Workpiece force and position control for active and flexible fixtures in assembly

Journal article, 2021

With strengthening focus on digitalization and flexibility, active and flexible fixtures can provide the right tools for manufacturing systems. However, fixturing solutions are often too individualized for processes and need a universal approach. Firstly, a system formulation of multiple workpieces interacting with each other is presented. Secondly, strategies for direct and indirect force control along with their characteristics have been developed. The stability of assembly of force-controlled components has been analyzed, and certain key characteristics have been presented. The position control under different signal types, including oscillatory, have been discussed. Finally, a set of experiments have been conducted for performance evaluation.