Intuitive and simple procedure for position controller tuning (with PERSICO)

Persico spa and the CAL started a collaboration for a research projects that involves the development of a fast and simple procedure for tuning the controllers of Persico thermo-forming presses. The project is thus divided in two stages:

  1. Modeling of the machine using ADAMS and Simulink, also called co-simulation (Figure 1 and Figure 2)
  2. Design of the strategy for tuning the controllers
Figure 1: Model of the press using ADAMS.

 

Figure 2: Model of the press using Simulink.

                                             

After a successful modeling of the machine, see Figure 3 for simulation results of a typical movement profile, a specific procedure, known as Twiddle, was chosen to devise better controllers. The strategy was tested firstly in simulation and after on a real machine. Figure 4 shows simulation results and depicts how the devised controller tuning strategy was able to increase all three types of performance indicators defined for this specific problem.

Figure 3: Simulation of a typical trajectory of the machine. Top plot: measured position (dashed balck) vs.  simulated position (green). Bottom plot: modeling error.
Figure 4: Simulation results of the chosen control tuning strategy.