Masters Theses
Date of Award
5-2021
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Major
Mechanical Engineering
Major Professor
William R. Hamel
Committee Members
Mark Noakes, Chad E. Duty
Abstract
Additive manufacturing of concrete is a growing field of research, yet current motion platforms do not offer viable routes towards large scale deployable systems. This thesis presents the design and analysis of a novel cable-driven robot for use in large scale additive manufacturing. The system developed, termed SkyBAAM, is designed to be easily deployable to a construction site for on-site additive manufacturing of buildings and other large structures. The design philosophy behind this system is presented. Analysis of this system first explores the kinematics, and stiffness as a function of cable tension. Analysis of the workspace and singularities is also performed, and scaling laws for the system are examined. A prototype system that was built at ORNL is presented, and data from this system shows is suitability for large-scale printing. In order to scale this out to full-size deployment there are, however, challenges associated with scaling and workspace shape that are identified as targets for future research. However, the success of this system demonstrates the feasibility of cable-driven robots for large, deployable additive manufacturing systems.
Recommended Citation
Chesser, Phillip, "Design of a Cable-Driven Manipulator for Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2021.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/6203