed for specific applications. Modern design requires today a unitary modelling of all the mechanisms in a product (including linkages) for products' simulation and optimization on software platforms. This paper proposes a general method for the linkages' analysis and synthesis, considered as Multibody Systems. Using the concept of minimum number of bodies, the algorithm for defining the mechanisms as Multibody System is developed, regardless their configuration, complexity, or space where they function. Based on this algorithm, the linkages conception as Multibody Systems allows obtain all the fundamental multibody chains, for the initially imposed geometrical restrictions and, based on, the corresponding mechanisms are obtained. The method is applied for the two bodies and, respectively three bodies case, and for geometrical restrictions of sphere (S), rotation (R) and their combinations (SS, SR, RR) types. The method described in the paper can replace the already developed methods and is very useful in the kinematic - dynamic optimisation of the linkages and other types of mechanisms. The identification of the algorithms able to describe the systems as Multibody Systems with a minimum number of bodies becomes critical in computer based modelling, for on-line simulation of the dynamic behaviour of the complex products. This paper focuses on linkages for which the analysis and conception are developed considering them as Multibody Systems with a minimum number of bodies. Various methods were developed for linkages