Spatial object manipulation is typically accomplished by parallel kinematic manipulators (PKM), whose number of actuators is equal to the required number of degrees of freedom. In order to improve the performance and reliability of PKM, their basic configuration can be extended by redundant actuators. This paper is devoted to the special case of PKM with both linear and rotational actuation, which can be operated simultaneously. Corresponding manipulators face the problem of coexisting translational and rotational joint space parameters inducing inhomogeneous Jacobian matrices. In this context, power manipulability ellipsoids provide a suitable performance evaluation for PKM featuring different types of redundantly applicable actuators. Accordingly, this research intends to analyze the kinetostatic performance of redundantly actuated PKM and to demonstrate their efficiency in contrast to non-redundant drive configurations. The analyses exemplarily are focused on the translational 3-RPC manipulator, since it can be equipped with both revolute and/or prismatic joint actuation.

Due to excellent dynamic properties and high precision, parallel manipulators are particularly suited for high-speed and high-accuracy object handling. For this reason, the design process of parallel manipulators is usually supposed to optimize the manipulators' dexterity or structural stiffness. Accordingly, this research intends to analyze the effects of changing actuator and frame-configurations regarding the handling performance of a class of translational 3-RPC-manipulators. Since the RPC-structure can be arranged with translational and/or rotational actuators, several different drive configurations are possible. Additionally, four different frame configurations can be identified, expanding the number of possible manipulators. In order to find an optimized actuator and frame configuration for a given task, this research approach systematically reduces the number of possible configurations by means of validity detection and kinetostatic performance analysis. Hence, it is shown that good performance can be achieved for all frame configurations by selecting a suitable actuator combination.

As a result of high precision and excellent dynamic properties parallel kinematic machines (PKM) are particularly suited for high-speed and high-accuracy object handling. To optimize the design of such PKM, only kinetostatic analysis is not sufficient. Additionally, dynamic properties should be taken into account. Hence, this research develops the dynamic model for a class of translational 3-RPC-manipulators with either pure prismatic joint or pure revolute joint actuation. For a given task the dynamic performance is compared to results of the kinetostatic analysis. Hence, it is shown that the dynamic properties highly influence the performance of the RPC-structure.