I-Corps: Developing servomotor actuators using advances in metallic additive manufacturing

I-Corps：利用金属增材制造的先进技术开发伺服电机执行器

• 批准号: 2230857
• 负责人: Roy McCann
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: University of Arkansas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-07-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2230857&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Developing; servomotor; actuators; using

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of electric motors for higher torque position control actuators used in robotic and industrial automation systems. The worldwide market for position control actuators is forecast to reach $16 billion by 2026. This market growth is associated with the transition to Industry 4.0 methods that seek improved efficiency and faster adaptation to variable market demands by developing streamlined processes in product development and delivery technologies. Achieving the benefits of Industry 4.0 practices involves extensive use of advanced electric motor controls and actuators to connect manufacturing systems through digital communication networks. In addition, the electrification of transportation systems such as autonomous vehicles, electric aircraft, and railways are further increasing the demand for position control actuators and their associated control electronics. The proposed technology may increase the ability of industries to expand manufacturing capacity in the US. Further, electric motor actuators may enable a much larger increase in economic development associated with emerging markets for advanced robotics, autonomous vehicles, aircraft, and transportation electrification. This I-Corps project is based on the development of copper additive manufacturing technologies that enable the design of new types of electrical machinery including electric motor position control actuators. These types of actuators are used for precise control of position, velocity and acceleration in robotics and industrial automation equipment. The designs enabled by the proposed copper additive manufacturing allows sensor and electronic control functions to be integrated into a single modular device. In addition, the proposed technology provides greater than 40% more torque and power density compared to existing electrical actuators, eliminates cables and wiring between electric motor actuators and control electronics by integrating these into a single assembly, and eliminates separate position sensing devices using magnetic and electrical structures that provide dual functionality of torque production with position and velocity sensing. These proposed features may result in reduced size and weight while achieving increased reliability in extreme temperature, vibration, and liquid environments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该 I-Corps 项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发用于机器人和工业自动化系统的高扭矩位置控制执行器的电动机。预计到 2026 年，全球位置控制执行器市场将达到 160 亿美元。这一市场增长与向工业 4.0 方法的过渡有关，工业 4.0 方法通过在产品开发和交付技术中开发简化流程来寻求提高效率并更快地适应不断变化的市场需求。实现工业 4.0 实践的好处需要广泛使用先进的电动机控制和执行器，通过数字通信网络连接制造系统。此外，自动驾驶汽车、电动飞机和铁路等交通系统的电气化进一步增加了对位置控制执行器及其相关控制电子设备的需求。拟议的技术可能会提高各行业扩大美国制造能力的能力。此外，电动机执行器可以使与先进机器人、自动驾驶车辆、飞机和交通电气化新兴市场相关的经济发展大幅增长。 该 I-Corps 项目基于铜增材制造技术的开发，该技术能够设计新型电机，包括电动机位置控制执行器。这些类型的执行器用于精确控制机器人和工业自动化设备中的位置、速度和加速度。所提出的铜增材制造实现的设计允许将传感器和电子控制功能集成到单个模块化设备中。此外，与现有电动执行器相比，所提出的技术可提供超过 40% 以上的扭矩和功率密度，通过将电动机执行器和控制电子设备集成到单个组件中，消除了电动机执行器和控制电子设备之间的电缆和接线，并消除了使用磁性和提供扭矩产生与位置和速度传感双重功能的电气结构。这些提议的功能可能会导致尺寸和重量减小，同时在极端温度、振动和液体环境中实现更高的可靠性。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。