Investigation of wireless electrification for a reconfigurable manufacturing cell

Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) with a rearrangeable structure can quickly adjust their produc-tivity to meet the dynamic market changes and the demand for high-variety products. Industry 4.0 technologies have enhanced the RMS flexibility and made the automation of the reconfiguration of the manufacturing system possible. As an Industry 4.0 technology, wireless power transfer (WPT) can further increase the flexibility of RMS by providing safe, reliable, and maintenance-free autonomous charging. This paper examines the wireless electrification of RMS by investigating different WPT configurations that increase flexibility and autonomy, creating a highly flexible RMS. It also proposes a battery charging platform for further enhancement of the flexibility of RMS. As a low-cost WPT solution, the paper tests capacitive charging systems. The proposed charging system has about 135 W power transfer capability at a 5 cm distance and about 84% efficiency.