Design of an automatic loading robot arm for payload applications
Li, Zhuohang (2026)
Kandidaatintyö
2026
School of Energy Systems, Konetekniikka
Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2026051646272
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2026051646272
Tiivistelmä
With the development of industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing, heavy-load handling equipment is increasingly required in logistics, packaging and equipment transportation. Large load capacity is required in many applications, which makes manual handling and traditional forklift operation less efficient and potentially unsafe in limited working spaces. Therefore, the design of a special automatic loading robot arm has practical engineering significance.
This thesis presents the structural design and simulation analysis of an automatic loading robot arm for payload applications. According to the design requirements, the maximum payload is set as 450 kg, the horizontal travel distance of the base guide rail is 6800 mm, the horizontal travel distance of the cantilever sliding frame is 400 mm, and the vertical lifting stroke is 300 mm. The robot arm adopts a column-horizontal arm structure, mainly including a base guide rail, a column, a cantilever guide rail, a sliding frame, a hydraulic lifting mechanism and an end gripper layout.
SolidWorks is used to establish the three-dimensional model of the robot arm and its main transmission mechanisms. Based on the structural parameters, MATLAB is used to analyze the reachable workspace of the end effector. The simulation result shows that the robot arm can form a rectangular workspace of approximately 6800 mm × 400 mm × 300 mm, which is consistent with the theoretical design requirements. In addition, a complete working path for the end effector is also simulated, and the relationship between displacement and time in each direction is found.
Finite element analysis is performed in ANSYS to evaluate the strength and deformation of the whole machine and key components under the maximum load condition. The simulation results show that the maximum deformation of the column-cantilever structure is about 2.42 mm, and the maximum deformation of the sliding frame is about 0.56 mm. The stress results are further used for material selection. Q235 steel is selected for the column because of its sufficient safety factor and good economy, while Q460 steel is selected for the sliding frame due to its higher stress level. The safety factors of the main checked components meet the basic strength requirements. After importing the whole machine to ANSYS, the maximum stress is at the critical component column, and its value is within the safety range according to the material selected.
The results show that the proposed robot arm structure has a feasible workspace and acceptable structural strength under the given design conditions. This thesis provides a preliminary structural design and simulation reference for heavy-load automatic loading equipment. Future work should include more detailed drivetrain calculations, fatigue analysis, prototype manufacturing and experimental testing.
This thesis presents the structural design and simulation analysis of an automatic loading robot arm for payload applications. According to the design requirements, the maximum payload is set as 450 kg, the horizontal travel distance of the base guide rail is 6800 mm, the horizontal travel distance of the cantilever sliding frame is 400 mm, and the vertical lifting stroke is 300 mm. The robot arm adopts a column-horizontal arm structure, mainly including a base guide rail, a column, a cantilever guide rail, a sliding frame, a hydraulic lifting mechanism and an end gripper layout.
SolidWorks is used to establish the three-dimensional model of the robot arm and its main transmission mechanisms. Based on the structural parameters, MATLAB is used to analyze the reachable workspace of the end effector. The simulation result shows that the robot arm can form a rectangular workspace of approximately 6800 mm × 400 mm × 300 mm, which is consistent with the theoretical design requirements. In addition, a complete working path for the end effector is also simulated, and the relationship between displacement and time in each direction is found.
Finite element analysis is performed in ANSYS to evaluate the strength and deformation of the whole machine and key components under the maximum load condition. The simulation results show that the maximum deformation of the column-cantilever structure is about 2.42 mm, and the maximum deformation of the sliding frame is about 0.56 mm. The stress results are further used for material selection. Q235 steel is selected for the column because of its sufficient safety factor and good economy, while Q460 steel is selected for the sliding frame due to its higher stress level. The safety factors of the main checked components meet the basic strength requirements. After importing the whole machine to ANSYS, the maximum stress is at the critical component column, and its value is within the safety range according to the material selected.
The results show that the proposed robot arm structure has a feasible workspace and acceptable structural strength under the given design conditions. This thesis provides a preliminary structural design and simulation reference for heavy-load automatic loading equipment. Future work should include more detailed drivetrain calculations, fatigue analysis, prototype manufacturing and experimental testing.