ACTUATORS

• Actuators are the devices which provide the actual motive

force for the robot joints.

• Physical devices that transform electrical, chemical, or thermal

energy into mechanical energy.

• Actuators are the muscles of robots. If you imagine that the

links and the joints are the skeleton of the robot, the actuators
act as muscles, which moves or rotates the links to change
the configuration of robots.

• The actuators must have enough power to accelerate and

decelerate the links and to carry the loads, yet be light,
economical, accurate, responsive, reliable and easy to
maintain.
 TYPES OF ACTUATORS

• Based on the source of Input Power actuators

are classified in to three groups :
1. Pneumatic Actuators
• These utilize pneumatic energy provided by the
compressor and transforms it into mechanical energy by
means of pistons or turbines.
2. Hydraulic Actuators
• These Transform the energy stored in reservoir into
mechanical energy by means of suitable pumps.
3. Electric Actuators
• Electric actuators are simply electro-mechanical devices
which allow movement through the use of an electrically
controlled systems of gears
Hydraulic and Pneumatic Actuators

Pneumatic Power - Air-powered cylinders

• Compressed air
• Either stored on board or injected by a pump
• Produces linear motion through activation of cylinders

Hydraulic Power - Fluid (non-air)-powered cylinders

• Uncompressible fluid, most often oil.
• Requires a pump to generate the pressure and flow rate
needed.
• Complex and difficult to build effectively, and costly costly.
 Pneumatic and Hydraulic Actuators
• Both these actuators are powered by moving fluids.

• In the first case, the fluid is compressed air and in the

second case, the fluid is pressurized oil.

• Pneumatic systems typically operate at about 100 lb/in2

• Hydraulic systems at 1000 to 3000 lb/in2.

 Both Hydraulic and Pneumatic actuators are classified

as
• linear Actuators (Cylinders).
• Rotary Actuators (Motors).
 Pneumatic Actuator

• 60-100 psi
• jet-pipe servo valves
• passively backdrivable
• delicate
Hydraulic actuators
Pneumatic and Hydraulic Actuators

Linear Actuators
Single Acting Cylinder
Double Acting Cylinder
Hydraulic and Pneumatic Motors
Double Acting Cylinders

Piston rod
Retracted Air Inlet

Mechanical Stops

Double Acting Cylinder

Air Inlet
Extended

Stroke Extension limit

Double Action Cylinder
Hydraulic Actuators
Pneumatic and Hydraulic Actuators

linear Actuators
Pneumatic and Hydraulic Actuators
Rotary Actuators
 Advantages and limitations of Pneumatic actuators

ADVANTAGES LIMITATIONS
• It is cheapest form of all actuators.
Components are readily available and
• Since air is compressible, precise control
compressed air normally is an readily
of speed and position is not easily
available facility in factories.
obtainable unless much more complex
electro mechanical devices are
• Compressed air can be stored and
incorporated in to system.
conveyed easily over long distances.

• They have few moving parts making
them inherently reliable and reducing
maintenance costs.
• They have quick action and response
time thus allowing for fast work cycles.
• No mechanical transmission is usually
required.
• If mechanical stops are used resetting the
system can be slow.
• If moisture penetrates the units and
ferrous metals have been used then
damage to individual components may
happen.

• These systems are usually compact thus

the control is simple e.g: mechanical
stops are often used.
 Advantages and limitations of Hydraulic actuators
ADVANTAGES
• High efficiency and high power to
size ratio.
• Complete and accurate control over
speed and direction of actuators are
possible.
• No mechanical linkage is required
i.e., a direct drive is obtained with
mechanical simplicity.
• They generally have a greater load
carrying capacity than electric and
pneumatic actuators.
• Self lubricating and non corrosive.
• Hydraulic robots are more capable of
with standing shock loads than
electric robots.
LIMITATIONS
• Leakages can occur causing a loss in
performance and general
contamination of the work area. There
is also a higher fire risk.
• The power pack can be noisy typically
about 70 decibel or louder if not
protected by an acoustic muffler.
• Changes in temp alter the viscosity of
hydraulic fluid. Thus at low
temperatures fluid viscosity will
increase possibly causing sluggish
movement of the robot.
 Electrical Actuators
• Electric actuators are simply electro-mechanical devices
which allow movement through the use of an electrically
controlled systems of gear.

• Electric motors are used as the actuators in robots

because they are
– easy to control
– available from mW to MW
– have normally high velocities 1000 - 10000 rpm
– capable of accurate servo control

Jussi Suomela HUT/Automation 17

 COMPONENTS OF DC ELECTRIC MOTOR

• The principle components of an electric motor are: North and south

magnetic poles to provide a strong magnetic field. Being made of
bulky ferrous material they traditionally form the outer casing of the
motor and collectively form the stator.

• An armature, which is a cylindrical ferrous core rotating within the

stator and carries a large number of windings made from one or more
conductors.

• A commutator, which rotates with the armature and consists of

copper contacts attached to the end of the windings.

