(2) EXPERIMENT-Study of Pneumatic symbols used in circuit designing The symbols for each of the common pneumatic components are listed below. You need to be able to recognise these symbols, and understand the function of the components they stand for. Remember that any of the valve operators (for example, push-button operation; plunger operation) can be used with the three- port valves or five-port valves. It is important to choose the one that matches the system requirements and add them to the top and bottom of the valve symbol Lae USES romsesn AR tects | cout YA riper pat eines Solenoid operation Bir pipes Spring return Sonne eee Sin ulin Br pipes srocting, ting Bue tissonnecte fir blows Boubie-ooting Salinger Push-button Speration Reservoir a 2 jo f° Ce: i. Plunger operation he ks ri, A esEXPERIMENT-Study of a Robotic System and its configuration. A Robot is officially defined by the Robot Institute of America as “A re-programmable, multi- functions jal manipulator designed fo move materials, parts, tools, or special devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks”. Many di iferent variations of robots are available for use in industrial applications and are used to carry out repeated actions highly accurately and without variation. Robots require a control program to govern its velocity, cirection, acceleration, deceleration and distance of movement at any time. An Indu: strial robot consists of several links connected in series by linear, revolute or prismatic joints. At one end the robot will be fixed to @ supporting base while the other is manipulated into position ‘and equipped with a tool allowing it to perform a task Industrial robots are composed of the following parts: » There ar Controller A processing unit is connected to every industrial robot to regulate robot components, provide system networking, dynamic user control and programvteach. Arm This is the main moving part of the robot which is manipulated to deliver the end effector to the correct location Drive The source of power to the arm motors/pumps, End Effector ‘The device on the end of the robot which is suitably equipped with toots required to perform @ specific task once the arm has delivered it to the correct position. .e., grippers scalpel, spray gun, vacuum or even a vision camera. Sensors Relay inforrration about axis position, end effector orientation and surrounding environment \ re a number of parameters which describe a robot as follows: Number of Axis Two axis are required to reach any point in a plane (x,y) and three axis are required to reach any point in space (x.2). Further axis of rll, pitch and yaw are required to control the orientation ofthe end of the robot Kinematics (Motion) ‘The physical arrangement of rigid members and joints in the robot defining its possible motions. Working Envelope The region of space within physical reac: of the robot Carrying Capacity How much weight a robot can lft or move. Speed How quickly the robot can position itself as required Accuracy How closely the robots position can be achieved Motion Contra! Whether a robot need repeatedly move between pr 2 programmed positions as it seesbest or be continuously controlled in orientation and velocity to follow a predetermined path in space. + Power Source Be it electric motors or hydraulic actuators. + Drive Motors can be geared to the joints or direct drive. Physical configurations Cartesian coordinate Robot: A Cartesian Coordinate Robot has three linear axes of control (x, y, 2), Cartesian coordinate robots with the horizontal member supported at both ends are sometimes called Gantry robots and can be quite large in size. tT Cylindrical Robot Cylindrical Robot has two linear axis and one rotary axis around its origin, Spherical / Polar Robot: A Spherical or Polar Robot has one linear axis and two rotary axes. wa Tt S. “ . eS SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) is a particular robot design developed in the late 1970's in Japan. The basic configuration of a SCARA is a four degree-of-freedom robot with horizontal positioning accomplished by a combined Theta 1 and Theta 2 metion, much like @ shoulder and elbow held perfectty parallel to the ground. SCARA robots are known for their fast cycle times, excellent repeatability. good payload capacity and large workspace Articulated / Jointed-Arm Robots Articulated or Joint-Arm Robots are the most versatile robots available closely mimic the natural fom of the human arm. There are two variations of these robots based on the number of axis, a.3B used. A three axis jointed arm has three rotary axis, one around the base and on each of the joints (A1, A2 & A3). In terms of a human arm this can be compares to the shoulder, bicep and, forearm but without the use of a wrist. A six-axis robot does include the axis of the wrist (A4, AS & ‘A6), known as pitch, roll and yaw. With these extra axes this robot can deliver the end effector to any point in space in any orientationEXPERIMENT-Study of Single-acting cylinder with three-port valve Ina single-acting cylinder compressed air is used to push a piston down, and a spring to push it up again. When compressed air is supplied to the cylinder, the piston rod extends (called the outstroke). When the air supply is switched off, the internal spring returns the piston rod to its retracted position (the instroke). The movement of a single-acting cylinder is normally controlled by a three-port valve - a type of simple switch which governs the flow of air. In the diagram below, a unidirectional-flow control valve is used to slow the speed of the piston on the outstroke. The in stroke will be full speed [Drawing pneumatic circuits he diagram below shows the pneumatic circuit for the single-acting cylinder and three-port valve. Single-acting cylinder and three-port valve Theee-port value moacsattl % x operation! Ar supply Single goting \ stg conteelvatve Enngust % Spring return Exam tip: nen drawing circuit diagrams, it is common to show the connection being ‘ade in the bottom half of the three-port valve symbol.Goren vA none EXPERIMENT-Study of Time delay circuits A time delay in a pneumatic circuit provides a delay between the operation of a valve and the movement of a piston. Time delays are achieved by connecting a unidirectional-flow control valve and a reservoir in series. A pneumatic circuit with a time delay is shown in the diagram and explained below. Singte- ao ‘Slinger | Flue-port valve Pilot-air ow regulator / Egieehienat ow Push-button Sentra use eperatise Thrae-port valve The time-delayed pneumatic circuit works like this: 4. When the push-button on the three-port valve on the left is pressed, the air flow is restricted by the unidirectional-flow control valve and slowly enters the reservoir. 