- 1 - Jan Johansson

This paper reports a use of flexible bodies in Multi Body System (MBS) modeling. A combination of discrete and modal flexibility enables structural eigenfrequency investigation. The Voluntary Milking System (VMS) is a product from Swedish agricultural company DeLaval AB [1]. The VMS introduces an entirely different way of milking cows. The cows themselves decide when its time to be milked and make their way to the milking unit (the VMS). The VMS model will consist of three major part models: the robot arm, the stall, and the control system. These systems can be seen as sub models when using a systematic approach [5]. The modeling this far has been concentrated on the first two sub models, i.e. the robot arm and the stall. Covered here will be the finite element (FE) modeling activity, to represent structural elasticity, and the connection of the stall part model to the robot arm part model. Emphasis is on modeling activities. Preliminary results from simulations regarding forced oscillation are presented.