With advancements in the 3D printing technology, many industrial sectors are transitioning from traditional production methods, such as cutting processing, and casting, to utilizing 3D printers for manufacturing. For instance, in the automotive industry, the production of vehicle upright knuckle parts typically involves casting followed by machining processes, such as turning and milling, to achieve dimensional accuracy. However, this approach is associated with high processing costs and longer lead times. This study focuses on the production of vehicle upright knuckle parts using a selective laser melting (SLM)-type 3D printer, with SUS 630 as the material. To evaluate the feasibility of utilizing this method in industrial vehicles, this study conducts static and modal analyses, along with topology optimization. Additionally, experimental test drives are performed with the parts installed in KSAE BAJA vehicles, and modal frequency experiments are conducted. The objective of these analyses and experiments is to assess the performance, reliability, and applicability of utilizing SLM-based 3D printing for manufacturing vehicle upright knuckle parts by optimizing the design through topology optimization and evaluating the results through experiments and analysis.
This paper investigates the relationship between the preload level of a ball screw drive and the detected natural frequency of the system in an axial direction. A dynamic model to study the preload variation of the system is derived, and then a preload feature is proposed for extracting preload conditions based on the detected natural frequency of the system. A modified double-nut ball screw drive system with adjustable preload level is constructed. This is for the purpose of experimental verification. An accelerometer is attached to the ball screw nuts of the drive system to acquire vibration signals. The signals are analyzed to obtain the natural frequency of the ball screw drive system in an axial direction. By investigating the variation of the detected natural frequency, it is shown that the preload level can be diagnosed by the proposed preload feature. Both the experiment results and mathematical model show a direct correlation between the natural frequency and preload levels. Natural frequency increases when the preload level increases. This study provides a method to monitor the preload of a ball screw system which can be used as an indicator of the health status of the drive system.
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