2. The pressure builds in the reservoir slowly, causing the time delay. 3. Only when the pressure in the reservoir is high enough will it operate the five-point valve, triggering the release of air and causing the piston to outstroke right), the five-point valve will switch, triggering the release of air and | 4. When the push button is pressed on the second three-port vaive (on the causing the piston to instroke.Exam tips: The length of the time delay can be altered using an adjustable unidirectional-flow control valve. Do not confuse time delay with speed control, Time delay prevents the piston operating for a particular time period. Speed control reduces the speed of the piston's instroke or outstroke.. ExT es ) EXPERIMENT-Study of Logic circuits g Pneumatic logic circuits are more complex circuits controlled by more than one valve, either in series (AND circuits) or in parallel (OR circuits). Pneumatic logic circuits work in a similar way to logic circuits in electronics, with pneumatic valves instead of electronic switches. Logic circuits are often used to make pneumatic systems safe. For example some pneumatic drills will not work unless a guard is in place. The drill requires two switches to be operated in order to work: the first by putting the guard in place, the second by pressing start 1. AND circuits An AND circuit has two valves in series. In the diagram below, both three-port valve A and three-port valve B have to be pressed before the piston in the single- acting cylinder will outstroke. Valve B will have no air supply unless valve A is open. Valve B controls the air supply to the single-acting cylinder Three-port valve Lever ‘operation Firsupply Single actin Qulinder * Evnaust Nae Lesgrieer operationx 2. OR circuits 0 OR circuit has two valves in parailel. In the diagram below, both three- port valve A and three-port valve B have an air supply, so if either is pressed ir will flow into the single-acting cylinder causing the piston to outstroke,. he shuttle valve directs the air to the cylinder and prevents air flowing out hrough the exhaust of the inactive valve. eek | fir upon | \ fs \ K cae cam tip: ‘It helps to think of valves as switches (as in electronics). Valves may be operated by different actuators (controls), for example push button, lever or ‘roller trip, but they do the same thing: simply swi Calculating force output There is only one formula you need in pneumatics - that for calculating the force output from a cylinder. You will be given the formula sheet at the front of your GCSE answer book. So all you have to do is make sure you know how to use it! The force you get out of a cylinder depends on the air pressure inside it, and the size or area of the piston. The formula is: Force (F) = pressure (p) x area (a) Working out the pressure and the area can present some difficulties, so here are some tips,Working out the pressure The trick to success is making sure you use the right units for pressure. In the formula, pressure must be given in Newtons/mm# (N/mm? ). So if pressure is shown in bar you must convert it to Nmm?, To convert bars to N/mm? simply divide by 10. For example: Sbar=5+10= N/mm? Working out the area The area is the surface area of the piston. As every piston is round, you may have to calculate the area of the circular piston from the radius. To do this, use the formula for area of a circle - Pi x radius? - taking Pi to be 3.14. For example: if a piston has a radius of 30mm, the surface area of the piston is: 3.14 x 30? = 3.14 x 30 x 30 = 2826mm? Calculating the force The force you get from a piston is measured in Newtons (N). Here's a sample problem A piston has a radius of 20mm and the pressure in the cylinder is 4 bar. Calculate the force output from the cylinder. First you need to convert the units of pressure: Pressure = 4bar = 0.4N/mm? Next, work out the area: Area = 3.14 x 20 x 20 = 1256mm? Then you can calculate the force output from the cylinder: Force = 0.4 x 1256 = 502.4N Exam tip: Try rearranging the formula so it can be used to find the pressure or surface area of the piston@ EXPERIMENT-Study of Double-acting cylinder with five-port valve © In a double-acting cylinder both the in stroke and outstroke are controlled by compressed air - not just the outstroke as in a single-acting cylinder. Double- acting cylinders are usually controlled by a more complicated valve called a five- port valve. The diagram shows an automatic circuit with a five-port valve. Its operation is detailed below. Pert Push-button operation inated tenet how Sonteei valve Peta ai Three value NIIZ e 1. When the piston on the double-acting cylinder is retracted (completes the in stroke), the piston operates the rollér-trip control, opening the first three- port valve (in the centre of the diagram), 2. The air output from the three-port valve operates the five-port valve (these are connected by the dashed line), releasing air and causing the piston to outstroke 3. When the piston is fully extended, it operates the push-button control, causing the second three-port valve (to the right of the diagram) to switch 4, The air released by the three-port valve operates the five-port valve (these are connected by the dashed line). 