Design, Development and Implementation of Vibratory Mechanisms to Be Utilized in Dynamics and Vibrations Courses

Abstract

There is still a demand for novel laboratory equipment designs that are to be utilized in undergraduate level machine dynamics, mechanical vibrations, control theory and their related labs. Since the turn-key systems preferred in most undergraduate labs are expensive and require wide lab space, 3D printed portable, small scale and cost-effective vibrational lab equipment are designed to study the fundamentals of free and forced vibrations. Four laboratory equipment designs are proposed in this study to demonstrate the fundamentals of vibration such as free vibration, forced vibration, modeling, base excitation and vibration isolation. The first device is a vibration isolator and resonator mechanism incorporating large deflecting fixed-free flexible links and composed of primary and secondary masses and a linear actuator, the second mechanism is a compliant parallel arm consisted of flexible beams, mass and a support, third mechanism is a translational vibratory mechanism comprised of slider carts, 3D printed springs, rods and bearings and the final mechanism is the model of driver seat consisted of DC motor, driver and driven wheels and a mass. Main parts of each apparatus are built by 3D printing using either PLA or PETG filament. Learning outcomes and the methods of implementing each device to the course and their associated laboratories are provided.

Reinforcing student learning by MATLAB simscape GUI program for introductory level mechanical vibrations and control theory courses

“…Since mechanical engineering students generally take the laboratories in the next or following semesters, many not only fail to remember the essential topics but also lose their interest. 1,5 Visualization in class can address that issue.…”

“…In our previous work, we designed, developed, and implemented several 3D printed, portable laboratory equipment devices that are compact and low-cost to demonstrate the fundamentals of vibrations in class. 5 The instructor can bring the portable lab equipment into the classroom, conduct the experiment, collect data from the vibratory mechanism, and plot the response of the system while showing the mechanism behavior to the students in about 10 min.…”