In many cases of motor-dirven arm or cantilever systems such as graph-plotting devices and industrial robots, reduction of the residual vibrations at the end point of an arm just after a given movement is directly related to the quality of the system. The solutions for this residual vibration problems can be divided into two groups, i.e., electrical active feedback control and mechanical damping treatment. While the former is generally accepted to be more effective, the latter still has its own advantages, for example, in the aspect of cost, or in cases where the installation of a sensor & control system is physically difficult because of limited space or motor characteristics.
The purpose of this study is to develop a systematic procedure for the damping treatment on a motor-driven arm system and to show the effectiveness of a selected solution, a dynamic damper, in the reduction of the residual vibration.
First, the developed procedure was applied to experimental set-up which was consist of stepping motor, a flexible coupling, and a flexible arm. The same approach was applied to an prototype industrial robot which is at the stage of development. Finally, the applicability of a dynamic damper is discussed.
