The damping properties of a commercial polymer concrete are the subject of this application-driven study, which is aimed to investigate the material suitability as a filler of machine bed components to limit vibrations arising in machine tools and automatic machines working at high dynamics. Two main goals are targeted: ( i) quantitative evaluation of the elastodynamic effects due to the polymer concrete insertion into typical components of machine beds, in order to effectively assess its practical potential and ( ii) determination of reliable models of the material, needed to simulate the dynamic response of new design solutions of machines featuring structural components filled with the polymer concrete. The paper is mainly focused on the methodological approach of both the experimental campaign and the signal processing that were carried out. Based on the promising results achieved, the possible use of the polymer concrete as a viable solution to enhance the dynamic behavior of an automatic machine is finally investigated and discussed as a case study.

Modern direct-driven and high-speed rotary tables with torque motor are optimally suited for all handling and assembly applications that require the shortest indexing times and flexible positioning. The following paper is devoted to the study, the design, and the optimization of an innovative table clamping system (brake for accurate positioning) actuated by pneumatic energy, working at a maximum clamping pressure of 6 bar. The challenge for the aforementioned application is related to developing a solution able to provide a maximum tangential torque (with clamping actuated) in the range of thousands of Nm without leveraging the use of high-pressure hydraulic energy. The optimization of the proposed solution is based on the precise calculation of the stresses in order to perform a fatigue assessment and on the elastic deformation of the clamps in order to set the correct tolerances between the mating parts. Eventually, an experimental campaign is carried out in order to tune the numerical model, which is then used to validate the proposed design solution.