ROBOTICS – OIE 751

UNIT-2
Robot Drive Systems
(Hydraulic and pneumatic)

Dr. B. Janarthanan
Professor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Mohamed Sathak A.J. College of Engineering
Syllabus
Syllabus
Syllabus
 Pneumatic & Hydraulic Actuators
Large manipulators in industry frequently employ
hydraulic drives, since such drives provide a higher
torque-to-weight ratio than electric motors

However, because of the maintenance problems

associated with pressurized oil (including leaks),
hydraulic motors are not used in smaller mobile
robots
Pneumatic drives have been used as actuators in
the past but are not currently popular
Air is compressible, resulting in nonlinear behavior
of the actuator
Hydraulic Actuator
Hydraulic Actuator
• According to Blaise Pascal, when there is
an increase in pressure at any point in a
confined incompressible fluid, then there
is an equal increase at every point in the
container.
• Hydraulic actuators are designed based
on this principle (Pascal’s law).
Pneumatic Actuator
 Pneumatic Actuator
• These actuators use the principle of Pneumatics
(where pressurized air/gas) to create motion (or
perform work).
• Pneumatic actuators can be used to produce both
rotational motion and linear motion.
• The basic design includes a Cylinder, a Piston and
few supporting components like valves, springs,
stoppers etc.,Compressed Air or pressurized gas is
filled into the cylinder and the compressed air tries
to expand to reach atmospheric pressure.
• This expansion is forced towards a piston or any
other mechanical device which makes an attached
object move. Depending on the design, it can
either create rotational motion or linear motion.
Piezoelectric Actuator
Piezoelectric Actuator
• These actuators use piezoelectric effect to
create motion.
• Piezoelectric effect (piezo means press, or apply
pressure), it is a charge that accumulates in
certain ceramic materials and crystals (like
quartz, tourmaline etc.), when a mechanical
stress is applied.
• This is known as piezoelectric effect where
deformation of the material creates a voltage
difference.
Piezoelectric Actuator
• When an electricity flows through a piezoelectric
material, it creates a physical deformation which
is proportional to the applied electric field, known
as indirect piezoelectric effect.
• This precise deformation can be used to position
objects with extreme accuracy, almost at µm
accuracy.
• Piezoelectric actuators are used in Loudspeakers,
Piezoelectric Motors, acceleration sensors,
vibration sensors etc., and can be used to create
either rotational or linear motion.
• The strokes of these actuators can also be
amplified if required, because direct strokes from
these peizoelectric actuators are generally less
than 100 µm.
 Hydraulic drives
• Hydraulic actuator – hydraulic energy used
to impart motion
• Hydraulic system – A system wherein energy
is imparted to oil and this hydraulic energy
so imparted to the oil is converted into
mechanical energy is called an hydraulic
system
• Operates in a range between 60 bars to 200
bars
 Hydraulic system
Components:
Pump- delivers high pressure fluid

Pressure regulator- limits pressure in the system

A pressure regulator is a valve that controls the
pressure of a fluid or gas to a desired value.

Valves- control flow rates and pressures

Distribution system- composed of hoses or pipes

Hydraulic system
 Classification of pumps
Hydrodynamic or non-positive displacement
eg. centrifugal and propeller pumps
These types are used for low pressure, high
volume applications
Hydrostatic or positive displacement
1)Gear pumps
2)Vane pumps
3)Piston pumps
Positive displacement pumps work for high pressure
applications, pressure might be up to 800 bar. Non-positive
displacement pumps are basically used for low pressure
applications and are designed to work for a maximum
pressure of 18 to 20 bar.
 Pressure regulator
A pressure regulator is a pressure relief valve which
is provided to prevent the pressure from exceeding
design limits
 Valves
Valves control the energy flow
They can control and regulate the flow direction,
pressure and flow rate
Four types of valves are commonly used
Direction control valves
Pressure valves
Flow control valves
Non-return valves
 Valves
Direction control valves
Directional control valves perform only three
functions:
•stop fluid flow
•allow fluid flow, and
•change direction of fluid flow