5. The air released by this section of the five-port valve causes the piston to retract. The unidirectional-flow control valve controls the speed of the in stroke.6. When the piston on the double-acting cylinder is retracted (completes the in stroke), the piston operates the roller-trip control and the cycle is then repeated Exam tips: Three-port valves control single-acting cylinders and five-port valves control double-acting cylinders. When drawing a five-port valve, remember: + Itis divided into two separate halves - one half with three ports, one with ‘two. + Inthe half with the three ports, the middle port is always the air supply. The ports on either side are the exhaustsw @P B EXPERIMENT-Study of End Effectors for Robots 5 ‘The End Effector is the last part of the robot furthest from the base which interacts with the environment. In the human arm comparison, the End Effector would be the equivalent of the hand. The robot's task is to deliver the End Effector to the desired location so that the End Effector may accomplish its task by either being a tool itself or by holding a tool. There are many different types of End Effector available which depend wholly on each application. Below are some types of End Eifectors - Vision For applications that require a vision system for inspection or guidance, the End Etfector will be or contain a camera, Many other End Effectors could incorporate a camera to give the operators a view of the robot at all times Welding Guns Robotic welders have End Effectors available for each type of welding (i.e., MIG, TIG, Laser, Resistance, Gas etc). Each End Effector will have the welding torch and method of applying the filler material where required. Grippers There are a few types of grippers and some can be custom designed if the object is a particular shape or structure. Here are the main types of grippers:- General Purpose (2 Jaw) Gripper — for applications requiring a high grip force to moment ratio and positive pick and place. General Purpose (3 Jaw) Gripper — for applications requiring a gripper that offers self centring of parts, high grip force to mament ratic and positive pick and place. High-Moment Gripper — for applications that apply extreme stress. to the gripper (e.g., applying high acceleration to heavy objects or extremely long, precisely positioned jaws). © Long-Stroke Gripper — for applications requiring longer stroke lengths. © Miniature Gripper — for applications requiring small stroke lengths Collet Gripper — for applications requiring precise picking and placing of uniform cylindrical parts. Vacuum Cups These can be used singularly or in multiple to provide a means of picking a part up without obstructing the sides or bottom, making placement and/or further processes easier. Vacuum cups can be used on plastic, metal, glass, wood, card and more Magnetic ‘A meains of magnetically attaching a product to the End Effector for manipulation Cutting Toot Devices used to physically cut material with blades/saw devices or high pressure shot or laser cutting. High temperature tips can also be used tocut material which automatically seals edges to prevent the material fraying Deburring Tool A cylindrical file type device rotated like a drill and used to remove shards protruding from an edge or feature in a material after it has been processed. Scalpels Used by surgical robots. Drills Like a domestic drill with the advantage that the depth of the hole can be monitored via the movement of the robot. Tool Changers This type of End Effector has multiple tools with a common interface so that they can be changed to perform different processes, Anti Collision Devices that detect whether the end effector touches anything in its environment. These can also be combined with some other types of End Effector functionality. Compliance (Alignment) Devices Compensate for fixture misalignments, positioning errors, shifting parts, andior variances in part tolerances by providing the robot with a little freedom in movement so placement of parts allows the finding of its best, fit position, Applications that could benefit from using a Compliance Device include machine loading, machine unloading, assembly and insertion operations ‘Screw Drivers / Spanners Effectors which can place and tighten screws, nuts and bolts Spray Guns For the application of paint and other such materials Adhesive Applicators Brushes or sprays adhesive onto surfaces. The tips of these End Effectors are normally heated to avoid the glue drying in situ Sanders / Polishers / Finishers These will have varying degrees of abrasives to remove surface imperfections or marks4c) (® EXPERIMENT-Study of Pneumatic Valves Pressure Regulator Spring Sealing seat damping vaive disc —- plunger diaphragm epring Valve seat Adjusting screw Flow control valve (throttle relief valve) © air flow is throttled in one direction only ©. check valve blocks the flow in one direction and the air can only pass through the restricted passage © check valve allow the reversed air to by pass the restricted passage © use for speed regulation Check valve © stop flow completely in one direction allow full flow in another direction © blocking element can be cones, balls, plates or diaphragms ZY, Shuttle valve (OR element) «this is called double control valve or double check valve * air flows to the outlet if pressure is applied to any of the 2 inlet ‘the pressure which is first applied will flow to the outlet Quick exhaust valve ‘used to increase the piston speeds in cylinders particularly useful for single acting cylindereye — 4(2) Directional Control Valves Valves receive external commands from a mechanical, pneumatic or electrical source and release, stop or re-direct the air that flows thraugh them. Directional Control Valves can be used to provide a number of different functions. They can: Control the direction of cylinder movement; {Select the path air takes through the system; {Perform logic control functions; {Stop and start airflow (on-off valves); «Sense cylinder positions (limit valves) Directional Control valves are classified according to a number of design characteristics: «The internal valve mechanism (i. ‘poppet’ or ‘siding spot) {The number of switching positions (usually 2 or 3) {The number of connecting ports (ie. 3 oF 5 port) {The method of valve actuation ( i.e. lever, roller, plunger) © Two port valves are used to simply tum airflow on or off Three port valves are used as selector valves to route air to create a pilot signal, to control single acting cylinders or to make logic functions. * Five port valves are used to control double acting cylinders