Actuators are the key to allowing machines to become more sophisticated and perform complex tasks that were previously done by humans, providing motion in a safe, controlled manner.
As defined in this book, actuator design is a subset of mechanical design. It involves engineering the mechanical components necessary to make a product move as desired.
Fundamentals of Engineering High-Performance Actuator Systems, by Ken Hummel, was written as a text to supplement actuator design courses, and a reference to engineers involved in the design of high-performance actuator systems. It highlights the design approach and features what should be considered when moving a payload at precision levels and/or speeds that are not as important in low-performance applications.
The main areas covered in this book are:
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Fundamentals of actuator design
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Actuator performance
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Loads that the actuator and its surrounding structure must accommodate
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Constraints which determine the type of load the actuator needs to accommodate
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The design margin applied to components of any given design
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Environment which must include the interactions between product and the conditions it will have to perform under
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Component strength to ensure safety from failure
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Component stiffness
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Maintainability
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Reliability
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Cost
Preface
Chapter 1 : Introduction
Chapter 2 : Project Management
Chapter 3 : Requirements Analysis
Chapter 4 : Design to Requirements
Chapter 5 : Power Sources
Chapter 6 : Prototyping
Chapter 7 : Verification and Validation
Chapter 8 : Production
Bibliography
Appendix A : Hydraulic Symbols
Training Supplement - Problems by Chapter
About the Author
Index