Chapter II

Actuation systems for

Mechatronics
 2. Actuation Systems
• Actuation systems are the elements of control systems which are
responsible for transforming the output of a microprocessor or
control system into a controlling action on a machine of device:
• Most common types of actuators
1. Electric Actuator
2. Mechanical Actuators
3. Hydraulic & Pneumatic Actuator

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1. Electrical Actuators are machines/devices that convert electrical
energy to mechanical energy.
• DC Motors
• Stepper Motors
• AC Motors
• Linear Motors (read by your self)
• Solenoids are also electrical actuator used within
mechatronic systems

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A. Electrical Actuators are
• Easy to control
• From mw to MW
• Normally high velocities 1000 - 10000 rpm
• Several types
• Ideal torque for driving
• Excellent efficiency

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DC Motors
• The most common actuator in Mechatronic systems is the DC motor
 Rotary actuators
 Power range: Fractions of watts to 100s of kW.
 Easy to control accurately
Advantages:
 Simple, cheap,
 Various sizes and packages.
Disadvantages:
 Limited overloading on high speeds
 Wear at rubbing surfaces
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Basic Operation
Current flowing through a conductor in a magnetic field induces a
force perpendicular to the field and to itself.

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Stepper Motors

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Permanent magnet stepper motors
• Rotor is a permanent magnet and the stator is an electromagnet
• Rotor field is switched to create a rotating magnetic field
Variable reluctance stepper motors
• The rotor is made of soft steel (ferromagnetic)
• Motion is based on the attraction of rotor and stator poles
to position with minimum
• magnetic reluctance which allows maximum magnetic flux.

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Principle of operation

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Stepper Motor Applications

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• More accurately controlled than a normal motor allowing
fractional turns or revolutions to be easily done
• Low speed, and lower torque than a comparable D.C. motor
• Useful for precise positioning

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AC-motors

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AC-motors

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AC motors: Some applications

• Large Cranes or material handling systems

• Belts or conveyors
• High Speed Trains
• Electric Drive Haul Trucks (930E)
 Selection of a motor for a particular application is based
on Moment of inertia, Torque, Power and Cost.

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B. Pneumatic Power Actuation
• Pneumatic actuation is widely used in the manufacturing industry
primarily in the field of automated system.
• Assembly, including jig and robot end-effector operation.
• Pneumatic power generally utilizes pressurized air as the power
transfer medium.
• Pneumatic power lies is used both for pneumatic power modulation
as well as for energy transfer devices
• The use of air as the operating fluid.
• The primary type of energy transfer device found in pneumatics is
the pneumatic cylinder.
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• The motion of the cylinder occurs by applying pressurized air at one
of two ports found at the ends of the cylinder.

Figure: Pneumatic actuation operation.

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C. Hydraulic Power Actuation
• Hydraulic fluid power basic operating principles are quite similar to
those of pneumatic fluid power systems.
• The difference in operating fluid, i.e. from air or gas in pneumatic
systems to liquids (generally oil) in hydraulics.
• Primarily, the use of liquids allows the achievement of very high
operating pressures
• Used where large forces and torques need to be applied.
• Hydraulic actuators can both be of a linear as well as a rotary nature.

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• The difference lies in the robustness of the cylinders; In hydraulics
are designed to be capable with higher operating pressures thus are
made from steel with appropriate wall thickness whereas, in
pneumatic system it built from thin-walled aluminum.
• Hydraulic motors are quite commonly used where large torques
need to be transmitted and generally offer a higher power-to-weight
ratio when compared to electrical motors

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D. Mechanical systems
• Although in mechatronics system microprocessor/electronic systems
are being used for many functions that previously were fulfilled by
mechanism; mechanisms are still being used to provide the following
functions:
1. Force amplification e.g. levers
2. Change of speed e.g. gears
3. Transfer of rotation about one axis to rotation about another axis e.g. belt
4. Devices that transform motion from one form to some other required form.
 Eg: Transform linear motion into rotational motion and vice versa.
 rack-and-pinion can be used to convert rotational motion to linear
motion.
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Types of Motion
• The motion of any rigid body can be considered to be a combination of translation and
rotational motions.
• Translation motion is a movement which can be resolved into components along one or
more of the three axis x,y or z.
• A rotational motion is one which has components rotating about one or more of the axis

Translation motion Rotational motion

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Types of Motion…
• A complex motion is the combination of
the translation and rotation motions
Eg. Instruct a robot to pickup a pencil
from a table: you should breakup
motion into small simple motion,
e.g. instruct joint 1 to rotate by
x degree then link 2 to be extended
by 4 mm….etc

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Freedom & Constraints
• Freedom and constraints; A body that is free in space can move in three
independent, mutually perpendicular directions and rotate in three ways
about those directions. It is said to have six degree of freedom
• The number of degrees of freedom are the number of components of
motion that are required in order to generate the motion
• If a joint is constrained to move along a line then it has one degree
of freedom
• If a joint is constraint to move on a plane then it has two degree of
freedom

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• Figure (a) shows a joint with just this one translational degree of freedom.
• Figure (b) shows a joint which has one translational degree of freedom one
rotational degree of freedom.

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• The problem in a design is to reduce the number of degrees of freedom which
requires an appropriate number and orientation of constraint.
 Fixed body implies zero degree of freedom implies 6 constraints
 Concept in design: In fixing a body or guiding it to a particular type of
motion, the minimum number of constraints should be used “kinematics
design”

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End of Chapter II