Unit- 5

Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering

Unit-5
Mechatronics

1. Introduction:
Mechanism + Electronics = Mechatronics
Definition of Mechatronics:
“Mechatronics is the synergistic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics and
intelligent control algorithms in the design and manufacture of products process.”

• Term Mechatronics was first introduced by Tetsuro Mori, senior Engineer of a Japanese
Company in 1969 to denote the combination of technologies which go together to produce
Industrial robots.
• The word Mechatronics refers to a combination of “Mecha” from mechanism and “tronics”
from electronics.
• In other words, technologies and developed products will be incorporating electronics more
and more into mechanisms.

2. Evolution of Mechatronics:
A) Primary Level Mechatronics
 Primary level of mechatronics was introduced in 1970’s.
 This level incorporates I/O devices such as sensors and actuators that integrates
electrical signals with mechanical action at the basic control levels.
Examples: Electrically controlled fluid valves and relays.
B) Secondary level Mechatronics:
 This level was introduced in 1980’s.
  This level integrates microelectronics into electrically controlled devices.
Examples: Cassette players
C) Tertiary level Mechatronics:
 This level was developed in 1990’s.
 This level incorporates advanced feedback functions into control strategy thereby
enhancing the quality in terms of sophistication.
 The control strategy includes microelectronics, microprocessors and other
application specific integrated circuits (ASIC)
Examples: Electrical motored Industrial robots, hard discs, CD drives and automatic
washing machines.
D) Quaternary level Mechatronics:
 This level was developed and in progress post year 2000.
 This level incorporates intelligent control in mechatronics system.
 It introduces intelligence and fault detection and isolation (FDI) capability systems.
Examples: Smart phones, Smart TV, Advanced robots with decision making abilities.

3. Scope of Mechatronics:
Mechatronics combine the various discipline to create a smart product which is better than the
sum of its parts depending upon the market demand. This is a continuous ongoing process and
there are always scopes for betterment. Some scope of Mechatronics includes:
• Integration of modern technologies in product
• Producing next generation products
• Variety in product ranges
• Change in design perspective
• Product quality and consistency
• Ease of reconfiguration of the process
• Imparting flexibility in process.
• Better design of products.
• Better process planning.
• Reliable and quality oriented manufacturing.
• Intelligent process control.
• Intelligent product development
4. Applications of Mechatronics:
With the wake of automation in different areas of engineering, Mechatronics has got
applications in almost each every field. Following are some notable application.
 Home appliances (e.g. washing machines, AC, TV, Ovens etc): Many of the home
appliances that are in use today are Mechatronics systems. They are manufactured in
large numbers and typically require small controllers to be “embedded” within them.
 Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Engine control unit in Automotives
 Elevators, Escalators
 Machine Vision
 Development of unmanned vehicles
 Mobile robots and manipulator arms
 Sorting and packaging systems in production lines
 Computer Numerically Control (CNC) production machines
 Aero planes and helicopters: These are complex examples of Mechatronics systems
 Tank fluid level and temperature control systems
 Temperature control system in an industrial oven
 Heat-seeking missiles
 Using robots for painting windows and doors

5. Advantages and disadvantages of Mechatronics:

a) Advantages:
 It is cost effective and it can produce high quality products.
 It serves effectively for high dimensional accuracy requirements.
 It provides high degree of flexibility to modify or redesign the systems.
 It provides excellent performance characteristics.
 It Results in automation in production, assembly and quality control.
 Mechatronic systems provide the increased productivity in manufacturing
organization.
 It provides the facility of remote controlling as well as centralized monitoring and
control.
 It has greater extend of machine utilization.
 Higher life is expected by proper maintenance and timely diagnosis of the fault.
 b) Disadvantages
 The initial cost is high.
 Maintenance and repair may workout costly.
 Multi-disciplinary engineering background is required to design and implementation.
 It needs highly trained workers to operate.
 Techno-economic estimation has to be done carefully in the selection of mechatronic
system.

6. Autotronics:
Modern cars are as much electronic as they are mechanical, thus creating a new
AUTOTRONIC area (AUTOmobile + elecTRONIC).
Autotronics can be defined as the combination of automobile and electronics or we can say that
the use of electronics science in automobile vehicles is called autotronics. A lot of research and
implementation had been done in this context to make the design of automobiles easier. The
use of electronics in the automobile field makes the system safe, improved and efficient. In a
vehicle almost all significant parts are featured with electronic items. It helps to improve overall
automobile system. At present, in the new generation automobiles almost 75%-85% of
automobile parts are embedded with electronics system.
Modern cars have several control modules, which monitor and manage most of the major
systems in the vehicle e.g.
 Controls in Automotive: Engine and drive line control, cruise control, suspension
control,
 Voice control
 Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
 Airbag control,
 GPS-based navigation system,
 Stability management system,
 Instrumentation,
 Infotainment

7. Bionics:
Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and
systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.

