Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Advisor 1
Gordon Parker
Committee Member 1
Jason Blough
Committee Member 2
Shangyan Zou
Abstract
Equipment whose performance degrades when exposed to base vibration is often deployed in vibration-rich environments. Using 3D printers in mobile applications, such as vehicles and ships, are typical examples where the extruder and bedplate are easily excited by base vibration. A versatile active vibration isolator is considered in this thesis constructed using a voice coil actuator and a laser displacement feedback sensor to achieve a wide range of dynamic response characteristics, including negative stiffness. This approach permits transmissibility shaping to meet band-limited base isolation requirements without active damping vibration control. A combination of simulation and hardware validation is used to illustrate the approach, including a detailed calibration process for its voice coil as a control actuator. A 3D printer, mounted to a shaker, is used for final performance evaluation. A negative stiffness control strategy was implemented to shift the isolator’s resonance away from the excitation band. Part quality, measured by surface roughness, increased by 27.8% at the printer’s resonance of 4.75 Hz when using the negative stiffness control strategy. Since the system uses an active approach to modify the isolator’s dynamics, a wide range of isolator designs can be achieved besides negative stiffness. While the active isolator can be used for fielded applications, it’s perhaps more helpful for efficiently assessing competing passive isolator designs before creating prototypes.
Recommended Citation
Schloemp, Lucas M., "AN ACTIVE VOICE COIL NEGATIVE STIFFNESS VIBRATION ISOLATOR WITH APPLICATION TO MOBILE 3D PRINTING", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2023.