This paper presents the process of designing, fabricating, assembling, programming and optimizing a prototype nonlinear mechatronic Ball-Plate System (BPS) as a laboratory platform for engineering education STEM. Due to the nonlinearity and complexity of BPS, the task presents challenges such as: (1) difficulty in controlling the stabilization of a particular position point, known as steady-state error, (2) position resolution, known as specific distance error, and (3) adverse environmental effects—light-shadow error, which is also discussed in this paper. The laboratory prototype BPS for education was designed, manufactured and installed at Karlovac University of Applied Sciences in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics program. The low-cost two-degree BPS uses a USB HD camera for computer vision as a feedback sensor and two DC servo motors as actuators. Due to control problems, an advanced block diagram of the control system is proposed and discussed. An open-source control system based on Python scripts, which allows the use of ready-made functions from the library, allows the color of the ball and the parameters of the PID controller to be changed, indirectly simplifying the control system and performing mathematical calculations directly. The authors will continue their research on this BPS mechatronic platform and control algorithms.

This paper presents an approach to a go-kart chassis design, vehicle dynamics calculation, Li-ion battery capacity analysis, and electric motor choice for optimized vehicle performance. The chassis analysis shown in this paper was performed using a CAD/FEA software package, SolidWorks Student Edition. Three highlights can be found in this paper: (1) An original design was implemented; the basic analysis was composed of chassis optimization using beam elements and modeling such an optimized chassis “locally” with solid elements for sub-modeling purposes. (2) The most stressed tube joint was sub-modeled to calculate the risk of tube wall stability. (3) Vehicle dynamics were calculated for the case of braking on a curved path and the case of a collision with the front tire due to road imperfection. The authors intend to install a data acquisition system in the future to analyze the stress of local chassis tubes. The results of the SolidWorks analysis indicate a safety design for the chassis concept. The results for the sub-model stability (buckling) analysis show that the chosen tube wall thickness-to-diameter ratio gives safety factor values ranging from 1.6 to 5. Based on the stress distribution, some improvement in the middle part of the chassis can be made by using a half-a-millimeter-thicker wall tube or a larger tube diameter of a few millimeters to lower the stress. The latter will be described in this paper.

Because of high precision displacement determination in many marine power aggregates governing systems and other fine servomechanisms, uncertainty determination should be taken. Value of absolute displacement of all precise movement parts in hydraulic servomechanisms of governing systems must be controlled periodically. Uncertainty evaluation of displacement sensor and its sensibility cannot be avoided in phase of its construction, production and implication. In process of uncertainty evaluation all contributions and imperfections must be considered, but some with less influences in evaluating process because of clearly thesis description are unimportant (elements temperature stability, electromagnetic influences). The purpose of thesis is to calculate and predict maximal slope coefficient uncertainty and its affection to the measuring value in similar cases. Scientific method, issued algorithm and calculation model performed in this paper can be used as application in standard calibration protocols

This paper presents the process of designing, fabrication, assembling, programming and optimizing a prototype of a nonlinear mechatronic Ball-Plate System (BPS) as a laboratory platform for STEM engineer education. Due to the nonlinearity and complexity of BPS, task presents challenging issues, such as: 1) difficulties in controlling the stabilization of a given position point known as steady state error, 2) position resolution known as specific distance error and 3) adverse environmental effects - light shadow error, also discussed in this paper. The laboratory BPS prototype for education was designed, manufactured and installed at the Karlovac University of Applied Sciences at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Study of mechatronics. The low-cost two degrees BPS system uses a USB HD camera for computer vision as feedback and two DC servomotors as actuators. Due to controlling problems, an advanced block diagram of control system is proposed and discussed. An open-source control system based on Python scripts that allows the use of ready-made functions from the library allows changing the color of the ball and the parameters of the PID controller, thus indirectly simplifying control system and directly the mathematical calculation. The authors will continue their research on this BPS mechatronic platform and control algorithms.

Because of valve displacement great importance in valve systems in many marine power aggregates and other servomechanisms and equipment, controlling measurement of this parameter would be taken. Hysteresis measurement must also be taken after every mounting and periodically revision activities. Controlling measurement complies of displacement sensor and computer system applied with adequate hardware and software solutions. Displacement sensor axis misalignment error cannot be avoided in any situation where sensor axis line of symmetry is not parallel with axis line of valve movement. Therefore, elevation error must be considered. Other errors and imperfections in measuring process because of clearly thesis description in this paper are negligible (measuring method, sensor class, nonlinearity, software signal transition). Paper goal is pointing error values regarding sensor axis elevation and its presentation in meaningful ways, with comprehensive further influences

Numerous studies show that the use of dental guides that rest on the patient's teeth improves the precision of implant placement, but the currently developed procedures and selected materials are still not perfect and could result in deviations from the planned implant position. The impact of the surgeon's hand force on the deformation of dental guides during implant placement has not yet been investigated or documented. In this study the behavior of the 3D guide model is evaluated by FEA analysis to validate the influence of the force of the surgical hand on dental guides due to their application. FEM simulation of deformation and stress was designed for four different types of dental guides that are supported on teeth for different ways of supporting the guide due to the action of the surgeon's manual force (chosen arbitrarily 30 N). The finite element simulation method performed on 5 sets of commonly used biocompatible polymer materials, Stratasys MED610 and VeroGlaze MED620, EOS PA2200, Formlabs FLSGAM01 and Stratasys ULTEM 1010, successfully numerically quantified the deformation of the dental guide caused by the surgeon's arbitrarily manual forces during manipulation. Based on the conducted analyses, guidelines were proposed for improving the design of guides, with an emphasis on optimal selection of supports, stability on the patient's anatomy, and reduction of deformations, thereby increasing the accuracy of implant placement. It was found for all four designs of dental guides that the deflection depends on the size of the arm, i.e. the distance of the support from the point of application of the force. As a result of the study, diagrams were created that serve as guidelines for the design of beam (A and A1) and cantilever (B and B1) versions of dental guides that rely on teeth. Guidelines for enhancing guide design were put out based on the analyses that were carried out, with a focus on the best choice of supports, stability on the patient's anatomy, and minimization of deformations in order to improve implant placement accuracy.