Carbon Fiber Composite Materials VS Lightweight Alloy Materials For Robotic Arms
Compared with structural lightweight, the impact of material lightweight on robots is more direct. The use of lightweight materials for robots can help reduce operating energy consumption, increase operating speed, and improve work efficiency. In addition, lighter self-weight also has obvious benefits for the robot to reduce motion inertia and increase motion accuracy. Aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, and carbon fiber composite materials are all commonly used lightweight materials for robots. Although the lightweight effects of the three are relatively obvious, there are still certain differences in performance in specific applications.
Aluminum alloy in robotic arm
In addition to having the general properties of aluminum, different types and types of aluminum alloys exhibit different performance characteristics due to the addition of alloying elements. The density of aluminum alloy is small, the strength is high, the specific strength is close to that of high alloy steel, the specific stiffness exceeds that of steel, the casting performance and plastic workability are good, and it is also ideal in terms of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance and weldability, and can be used as a structure. material usage.
Moreover, the application cost of aluminum alloy is relatively low, so it is widely used. However, its thermal stability is not ideal. In some extreme working environments, creep is prone to occur. When used in important operating parts of the robot, it will affect the operating accuracy of the robot. Therefore, aluminum alloy materials are more suitable for models and educational robots, but not for foundry, fire protection and other industries.
Magnesium alloys in robotic arms
Magnesium is the lightest of the practical metals. Its specific gravity is about 2/3 of aluminum and 1/4 of iron. For polycarbonate composites containing 30% glass fiber, the density of magnesium does not exceed 10%. %. Magnesium alloys are alloys composed of magnesium and other elements. This alloy has low density, high strength, large elastic modulus, good heat dissipation and shock absorption, greater impact load capacity than aluminum alloy, and strong corrosion resistance to organic substances and alkalis.
The Japanese company's third-generation ASIMO shell is made of magnesium alloy, which greatly reduces the self-weight of the robot. The walking speed is increased from the original 1.6km/h to 2.5km/h, and the maximum running speed has reached 3km/h.
However, the strength and toughness of magnesium alloys are still lower than those of steel and aluminum alloys, and there is still a gap between the performance requirements of robot materials, and it is impossible to completely replace steel, aluminum alloys and other materials. Due to the limitation of strength, magnesium alloy as a robot material also directly affects its processing performance such as casting and welding, and cannot meet the application requirements of large load handling. It is generally used for light-duty robot parts such as medical treatment and housekeeping.
Carbon fiber composites in robotic arms
Carbon fiber composite materials have high strength, light weight, low creep, and the specific strength is dozens of times that of steel. For example, Noen Composites tailor-made a retractable robot shell for the State Grid power distribution station inspection robot. The extremely light weight can greatly reduce the mechanical energy consumption, prolong the working time, and make the robot more stable and safe when moving. .
Compared with magnesium alloy and aluminum alloy materials, the performance characteristics of carbon fiber composite materials are more suitable for small and medium-sized industrial robots, and can serve in environments with high load, high wear and high frequency of use. Although its application cost is high, its unique performance advantage cannot be ignored in the future intelligent industrial process.
In short, the development of lightweight robots is the trend. There are many types of robots involved. Different working environments and components in different positions have different requirements for materials. We suggest that the selection of robot materials needs to be comprehensively considered from multiple perspectives such as quality, stiffness, and motion inertia. For example, a robotic arm is a moving part and needs to be well controlled, so the material of the robotic arm must avoid being bulky.
At the same time, the material of the robotic arm needs to have sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand the load, and there must be no strain and fracture. In this case, carbon fiber composite materials are more suitable than magnesium alloys and aluminum alloys. Moreover, when choosing and choosing according to the working conditions and comprehensive cost of the robot arm, it is necessary to pay attention to the integrated application of various materials, so that the lightweight value of the robot arm can be effectively reflected.
