Analysis of a high-speed flexible four-bar linkage: Part II—analytical and experimental results on the apollo

By using the equations of motion derived from the virtual displacement [1], a general finite element analysis computer code FEMAP (Four-bar Elastic Mechanism Analysis Program) for the planar motion is developed on the Apollo computer. The output of this program includes the following analysis for any point in the mechanism: velocity, acceleration, natural frequency, displacement, stress and strain. The displacement, stress and strain can be either quasi-static or full vibration analysis. The animation of the entire motion of the flexible linkage can be displayed on the screen. Analytical results are compared with results from a new experimental method which combines high-speed photography with a digital image processing technique.