Variation analysis ofprecision mechanical assembly consideringform errors and local deformation

A method to analyze the effect of form errors and local deformation on the assembly accu- racy and its stability in a non-rigid assembly system is proposed. The contact finite element method was used to obtain local deformation of mating surfaces, which was superposed onto form errors to obtain real mating surface data of assemblies. Then mating variation was obtained by establishing vir- tual contact planes. Finally, an experiment of the assembly of two cylindrical components was car- ried out to verify the validity of the proposed method. By comparing the calculation accuracies of 3D assembly with and without taking into account local deformation, the results showed that the effects of local deformation of mating surfaces on calculation accuracy of mating variation was not neglect- able compared with form errors.

Effects of Mechanical Sowing and Transplanting on Characteristics of Dry Matter Production in Middle-season Hybrid Rice

To clarify the effects of mechanical sowing and transplanting on dry mat- ter production of middle-season hybrid rice, a two-factor split plot design was used to study the effects of different sowing and transplanting methods and their interac- tion with the seedling number per hill or seeding time on dry matter accumulation, distribution and transformation of F You 498, a middle-season hybrid rice variety, under field conditions in 2012 and 2013. The results showed that there was a marked effect of the sowing and transplanting methods and their interaction with the seedling number per hill or seeding time on dry matter accumulation, distribution and transformation. The total population dry matter accumulation of the treatments with mechanical direct seeding （MDS） and machine-based transplanting （MT） was lower than that of the treatment with traditional manual transplanting （TMT）. How- ever, MDS had higher dry matter accumulation and accumulating rate in the joint- ing-earing stage,and maintained higher stem-sheath exportation, export rate and transformation than MT and TMT; MT had higher dry matter accumulation and ac- cumulating rate in the heading-maturity period than MDS and TMT. Moreover, the treatments with low seedling number per hill or early seeding enhanced the assimi- lation of dry matter after heading,the ratio of dry matter accumulation after earing to biomass yield and the contribution rate of dry matter accumulation after earing, and a reasonable early sowing was favorable to increase the harvest index of middle- season hybrid rice under mechanical sowing and transplanting conditions.

Research on Large Depth Diameter Ratio Ultra-precision Aspheric Grinding System

In this paper, the factors of affecting surface roughness and profiles accuracy of the machined larege depth diamter ratio aspheric surfaces in ultra-precision grinding process are analyzed theoretically. An ultra-precision aspheric grinding system is then designed and manufactured. Aerostatic form is adopted to build the spindle of the workpiece, transverse guideway, longitudinal guideway and the spindle of the grinder in this system. The following specification is achieved, such as the turning accuracy of the spindle of the workpiece is 0.05 μm, radial rigidity of the spindle is GE 220N/μm, axial rigidity is GE 160 N/μm, radial rigidity of the guideway is GE 200N/μm, the highest rotational speed of the grinder is 80 000 rev/min and its turning accuracy is 0.1 μm, the resolution of linear displacement of the transverse and longitudinal guideway is 4.9 nm. Adjusting range of this adjusting mechanism is 2 mm in the Y direction, the adjusting accuracy of the precise adjusting mechanism is 0.1 μm. Micro displacement measuring system of this ultra-precision aspheric grinding adopts two-backfeed strategy, and angle displacement back-feed is realized by photoelectric encoder, it’s resolution is 655 360 pulse/rev. after 4 frequency multiplication, it’s angle displacement resolution is achieved 2 621 440 pulse/rev. Straight-line displacement is monitored by single frequency laser interferometer (DLSTAX LTM-20B, made in Japan). This CNC system adopts inimitable bi-arc step length flex CN interpolation algorithm, it’s CN system resolution is 5 nm.So this aspheric grinding system ensures profile accuracy of the machined part. The resolution of this interferometer is 5 nm. Finally, lots of ultra-precision grinding experiments are carried out on this grinding system. Some optical aspheric parts, with profiles accuracy of 0.3 μm, surface roughness less than 0.01 μm, are obtained.

