Optimal drive technology for knee levers

Baumüller integrates a model in ProSimulation for the efficient and optimal design of electric drives for complex toggle lever movements

Toggle levers are always used in mechanical engineering where large forces have to be transmitted with relatively little effort. This mechanical principle is often used in presses, punches, bending machines or in locking systems in injection molding machines, for example.

A major challenge for mechanical engineers when implementing toggle lever systems is the design of the electric drives. In these comparatively complex systems, torques, rpm, speeds, etc. do not behave linearly. This makes the design complicated, i.e. the drive system may not be optimally dimensioned for the machine cycle required by the end user. This means that systems are often designed with a power buffer or are under-dimensioned.

Optimal performance design through simulation

Since the standard tools for designing toggle levers are not sufficient for exact dimensioning, Baumüller uses high-performance simulation tools for this task. First, a toggle lever model is created based on the customer's requirements and then linked to the drive and motor model in the ProSimulation software module. This enables the drive experts to accurately map the dynamic behavior of the machine and test various force and movement profiles. This allows them to optimally design the drive technology and test the performance limits without having to build a real test machine beforehand.

The advantage: In the design phase, efficient components can be optimally dimensioned and selected. In the finished simulation, the machine manufacturer can then simulate and evaluate various individual cycles of its end customers. This enables them to avoid costly power reserves, reduce malfunctions in plant operation, and improve efficiency and energy consumption.