The simplest directional control valve is the 2-way

valve. A 2-way valve stops flow or allows flow. A water
faucet is a good example of a 2-way valve. A water
faucet allows flow or stops flow by manual control.
Valves
Pressure valves
A pressure Relief Valve is a safety device designed to
protect a pressurized vessel or system during an
overpressure event. An overpressure event refers to any
condition which would cause pressure in a vessel or
system to increase beyond the specified
design pressure or maximum allowable
working pressure.
Pressure relief valves are used to set the
maximum pressure in the circuit and protect it from
overloading.
Valves
Flow control valve
The purpose of a flow control valve is to regulate
the flow rate in a specific portion of a hydraulic
circuit. In hydraulic systems, they're used
to control the flow rate to motors and cylinders,
thereby regulating the speed of those components.
Valves
Non-return valve
A non-return valve is fitted to ensure that a medium
flows through a pipe in the right direction, where
pressure conditions may otherwise cause reversed
flow. A non-return valve allows a medium to flow in
only one direction.
 Valves
Ports and Positions
• The two primary characteristics for selecting a directional-
control valve are the number of fluid ports and the number
of directional states, or positions, the valve can achieve.
• Valve ports provide a passageway for hydraulic fluid to flow
to or from other components.
• The number of positions refers to the number of distinct
flow paths a valve can provide.
Valves
two-position valve
three-position valve
 Valves
• For illustration a 4-port, 3-position valve (4/3 valve)
is taken here
• One port receives pressurized fluid from the pump,
and one routes fluid back to the reservoir.
• The other two ports are generally referred to as work
ports and route fluid to or from the actuator.
• In this case, one work port routes fluid to or from the
rod end of the cylinder, the other routes fluid to or
from the cap end.
Valves
 Valves
• The valve can be shifted to any of three discrete
positions.
• As shown, in the neutral position, all ports are blocked,
so no fluid will flow.
• Shifting the valve to the right routes fluid from the
pump to the rod end of the cylinder, causing its piston
rod to retract. As the piston rod retracts, fluid from the
cylinder's cap end flows to the reservoir.
• Shifting the valve to the left routes fluid from the pump
to the cap end of the cylinder, causing the piston rod to
extend. As this occurs, fluid from the rod end of the
cylinder flows to the reservoir. Returning the valve
spool to the center position again blocks all flow.
Directional Control Valves
 Hydraulic actuators- classification
Single acting cylinder - pressurized on only one end,
an internal spring is compressed on the cap end
Double acting cylinder – pressure can be applied to
two ports thereby generating power and motion in two
directions
Telescopic cylinder
 Linear Actuators
Single acting cylinder
 Linear Actuators
Double acting cylinder
 Linear Actuators
Telescopic cylinder
Applications: car lifts and elevator-type applications
 Pneumatic Actuators
Pneumatic systems use pressurized air to transmit
and control power by taking the advantage of
potential energy
Air is used as the fluid because
It is safe
It is less expensive and readily available
It can be inducted and exhausted directly to the
atmosphere and a return line is not necessary as
with hydraulics
Pneumatic Actuators
 Pneumatic Actuators
Compressor – provides pressurised air usually of the
order of 500 kPa to 1 Mpa
Air treatment unit – excess moisture and heat are
removed
Reservoir – compressors can not provide high
volume of pressurised air responsively; therefore a
large volume of compressed air is stored in a
reservoir or tank
Control valve and actuator – act in much the same
way as in hydraulic systems, but instead of returning
to fluid to tank, the air is simply returned to
atmosphere
 Pneumatic actuators- classification
Linear
Single rod single acting
Single rod double acting
Double rod double acting
Rodless double acting
Angular type - Air motors
Vane type limited rotation motors
Single vane rotation motor
Double vane rotation motor
Rotary Actuator of Rack and Pinion Type
Helix spine rotary actuator
 Single rod single acting
Uses a spring force to move the piston in one direction
When pressurised air enters the cylinder, it overcomes
the force of the spring and compresses it
When the air supply is removed and the air inside the
cylinder is allowed to escape, the piston moves back
 Single rod double acting
Have one rod (piston) two ports
Compressed air is sent to one side of the chamber and the air in the
other side is allowed to escape. The piston is thus pushed to one
end of the cylinder
When compressed air is allowed to enter into the other side and the
first side is allowed to exhaust, then the piston is pushed back
 Double rod double acting
Have two rods (piston) and two ports
 Rodless pneumatic actuator
Instead of an extending rod, a rodless carriage is
supported by bearings within the main cylinder
This gives the ability to guide and support the load
 Comparison of Pneumatic and hydraulic systems

Pneumatic systems are fire and explosion proof

whereas hydraulic systems are not unless non
flammable liquid is used
In pneumatic system no return pipes are used
whereas they are always needed in hydraulic system
Normal operating pressure of pneumatic systems is
very much lower than those of hydraulic systems
Pneumatic systems are insensitive to temperature
changes
 Comparison of Pneumatic and hydraulic systems
Normal operating pressure of pneumatic systems is very much lower than those of
hydraulic systems
Accuracy of pneumatic actuators is poor at low velocities whereas that of hydraulic
actuators may be made satisfactory at all velocities
Output powers of pneumatic systems are considerably less than those of hydraulic
systems

