Design and Optimization of a Pneumatic Clamping System for Direct-Driven Rotary Tables

Modern direct-driven and high-speed rotary tables with torque motor are optimally suited for all handling and assembly applications that require the shortest indexing times and flexible positioning. The following paper is devoted to the study, the design, and the optimization of an innovative table clamping system (brake for accurate positioning) actuated by pneumatic energy, working at a maximum clamping pressure of 6 bar. The challenge for the aforementioned application is related to developing a solution able to provide a maximum tangential torque (with clamping actuated) in the range of thousands of Nm without leveraging the use of high-pressure hydraulic energy. The optimization of the proposed solution is based on the precise calculation of the stresses in order to perform a fatigue assessment and on the elastic deformation of the clamps in order to set the correct tolerances between the mating parts. Eventually, an experimental campaign is carried out in order to tune the numerical model, which is then used to validate the proposed design solution.