Parallel kinematic machines in research and practice

The 5th Chemnitz Parallel Kinematics Seminar is the continuation of the very successful 4th Parallel Kinematics Seminar of 2004, where more than 250 participants from over 25 countries came to Chemnitz. The PKS 2006 focuses on the contribution of parallel kinematics in mechatronical engineering and is being honored by the support of the CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering). Although seen as the “newcomers” to industrial applications, parallel kinematics have established themselves in a way to successfully compete with traditional, serial machine structures. Once more, the developments in hybrid machines present new opportunities by utilizing the advantages of both systems. These issues will be dealt with in the papers to best analyze where science has taken us till now in this field and what the future might hold. The conference program has been designed to provide both an overview of the field´s fundamental innovations as well as an in-depth look into specialized facets of parallel kinematics.