Mechanical Actuation Systems

Mechanical Actuation Systems
Mechanical systems
Device which can be considered to be motion converters in that they transform motion from one form to
some other required form.
Eg: Transform linear motion into rotational motion and vice versa.
Mechanical elements can include the use of linkages, cams, gears, rack-and-pinion, chains, belt drives,
etc.
Eg: rack-and-pinion can be used to convert rotational motion to linear motion.
Many of the actions which previously were obtained by the use of mechanism are, however, often
nowadays being obtained, as a result of a Mechatronics approach by the use of microprocessor systems.
Mechanisms still, however, have a role in Mechatronics systems. For example, the Mechatronics system
in use in an automatic camera for adjusting the aperture for correct exposures involves a mechanism for
adjusting the size of diaphragm.
Others function:
Force amplification given by levers.
Change of speed given by gears.
Transfer of rotation about one axis to rotation about another timing belt.
The term kinematics is used for the study of motion without regard to forces. When we consider just the
motions without any consideration of the forces or energy involved then we are carrying out a kinematic
analysis of the mechanism.
Types of Motion
Rotation which has components rotating

about one or more of the axes.
Freedom and Constraints

An importance aspect in the design of mechanical elements is the orientation and arrangement of the
elements and parts.
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 degree of freedom is the number of components
of motion that are required in order to generate the motion.
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.
Kinematic Chains
Each part of a mechanism which has motion relative to some other part is termed a link.
A rigid body which has two or more points of attachment to other links is termed nodes.
Each link is capable of moving relative to its neighboring links.
A joint is a connection between the connected links at their nodes and which allows some motion
between the connected links.
Levers, cranks, connecting rods and pistons, sliders, pulleys, belts and shafts are all examples of
links.
(b) with three nodes
A sequence of joints and links is known as kinematic chain.

For a kinematic chain to transmit motion, one link must be fixed. Movement of one link will then
produce predictable relative movements of the others.
It is possible to obtain from one kinematic chain a number of different mechanisms by having a
different link as the fixed one.
The designs of many mechanisms are based on two basic forms of kinematic chains, the four-bar
chain and the slider-crank chain.
Fixed frame
The Four-bar Chain

Consist of 4 links connected to give 4 joints about which turning can occur.
Double-crank mechanism
Example of a mechanism can be used to advance the film in a cine camera.

Link 1 rotates, so the end of link 2 lock into a sprocket of the film, pulls it forward before releasing and
moving up and back to lock into the next sprocket.
Cine film advance mechanism
The Four-bar Chain

Some linkages may have toggle positions. These are positions where the linkage will not react to
any input from one of its links.
Figure below illustrates such a toggle, being the linkage used to control the movement of the
tailgate of a truck so that when link 2 reaches the horizontal position no further load on link 2
will cause any further movement.
There is another toggle position for the linkage and that is when links 3 and 4 are both vertical
and the tailgate is vertical.
The Slider-crank Mechanism

Consists of a crank, a connecting rod and a slider.
Cams
Cam is a body which rotates or oscillates and in doing so imparts a reciprocating motion to a
second body called follower, with which it is in contact.
The length of times spent for the rotation is depending on the shape of the cam.
Part that drives the follower upwards, its profile determining how quickly the cam
follower will lifted.
The cam shape required to produce a particular motion of the follower will depend on the shape
of the cam and the type of follower used.
Displacement diagram for an eccentric cam
Figure below shows the types of follower displacement diagrams that can be produced with two
other different shaped cams and either point or knife followers.
(rise and fall symmetrically)
Figure below shows a number of examples of different types of cam followers.
Lower friction than sliding contact but can

be more expensive
Figure below shows a number of examples of different types of cam followers.

Mushroom
Gears
Gear trains are mechanisms which are very widely used to transfer and transform rotational
motion. They are used when a change in speed or torque of a rotating device is needed. For example, the
car gearbox enables the driver to match the speed and torque requirements of the terrain with the engine
power available.
(a) Parallel gear axes, (b) axes inclined

to one another, (c) axial teeth,
(d)
helical teeth, (e) double helical teeth
Two meshed gears

A = number of teeth on B = dB
B
number of teeth on A
dA
Gear Ratio:
.
Diameter
Angular velocity
Gear trains a series of intermeshed gear wheels.

