Mechanical basics

Mechanical basics

❖ Wheels and force analysis

➢ Wheels types
1. Drive wheel
2. Omni
3. Mecanum wheel

Every single type has a use, and we should use the right type

➢ Drive wheel
The drive wheels go in two directions in the same axis so you
can use it in a simple RC car, if you want more directions, you
can use the force analysis.

➢ Omni wheel & Mecanum wheel

The omni wheel is considered a drive wheel but have rollers on
it to have more degree of freedom as its go in more directions

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and the mecanum wheel is the same but the rollers have an
angle 45 degrees and it give the same degree of freedom but it
differs in installation

➢ Omni wheel installation

The omni wheel can install sides (1) and it can install in edges
(2) as figure to give you all available degree of freedoms

(1) (2)

➢ Mecanum wheel
the mecanum wheel installation is in only two sides like drive
wheel and it will give you all available degree of freedoms

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➢ References
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDcNxbTl-Lk
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ENcN7IELk
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noqBUEgyQ8A

❖ Mechanisms
➢ Definition
It’s group of mechanical components which transfer input force to
desired output forces.

➢ Mechanism’s components
1. Gears
2. Belts
3. Cam and follower
4. Linkage

➢ Gears
Definition
Gears are machine elements that transmit rotary motion and
power between two shafts by meshing without any slip.

Uses
1. Transmit motion from one rotating shaft to another.
2. Increase or reduce speed
3. Change the direction of motion from one shaft to the other.

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Classification “according to axis position”

1. Parallel
a. Spur gear
i. used to transmit motion between parallel shafts
or between a shaft and a rack.
ii. Suitable for low to medium speed application.
b. Helical gear
i. They can carry larger loads because of their lower
dynamic load
ii. Also, their noise and vibration levels in operation
are lower compared with those of spur gears.
2. Intersecting
a. Bevel gear
i. These gears transmit rotary motion between two
perpendicular Shafts
ii. limited to low-speed drives.
iii. Operate at high efficiencies of 98% or better.
3. Nonparallel
a. Worm gear
i. noise and vibration reduction as well as
compactness.

ii. A worm gear system is the most compact type of

gearing system; this makes it capable of being

placed in very small spaces and still providing high

ratio speed reduction.

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➢ Most mechanisms consist of

1. Links
2. Joints

➢ Links
Individual part of mechanism
For example, the arm of the robot it has many links
Main component of a mechanism
The body of the robot is considered a link
They are rigid bodies
The links should be a rigid as wood or metal not like plastic
Transmit forces
The links use to transmit the force of your motor to make a
move
It’s types:
1. Binary
It is a link that has 2 nodes as the nodes is the way that
link contact with
2. Ternary
It is the link that has 3 nodes
3. Quaternary
It is the link that has 4 nodes

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➢ Joints
Movable connection between two links
Can be:
1. Lower order pair

2. Higher order pair

Cam gears Pin-slider

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➢ Degree of freedom
the degree of freedom is number of axis that the movement
available on.
it can be known as number of actuators needed for mechanism.
so, it can be calculated by

𝑫𝑶𝑭 = 𝟑 × (𝑳 − 𝟏) − 𝟐 × 𝑷𝑳 − 𝑷𝑯

As

𝑳: is the no. of links in a mechanism.

𝑷𝑳 : is the no. of lower pairs in a mechanism.

