Threaded Fastener Insertion

Goal: Determine a control that will guarantee reliable mating of threaded parts within a given range of initial conditions.

So far our approach has been to analyze the ability of linear time invariant stiffness and damping controllers to ensure successful part mating.

Previous Results

Under no alignment uncertainty, the speed at which the bolt should rotate for a given axial direction spring constant. See: I.L. Blaer, "Reliable Starting of Threads," Russian Engineering Journal, v.42, n. 12, 1962.
Under a restricted range of alignment uncertainty and large translational uncertainty, the stiffness and accommodation matrices for reliable insertion. (See papers below.)

Future Directions

What is the effect of "back-driving?"
Does there exist a linear time invariant controller (i.e. constant stiffness and damping) that can align threaded parts under large axial alignment uncertainty?

Papers

Dynamic Simulation of a Part-Mating Problem: Threaded Fastener Insertion
E. Nicolson and R. Fearing,
In Proceedings, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems'91,
Osaka, Japan, November 1991, pp. 30-37.

Compliant Control of Threaded Fastener Insertion,
E. Nicolson and R. Fearing,
In Proceedings, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation,
Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 484-490, May 1993.

Ed Nicolson's home page

Last update: 13 May 1994