Implementation and experimental verification of flow rate control based on differential flatness in a tilting-ladle-type automatic pouring machine

Abstract

In this paper, we study an advanced pouring control system using a tilting-ladle-type automatic pouring machine. In such a machine, it is difficult to precisely pour the molten metal into the pouring basin of the mold, as the outflow from the ladle can be indirectly controlled by controlling its tilt. Therefore, model-based pouring control systems have been developed as a part of conventional studies to solve this problem. In the results of a recent study, the efficacy of a pouring flow rate control system based on differential flatness has been verified, by performing a simulation. In this study, we apply the flow rate control system based on differential flatness to a tilting-ladle-type automatic pouring machine, using experiments to verify the efficacy of the flow rate control system in suppressing any disturbances. In these experiments, the tracking performance using the developed flow rate control system was better than the performance obtained using a conventional feed-forward-type flow rate control system.