Junji Hirai

Wireless transmission of power and information through one high-frequency resonant AC link inverter for robot manipulator applications

A contactless decentralized power supply is proposed with communication capability through only one transformer. A prototype of a wireless transmission system of power and information (WTPI system) was built, and the two-axis position controls of servo motors were achieved by transferring the power and signal through one rotatable high-frequency transformer. The proposed concept can be applied for robotics and numerical control (NC) machines.

Autonomous decentralized manufacturing system using high-speed network with inductive transmission of data and power

This paper introduces an idea of an autonomous decentralized manufacturing system (ADMS), which has the capability of adaptive reconfiguration to the product variations. In ADMS, machines are decentrally controlled by way of common high speed data networks, and the degree of mechanical motion freedom is increased with the use of inductive power and data transmission. The technology subsets required for realizing the field network and inductive couplings are described in this paper. The ADMS is conceptually realized for the automobile production line using the prototypes of the proposed technology subsets.

Decentralized control of machines with the use of inductive transmission of power and signal

Industrial manufacturing systems, such as machine tools and robots, require frequent reconfiguration. Conventional cable based systems introduce degradation of connector contacts at each reconfiguration adding noise and reducing reliability. Furthermore, cable based systems are inadequate for some common tasks, such as endless rotational motion. This paper describes a new approach to industrial manufacturing systems using inductive transmission of power and high speed data. The proposed technology for motion controls makes possible, flexible systems built on contactless modular units. High efficiency power transfer and high speed data transfer capabilities have been successfully incorporated in three modular units-rotatable, separable, and linear units-called the Integrated Power and Data Transmitting Units (IPDTU). This unique system structure allows: reliable operation in adverse environments polluted with oil and dirt; frequent reconfiguration without degradation of contacts; more freedom in configuring the machine; and decentralized controls.<<ETX>>