TABLE OF CONTENTS Over the last decades, time simulation of mechanisms is performed using special computer programs that implement general formulations, known in the literature as Multi-Body Systems (MBS) formulations. The name is related to the model structure used for the mechanism, which is often regarded as a collection of bodies inter-connected through joints. This paper aims to present an overview of the multi-body formulations as well as a new formulation based on a model in which the mechanism is regarded as a collection of particles rather than bodies. A comparative study is provided, in which the mechanism mobility calculation and interpretation is presented in each case as well as a simulation case study for which the main formulations have been tested. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed for the formulations utilized.
Key words: multi-body systems, multi-particle systems, mechanism, dynamics.
The mechanical systems dynamic simulation and control is nowadays the subject of intensive studies using various theories and computer technologies. A very popular technology for this purpose is usually referred in the technical literature as "multi-body system simulation technology", according to one of the more usual representations as a collection of interconnected bodies.
In recent years, multi-body systems (MBS) technology evolved in powerful computer analysis and control software, which became widely used in industry, research and development areas, complementing the Finite Element Method for the...