• Brushes in fixed positions and in contact with the rotating

commutator contacts. They carry direct current to the coils, resulting
in the required motion.
 COMPONENTS OF DC ELECTRIC MOTOR

A simple DC electric motor: when the coil is powered, a magnetic field is

generated around the armature. The left side of the armature is pushed away
from the left magnet and drawn toward the right, causing rotation. The armature
continues to rotate, When the armature becomes horizontally aligned, the
commutator reverses the direction of current through the coil, reversing the
magnetic field. The process then repeats.
 STATOR

ROTATING
(COMMUTATOR)

ARMATURE

Brushes
 DC Motor control
• Controller + H-bridge

• PWM-control

• Speed control by
controlling motor
current/voltage

• PID control
H-Bridge
 DC Motor Speed Control
• PWM Technique
How does this work?
• We do not change the
supplied voltage
• Power is switched on/off at a
certain pulse ratio matching
the desired output power

Pulse-Width Ratio = ton / (ton+toff)

 STEPPER MOTOR
• When incremental rotary motion is required in a
robot, it is possible to use stepper motors.

• A stepper motor possesses the ability to move a

specified number of revolutions or fraction of a
revolution in order to achieve a fixed and
consistent angular movement.

• This is achieved by increasing the numbers of

poles on both rotor and stator
 Cross Section of a Stepper Motor

1 Stators
S
N

2 2

S
N
1
Rotor
 Modes of operation

1. Full step

2. Half step

3. Micro step
. Single-Coil Excitation - Each successive coil is energized in turn.

Step Coil 4 Coil 3 Coil 2 Coil 1

a.1 on off off off

a.2 off on off off

a.3 off off on off

a.4 off off off on

Two-Coil Excitation - Each successive pair of adjacent coils is energised in turn.

Step Coil 4 Coil 3 Coil 2 Coil 1

b.1 on on off off

b.2 off on on off

b.3 off off on on

b.4 on off off on

Clockwise Control
Counterclockwise control
 Winding number 1 Micro Step
1

a b
1
N
One
6 pole rotor S step
N N
2 2
S S
N
Winding number 2 S
1
a b

Six pole rotor, two electro magnets

STEPPER MOTOR
 Stepper Motors
Figure 1, in the next slide, is a picture of a typical stepper
motor. Notice there are six leads instead of the usual two.
The extra wires are needed because there are multiple
coils in the motor casing, which allow the motor to "step" a
fraction of a rotation.

Figure 2 shows the schematic for the stepper motor.

Pulsing the coils, or phases, sequentially will cause the
motor to rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise depending
on the sequence chosen. The speed of rotation is
determined by the frequency of the pulses to the coils.
 Motor Schematic
Stepper Motor
Applications of Stepper Motor
• Stepper motors can be a good choice whenever
controlled movement is required.

• They can be used to advantage in applications

where you need to control rotation angle, speed,
position and synchronism. These include :
– printers
– plotters
– medical equipment
– fax machines
– automotive and scientific equipment etc.
 ADVANTAGES & LIMITATIONS OF ELECTRIC
ACTUATORS

ADVANTAGES LIMITATIONS
• Wide spread availability of power supply. • Electric actuators often require
• The basic dive element in an electric some sort of mechanical
motor is usually lighter than that for fluid transmission system this
power. increases the unwanted
• High power conversion efficiency. movement, additional power and
• No pollution of working environment may complicate control.
• The accuracy and repeatability of • Due to increased complexity of
electric power driven robots are normally the transmission system
better than fluid power robots in relation
additional cost is incurred for their
to cost.
procurement and maintenance.
• Easily maintained and repaired.
• The drive system is well suited to • Electric motors are not
electronic control. intrinsically safe. They cannot
therefore be used in for example
explosive atmospheres.
 Comparison of actuating systems
Hydraulic Electric Pneumatic
+ Good for large robots + Good for all size of + Many components are
and heavy payload Robots usually off-the-shelf
+Highest Power/Weight +Better control, good for +Reliable components.
Ratio high precision robots
+Stiff system, High +Higher Compliance than +No leaks or sparks
accuracy, better response Hydraulics
+Inexpensive and simple
+No reduction gear +Reduction gears used
needed reduce inertia on the
+Can work in wide range motor +Low pressure compared
of speeds without to hydraulics
+does not leak, good for
difficulty
clean room + Good for on-off
+Can be left in position applications and for pick
+Reliable, low
without any damage and place
maintenance
 Comparison of actuating systems
Hydraulic
- May leak. Not fit for clean
room application
-Requires pump, reservoir,
motor, hoses etc.
-Can be expensive and
noisy,
requires maintenance.
-Viscosity of oil changes with
temperature
-Very susceptible to dirt and
other foreign material in oil
-Low compliance
-High torque, High pressure,
large inertia on the actuator. -
Electric Pneumatic
+Can be spark-free. Good for +Complaint systems.
explosive environment.
-Noisy systems.
-Low stiffness
-Needs reduction gears,
- Require air pressure, filter,
increased backlash, cost,
etc.
weight, etc.
-Difficult to control their
-Motor needs braking device
linear position
when not powered.
Otherwise, the arm will fail.
-Deform under load
constantly
-
-Very low stiffness. Inaccurate
-
response.
-Lowest power to weight ratio