Bionics = Biology + Electronics

Bionics deals with the study of mechanical and electronics systems that function like living
organism or parts of a living organism. Examples of bionics are:

 Hulls of boat imitating the skin of dolphins

 SONAR, RADAR and medical ultrasound imaging machine using sound wave and
echoes to determine the location of objects in space. These machine imitate the process
of sending sound and hearing echoes by bats for searching their food in the dark.
 Changing the shape of aircraft wings according to speed and duration of flight inspired
by different bird species.
 Development of dirt and water repellant paints/coatings from the observation that
practically nothing sticks to the surface of lotus flower plant.
 Development of smart clothing that adapts to changing the temperature. The smart
fabric opens up when the weather is warm and sweating, and shuts tight when cold.
This development came from pinecones (a type of plant).

8. Avionics:
Avionics are the electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites, and spacecraft.
Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of
multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform
individual functions. The term avionics is a combination of the words aviation and
electronics. Such systems may include:
 Engine and flight control system in order to reduce pilot error and workload at
landing or take-off.
 Navigation and communication systems: Air navigation is the determination of
position and direction on or above the surface of earth.
 Weather and anti-collision systems; The transport aircraft uses a traffic alert and
collision avoidance system which can detect the location of nearby aircraft and
provide instructions for avoiding mid-air collision.
 Flight recorders (Black-box); These store flight information and audio from the
cockpit. They provide information on control settings and other parameters when
there is any unfortunate incidence of crash.
 Display and management system fitted to the aircraft to perform individual tasks.
 Basic Elements of a Mechatronic system
9. Sensor and Transducer
The main difference between a sensor and a transducer is that a sensor senses the difference or
change in the environment they are exposed to and gives a usable output in response to the
change in environment, whereas a transducer senses the change in environment in one form
and converts it to another form of energy.
for example, It senses a quantity which is non-electrical and converts it into an electrical signal.
This process is called “transduction”.

a) Sensor: A Sensor is defined as a device which measures a physical quality (light,

sound, space) and converts them into an easily readable format. If calibrated correctly,
sensors are highly accurate devices.
Example: a thermistor is a type of sensor; it will respond to the change in temperature
but does not convert the energy into a different format to what it was originally sensed
in. another examples of sensors are liquid in glass thermometer, strain gauge without
circuitry, accelerometer, barometer etc.

Different types of thermistors

b) Transducer: Transducer is an electronic device which converts energy from one form
to another. There are six different types of measurements; mechanical, magnetic,
thermal, electric, chemical and radiation, a transducer can take a measurement in one
format and convert it to another. A thermistor on its own is a sensor but, when it is
 incorporated into a bigger circuit or device it will become an element of a transducer;
for example, a thermometer is a transducer. Other examples of transducers are
thermocouples, strain gauge with its circuitry, LVDT etc.

A thermistor thermometer
c) Difference between a sensor and transducer
Sensor Transducer

Working principle Senses the change in physical Senses the change in physical
quantity and gives a usable output quantity in one form and converts
signal. the signal to give output in another
form. e.g.: Non- electrical to
electrical

Elements It has generally only one element It generally constitutes two element
which detects the change in its one for detecting the change in
environment environment (senser) other for
converting the signal to another form
(signal conditioning element).

Examples Thermistor (alone), strain gauge Microphones, pressure transducer,

(alone), liquid in glass thermometer, Capacitive motion transducer,
pressure switch, accelerometer, Thermistor based thermometer,
barometer strain gauge with circuitry etc.

Uses / applications Patient monitoring, infrared toilet HVAC monitoring, engine controls,
flushes, liquid dispensing in drinks steering systems, ramp and bridge
machines. lifting systems.

d) Characteristics of sensors/transducers
Characteristics of sensors and transducers are parameters which are accountable for
accessing the performance of a sensor/transducer some of which are desirable and some
are undesirable.
Broadly the characteristics are categorised in two groups
i) Static characteristics
ii) Dynamic characteristics
 i. Static characteristic: Static characteristics relate to the performance of
a sensor/transducer when the measured quantity is essentially constant.

Desirable Static characteristics

 Accuracy: closeness of measured output to the actual output (true value)
 Precision: closeness of different outputs for the same input
 Sensitivity: ratio of change in output to the change input
 Linearity: Input is directly proportional to output
 Resolution: minimum change input which can be responded by giving some output
Undesirable Static characteristics
 Static Error: difference between indicated output and true value of output.
 Hysteresis: difference in output for increasing and decreasing trends of input
 Drift: deviation of indicated output from the actual output when input is varied
 Dead zone: range of starting value of inputs which could not be responded

ii. Dynamic characteristics: Dynamic characteristics relate to the response of

sensors/transducers in case of dynamic inputs. When the input (quantity to be
measured) changes rapidly with time, the characteristics associated with the
dynamic response (change in output) of the sensors/transducers are called dynamic
characteristics.

Desirable dynamic characteristics

 Speed of response: speed of change in output with change in input
 Fidelity: ability to indicate the change in output (without error) in the same pattern
as the change in input occurs.
Undesirable dynamic characteristics
 Dynamic Error: Difference between true value of output, to the indicated value of
output for an input varying with time.
 Lag: time taken by system to response a change in input