Dynamic Modelling of Mechanical System for the Packaging Industry

The development of robust and reliable systems in the packaging industry requires the creation and the validation of physical models that can estimate both the mission profile of the components and the sub-assemblies and to provide data related to the status of the system when operating out of the nominal working condition. The work relies on the creation of a multibody model of a complex mechanism covering multiple phases of the production process in each operating cycle. The model has been developed with the commercial software MSC Adams® and validated on a test rig specifically manufactured for the purpose. Some components of the system were redesigned in order to behave as sensing elements and to provide data about the forces exchanged in the system, which were correlated with the virtual results. The dynamic model will be used in further activities for integrating the response of the system when interacting with the other assemblies of the equipment, for simulating operating conditions that are out of the design ranges and collecting data from a system that is approaching failure.