Study on positioning accuracy of automated pneumatic drive with an outer brake

The work objective is to introduce a design of the automated pneumatic drive (APD) with an external braking gear. It is a controlled pneumo-mechanic brake providing the process time reduction, the positioning accuracy increase, and the reliable positioning of the stop mechanism in the setpoints. The application of the prototype drive with the automated measurement complex creates conditions for the oscillographic testing of the positioning process in real time and space, and it also provides reliable experiment results. The authors have created a special stand - a model of the proposed drive that allows investigating the effect of its positional accuracy under different parameters of its operation. Kinematic and power characteristics of the drive in the automatic operation by the compressed air flow are identified. The effect of the positioning speed and the brake control pressure on the drive accuracy is resulted. Recommendations for the development of real positional drives with increased performance and positioning accuracy are formulated. It is found that the introduction of an outer braking device - the controlled pneumo-mechanic brake - improves the positioning accuracy of these drives by 1,25-2,25 times.