ARUSHA TECHNICAL COLLEGE (A T C)

ACTUATORS
1

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OUTLINE

◼ Actuator meaning
◼ Types of actuators
◼ Example of actuators applications

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 ACTUATORS

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 ACTUATORS

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WHAT IS ACTUATORS

◼ An actuator is a mechanical or electro-mechanical device that

converts energy from a control signal into mechanical motion.
◼ An actuator is a device that makes something move or operate.
◼ An actuator is a device that makes something move or operate.
◼ An actuator initiates movement of a machine part upon obtaining
a part of the input energy as a feedback control signal.
◼ In other words, an actuator converts the energy into physical
motion or mechanical movement.

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SOURCES OF ENERGY TO OPERATE ACTUATOR
◼ Typical three source of energy that can operate an actuator in industries are:
◼ Electric
◼ Pneumatic
◼ Hydraulic
◼ These sources form the following actuators
◼ Electric actuators: Use form of electric energy to operate.
◼ Pneumatic actuators: Are operated by compressed air.
◼ Hydraulic actuators: Use variety of liquids as a source of energy to operate.

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SOURCES OF ENERGY TO OPERATE ACTUATOR

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SOURCES OF ENERGY TO OPERATE ACTUATOR

Typical actuators in Industries:

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SOURCES OF ENERGY TO OPERATE ACTUATOR

◼ Types of Actuators:
i. On the basis of the movement of the mechanical part:
◼ Linear Actuators
◼ Rotary Actuators
ii. On the basis of source of energy
◼ Electric Actuators (Electromechanical Actuators and Electro-Hydraulic Actuators)
◼ Hydraulic Actuators
◼ Pneumatic Actuators
◼ Thermal Actuators
◼ Mechanical Actuators
◼ Magnetic Actuators
◼ Piezoelectric Actuators
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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
◼ Linear Actuators
◼ If an actuator tends to move an object along a straight line, then
such an actuator is known as a linear actuator.
◼ A simple linear actuator typically consists of a nut, a cover, and a
sliding tube.
◼ The sliding tube transfers motion to the object, whereas the
combination of nut and cover holds the actuator in place.

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
Linear
Actuators

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
◼ Rotary Actuators
◼ Rotary actuators help the object connected to it or a part of the
machine rotate about its axis or simply allows it to exhibit a
circular motion.
◼ It makes use of a pneumatic cylinder that provides the
necessary torque force required to turn or rotate the mechanical
part of the machine periodically.

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

◼ Electric Actuators:
◼ Electric actuators make use of electrical energy to operate.
◼ The signal transmission rate of electric actuators is quite high.
◼ Also, they are easy to operate and offer high accuracy and sensitivity.
◼ Electric actuators are classified into two broad categories, namely,
electromechanical actuators and electrohydraulic actuators.

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Electric Actuators

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Electric
Actuators:

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Electric
Actuators:

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
◼ Electromechanical Actuators:
◼ Electromechanical actuators convert the input electrical energy
into linear or rotary movement.
◼ In certain cases, an electromechanical actuator is also used to
exhibit a combination of both linear and rotary motion in a
mechanical component.

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
Electromechanical Actuators:

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
Electromechanical Actuators:

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Electromechanical Actuators:

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

◼ Electrohydraulic actuators are powered with the help of electrical

energy. The output of electrohydraulic actuators is fed to a
hydraulic accumulator. The accumulator then generates the force
used to move the object.

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Electrohydraulic actuators

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
◼ Hydraulic Actuators
◼ Hydraulic actuators are powered by a variety of liquids or fluids.
◼ They make use of a fluid-filled cylinder with a piston suspended
at the center.
◼ A hydraulic actuator typically helps the objects to move along a
straight line and exhibit a linear motion.