𝑷𝑯 : is the no. of higher pairs in a mechanism

References
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-jC-eTAwME
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOFM8eG8kVc

❖ Torque Calculations
➢ Torque for motion
It is the torque that motor produce and should calculate this
torque to know what motor you should buy
For example, torque of motor that is used to move the RC car
To calculate the torque of motor
𝑚 × 𝑔 × 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 × 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 × 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 =
𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠

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Where;
• 𝑔 is gravitational acceleration
• 𝑚 is the mass
• 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 1.5

➢ Torque of Motor for inclined surface

Can be calculated by relation:
𝐹 × 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 × 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 × 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 =
𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠

Where;

• 𝐹 = 𝑚 × (𝑔 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝛼) + 𝑎)
• 𝑎 is the acceleration of the body
• 𝛼 is the angle of inclined surface
• 𝑔 is gravitational acceleration
• 𝑚 is the mass
• 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 1.5
• you should be knowing the efficiency of motor

➢ Torque for links

if you want to install a servo motor in the arm of your robot so
you should calculate the torque of the link and it depends on the
length of the link and the force that applied in the link.
𝑟
𝑡 = (𝐹 × 𝑟) + (𝑤 × )
2

where;
w: weight of link
F: force due to load at end effector
𝑤
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➢ Torque for inclined link

if you have an inclined link
𝑟 = 𝐿 × cos (𝜃)
As L is the length of the link
For example, In the shown figure
If the mass of link is 0.5 kg
𝑟 = 1 × cos(45) = 0.707 𝑐𝑚
𝑟
𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 = (𝐹 × 𝑟) + (𝑤 × )
2

−2 )
0.707 × 10−2
𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 = (35 × 9.8 × 0.707 × 10 + (0.5 × 9.8 × )
2
= 2.442 𝑁. 𝑚

❖ Actuators
➢ actuator is a device that uses a form of power to convert control signal
into a mechanical motion
➢ It’s types:
1. Electrical Actuators
2. Hydraulic actuators
3. Pneumatic actuators
4. Mechanical actuators
➢ Can be classified according to output type
1. Linear
2. Rotary

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➢ Electrical Actuators
It converts electrical energy to a mechanical energy
Rotary like brushed DC motor, servo and stepper
Linear like solenoid

Solenoid
device comprised of a coil of wire, the housing and a
moveable plunger (armature).
When an electrical current is introduced, a magnetic field
forms around the coil which draws the plunger in.
Convert electrical energy to mechanical motion
Magnetic field produced when current pass-through coil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbmocfETTFo

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➢ Hydraulic actuators
It’s a device that converts hydraulic energy into mechanical
energy.
Actuators can be single acting when the fluid is pumped from
one side.

Actuators can be double acting when the fluid is pumped

through two sides.

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Linear Hydraulic actuators

hollow cylinder having a piston inserted in it.
An unbalanced pressure applied to the piston generates
a force that can move an external object.

Rotary Hydraulic actuators

Rotary motor actuators are coupled directly to a
rotating load
provide good control for acceleration, operating speed,
deceleration, smooth reversals, and positioning.

Pascal’s law
𝐹
𝑃=
𝐴
It depends on the pressure of liquid as a fluid is
constant so it gives you large output force comparing
the input force by make the input area smaller than the
output area.

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References
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClOXkkVDIiY
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc0FA8-MYKE

➢ Pneumatic actuators
Pneumatic actuators are devices that convert the energy of
compressed air or gas into a mechanical motion
actuators use an external compressive force, such as
compressed air or gas
Applications of Pneumatic systems
1. Manufacturing industries, Automotive industry, machine
tool manufacturers
2. Used in the brake system of automobiles
3. Widely used in industrial robots

➢ Main hydraulic and pneumatic system components

1. Valves

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2. Cylinders

3. Connectors

➢ Mechanical actuators
A mechanical actuator functions to execute movement by
converting one kind of motion, such as rotary motion, into
another kind, such as linear motion.
An example is a rack and pinion or Gears and power screw
Can convert from Rotary motion to rotary motion in another plan
like in gears
Or can convert from rotary motion to linear motion like in rack
and pinion or power screw

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Power Screw
power screw is a mechanical component which is used to
convert rotary motion into the linear motion.
It uses helical motion of screw to transmit the power rather
than holding the parts together.
Used in lead screw and screw jack

Power Screw Components

Screw
Nut
Holder for nut or screw

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