Autonomous Mast Control for Large Manipulator Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
The setup time of large manipulators, such as truck-mounted concrete pumps, is prolonged due to conventional mast control methods that prioritize operational safety over efficiency, requiring sequential manual operation of multiple joints and limited by hydraulic pump conveying performance, leading to undersupply during simultaneous activation of drives.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous control unit that autonomously transfers the articulated mast from an initial to a pre-specified target position by actuating a sequence of control signals for simultaneous activation of multiple drives, allowing higher speeds while maintaining safety constraints, and utilizing a graphical representation for intuitive target position selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional manual control methods are used with sequential joint operation, then operational safety is ensured, but setup time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit autonomously controls the mast drives without requiring manual operation. The system self-manages the unfolding and folding sequences by automatically activating multiple drives simultaneously based on sensor feedback and pre-programmed logic, eliminating the need for operator intervention while maintaining safety constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is pre-programmed with optimal control sequences for mast deployment and retraction. Before operation begins, the system has predetermined the sequence and timing of drive activations, allowing it to execute rapid simultaneous movements while ensuring safety constraints are met, rather than reacting sequentially to operator inputs.
2Loss of time
If multiple drives are activated simultaneously at high speeds, then transfer time is reduced, but hydraulic pump conveying performance becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit activates drives in a coordinated sequence rather than all at once. It partially activates drives based on their individual requirements and the hydraulic system's capacity, ensuring that the total hydraulic demand at any moment does not exceed the pump's conveying performance while still achieving rapid overall mast movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The control sequence is dynamically adjusted based on real-time feedback from sensors monitoring mast position and hydraulic system status. The control unit optimizes the timing and sequence of drive activations to match the hydraulic pump's instantaneous conveying capability, allowing maximum speed while preventing oil supply deficiency.
3Reliability
If maximum speeds of individual drives are set for worst-case scenarios, then safety margins are maintained, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors continuously monitor the actual position and state of the mast and provide feedback to the control unit. Based on this real-time information, the control unit adjusts drive speeds dynamically, allowing higher speeds when safety conditions are met and reducing speeds only when necessary, thereby eliminating the need for conservative worst-case speed limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit changes operational parameters (drive speeds, activation sequences) based on the actual mast configuration and external conditions. Instead of using fixed worst-case speed limits, the system adapts parameters in real-time to achieve maximum productivity while maintaining safety margins through continuous monitoring and adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A large manipulator includes a chassis, a mast pedestal, an articulated mast, and a control unit. The mast pedestal is rotatable around a vertical axis by means of a rotary drive and arranged on the chassis. The articulated mast includes two or more mast arms pivotally-movably connected, via articulated joints, with the respectively adjacent mast pedestal or other mast arm by a pivot drive. The control unit is configured to actuate the pivot drive and/or the rotary drive to move the articulated mast with a control sequence from an initial position of the articulated mast, autonomously, into a pre-specified target position of the articulated mast.