Advantages of pneumatic systems

1.Pneumatic systems are generally less expensive than hydraulic systems.
2.Small leakage's can be tolerated.
3.The compressibility of air can be a safety feature e.g. bus and train doors are
pneumatic and will not crush you if you get trapped. This can be of use in the
gripper of the robot to help protect both the robot and the equipment etc. with which
it is working.
4.Pneumatic drives are faster to respond than hydraulic drives.
 Electric Drives
• They are readily adaptable to computer control,
the predominant technology used today for
robot controllers.
• Electric drive robots are relatively accurate
compared to hydraulically powered robots.
• Types: ac servomotors, dc servomotors, stepper
motors.
• Advantages: quiet, less floor space, electric
power readily available, clean-air environments,
precision.
 Electric Motor
• Electric motors are frequently used as the final
control element in positional or speed control
systems
• Electric motors can be classified by electrical
configuration as follows
Electric Motor classification
 DC Motors
• DC motors find wide applications in a large
number of mechatronic designs because of the
torque-speed characteristics achievable with
different electrical configurations
 PMDC Motors
• The term PMDC stands for “Permanent Magnet
DC motor”.
• It is one kind of DC motor which can be inbuilt
with a permanent magnet to make the magnetic
field necessary for the electric motor operation.
 DC Shunt Motors
• DC shunt motor works on DC and the windings of
this electric motor like the armature windings and
field windings are linked in parallel which is
known as a shunt.
• This kind of motor is also called as shunt wound
DC motor, where the winding type is known as a
shunt winding.
 DC Series Motors
• In DC series motor, rotor windings are connected
in series. The operation principle of this electric
motor mainly depends on a simple
electromagnetic law. This law states that
whenever a magnetic field can be formed around
conductor & interacts with an external field to
generate the rotational motion. These motors are
mainly used in starter motors which are used in
elevators and cars.
 DC compound Motors
• Generally, DC compound motor is a hybrid
component of DC series and shunt motors. In this
type of motor, both the fields like series and shunt
are present. In this type of electric motor, the
stator and rotor can be connected to each other
through a series & shunt windings compound.
The series winding can be designed with few
windings of wide copper wires, which gives a
small resistance path. The shunt winding can be
designed with multiple windings of copper wire to
get the full i/p voltage.
Electric Motors

Electric motors are the most common source of

torque for mobility and/or manipulation in robotics
The physical principle of all electric motors is that
when an electric current is passed through a
conductor (usually a coil of wire) placed within a
magnetic field, a force is exerted on the wire causing
it to move
Components Of An 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
Components Of An Electric Motor (cont…)

A commutator (split ring), 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 An Electric Motor (cont…)

Stator
(Rotating)
Commutator
Armature

Brushes
How Do Electric Motors Work?
The classic DC motor has a rotating armature in the
form of an electromagnet
A rotary switch called a commutator reverses the
direction of the electric current twice every cycle, to flow
through the armature so that the poles of the
electromagnet push and pull against the permanent
magnets on the outside of the motor
As the poles of the armature electromagnet pass the
poles of the permanent magnets, the commutator
reverses the polarity of the armature electromagnet.
During that instant of switching polarity, inertia keeps
the motor going in the proper direction
How Do Electric Motors Work? (cont…)

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
How Do Electric Motors Work? (cont…)

The armature continues to rotate

How Do Electric Motors Work? (cont…)

When the armature becomes horizontally

aligned, the commutator reverses the direction of
current through the coil, reversing the magnetic
field. The process then repeats.
Stepper Motors

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
Additionally, soft magnetic material with many teeth
on the rotor and stator cheaply multiplies the
number of poles (reluctance motor)
Stepper Motors
• This figure illustrates the design
of a stepper motor, arranged
with four magnetic poles
arranged around a central rotor
• Note that the teeth on the rotor
have a slightly tighter spacing
to those on the stator, this ensures that the two
• sets of teeth are close to each other
• but not quite aligned throughout
Stepper Motors (cont…)

• Movement is achieved when

power is applied for short
periods to successive magnets
• Where pairs of teeth are least
offset, the electromagnetic
pulse causes alignment and a
small rotation is achieved, typically 1-2o
How Does A Stepper Motor Work?

