A GPS-based force rendering model for virtual assembly of mechanical parts

Virtual assembly technology is of great significance to training of mechanical engineers. However, existing force rendering models for virtual assembly are not accurate enough with less consideration of geometrical properties of the parts, which may lead to unpractical perceptions during assembly. This paper presents a novel force rendering model for virtual assembly, which takes into account parts’ geometrical properties according to the new generation of geometrical product specification (GPS). More specifically, skin model shapes of parts for force rendering are constructed and then the contact between the mating surfaces is analyzed. Based on which, the axial frictional and radial contact resistances are calculated and rendered. To verify the proposed model, two comparative case studies are designed using a shaft-bushing assembly as the example. The results have shown that with the proposed approach, the rendered assembly force is more realistic and can reflect different tolerances more precisely.