Simple gear train used for a system where each shaft carries only one gear wheel
Ratio of the angular velocities,
G = A = A
Compound gears trains two wheels are mounted on a common shaft.
Ratio of the angular velocities,
G = A = A
C
D
B
D
C = A
For the input and output shafts to be in line, we must also have for the radii of the gears.
rA + rB = rD + rC
Rotational to translational motion
Ttwo intermeshed gears with one having a base circle of infinite radius. Such gear can be used to
transform either linear motion to rotational motion or rotational motion to linear motion.
Eg: The rack-and-pinion.
Linear velocity,
Revolution
Belt and Chain Drives

Pair of rolling cylinders with the motion of one cylinder being transferred to the other by a belt.
Belt drives use the friction that develops between the pulleys attached to the shaft and the belt
around the arc of contact in order to transmit a torque.
The transmitted torque is due to the differences in tension that occur in the belt during operation.
This difference results in a tight side and a slack side for the belt.
If the tension on the tight side is T1, and a slack side is T2, then with pulley A as a driver,
Torque on A = (T1 T2) rA
Pulley B as a driver,
Torque on A = (T1 T2) rA

Since the power transmitted is the produce of the torque and the angular velocity, and since the angular
velocity is v/rA for pulley A and v/rB for pulley B, then for either pulley we have
Power = (T1
T2) v
As a method of transmitting power between two shafts, belt drives have the advantage that the
length of the belt can easily be adjusted to suit a wide range of shaft to shaft distance and the
system is automatically protected against overload because slipping occurs if the loading exceeds
the maximum tension that can be sustained by frictional forces.
If the distance between shafts is large, a belt drive is more suitable than gears, but over small
distances gears are to be preferred.
Different size pulleys can be used to give a gearing effect. However, the gear ratio is limited to
about 3 because of the need to maintain an adequate arc of contact between the belt and pulleys.
Figure below shows two types of reversing drives.
Open belt
With both forms of drive, both side of the belt comes into contact with the wheels and so V-belts
or timing belts cannot be used.
Types of belts
Flat.
-
Has rectangular cross section.

Has an efficiency about 98% and produces little noise.
Round.
-
Has a circular cross section and is used with grooved pulleys.
V belts are used with grooved pulleys and are less efficient that flat belts but a
number of them can be used on a single wheel and so give multiple drive.
Require toothed wheels, having teeth which fit into the grooves on the wheel.
Unlike the other belts, timing belt does not stretch or slip and consequently transmits
power at a constant angular velocity ratio.
The teeth make it possible for the belt to be run at slow or fast speeds.
V Type
Timing
Bearings
Whenever there is relative motion of one surface in contact with another, either by rotating or
sliding, the resulting frictional forces generate heat which wastes energy and results in wear.
The function of bearing is to guide with minimum friction and maximum accuracy the movement
of one part relative to another. Give suitable support to rotating shaft.
The term thrust bearing is used for bearings that are designed to withstand forces along the axis
of a shaft when the relative motion is primarily rotation.
Plain journal bearings
Used to support rotating shafts which are loaded in a radial direction (journal shaft).
Consist of an insert of some suitable material which is fitted between the shaft and the support.
Rotation of the shaft results in its surface sliding over that of the bearing surface.
The bearing may be a dry rubbing bearing or lubrication.
Ball and roller bearing

With this type of bearing, the main load is transferred from the rotating shaft to its support by
rolling contact rather than sliding contact.
A rolling element bearing consists of 4 main elements : an inner race, an outer race, the rolling
element either balls or rollers, and a cage to keep the rolling elements apart.
The inner and outer races contain hardened tracks in which the rolling elements roll.
a)
b)
c)
Deep-groove
Filling-slot
Angular contact
d) double-row
e) Self-aligning
e) Thrust, grooved race
a)
b)
c)
Straight roller
Taper roller
Needle roller

Mechanical Actuation Systems

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Mechanical Actuation Systems

Rotation which has components rotating

Freedom and Constraints

A sequence of joints and links is known as kinematic chain.

The Four-bar Chain

Example of a mechanism can be used to advance the film in a cine camera.

Cine film advance mechanism

The Four-bar Chain

The Slider-crank Mechanism

Displacement diagram for an eccentric cam

(rise and fall symmetrically)

Figure below shows a number of examples of different types of cam followers.

Lower friction than sliding contact but can

Figure below shows a number of examples of different types of cam followers.

(a) Parallel gear axes, (b) axes inclined

Two meshed gears

Gear trains a series of intermeshed gear wheels.

Ratio of the angular velocities,

Compound gears trains two wheels are mounted on a common shaft.

Ratio of the angular velocities,

Belt and Chain Drives

Torque on A = (T1 T2) rA

Torque on A = (T1 T2) rA

Has rectangular cross section.

Has a circular cross section and is used with grooved pulleys.

Ball and roller bearing

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