Machine vibrations often occur due to dynamic unbalance inducing wear, fatigue, and noise that limit the potential of many machines. Dynamic balancing is a main concern in mechanism and machine theory as it allows designers to limit the transmission of vibrations to the frames and base of machines. This work introduces a novel method for representing a four-bar mechanism with the use of Fully Cartesian coordinates and a simple definition of the shaking force (ShF) and the shaking moment (ShM) equations. A simplified version of Projected Gradient Descent is used to minimize the ShF and ShM functions with the aim of balancing the system. The multi-objective optimization problem was solved using a linear combination of the objectives. A comprehensive analysis of the partial derivatives, volumes, and relations between area and thickness of the counterweights is used to define whether the allowed optimization boundaries should be changed in case the mechanical conditions of the mechanism permit it. A comparison between Pareto fronts is used to determine the impact that each counterweight has on the mechanism’s balancing. In this way, it is possible to determine which counterweights can be eliminated according to the importance of the static balance (ShF), dynamic balance (ShM), or both. The results of this methodology when using three counterweights reduces the ShF and ShM by 99.70% and 28.69%, respectively when importance is given to the static balancing and by 83.99% and 8.47%, respectively, when importance is focused on dynamic balancing. Even when further reducing the number of counterweights, the ShF and ShM can be decreased satisfactorily.

The problem of shaking force balancing of robotic manipulators, which allows the elimination or substantial reduction of the variable force transmitted to the fixed frame, has been traditionally solved by optimal mass redistribution of the moving links. The resulting configurations have been achieved by adding counterweights, by adding auxiliary structures or, by modifying the form of the links from the early design phase. This leads to an increase in the mass of the elements of the mechanism, which in turn leads to an increment of the torque transmitted to the base (the shaking moment) and of the driving torque. Thus, a balancing method that avoids the increment in mass is very desirable. In this article, the reduction of the shaking force of robotic manipulators is proposed by the optimal trajectory planning of the common center of mass of the system, which is carried out by "bang-bang" profile. This allows a considerable reduction in shaking forces without requiring counterweights, additional structures, or changes in form. The method, already presented in the literature, is resumed in this case using a direct and easy to automate modeling technique based on fully Cartesian coordinates. This permits to express the common center of mass, the shaking force, and the shaking moment of the manipulator as simple analytic expressions. The suggested modeling procedure and balancing technique are illustrated through the balancing of the 3RRR planar parallel manipulator (PPM). Results from computer simulations are reported.

The dynamic balancing of a spatial parallel manipulator of three degrees-of-freedom, CaPaMan-2 (Cassino Parallel Manipulator 2), by the application of Counter-Rotary Counterweights (CRCW) is analyzed. To accomplish this objective the mass and inertia of the moving platform are dynamically replaced by point masses located at the points of attachment of the legs to the platform and the mechanism is balanced by considering each of the legs independently. This fully parallel manipulator has three identical legs, each one composed by a four-bar mechanism (an articulated parallelogram) connected to the fixed base, and a link supported by the coupler that connects to the mobile platform. This link, seen as a pendulum, is transformed to a dynamic balancer using a Counter-Rotary Counterweight in order to compensate the motion of the moving platform. In a second stage the articulated parallelogram is modified by adding Counter-Rotary Counterweight plus a Counterweight to dynamic balance its part of the system. As a final result it is obtained a new design, with a parallel manipulator dynamic balanced. The resulting model of the manipulator is validated by dynamic simulation, using general purpose software for the analysis and dynamic simulation of multi-body systems (ADAMS).

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