Design of a redundantly actuated desktop parallel kinematic machine for earthquake lab simulations

The design process of a small lab shaking table for earthquake simulations is illustrated in this paper. The machine is characterized by a parallel kinematics topology, and the platform is redundantly actuated. In fact, PKMs (Parallel Kinematics Machines) owns extremely interesting features, such as high accelerations and stiffness, which make these kinds of machines widely used to simulate earthquakes. The design process will be challenging due to the over-actuated nature of the platform, which will require particular attention in the choice of sensors and especially in the design of the machine control and its electronics. The paper provides details on the choices made, taking into consideration the complexity of the processes and the type of materials used, with the aim of keeping production costs low.