Prediction of operating reliability of multi-body mechanism in micro-switches considering parameter distribution and wear of parts

Traditional method evaluates operating reliability by counting life-test results of a small number of samples, which ignores variability between individuals and cannot accurately reflect the true state. This paper proposes a model for predicting operational reliability of mechanism in a batch of micro-switches based on manufacturing parameters, in view of complex structure and diverse manufacturing parameters. A multi-body kinetic model based on manufacturing parameters and principle of action considering contact fatigue and wear was established, and the operating characteristics in the degradation process with sliding wear of joints were obtained. Finally, the linkage with revolute clearance in miniature circuit breaker (MCB) was used as numerical example application to perform investigation. Prediction results are consistent with batch experiments, which verifies accuracy of model. In addition, the optimal combination of clearances was obtained by using genetic algorithm based on predicted model, which increases locking reliability to 99.3% after 10000 operation cycles.