MECH 6312/ ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGY

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Actuators For Robots

Module 5 : ACTUATORS FOR ROBOTS

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Determine the different types of Actuators.
2. Familiarize Hydraulic Valves and Hydraulic Actuation.
3. Know the Hydraulic Pump and associated Equipment.

Actuators for Robots

An Actuator defined as a device that converts energy (in robotics, that energy inclines to be
electrical) Into physical motion. The vast majority of actuators produce each rotational or
linear motion. For instance, a “dc motor” is then a type of actuator.

Pneumatic actuation
Pneumatic actuators as used for industrial robots work on compressed air at a pressure of,
usually, 10 bar (150 psi), which is provided as a standard service in many factories, so the
robot does not need its own compressor. They are limited almost entirely to pick and place
manipulators since the compressibility of air makes it hard to design servo systems. A
pneumatic actuator also sometimes used for the gripper of an electric or hydraulic robot,
where its elasticity is valuable as it automatically restrictions the force which can be
applied and can cope with variations in the size of the work pieces. Also, a pneumatic
gripper actuator is very light and needs to be associated only by a narrow flexible tube
which is easy to feed through a complex wrist. Pneumatic auxiliary devices, mostly jigs
and clamps, are often used with an industrial robot and operated by the robot controller.
The most common type of pneumatic actuator is the cylinder or ram. These typically have
a piston rod as shown in Figure 4.1, but rodless cylinders also exist in which a lug on the
piston passes done a slot running the length of the cylinder. The slot is sealed by a flap
which is pushed aside by the lug - a system 1st used on Brunel's atmospheric railway (with
limited Success, said to because of rats eating the sealing flap which was made of greased
leather). Rodless cylinders have the benefit of compactness. Another type of rodless
cylinder uses a smooth cord instead of a piston rod (Figure 4.2).

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At this point we may note some things of all cylinders, hydraulic as well as pneumatic. The
first is that they cannot resist torque about the long axis and so, if axial rotation is
undesirable, an extra sliding guide (which may be a second, parallel, cylinder) must be

ram is fully extended. It is usually rather poor, and so designs like the first Unimates in
which the piston rod maintenances a heavy sideways load are rare. Finally, when extended
they are very long and therefore it is difficult to make a dense machine.
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Actuators For Robots

to the atmosphere but is switched to the air supply when the solenoid is active (Figure 4.5).
One such valve replaces 2 on/off valves. To control a double-acting ram, two three-port or
four on/off valves would be needed; instead, a single more multifaceted valve can be used,
and this is the usual process. This valve has three spool positions and five ports (sometimes
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the 2 exhaust ports are connected inside and brought out to a single external port, so the
valve looks to have only four ports). It is shown in Figure 4.6.

Hydraulic actuation
Hydraulic power is used for the largest telemanipulators, some of which can carry a
payload of frequent tons, because it is likely to generate an extremely high force in a lesser
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Actuators For Robots

Hydraulic servo valves are expensive. A simpler alternative, in which flow is electrically
measured but with less precision, is the proportional valve. Its construction is like to a 3-
place directional spool valve, but the solenoids are designed so that when used with the
appropriate amplifier the spool shift is estimated proportional to an input voltage.

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Actuators For Robots

on the suction line and a screen to prevent any bubbles from the return line being sucked
into the inlet. The relief regulator limits the pressure to a safe value, returning any excess
flow to the tank. Fine filtration is typically done on the return line; the filter is then
subjected only to a low pressure.

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Actuators For Robots

An accumulator is an energy storage device spending a pneumatic spring (Figure 4. 13). It

allows load to draw for short time, perhaps a fraction of a 2nd or a few seconds, a peak flow
greater than can be provided by the pump.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
1. DJ Todd ; published in 1986; Fundamentals of Robot Technology; British Library
Cataloguing in Publication Data; Todd Dj.
2. The Merriam Webster Dictionary, incorporated, publishers Springfield Massachusetts
3. www.google.com
4. www.wikipedia.com

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