Need help finding an actuator/motor/servo/solenoid/musclewire?

kirving

Hey Guys,

I'm going into my final year of Mechanical Engineering, and I'm currently trying to come up with original idea's for a project. I have one in my head, but I need for the right device to actually make it possible.

I need something like an actuator or muscle wire which can pull/release very quickly, circa 15-20 time per second.

It will be computer controlled via a chip, with about 4-5 inputs, but thats another story, and is a problem which can be solved later if I'm able to go ahead.

It will need to be battery powered, as it has to be relativley portable.

Requirements:

• Can move back/forwards 15-20 per second, can be assisted with a spring in one direction(If i can find a suitable solenoid)
  
• Only needs to move about 3mm, possibly less.
  
• Has a force of about 150 Newtons
  
• Battery Powered, can use lithium batteries, so maximum of about 36 Volts
  
• The smaller and lighter the better, but something that would fit in a Pint Glass.

I used a Firgelli PQ-12f in a previous project, and its perfect in a lot of ways, but lacks the speed and force of what I need.

I know I'm being a little vague about what I need, and haven't actually said what I'm planning to make, which I know is rude since I'm asking for help, but its a final year project, and I need a basic idea drawn up myself before I can call it my own design.

Regards,

Kev

DublinDilbert

How Controllable do you need it to be? Do you need to be able to adjust the travel?

How about a simple motor & cam arrangement?

kirving

It doesn't have to be controllable really, just has to move back and forth quicky.

The goal really is to contract, then return to original size, then contract again, so I think it would be difficult to arrange a Motor and Cam to do that, but I'll sketch a few things and see what options I have doing it that way.

Mr Marri

Have you looked at a 24v Solenoid, very quick, small, and can have spring return if need be.

bnt

Do you know any tattoo artists? The device you're describing sounds like a portable 2-coil tattoo gun e.g. this on eBay. I don't know about the force one of those guns develops, but if you're building one from scratch, you could up-size if required: stronger coils & bigger batteries, slower operation.

FarmerGreen

Something like one of these?
http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/products.php?cat=Nibblers

kirving

A solenoid is pretty much perfect for what I want, but the problem is I can't find one which has enough force, I think due to the heat build up within them,

A tattoo gun again looks like it would have the right mechanism, but again, the force isn't large enough.

The sheet metal nibbler might work alright, I'll have to look into how I could modify the mechanism though.


What I specifically want to do is make a device which could pull a wire taught, and then release it again. I've com up with a motor and cam type arrangement which I think might be suitable. I'll post a screenshot up once I have a simple CAD drawing done.


Thanks for the ideas so far guys, they've certainly shown me a few more possibilites, keep 'em comin!

who_am_I?

I expect that the cam will give you the desired result, However if you still have some design conflicts then look at the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ), it may open up new avenues for investigation.

random.stranger

+1 Cam

Here's a clip of the bristle insertion in toothbrush making machines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BANx1uWvxs

You get a view of some of the cams around 1:15 into the video.

The toothbrush is moved around by a CNC machine.
You can see what looks like a bird's beak inserting the bristles into the holes in the brush. This is operated by a number of cams to move the "bird's beak" in and out and to feed a wire coil which is cut into small "staples" that hit the bristles at half their length and force them through the bird's beak and into the holes in the brush.

It's been a while since I've been near one of these machines, but I think that's how it goes.

There may be better examples on youtube/the net, this was the first one that popped up in my search.

Best of Luck

Edit:
Had a look at inventive problem solving, very interesting area. Thanks who_am_I?