Design and implementation of walking beam manipulator in automatic production line based on PLC

This paper analyzes the kinematic features of the walking beam manipulator in the semiautomatic production line of cracked connecting rods, examines the positioning accuracy between the manipulator and each workstation, and explores the dynamic response of the position servo controller. Next, the author designed a position control system for the production line based on the electric drive mode, and detailed the hardware scheme of the system. The position control system integrates a specially-designed algorithm, which combines feedforward control and trigonometric function. Finally, the proposed system was proved to achieve accurate control of sequential motion and position between the walking beam manipulator and each workstation, especially in high-speed operation. © 2019 Lavoisier. All rights reserved.