Error-Bounded Reference Tracking MPC for Machines with Structural Flexibility

Abstract

For industrial contouring and machining applications such as laser cutting, it is desirable to be able to bound errors without unduly compromising machine throughput. Traditional control architectures in machining are unable to explicitly bound tracking errors, and therefore conservative operation is required to ensure satisfactory performance of the overall system. This is particularly relevant in contouring applications when the end effector is connected to the drive via a flexible link, and no direct feedback measurement about the end effector position is available. In this paper, a model predictive approach is proposed that guarantees a desired level of tracking error is met for the case..