Method and apparatus for supporting design improvement work of mechanical apparatus

An apparatus which supports work of improving the design of mechanical apparatus which is operated by a motor, comprising:

• circuitry configured to perform:
• an operating step of operating a movable section of the mechanical apparatus by the motor,
• a measuring step of obtaining at least one index which indicates an input into the motor or an output from the motor in the operating step,
• a determining step of determining the mechanical properties of the mechanical apparatus, by using at least one index obtained in the measuring step, and
• a specifying step of specifying at least one improvement-required item which is required to be improved in the design of the mechanical apparatus, by using the mechanical properties determined in the determining step,
• wherein the operating step includes:
• performing an oscillation motion of the movable section,
• performing a uniform motion of the movable section under a plurality of velocity conditions, and
• performing an acceleration/deceleration motion of the movable section,
• wherein the measuring step includes:
• obtaining an input index which indicates an input into the motor over time, and an output index which indicates an output from the motor over time based on the performed oscillation motion of the movable section,
• obtaining a position index which indicates a rotation position of the motor over time in each velocity condition, a first velocity index which indicates a rotational velocity of the motor in each velocity condition, and a first torque index which indicates torque of the motor over time in each velocity condition based on the performed uniform motion of the movable section under a plurality of velocity conditions, and
• obtaining a second torque index which indicates the torque of the motor in the acceleration/deceleration motion over time, and a second velocity index which indicates the rotational velocity of the motor over time based on the performed acceleration/deceleration motion of the movable section,
• wherein the determining step includes:
• determining frequency properties of the output with respect to the input into the motor using the input index and the output index,
• determining position-torque properties which illustrate a relationship between the rotational position and the torque of the motor using the position index and the first torque index for each velocity condition,
• determining velocity-torque properties which illustrate a relationship between the rotational velocity and the torque of the motor using the first velocity index and the first torque index for each velocity condition, and
• determining a correction torque index excluding influence of friction from the second torque index using the second torque index, the second velocity index, and the velocity-torque properties, and
• wherein the specifying step includes at least one of:
• specifying rigidity of the mechanical apparatus as the improvement-required item using the frequency properties,
• specifying a tooth contact of a gear connected to the motor or cogging torque of the motor as the improvement-required item using the position-torque properties,
• specifying friction according to the motion of the movable section as the improvement-required item using the velocity-torque properties, or
• specifying inertia of the movable portion as the improvement-required item using the correction torque index.