A Planar Mechanism with Variable Topology for Automated Fiber Placement

This paper designs a specific planar mechanism with variable topology (MVT) for automated fiber placement which has ability to change its topological structure for accomplishing the clamping, cutting and restarting motion. Firstly, the functional requirements and moving sequence are proposed to build the foundation of design, and a MVT is developed to fill the demand. Then, the topological structures and the mobility of this mechanism in different states are analyzed to prove that the mechanism manipulates in accordance with moving sequence through transformation. Thirdly, kinematics model is established with vector equation and the corresponding simulation is carried out. Results from simulation demonstrate that the proposed mechanism can effectively realize a stable operation.