Modelling and Analysis of a Screw Joint Test Rig

Abstract: Today, tightening tools are widely used in the industry and on the market you will find several products that have been assembled with the help of tightening tools. For example, tightening tools are used in the automotive industry and when assembling computer hardware. It is important that the tightening tools are robust and of high quality in order to fulfil the demanded requirements. High assembly speed has entailed an extensive use of tightening tools. To ensure that the tightening tools have the desired properties, tightening tools are tested continuously using so-called test systems. This puts high demands on the test systems since it is of importance that the tightening tools can be tested in a simple, fast and reliable way as well as repeatedly. Therefore, Atlas Copco would like to investigate whether a test system constructed with an electrical motor is a good choice. The idea of this thesis is to investigate possibilities and limitations in a test system consisting of an electrical motor that emulates the behaviour of a screw joint. To be able to investigate hardware limitations a test rig is constructed and then modelled in MATLAB. Further, simulations have been carried out in order to analyse the possibilities and limitations of such a test rig. The conclusion is that the implemented LQ controller seems to be able to control the braking motor sufficiently like a screw joint.