How can I calculate the forces and moments on servo arms and couplers in a Stewart platform simulation using MATLAB

I am currently working on developing a Stewart platform and have calculated the inverse kinematic. I’ve also created a Simscape Multibody simulation, utilizing revolute joints (driven by angle inputs), brick solids, and spherical joints. From this simulation, I extracted the joint torques necessary to drive the top platform based on a given input trajectory. This data has helped me select appropriate motors and spherical joints.

Now, I need to determine the forces and moments applied to the servo arms and couplers. My goal is to ensure that the servo arms do not twist and the couplers do not buckle under load. Could you advise on how I can calculate these forces and moments using MATLAB, or would it be more appropriate to use another tool for this analysis?

The mechanical members in question are highlighted in the attached pictures.

Answer 1

[Akshat Dalal]

Hi,

It is possible to analyze the forces and moments on the servo arms and couplers of your Stewart platform using MATLAB and Simscape Multibody.

You can enable Simscape logging to capture simulation data, including forces and torques at each joint. Please refer to the following documentation on simulation data logging: https://www.mathworks.com/help/sm/ug/sense-internal-forces-in-double-pendulum-link.html

After running the simulation and logging the simulation output, you can extract and analyze the data using MATLAB. You can then perform stress analysis to check if the servo arms and couplers can handle the calculated forces and moments.

I hope this answers your query!

[Sami]

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I needed.

I have searched so many places for this.

Edit : Using Weld joint solved my problem, not explicilty mentioned in the answer, after a bit of googling, I found weld joints can measure forcues and torques transmitted through members.