Classical Cascade and Sliding Mode Control Tracking Performances For A Xy Feed Table of A High-Speed Machine Tool
Classical Cascade and Sliding Mode Control Tracking Performances For A Xy Feed Table of A High-Speed Machine Tool
Classical Cascade and Sliding Mode Control Tracking Performances For A Xy Feed Table of A High-Speed Machine Tool
1, 2007 65
Abstract: The development of robust tracking controllers for linear feed drive,
high speed machine tools is the primary objective of this work. Robustness
implies the controller ability to preserve tracking accuracy in the presence of
cutting forces and friction forces. This paper discusses the design and tracking
performances of traditional cascade and sliding mode controllers for a xy feed
table. Tracking performances are analysed through circular tests that are
performed at selected tracking speeds and circle radius. For cascade P/PI
controller, tracking error is proportional to the reference speed and is inversely
proportional to the velocity gain value of the position loop controller. Speed
and acceleration feed forward further reduce this tracking error. Quadrant
glitches, a product of non-linear friction phenomena at the point of velocity
reversal, are observed. Sliding mode controller, however, significantly reduces
quadrant glitches and exhibits greater dynamic stiffness while its tracking
accuracy is comparable to the cascade controller.
1 Introduction
Intense global competition has increased pressure on manufacturers to attain ever higher
productivity and produce quality products at competitive prices. High-speed machining is
attractive in a sense that it creates good potential for higher productivity with its shorter
machining time. The overall machining time is reduced with increases in both table
positioning speed and acceleration. However, high-speed machining creates another
challenge, that is, machining process requires the feed drive to be robust against fast
acting disturbances (Pritschow, 1998).
Motion tracking controllers are designed with the fundamental objective of attaining
the best possible position tracking accuracy. This, however, is significantly influenced by
friction forces acting closely at the load and cutting forces from the machining process.
One prominent tracking controller that exists in majority of servo motion control systems
is classical cascade controller. Various improvements and modifications to this controller
have been suggested in the literature with the aim of improving the tracking
performance. For example, Doenitz (1999) analysed the tracking error of combined
cascade controller with a proposed disturbance observer. Pritschow (1996) on the other
hand, presented different positioning behaviours between classical P/PI cascade
controller and reduced state space controller. In addition to classical cascade controller,
sliding mode controller, a well known non-linear controller, is highly regarded for its
disturbance rejection properties. Altintas (2000) has demonstrated the contouring
performance superiority of this controller against pole placement controller with feed
forward friction and servo dynamics compensation.
The primary objective of this work is to analyse motion tracking performance of
linear feed drive high speed machine tools of an xy milling table. Tracking performance
of a non-linear sliding mode controller is analysed and compared to the traditional and
more popular cascade P/PI controller. Comparison in tracking performance is based on
axial tracking errors, contour tracking errors, dynamic stiffness and quadrant glitches.
Series of circular tests were performed at various tracking speeds and circle radii.
parameters are designed from the knowledge of gain margin and phase margin of the
resulting speed open-loop transfer function that is based on the actual measurement of
open-loop frequency response function of the system (see Figure 2).
Figure 2 Theoretical (a) open-loop and (b) closed-loop Bode diagram of the y-axis speed loop
with PI controller
The phase margin and the gain margin indicate the system stability margin and its
transient response (Franklin et al., 2002). A proportional controller completes the
position loop. The proportional gain was selected based on the gain margin and the phase
margin of the position open-loop transfer function. The stability of each loop is
confirmed by the Nyquist plot of the open-loop transfer function. The following transfer
functions relate input disturbance, d(t), to output position, y(t) and reference signal, r(t),
to tracking error, e(t). kf is the motor constant, kv, kp and ti (see Figure 1) are the controller
parameters and m is the mass of the system.
d (s ) mti s + k f k p ti s + (1 + kv ti ) k f k p s + k f k p kv
3 2
= (1)
y( s ) ti s
e(s ) ms 2 + k f k p s
= (2)
r (s ) ms 2 + k f k p s + k f k p kv
The transfer function given in Equation (1) defines the dynamic stiffness of a system.
