One of the most important factors reducing flexible manipulator efficiency is the residual vibration occurrence. In this research, vibration reduction of flexible manipulators is investigated using an internal frictional damper. At first, the vibration equation of a manipulator is obtained using the finite element method with the Euler–Bernoulli beam element to study its vibrations in a reciprocal motion. In addition, an analytical model is developed to investigate the effect of the frictional damper on robot link vibrations. Using particle swam optimization, ICA, NSGA-II, and GWO methods, the optimal structure for the damper is obtained to maximize its effect. The optimally damped link is fabricated, and its dynamic characteristics are extracted from a modal test experiment. The modal test results show a considerable improvement in the damping ratio of the damped link in comparison with a simple link. The fabricated link samples are then tested in a realistic situation. The experimental results are in coincidence with the simulation results, certifying the performance of the proposed plan in vibration reduction of a robot link.
