Introduction

An actuator is a type of motor for moving or controlling a mechanism or

system. It is operated by a source of energy, usually in the form of an electric
current, hydraulic fluid pressure or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy
into some kind of motion. An actuator is the mechanism by which an agent acts
upon an environment. The agent can be either an artificial intelligence agent or any
other autonomous being (human, other animal, etc.).
Perhaps the most common type of actuator is powered by air and is called a
pneumatic cylinder or air cylinder. This type of actuator is an air-tight cylinder,
typically made from metal, that uses the stored energy of compressed air to move a
piston when the air is released or uncompressed. These actuators are most
commonly used in manufacturing and assembly processes. Grippers, which are
used in robotics, use actuators that are driven by compressed air to work much like
human fingers.
Many actuators have more than one type of power source. Solenoid valves,
for example, can be powered by both air and electricity. Alternatively, a solenoid
can be powered by both hydraulics and electricity.

What is an actuator?
An actuator is something that converts energy into motion. It also can be
used to apply a force. An actuator typically is a mechanical device that takes
energy usually energy that is created by air, electricity or liquid and converts
it into some kind of motion. That motion can be in virtually any form, such as
blocking, clamping or ejecting. Actuators typically are used in manufacturing or
industrial applications and might be used in devices such as motors, pumps,
switches and valves.

Electrical signal can be low power or high power. In case of low power
signal, additional circuitry is required to drive the actuator otherwise it can be
driven directly.
Actuators output can be position or rate i. e.linear displacement or velocity.
Actuation can be from few microns to few meters.

Hydraulic actuator:
Hydraulic systems are used to control & transmit power.A pump driven by
prime mover (electric motor) creates flow of fluid.
An actuator is used to convert the energy of the fluid back into mechanical
power Amount of output power developed depends upon the flow rate, pressure
drop across the actuator & its overall efficiency.
TYPES OF ACTUATORS
Linear actuator (hydraulic cylinder)
-Provides motion in straight line
-Linear displacement depends on stroke length (length of actuator)
-Usually referred to as cylinders, rams (single acting cylinders) or jacks (cylinder
used for lifting)
Rotary actuators (Hydraulic motors)
-Produces continuous rotational motion
-Pump shaft is rotated to generate flow, a motor shaft is causedto rotate by fluid
being forced into the driving chambers
Semi rotary actuators

-Produces non-continuous rotational motion

-Limited to less than one revolution (<360)
-Used to produce oscillatory motions in mechanisms
LINEAR HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS (CYLINDERS)Common Types
#Single acting cylinder
#Double acting cylinder
#Displacement cylinder
Special Types
1. Plunger or ram
2. Telescoping.
3. Cable
4. Diaphragm
5. Bellow
6. Tandem
7. Duplex
8. Rotary actuators

Pneumatic actuator
It convert energy formed by compressed air at high pressure into ether linear or rotary
motion.
The devices intended for transformation of potential and kinetic energy of the stream of
compressed gas in mechanical energy of the output link that can be, for example, a rod of the
piston, a shaft of the turbine or the case of the jet device is called pneumatic engines of the
automated actuator.
All pneumatic actuators can be subdivided into the following types:
diaphragm pneumatic actuators.
pneumatic power cylinders.
gas-engine pneumatic actuators.
turbine pneumatic actuators.
jet-stream pneumatic actuators.
pneumomuscles.
combined pneumatic actuators.

Advantages and disadvantages of Pneumatic Actuators.

Advantages:
Simplicity of realization relatively to small back and forth motions;
Sophisticated transfer mechanisms are not required;
Low cost;
High speed of moving;
ease at reversion movements;
Tolerance to overloads, up to a full stop;
High reliability of work;
Explosion and fire safety;
Ecological purity;
Ability to accumulation and transportation.
Disadvantages:
Compressibility of the air.
Impossibility to receive uniform and constant speed of the working bodies movement.
Difficulties in performance at slow speed.
Limited conditions - use of compressed air is beneficial up to the definite values of pressure.
Compressed air requires good preparation.

