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Electromechanical Actuator
3

Electromechanical Actuator

Electromechanical Actuator

(OP)
Hey everyone. First time posting here. A little about me: I just graduated from the university with my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering... And now I have gone a gotten myself a job. Cool right? :P    

Anyhow, with my lack of experience and the fact that I am the only mechanical engineer at my place of work, I am finding it very hard designing my first project all by myself. In school we always worked in teams (and i liked that). Everyone has some different idea to bring to the table, you sift through, select all the best ones and put them together.

So, on to what I am actually working on. I need to design a cleaning station. This cleaning station will clean a square socket (that detail isn't too important)..

I can design a stand, and interface no problem. But I don't know how to find/design an electromechanical actuator that will simply plunge down until some sort of limiter i.e. torque limiter, force transducer, or strain gauge (or something maybe you can suggest) tells it "ok, that's enough force (probably 30grams)" and then returns to the original position. And is controlled by a button press that makes it execute that cycle once or twice (or maybe a few more times). I imagine it wouldn't take too much programming and could be done with a small PIC microcontroller and a few relays.

Some additional info:

1. The size of the socket is about 27mm x 27mm
2. Gram force required to stay under about 30g.
3. Two design concepts
       a.) actuate a 27 x 27 plunger into the socket several times for cleaning.
       b.) actuate the socket down to a 27mm x 27mm cleaning block several times.

Now, I am the only engineer working here at the moment. (other than a guy who has a degree in polymer engineering)... So, I don't even know where to start as far as doing this project. Can anyone offer any advice on how to design the actuator setup?

Thank you in advance.

RE: Electromechanical Actuator

Well, you have access to the Internet, so start there.  There are all sorts of companies with wares for sale.  One might possibly start with the search phrase "cleaning station."

How is it being done now?  Are there competitors that do something similar?

Do forget that you are not in a vacuum, nor do you need to be.   

TTFN

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RE: Electromechanical Actuator

(OP)
I've been researching, but the amount of information is overwhelming. There isn't anyone I can find who has done this; however, there is some similar style equipment made for laboratory testing equipment (for instance if you youtube electromechanical actuator the first result (from Zwick USA)). AMD has requested on offline cleaning device be designed that they can use with our cleaning products. But one of those machines by Zwick for example would be far more expensive than I think this project should cost.

RE: Electromechanical Actuator

(OP)
Oh, and in response to: "how is it being done now?" It is being done by hand with our material, and/or being blown with air. This, however, shoots contaminants into the air if blown out and if done by hand it leaves room for the operator to damage expensive equipment.   

RE: Electromechanical Actuator

What?  All you want is some thrust force on your workpiece?  Am I missing something...it seems simple.  Seems simplest to use a simple plunger like a De-Sta-Co clamp and a spring calibrated for the amount of stroke to give 30g force.  Then you could look to a simple air cylinder with a precision regulator and flow controls.  How precise do you need to be on your load?  The next step I would take would be a small servo drive ballscrew affair or linear servo and you monitor the current to the servo at the driver to limit the torque (load force).  Can do other mechanisms similarly.  The next escalation would be mounting strain gauge or similar force sensor on your device.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com

RE: Electromechanical Actuator

2
Heydon Switch do a range of small linear units that might be suitable if you want to do a lot of work.   A linear motor from SMAC with drive could set you back 1000 to 2000 bucks but fully programmable and with integrated load and position feedback. Save a lot of time and trouble

http://www.haydonkerk.com/

http://www.smac-mca.com/

 

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