Adaptive Pre-load to raise Efficiency of electrical pre-loaded Rack-and-Pinion Drives

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Armin Lechler
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 286294048

Electrically preloaded rack-and-pinion drives are commonly installed as feed drives in machine tools when high loads must be moved precisely over long travel distances. In the established state of the art, the preload torque between the drives is set to a constant value during commissioning. This involves a conflict of objectives between maximizing performance through high tension on the one hand and the associated increased energy consumption and wear on the other. The proposed project aims to examine how the efficiency and performance of electrically preloaded rack-and-pinion drives can be optimized by adapting the preload torque during operation. Therefore, a control approach for preload adaptation developed in the previous funding period will now be supplemented by a methodology for process-adaptive parameterization including the drive controllers. In this way, the efficiency of the drive system can be maximized while adhering to specified process parameters. To conclude the project, the developed approach will be implemented on a machine tool, comprehensively validated and tested for robustness.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Alexander Verl