Taguchi method in MR-brake design
We adapted the popular Taguchi method, widely used in manufacturing, to the problem of designing a complex MR-brake. Unlike other existing methods, this approach can automatically identify the dominant parameters of the design, which reduces the search space and the time it takes to find the best possible design. While automating the search for a solution, it also lets the designer see the dominant parameters and make choices to investigate only their interactions with the design output.
The new method was applied for redesigning MR-brakes. It reduced the design time from a week or two down to a few minutes. Also, usability experiments indicated significantly better brake designs by novice users.
Publications
- “Interactive design optimization of MR-brake actuators using Taguchi method,” Smart Materials and Structures, vol. 20, no. 10, October 2011.
- “Design optimization of a MR-brake actuator,” Proceedings of 2011 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition,” Colorado, November 2011.
- “Multi-criteria Design Optimization of an MR-brake with Permanent Magnet Using The Taguchi Methodology,” Proceedings of 11th ASME Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, Nantes, France, July 2012.
- “Taguchi methodology to optimize the design of a MR-brake with permanent magnet,” Proceedings of ASME 2012 Biennial Conference On Engineering Systems Design and Analysis ESDA 2012, Nantes, France, July 2012.
- “New magnetorheological actuator with embedded Hall-effect sensor for hysteresis elimination,” Proceedings of 2012 NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, Boston, July 9-12, 2012
- “MR-Brake with Permanent Magnet as Passive Actuator for Haptics,” Proceedings of 2013 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC 2013), Daejeon, Korea, April 2013.