Gonstraint Analysis of Mechanical Assemblies

1. Open Kinematic Chains

Any rigid body has three degrees of freedom (DOF) of planar motion or six
in spatia! motion. When two rigid bodies are assembled together in a
process of making a mobile assembly, they are said to be interfaced. This
is accomplished either through a joint proper, such as a hinge (revolute
joint) or a ball-and-socket joint (spherical joint), or an interface in general
terms such as with line contacts. Taking one of the bodies as a fixed
reference the second will lose as many of its original DOF as the
interfacing imposes constraints.
This is repeated in any open chain of elements, and the last element to
assemble will have a DOF equa! the number of moving parts times their
original, free DOF minus the total number of constraints imposed on the
assembly. So will a planar three-link open chain with revolute joints
together and with the fixed ground have 3 x 3 - $ x 2 = 3 DOF; the last Iink
could assume any position and any orientation in the plane. A full-reach
robot has six moving parts with revolute joints together and with the fixed
base, therefore 6 x 6 - $ x 5 = 6 DOF. (A revolute joint imposes two
constraints in planar perception and five in spatial perception). Note that
1. The DOF of the last member in an open chain equats the number of
mutually independent relative-position variables necessary and
sufficient to define the state of the system.
2. The numbers of moving parts, constraints, and DOF are counts;
integer numbers rather than continuous variables.
 Axis 1

/r'--\ rz;
\1/
+l

Axis 3
285'

,/ \\ +
=\
\-{i G
w\ Axis 4

n
540"

G+ \Ir v Axis 6
+ s4o'

\/r
\\
---__---/
,//
-. --\/
/ | r

Planar three-link open chain Full-reach robot of six DOF

with revolute joints
2. Glosed Kinematic Chains

A spatially closed kinematic chain (in 3-D) is the more important category of
mechanical systems. It is defined as one in which,

1. at the last stage in the assembly or stacking up of parts or members,

lnterfacing is established again with the fixed reference part (overall
closure), or
2. at some stage in the assembly, interfacing of one part is once again
established with the previous part, making a double contact (local closure).
Multiple contacts could also be found.

In closed chains there will be no last member as such, but the DOF of the
assembly will still be the number of mutually independent relative-position
variables which are necessary and sufficient to define the state of the system.

The majority of mechanical assemblies are closed chains, and these could behave
differently than open ones in determining the DOF according to the same count as
with open chains; these assemblies could be overconstrained.
Overconst rai ned Assem bl ies
Consider the planar parallelogram linkage shown below with two identical
cranks and a coupler equal in length to the base, with an additional link as
a third parallel crank for increasing the rigidity and loading capacity. The
mechanism will be 'anticipated'to have one DOF; that of rocking.
However, calculation shows that with four moving parts and six revolute
joints the DOF orthe mobilitywill equal 4 x 3- 6 x 2= 0.ls the
calculation wrong, or should the mechanism not be able to move?
The answer is No and No.

lf manufactured with absolute dimensional and geometrical accuracy then

the mechanism wil! move as anticipated, but with some elastic deformation
under load it will squeal or even jam. But if manufactured with inferior
accuracy then it may even not be able to assemble at all. lf then forced to
assemble with some bending deformation then it will also squeal and jam
in operation. The mechanism is said to be overconstrained.
Why the Ambiguity?
The ambiguity is due to the fact that the calculation or count of DOF does
not consider dimensional or geometric accuracies of the material portions
between the joints (the lnter-joint portions). Therefore, it treats the
mechanism just like the one shown below which, obviously cannot move.
The result of zero DOF will then be correct.