The top electromagnet (1) is charged, attracting the

topmost four teeth of a sprocket.
How Does A Stepper Motor Work? (cont…)

The top electromagnet (1) is turned off, and the

right electromagnet (2) is charged, pulling the
nearest four teeth to the right. This results in a
rotation of 3.6°
How Does A Stepper Motor Work? (cont…)

The bottom electromagnet (3) is charged; another

3.6° rotation occurs.
How Does A Stepper Motor Work? (cont…)

The left electromagnet (4) is enabled, rotating again by

3.6°. When the top electromagnet (1) is again charged, the
teeth in the sprocket will have rotated by one tooth
position; since there are 25 teeth, it will take 100 steps to
make a full rotation.
Stepper Motor
Stepper motors have several advantages:
Their control is directly compatible with digital
technology
They can be operated open loop by counting
steps, with an accuracy of 1 step.
They can be used as holding devices, since
they exhibit a high holding torque when the
rotor is stationary
Stepper Motor
Servo Motor
In control engineering a servomechanism, sometimes
shortened to servo, is an automatic device that uses
error-sensing negative feedback to correct the action
of a mechanism.
The servo motor is a closed-loop mechanism that
incorporates positional feedback in order to control
the rotational or linear speed and position.
The motor is controlled with an electric signal, either
analog or digital, which determines the amount of
movement which represents the final command
position for the shaft.
Servo Motor

The term servo refers to a feedback control system

in which the controlled variable is
• Mechanical position or
• Time derivative eg., velocity and acceleration
Following characteristics are usually required for a
feedback control system
• High accuracy
• Remote operation
• Fast response
• Unattended control
Servo Motor
The following are the essentials of a feedback
control system
• An error detecting device
• An amplifier
Characteristics of a servo motor
• Output torque should be proportional to the
voltage applied
• The direction of the torque developed should
depend upon the instantaneous polarity of the
control voltage
Applications of Servo Motors

Servos are used in radio-controlled airplanes

to position control surfaces like elevators,
rudders, walking a robot, or operating
grippers.

Servo motors are small, have built-in control

circuitry and have good power for their size.
Servo Motor
Applications of the Servo Motor
The power rating of the servo motor may vary
from the fraction of watts to few hundreds of
watts. The rotor of servo motor have low
inertia strength, and therefore they have a
high speed of inertia. The Applications of the
Servomotor are as follows:-
•They are used in Radar system and process
controller.
•Servomotors are used in computers and
robotics.
•They are also used in machine tools.
•Tracking and guidance systems.
Servo Motor
Classification of Servo Motor
They are classified as AC and DC Servo Motor. The AC servomotor
is further divided into two types.
•Two Phase AC Servo Motor
•Three Phase AC Servo Motor
End effector

In robotics, an end effector is the device at the end of

a robotic arm, designed to interact with the
environment. The exact nature of this device depends
on the application of the robot. In the strict definition,
which originates from serial robotic manipulators, the
end effector means the last link (or end) of the robot. At
this endpoint the tools are attached. In a wider sense,
an end effector can be seen as the part of a robot that
interacts with the work environment. This does not
refer to the wheels of a mobile robot or the feet of a
humanoid robot which are also not end effectors—they
are part of the robot's mobility.
End effector
External: This is the most popular method of holding objects, it is the most
simplistic and it requires the shortest stroke length. When the gripper jaws
close, the closing force of the gripper holds that object.
Internal: In some applications, the object geometry or the need to access
the exterior of the object will require that the object is held from the center.
In this case the opening force of the gripper will be holding the object.
Mechanical Grippers

A mechanical gripper is used as an end effector in a

robot for grasping the objects with
its mechanically operated fingers. In industries, two
fingers are enough for holding purposes. More than
three fingers can also be used based on the
application. As most of the fingers are of replaceable
type, it can be easily removed and replaced..
Mechanical Grippers
Mechanical Grippers
Mechanical Grippers
Vacuum Grippers
• Vacuum grippers are used in the robots for grasping
the non –ferrous objects. It usesvacuum cups as the
gripping device, which is also commonly known
as suction cups. This type of grippers will provide
good handling if the objects are smooth, flat, and
clean. It has only one surface for gripping the
objects. Most importantly, it is not best suitable for
handling the objects with holes.
•
Vacuum Grippers
Magnetic Grippers

• Magnetic grippers are most commonly used in a

robot as an end effector for grasping the
ferrous materials. It is another type of handling the work
parts other than the mechanical grippers and vacuum
grippers.
•
• Types of magnetic grippers:
• The magnetic grippers can be classified into two
common types, namely: Magnetic grippers with
•
•• Electromagnets
•• Permanent magnets
Magnetic Grippers
Benefits:

• This gripper only requires one surface to grasp the materials.