It indicates the controller disturbance rejection capacity. For a constant velocity
reference input signal, r(t) = v(t), tracking error is proportional to the tracking velocity
but is inversely proportional to the velocity gain factor, kv;
v
e(∞) = (3)
kv
68 Z. Jamaludin, H.V. Brussel and J. Swevers
where, y(t) is the actual position, r(t) the desired position and λ a positive constant.
The choice of λ determines the transient response characteristics of the system.
Control law, on the other hand, consists of a signum function and the equivalent
control which includes speed and acceleration feed forward:
At the moment of sliding, the switching function is equivalent to zero and hence;
s(e, e) = 0 (7)
Therefore,
s(e, e + λ e = 0
e ) = (8)
with
e = y − r
(9)
e =
y − r
without the disturbance function, d(s), and by combining Equations (8)–(10), the control
input becomes:
Equivalent control maintains the sliding motion. The discontinuous signum function
(see Equation 6) with proportional gain K ensures that the states are attracted to
and remain in the sliding surface in finite time. This discontinuous signum function,
however, leads to high frequency switching. The states are oscillating about the surface
instead of remaining on them. This is widely known as chattering (Young et al., 1999)
and is a major disadvantage to sliding mode control application. Several techniques have
been suggested to reduce the effect of chattering (Utkin and Guldner, 1999).
A continuous approximation of the discontinuous signum function is among the options.
Classical cascade and sliding mode control tracking performances 69
3 Experimental setup
Figure 4 A xy feed table with three linear drives for high speed milling application
A series of circular test was performed to validate and compare tracking performance of
these controllers. The controllers were designed to track circles of 15 and 30 mm radii,
each at constant tracking speed of 0.001 m/s, 0.005 m/s and 0.01 m/s. Each axis
position tracking error was recorded. The actual trajectory was compared to the reference
trajectory. The system was not subjected to any external disturbance signal. In addition to
tracking, the dynamic stiffness of the cascade and sliding mode controllers were
investigated and compared. A band-limited white noise signal was introduced into the
system as an input disturbance and the position error was recorded.
4 Experimental results
The controllers’ performance was assessed through circular tests and dynamic stiffness
measurements. The circular tests reveal the axial and contour tracking performance while
dynamics stiffness measures the disturbance rejection property of the controllers.
Figure 6 Axial tracking error with (a) cascade, (b) cascade with speed and acceleration feed
forward and (c) sliding mode for a 15 mm radius circle tracking test at
different speeds
72 Z. Jamaludin, H.V. Brussel and J. Swevers
Table 1 Maximum tracking error for circle of radius 30 mm with varying tracking speed for
(a) cascade, (b) cascade with speed and acceleration feed forward and (c) sliding
mode
Figure 8 Spikes as seen from axial tracking error for (a) cascade, (b) cascade with speed
and acceleration feed forward and (c) sliding mode controller
Classical cascade and sliding mode control tracking performances 73
Spikes are clearly visible from the axial tracking errors of both the cascade controllers.
They are significantly reduced with the sliding mode controller. The axial tracking errors
indicate the advantage of sliding mode in disturbance rejection of friction forces. Similar
observation and conclusion can be derived from the contours of the circular tests as
shown in Figure 9. The actual and the reference contours of the cascade controllers and
the sliding mode controller, for a circle test of radius 30 mm at a tracking speed of
0.001 m/s, are compared. The actual contours were reconstructed with amplified radial
error (200 times) for graphical presentation purposes. Spikes are clearly visible with both
the cascade controllers.
Figure 9 Quadrant glitches for circle test of radius 30 mm and tracking speed of 0.001 m/s for
(a) cascade, (b) cascade with speed and acceleration feed forward, and (c) sliding
mode control
74 Z. Jamaludin, H.V. Brussel and J. Swevers
The radial errors at the quadrant positions for the cascade controllers is within
±10 micrometre while the sliding mode controller has radial error within a range of
±5 micrometre.
5 Conclusions
• sliding mode controller exhibits higher dynamic stiffness and better tracking
accuracy than the two classical cascade controllers
• speed and acceleration feed forward improve tracking accuracy of classical
cascade controller
• the classical cascade controllers clearly exhibit quadrant glitch phenomenon as
observed from the axial tracking errors and the contour tracking errors from the
circular tests
• sliding mode controller removes spikes associated with quadrant glitches.
References
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