SINGLE ACTING CYLINDER

OPERATION OF SINGLE ACTING CYLINDER

Produces linear motion in one direction.

 Consists of cylinder (barrel), piston, piston-rod (ram) & inlet port at piston end or blank end
(other end is known as rod end).
Cylinder is machined to high surface finish (honing).
Fluid enters through inlet port into piston end or blank end pressure build up-force generation
on piston-movement of piston EXTENSION or FORWARD STROKE.
RETRACTION or RETURN by compression spring or under the influence of gravity (only in
case of vertical mounting).
Usage of seals Piston seal (imparts clearance between piston & cylinder for clear movement),
Rod seal or End seal (prevention of leakage from cylinder), Bearing (supports piston rod) &
Wiper (prevention of dirt/dust entry into the cylinder).
Drain hole helps in removing the leaked oil across piston seal.
Widely used in hydraulic systems operations.

DOUBLE ACTING CYLINDER

 Produces linear motion in two directions.

May be single rod ended or double rod ended.
Piston is connected to smaller diameter piston rod.
Fluid pressure acts on either side of piston alternatively.
Both sides of piston has oil ports.
Parts of double acting cylinder.
Fluid enters through left port causing extension stroke while when it enters through right port
causes retraction stroke, for present case.
For a given pressure double acting cylinder (single rod type) exerts greater force when
extending than when retracting.

CONSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES OF CYLINDER

Five basic parts Base cap & Bearing cap with port connections, a cylinder barrel, piston &
piston rod.
End caps are secured to barrel through welding or threaded connection.
Smooth inner surface of barrel (seamless drawn tube) to prevent wear & leakage.
Pistons (separates high & low pressure zones) are usually made of cast iron or steel.
Function of End seal, bearing & wiper seal.

DISPLACEMENT CYLINDER

Produces motion in one direction.

No piston. Need no precision machining.
Consist of cylinder, rod & end cap with bearing.
Rod end inside cylinder is provided with collar while other end is connected to load.
Collar prevents ejection of rod under fluid pressure.
Amount of fluid entering in cylinder equals rod displacement from cylinder hence the name
displacement cylinder.
Maximum thrust exerted by the displacement cylinder is given by
Maximum thrust = Pressure X rod area.
Extend speed of the rod is given by Rod speed =Flow rate of fluid entering cylinder /Area of
cylinder rod displacement.
TANDEM CYLINDER

Also known as combination cylinder.

 Two separate pistons are mounted on same rod.

Two double acting cylinders are connected in series.
Suitable for higher force (2 cylinders twice force) generation with smaller cylinders.
High volume of oil is required to drive the cylinders.
TELESCOPIC CYLINDER

Multiple cylinders mounted concentrically within one another.

Suitable for longer strokes with shorter retraction.
Operates on displacement principle.
Stop rings limit the movement of each section.
When the cylinder extends, all the sections move together until the outer section is prevented
from further extension by its stop ring.
Remaining sections continue out-stroking until the second outermost section reaches the limit
of its stroke and so on until all sections are extended, the innermost one being last of all.
For a given input flow rate, the speed of operation will increase in steps as each successive
section reaches the end of its stroke.
For a specific pressure the load lifting capacity reduces for each successive section.
Example : high lift fork truck, tilting of truck dump bodies telescopic.

COUSHIONED CYLINDER
End caps (base cap) have to withstand shock loads (fluid pressure or from kinetic energy of the
moving parts) at extremes of piston travel
Reduction of shock loads with the help of cushion valves build in end caps
Exhaust fluid flow is unrestricted until plunger enters the cap.
As plunger enters end cap port fluid experiences blockage, passes through deceleration valve
(adjustable needle valve) which in turn reduces speed & the end of travel impact.
Deceleration valve is adjustable to allow the deceleration rate to be set.
A check valve is included in the end cap to bypass the deceleration valve & give near full flow
as the cylinder extends.

