Yongqing Wang

Research on a thin-walled part manufacturing method based on information-localizing technology

A new information-localization strategy for machining large thin-walled parts is presented in this paper. This strategy uses sub-areas and fiducials calibration methods to improve processing precision of large thin-walled parts, which are of poor machinability, low rigidity, and poor deformation coupling. In our experiments, the large thin-walled part is firstly divided into several sub-areas based on the actual state of the workpiece sampled by a binocular vision sensor. And then each divided sub-area is calibrated by the machining benchmark fiducials. Finally, the machining error of each sub-area is automatically compensated based on the measurement results of fiducials in each sub-area by the touch probe. Two verification experiments show that the proposed strategy is feasible and efficient.

Development of an in-pipe Robot with differential screw angles for curved pipes and vertical straight pipes

The in-pipe robots based on screw drive mechanism are very promising in the aspects of pipe inspecting and maintaining. The novel design of an in-pipe robot with differential screw angles is presented for the curved pipes and vertical straight pipes. The robot is mainly composed of the screw drive mechanism, adaptive linkage mechanism, and the elastic arm mechanism. The alternative adjusting abilities of the mobile velocity and traction, and the adaptive steering ability in curved pipes, are achieved by the special designs. A parameter design approach in consideration of the climbing and steering abilities is proposed in detail for the springs and length of the elastic arms. The results are applied to the prototype design of the robot. In several groups of experiments, the proposed robot is competent to pass through curved pipes and vertical straight pipes. The results prove that the proposed mechanism and parameter design approach are both valid. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4037617]

Rapid design of a screw drive in-pipe robot based on parameterized simulation technology:

The screw drive in-pipe robot is a type of effective intelligent equipment for inspecting pipeline failure. In-pipe robots have a wide range of design parameters due to varied pipe types and application conditions. Experiential or theoretical design means cannot ensure the validity and success rate, which leads to the increase in production cost and cycle. Therefore, in order to solve the rapid design problem of screw drive in-pipe robots, a parameterized simulation system based on ADAMS secondary development technology and a simple design strategy is proposed. Firstly, the motion principles of screw drive in-pipe robots are analyzed to establish a generalized design model. Then, the key parameters of the geometric structure are extracted and associated, which work as the input variables to design the robotic model. Then the general parameterized simulation system is established based on the CMD language of ADAMS simulation software. Finally, a simple design strategy is proposed and a design application case for pipeline diameter of 225 mm is studied. The results show that the parameterized simulation system can build and test varied screw drive in-pipe robot models quickly by only inputting some design parameters. The proposed design system and strategy can help realize the production of a screw drive in-pipe robot rapidly.