.S*
The planar parallelogram linkage shown before was anticipated to have
one DOF, but only by virtue of belng sketched as such. ln order to deal
with both exactly constrained and overconstrained assemblies the DOF
calculated as above wil! be renamed Gruebler's count (G), rather. The
anticipated mobility (AM) will then be given by AM = G + O, where O is the
number of overconstraints concealed in the assembly. ln the planar
parallelogram Iinkage example of before we had 1 = 0 + 1; one
overconstraint.
Overconstrai nts in 3-D
Four-bar linkages represent a classical example of single-DOF
mechanisms. They are planar in function but three-dimensional in reality,
especially when they have to support out-of-plane loads. Opposite to the
exactly constrained planar version, the 3-D version will conceal
overconstraints;
G=3x$-4x5=-2
O = AM - Q = 1 + 2 = 3 overconstraints.
The consequences of these three overconstraints are encountered as the
last joint in the still open chain is to be established; it wi!! require the ends
of the two adjacent links to adjust along the pin and the hole axes be
forced to align in two mutually perpendicular directions in order to insert
the last pin. Three difficulties for the three overconstraints.
Removing the Overconstrai nts
For a four-bar linkage to be exactly constralned in 3-D, one method of removing
the three overconstraints is to give the coupler one more DOF in its connection at
one end and two more at the other. This is shown implemented on an intentionally
crooked mechanism, to emphasize how the shapes of the inter-joint bodies are
ignored by the count. The coupler Iink has a universaljoint at one end, giving two
DOF instead of one, and a sphericaljoint at the other, giving three DOF instead of
one. The universal joint consists of a cruciform member called the "spider" that is
in revolute joints with the two terminal parts as shown. In an alternative perception,
the universaljoint will not be treated as a joint (grossly) but the spider will be
treated as an additional moving part, so that

G = 4xG - 4x5 - t = 1, an exactly constrained mechanism.

Note: The mathematical relationship between the motions of the two cranks will be
much more complicated than for a planar four-bar linkage.
Spherical joint Spider
The Universal Joint
The universaljoint (U-joint; Hooke's joint) consists of two yokes (shaft
terminals) intermediated by a cross or spider that has two coplanar pairs of
bearing pins at 90" from one another that are supported by bearings in the
two yokes. Taking one shaft as a fixed reference the other shaft coutd tilt
unconditionally in two mutually perpendicular directions, hence omni-
directional mobility. The u-joint is thus a two-DoF device. lt is used in:

1. Power transmission drivelines - where the whole joints(s) rotates such as

in cars and mobile equipment - to accommodate angular misalignment.

2. Mechanisms and machines as a two-DoF joint between adjacent

members imposing 4 constraints on the assembly, where the joint as a
whole does not usually rotate.

,-\ Shaft
operating Driven shaft
ilsl
r
t,

\
\

t
Driving shaft
Usefulness of the Constraint Analysis
The designer will not wait until he/she calculates the DOF of the system to be
designed; the anticipated mobility should be a count that is already established.
He/she would rather apply the constraint analysis to assess the design for being
exactly constrained or else overconstrained. In the latter case the design should
be revised to reduce or eliminate the overconstraints, or else it should be known or
concluded that the mechanical system should be manufactured with absolute
dimensional and geometrical accuracy to operate as envisaged. One issue to
remember is that the mobility of the system does include any idle or independent
mobilities (l) of parts that could undergo small changes in their location of
orientation, unnoticed, and without affecting anything else. A simple example is
that of a piston that reciprocates inside a cylinder but that has a sphericaljoint with
the connecting rod such as to be able to rotate a little all by itself in operation.
Therefore, the kinematics of mechanical assemblies relate according to the
following expression

AM+l=G+O
This AMIGO expression ls used throughout for the assessment of mechanical
assemblies.
 Confolryal Cgntact I nterfaces

Conical pair = Revolute Pair Prismatic pair Helicalpair

R l DOF' P lDOF H 1DOF

Cylindrical pair Flat pair Spherical pair

C 2DOF F3DOF S 3DOF
 Counterformal (Non-conformal) Contacts

\
'{.rt\ I \\-.
l-\-
tl
-r";
li
//

Straight line on flat Straight line inlon cylinder or cone

4 DOF 3 DOF

Circular line on sphere (great circle; in cylinder or in/on torus)

4 DOF