Screw:
lead screw, screw jack, ball screw and roller screw actuators all operate on the principle
of the simple machine known as the screw. By rotating the actuator's nut, the screw shaft moves
in a line.
Wheel and axle:
Hoist, winch, rack and pinion, chain drive, belt drive, rigid chain and rigid
belt actuators operate on the principle of the wheel and axle. A rotating wheel
moves a cable, rack, chain or belt to produce linear motion. [1]

Cam:
Cam actuators function on a principle similar to that of the wedge, but provide relatively
limited travel. As a wheel-like cam rotates, its eccentric shape provides thrust at the base of a
shaft.

Electrical actuator
Electrically actuated system are very widely used in control system because easy
interface with control system which are also electric and because electricity is easily available
unlike fluid power which require pump and compressor .
The disadvantage of electric actuators
Electric equipment is more hazard than other system unless made intrinsically safe, in
which case it become expansive.
Electric actuator have a poor torque-speed characteristic at low speed.
Electric actuator are all basically rotary motion and complicated mechanism needed to
convert rotation into other form of motion.

There are three types of motor used in control system

D.C. motor
A.C. motor
Stepper motor
Working Principle of motor
Every motor works on the principle that when a current-carrying conductor is placed in a
magnetic field, it experiences a mechanical force.

Classification of Motors

AC Induction motor
Components:
Stator: It carries three phase winding and is fed from 3-phase supply.
Rotor: It carries winding which works as a secondary as in transformer.

AC Synchronous motor
Stator: It carries three phase winding and is fed from 3-phase supply.
Rotor: It carries permanent magnet poles that rotate exactly with same speed as
that of the stator magnetic field, hence the name synchronous motor.
It is not self starting.

Stepper motors
A stepper motor is an electromechanical device which converts electrical
pulses into discrete mechanical movements. The shaft or spindle of a stepper motor
rotates in discrete step increments when electrical command pulses are applied to it
in the proper sequence.

Advantage:
The rotation angle of the motor is proportional to the input pulse.
The motor has full torque at standstill (if the windings are energized)
Precise positioning and repeatability of movement since good stepper motors have an
accuracy of 3 5% of a step and this error is non-cumulative from one step to the next.
Excellent response to starting/ stopping/reversing.
A wide range of rotational speeds can be realized as the speed is proportional to the
frequency of the input pulses.
Disadvantage:
Not easy to operate at extremely high speeds.
Types of stepper motor
Permanent magnet type
Variable reluctance type
Hybrid type

SOLENOIDS

(Electric

actuator)

Solenoids are the most common actuator components. The basic

principle of operation
is there is a moving ferrous core (a piston) that will move inside wire coil as
shown in Figure. Normally the piston is held outside the coil by a spring.
When a voltage is applied to the coil and current flows, the coil builds up a
magnetic field that attracts the piston and pulls it into the center of the coil.
The piston can be used to supply a linear force

Applications
Pneumatic valve.
Car door openers.
Solenoids controlled valves
The flow of fluids and air can be controlled with solenoid controlled
valves. An
example of a solenoid controlled valve is shown in Figure. The solenoid is
mounted on the side. When actuated it will drive the central spool left. The
top of the valve body has two ports that will be connected to a device such
as a hydraulic cylinder. The bottom of the valve body has a single pressure
line in the center with two exhausts to the side. In the top drawing the power
flows in through the center to the right hand cylinder port. The left hand
cylinder port is allowed to exit through an exhaust port. In the bottom
drawing the solenoid is in a new position and the pressure is now applied to
the left hand port on the top, and the right hand port can exhaust. The
symbols to the left of the figure show the schematic equivalent of the actual
valve positions. Valves are also available that allow the valves to be blocked
when unused.

Piezoelectric actuators (Electric actuator)

Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered the piezoelectric effect in 1880.
The application of an electric field to a piezoelectric crystal leads to a
physical deformation of the crystal.
Piezoelectric materials are: Quartz, Ceramics, PZT(lead zirconate
titanade).

Advantages
An ability to create high forces.
A high efficiency and a high mechanical durability.
short response time.

Disadvantage
Have small strains. (0.1-.2%)
High supply voltage needed.(60-1000V)
Large hysteresis. (actuator doesnt go back to exactly where it started).