• The grasping of materials is done very quickly.
• It does not require separate designs for handling different size of
materials.
• It is capable of grasping materials with holes, which is unfeasible in
the vacuum grippers.

Drawbacks:

• The gripped work part has the chance of slipping out when it is moving quickly.

• Sometimes oil in the surface can reduce the strength of the gripper.
• The machining chips may stick to the gripper during unloading.
Magnetic Grippers
Adhesive Grippers
• Adhesive Substance can be used for grasping action in adhesive
grippers.
• In adhesive grippers, the adhesive substance losses its tackiness
due to repeated usage. This reduces the reliability of the gripper. In
order to overcome this difficulty, the adhesive material is
continuously fed to the gripper in the form of ribbon by feeding
mechanism.
• A major asset of the adhesive gripper is the fact that it is simple. As
long as the adhesive keep its stickiness it will continue to function
without maintenance, however, there are certain limitations, the most
significant is the fact that the adhesive cannot readily be disabled in
order to release the grasp on an object. Some other means, such as
devices that lock the gripped object into place, must be used.
• The adhesive grippers are used for handling fabrics and other
lightweight materials.
Various Gripper mechanisms
Pivoting or Swinging Gripper Mechanisms:
This is the most popular mechanical gripper for
industrial robots. It can be designed for limited shapes of
an object, especially cylindrical work piece.
Various Gripper mechanisms

• A gripper using a rotary actuator in which the actuator is

placed at the cross point of the two fingers. Each finger is
connected to the rotor and the housing of the actuator,
respectively. The actuator movement directly produces
grasping and releasing actions.
Various Gripper mechanisms
A cam and follower arrangement, often using a spring-
loaded follower, can provide the opening and closing
action of the gripper. The advantage of this arrangement
is that the spring action would accommodate different
sized objects.
Various Gripper mechanisms
• The screw is turned by a motor, usually accompanied by a
speed reduction mechanism. Due to the rotation of the
screw, the threaded block moves, causing the opening and
dosing of the fingers depending on the direction of rotation
of the screw.
Design of Gripper

• The design should satisfy the following requirements

• To match the abilities of the arm and controller
• To grasp and hold the object securely
• To complete the task
Design of Gripper
• Industrial robots use grippers as an end effector for
picking up the raw and finished work parts.
• A robot can perform good grasping of objects only when
it obtains a proper gripper selection and design.
• Therefore, Joseph F. Engelberger, who is referred
as Father of Robotics has described several factors that
are required to be considered in gripper selection
and design.
Design of Gripper
• The gripper must have the ability to reach the surface of a work part.
• The change in work part size must be accounted for providing accurate
positioning.
• During machining operations, there will be a change in the work part
size. As a result, the gripper must be designed to hold a work part even
when the size is varied.
• The gripper must not create any sort of distort and scratch in the
fragile work parts.
• The gripper must hold the larger area of a work part if it has various
dimensions, which will certainly increase stability and control in
positioning.
• The gripper can be designed with resilient pads to provide more
grasping contacts in the work part. The replaceable fingers can also be
employed for holding different work part sizes by
its interchangeability facility.
Design of Gripper
As it is difficult to find out the magnitude of gripping force that a gripper
must apply to pick up a work part, the following significant factors must
be considered to determine the necessary gripping force.
• Consideration must be taken to the weight of a work part.
• It must be capable of grasping the work parts constantly at its centre
of mass.
• The speed of robot arm movement and the connection between the
direction of movement and gripper position on the work part should
be considered.
• It must determine either friction or physical constriction helps to
grip the work part.
• It must consider the co-efficient of friction between the gripper and
work part.
Hooks, Scoops and miscellaneous devices
Hooks, Scoops and miscellaneous devices
Hooks and scoops are the simplest type of end effectors that can
be classes as grippers.
• A scoop or ladle is commonly used to scoop up molten metal
and transfer it to the mould
• A hook may be all that is needed to lift a part especially if
precise positioning is not required and if it is only to be dipped
into a liquid.
• Hooks are used to load and unload parts hanging from the
overhead conveyors. The parts to be handled by a hook must
have some sort of handle, eyebolt or ring to enable the hook to
hold it.
• Scoops are used for handling the materials in liquid or power
from, the limitation of scoop is, it is difficult to control the amount
of martial being handled by the scoop. In addition, spilling of the
material during handling is another problem.
Types of grippers
Remote centre compliance devices
•Thank you