Prediction model for the initial seed clearing angles of a precision seed meter based on vector fields

Seed clearing is a critical stage during precision seed metering process to ensure high seed singulation.However,there is a lack of understanding of the dynamics in the seed clearing process.In this study,a model was developed to predict initial seed clearing angle,in the seed clearing process using vector fields.The model was applied to an existing high-speed metering device and soybean seeds,and the model was evaluated with bench testing results.Results showed that dynamic changes in forces and constraints of seeds during the seed clearing process could be abstracted as vectors,and the changes of vector directions could be described by their phase angles.The phase angles were functions of the rotational angle of the seed meter.The phase angle of the constraint boundary linearly increases with the increase of the rotational angle.The phase angle of the force fluctuates,as the rotational angle changes.Initial seed clearing angle obtained from the phase angles varies from 8°to 59°,depending on the seeder travel speed.When comparing the values of the initial seed clearing angles predicted by the model with those from the bench tests,the root mean square error(RMSE)were from 2.73 to 3.14,and the correlation(r)between predict and observer were all higher than 0.98,indicating that the model had reasonably good accuracy.

Modeling Method for Assembly Variation Propagation Taking Account of Form Error

The propagation of variations, such as fixture errors and datum errors resulting from assembly and machining processes, has been extensively studied. However, only a few studies that focus on form error propagation in assembly systems have been implemented. Machining errors, especially form errors, have great impact on assembly accuracy and accuracy stability of precision mechanical systems. With form errors being the research object, a method for calculating mating variation and specifying mating coordinate is proposed to improve the accuracy of the variation propagation model. Taking into account the form error of mating surfaces, the assembly variation propagation of a precision mechanical system is analyzed, and the brief derivation procedure of the variation propagation model is introduced afterwards. The variation propagation model involves a new concept of mating variation specified by the two mating surfaces. An innovative method, the difference surface search based method, is proposed to calculate the mating variation amongst the mating surfaces. The obtained mating variation is then utilized to specify the mating coordinate in the variation propagation model. Moreover, FEM is employed to simulate the contact state of the two mating surfaces to demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed method. Meanwhile, the mating variation and mating coordinate obtained are incorporated into the assembly variation propagation model, which is then verified by a following case study through a comparison between the calculated results and the experimental results. The comparing results indicate that the established model improves the prediction of assembly accuracy. The developed model enables the investigation of various fundamental issues in variation reduction, including variation analysis, process monitoring, accuracy prediction, and accuracy control.

A New Type of Waveguide Distribution for the Accelerator Module Test Facility of the European XFEL

The European XFEL, which has been constructed at DESY in Hamburg, Germany, is an X-ray-Free Electron Laser, which provides X-ray light of unprecedented properties for different experiments in physics, chemistry, biology and technology [1]. The XFEL is based on superconducting cavity technology, which is required to accelerate an electron beam up to 17.5 GeV. The facility is installed about 20 m underground in a 3.4 km long tunnel of 5.2 m diameter. High power RF systems are required to accelerate the beam to the required energy. Each RF station provides RF power to 4 accelerator modules with 8 superconducting cavities by a waveguide RF distribution system [2, 3]. Besides electrical and RF properties, mechanical properties are of high importance, since the waveguide distribution system and its components have to be manufactured, assembled and aligned with high precision. In order to test 100 superconducting accelerator modules within two years three test benches have been created in the AMTF （accelerator module test facility） to achieve the rate of one superconducting module per week. Each RF station of the test facility consists ofa 5 MW RF station at 1.3 GHz, 1.37 ms pulse width and 10 Hz repetition rate, with a waveguide distribution system. Each waveguide distribution supplies RF power to eight cavities, four times a pair of cavities. The distribution allows for a maximum power of 1 MW per cavity when the distribution is switched to a mode supplying power to only four cavities. A new type of 1 MW isolator and a new compact 5 MW power divider have been developed to achieve that goal. We present the waveguide distribution for this test stand and describe the performance of the different elements.

Design and experimental study of seed precise delivery mechanism for high-speed maize planter

Aiming at improving the seed spacing uniformity of maize planter at high forward speed,a seed precise delivery mechanism driven by electric motor has been developed and evaluated in laboratory.The mechanism was designed to deliver single seed from seed meter to furrow.Seed’s movement from the seed release point in a seed meter to the seed delivery cavity in the belt was analyzed,the mathematical model of seed movement in the seed precise delivery mechanism was established based on seed delivery time analysis.A mechanical prototype was designed and associated control system was developed.The performance contrast experiment was conducted between a traditional seed tube and newly developed seed precise delivery mechanism,and test results indicated that the qualities of feed index of the seed precise delivery mechanism were higher than those of the traditional seed tube delivery mechanism,and the coefficients of variation of the seed precise delivery mechanism were lower than those of the traditional seed tube delivery mechanism when the forward speed of planter was set at 10 km/h,12 km/h and 14 km/h,respectively.It indicated the seed precise delivery mechanism significantly improved seed spacing uniformity of maize planter compared with the traditional seed tube delivery mechanism.