Development of Driving Jack System for Tunnel Boring Machine

To realize stable excavation control on unsound ground and linear control along with scheduled lines when excavation operations are performed with tunnel boring machines, etc; driving jack systems have been developed as an application of parallel links which enable us to use position/posture controls with 6 degrees of freedom. This tunnel boring machine is subjected to combined great loads such as travelling, rotational torque, radial force, etc. during excavation operations. The method of mechanical analysis and the control approach have been finalized with redundant axes. Bench tests found the performance to be appropriate. As a result, the prospects of its application in production machines have been confirmed by ensuring that the load capacity of and load distribution of driving jack systems will almost agree with calculated values, and that control accuracy and position/posture holding capacities will have no problem.