Experimental Comparison of Dynamic Characteristics of Boom Components and Assembled Structures in an Articulated Work Platform
This study examines the dynamic characteristics of an articulated aerial work platform. The platform performs articulated joint motions and telescopic boom extension to access both upper-side and under-structure work areas. The boom system includes two articulated joints with slewing rotation, and the tip section is a multi-stage telescopic boom. Component-level dynamics of three telescopic boom components made of Strenx 960 were compared with the system-level dynamics of the fully assembled vehicle. Natural frequencies and mode shapes up to the second mode were obtained through experimental modal analysis based on frequency response functions (FRFs). For the assembled vehicle, tri-axial acceleration responses were transformed into the frequency domain using FFT, and dominant natural frequencies were identified from the spectra. The results show a clear separation between the two levels. The component-level dynamics appeared in the tens-of-hertz range. In contrast, the dominant system-level natural frequencies were observed in the low-frequency range (near 1 Hz). These findings indicate that the assembled system exhibits dominant dynamics distinct from those of individual boom components. They also highlight the need for system-level considerations when interpreting dynamic performance under practical operating conditions.