Types of piezoelectric actuators

1.Piezoelectric Stack Actuator
Perhaps the easiest way to produce a linear motion by the piezoelectric effect is to use a
stack actuator, which is a multilayer construction: each stack is composed of several
piezoelectric layers, as depicted in Figure.

The required dimensions of the stack can be easily determined from the requirements of the
application in question. The height is determined in respect to the desired movement and the
crosssectional area in respect to the desired force.
The main problem of the stack actuators is the relatively small strain (0,1 0,2 %) obtained.
The movement can be increased by using for example levers or hydraulic amplifiers. It is noticeable,
that in addition to the desired longitudinal movement some lateral movement typically also occurs.
Therefore, a guiding has to be used if only longitudinal motion is desired.
Figure illustrates the deviations from the straight-line accuracy.

2. Linear Motors

Since the strain of the piezoelectric ceramics is relatively small, displacement amplifiers
or hybrid structures are needed. There are many amplification techniques such as levers and
hydraulic systems, and piezoelectric motors.
In the lever systems, the amplification is achieved with lever arms which magnify the
displacement. The output force of the lever system is significantly smaller than the actuator force.
Hydraulic systems use generally a piston for the amplification. The Micro- and Nanosystems
Research Group has developed a hydraulic amplifier based on the use of bellows.

Figure: A schematic of the

Piezo hydraulic actuator
actuator

Figure: A 3D-CAD model of the

Piezo hydraulic

The linear steppers include an inchworm motor, a stick and slip actuator, and an impact
drive motor. The ultrasonic motors can be divided into standing wave and traveling wave
ultrasonic motors. In this paper, the operating principles of the inchworm motor, the stick & slip
actuator and the traveling wave ultrasonic motor are described.
In inchworm motors, the linear movement is achieved by using three piezo elements.
The operation principle is illustrated in above Figure.
3. Piezoelectric Benders
Piezoelectric bending actuators (or piezoelectric cantilevers, or piezoelectric bimorphs)
bear a close resemblance to bimetallic benders. The application of an electric field across the two
layers of the bender result in one layer to expand, while the other contracts. The net result is a
curvature much greater than the length or thickness deformation of the individual layers. With a
piezoelectric bender, relatively high displacements can be achieved, but at the cost of force and
speed.
There are some benders that have only one piezoelectric layer on top of a metal layer
(unimorph), but generally there are two piezoelectric layers and no metal (bimorph).

This way, the displacement is doubled in comparison to a single layer version. If the
number of piezoelectric layers exceeds two, the bender is referred as a multilayer. With thinner
piezo layers, a smaller voltage is required to produce the same electric field strength, and
therefore, the benefit of the multilayer benders is their lower operating voltage.
Bimorph and multilayer benders can be built into one of the two types: a serial or parallel
bender. In a serial bender, there are two piezoelectric layers with an anti-parallel polarization
connected to each other, and two surface electrodes.

Other types of actuator:

Resistance heater
Cartridge heater and Band heater are used with temperature sensors and temperature
controller to control the temperature in automated molding equipment and in soldering
operation.

The resistive heating element 1 comprises a substrate

2 which serves as carrier material and which is substantially plate-shaped, e.g. of
graphite, and an electrically conducting layer
3 in the form of a, in the present embodiment, meandering conductor path
4 (shown with dash-dotted lines) e.g. of pyrolytic carbon. An insulating layer
5, e.g. of pyrolytic boron nitride is disposed between the substrate 2 and the conducting
layer 3 forming the conductor path
6 for protecting the conductor path 4 from external effects which also consists e.g. of
pyrolytic boron nitride. The ends of the conductor path 4 connecting to an outer side of
the resistive heating element 1 serve as terminals.
7, 8 for applying an electric voltage.
Light
Lights are used on almost all machines to indicate the machine state and provide
feedback to the operator.
Display devices are also actuator.
LED
Whenever we needed bright display we use LED an LED array for displaying
numbers.

 Gas plasma display

CRT

LCD
LCD is low power consuming.
It dont generate light.
It control the transmission of light.
Sirens/Horns
Sirens or horns can be useful for unattended or dangerous
machines to make conditions well known.