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◼ Working principles: Hydraulic actuators are elements converting

the energy of the working fluid into mechanical energy related to
the reciprocating motion. The pressure of the working fluid acts on
the piston and creates a force causing the piston assembly to
move. As a result, the piston rod can perform useful work

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Hydraulic
Actuators

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Hydraulic
Actuators

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
◼ Pneumatic Actuators
◼ Pneumatic actuators use compressed air for their operation.
◼ Pneumatic actuators are highly reliable and accurate.
◼ The use of pressurized gases to induce mechanical movement is usually
preferred because it improves precision and allows the object to exhibit fine
motion.
◼ Even a slight change in pressure can generate a huge amount of force.
Pneumatic actuators are used in applications where it is required to start or
stop a machine quickly.

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS
Pneumatic Actuators

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TYPES OF ACTUATORS

Linear Pneumatic Actuators

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Examples of Actuators Applications
1. Sliding Doors
◼ Sliding doors are one of the most prominent examples where one can
observe the real-life application of an actuator.
◼ The actuators used in sliding doors obtain their input from the motion
sensors.
◼ When the sensor detects a movement, the actuator gets activated and
causes the panels of the sliding doors to move sideways, thereby
controlling the movement of the door.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

Sliding
Doors

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

Sliding
Doors

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Adjusting the Car Seat
◼ Electric car seats form a classic example where the application
of actuators can be observed easily. The position of the car seat
can be adjusted with the help of electrically powered motors. To
move the seat back and forth, the switch placed on the side is
turned on. The circuit then gets completed, and the electrical
signal flows through the circuit wires to power the motor. The
motor acts as the actuator, which helps to control the movement
of the seat.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

Adjusting the Car

Seat

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

◼ Industrial Equipment
◼ Actuators find their prime application in various industries. For
instance, automobiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, and
various other industries require different types of actuators to
convert energy into motion. Some of the most commonly used
actuators in such industries include electric motors, pneumatic
control valves, pneumatic motors, stepper motors, etc.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Escalators
◼ The escalators were initially called revolving stairs. The motion is
induced in the escalators with the help of an actuating
mechanism. The actuating mechanism used to control the
movement of an escalator obtains its input from the motion
sensor. Once the motion gets detected by the sensor, a signal
gets transferred to the actuating mechanism, which further
activates the movement of the escalator belt.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

Escalators
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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Braking System
◼ The advanced braking systems used to stop moving heavy
vehicles such as a bus, truck, etc., generally consists of
pneumatic actuators. Pneumatic brakes are also known as air
brakes. Using an actuator-based braking system in place of the
conventional braking system is quite advantageous as it
improves the optimal usage of the allocated space and
promotes energy conservation.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

Braking System

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
Hydraulic Braking System

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Exercise machines
◼ A variety of gym equipment and exercise machines make use of
actuators to control their operation. The common types of
actuators used in such applications include the pneumatic
actuator, electrical actuator, etc. For instance, the actuator
present in the internal machinery of a treadmill is used to convert
electrical energy into mechanical movement of the belt. Similarly,
a robotic bicep exercise machine also uses electric actuators.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Electric Fan
◼ The motor present inside an electric fan is yet another example
of an electric actuator. This is because it converts the electrical
signal into the mechanical motion of the fan blades. It can easily
be observed that the blades of a fan tend to exhibit a rotary
motion, which is why rotary actuators are used in the internal
circuitry of the fan.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
◼ Prosthetic Limbs
◼ One of the major applications of supercoiled polymer actuators lies in
the construction of artificial limbs and muscles. Such advanced
prosthetic limbs are made up of artificial supercoiled polymer threads.
The property of such polymers by virtue of which they expand or
contract upon heating or cooling is utilized in this particular area of
application. The use of supercoiled polymer actuators in prosthetic
limbs is advantageous because it has a high power-to-weight ratio
and a large dynamic range. It also enables the user to achieve fast
controllable actions.

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS

Prosthetic Limbs

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ACTUATORS APPLICATIONS
Prosthetic Limbs

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THANKS FOR LISTENING

ACTUATORS 12/14/2023