Design for control - A concurrent engineering approach for mechatronic systems design

The well-accepted basis for developing a mechatronic system is a synergetic concurrent design process that integrates different engineering disciplines. In this paper, a general model is derived to mathematically describe the concurrent design of a mechatronic system. Based on this model, a concurrent engineering approach, coined Design For Control (DFC), is formally presented for mechatronic systems design. Compared to other mechatronic design methodologies, DFC emphasizes obtaining a simple dynamic model of the mechanical structure by a judicious structure design and a careful selection of mechanical parameters. Once the simple dynamic model is available, in spite of the complexity of the mechanical structure, the controller design can be facilitated and better control performance can be achieved. Four design scenarios in application of DFC are addressed. A case study is implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of DFC through the design and control of a programmable four-bar linkage.