2.

6 Power supply and drivers

As an electrical device, the automation of this system needs power in order for its components to
operate properly. The device responsible for supplying power to the system is the power supply. In short,
we could say that the main function of the power supply is to convert alternating voltage (a.k.a. AC), which
is supplied by the electrical power system into continuous voltage (a.k.a. DC). In other words, the power
supply converts the conventional 110V or 220V alternating voltage into continuous voltage used by the
systems electronic components, which are +3.3 V, +5 V, +12 V and -12 V (Alternating voltages vary
throughout the world.
2.8 Actuators and Valves
Home automation has come a long way in just the last few years. Amazon Alexa, Google
Home, the Nest Learning Thermostat and Vivint Home are just some of the technologies that have made
our homes smarter and more efficient places. But while these technologies can accomplish simple tasks
like playing music and looking up information on the internet, they cant physically move things. Thats
where actuators come in. Actuators can physically control both large and small items. They can also be
triggered variety of ways including remotes and motion sensors.
An actuator is a motor that moves or controls a mechanism. It can introduce motion as well as
prevent it. A robot for example, would use hundreds of actuators to control every part of its body. A linear
actuator moves something in a linear, or straight, motion. This is typically accomplished by extending and
retracting a rod on a track.
Large actuators are common in commercial and industrial spaces. Commonly found in factories
controlling large pieces of equipment, their size and power arent practical for home use. But the
introduction of smaller linear actuators, such as 12 volt mini actuator, enable us to trigger automatic
movements in smaller home objects like reclining seats or drawers.

Actuators are a means by which a valve can be automated so that no human interaction with the valve
package is necessary to cycle the valve. Electric actuators use a power source, such as a battery or a power supply,
to run the actuator. Actuators are ideally suited for installations where human interaction is either not possible or is
dangerous, such as where space or installation location inhibits access to the valve operator.
You can control an electric actuator is by changing the polarity. For a linear actuator, the pole extends when
you apply a positive voltage and shortens when you put a negative voltage. For a rotating actuator, the direction of
rotation changes based on the polarity supplied to the motor. For this purpose, an AC motor would not work since it
rotates in one direction only. AC does not have polarity.
In DC motors, the rotor assembly rotates in an attempt to align itself with the stator assembly but is prevented
by a part known as the commutator. At the precise moment, the commutator switches the rotor field while the stator
assembly remains stationary. This provides the means to control speed and positioning. (Bera, 2017)
 Another thing to take note about is the relation of voltage and current to the speed and torque of a motor.
Voltage is directly related to speed, therefore as you increase the voltage, the speed also increases until you reach a
maximum point. On the other hand, the current is also directly related to the torque. Torque is a measure of the force
that can cause an object to rotate about an axis.
We cannot control a current by any means since it is something which is drawn from a source. One cannot
simply push a current until and unless we use a constant current source, in that case voltage across your load will
change. However, we can control the factors that can lessen the amount of current that flows to the motor by (a) use
conductor of low resistivity (b) use conductor of small length (c) use thick wire (d) decrease the temperature of the
circuit. (e) minimize the circuit losses (f) remove unnecessary circuitry. (Hussain, 2017)
Since the output of a microcontroller is not enough to drive a motor, which is used in an electric actuator, a
motor driver is needed. For this, an L293D would do the job. The L293D is designed to provide bidirectional drive
currents of up to 600-mA at voltages from 4.5 V to 36 V. It is used for stepper motor drivers, dc motor drivers and
latching relay drivers. Basically what it does is change the polarity of the voltage supplied to the motor based on the
data thrown to it by the microcontroller.
Prior to the driver is a microcontroller. One can use a simple microcontroller like the PIC16F877A or something
like the Arduino and Tiny AVR, depending on the complexity that the design requires. A programmable logic controller
(PLC) can also be used but it is expensive and bulkier than a microcontroller. Any programmable device should be
able to do the job.

Also, an electric actuator would be useless without a valve attached to it. There are different types of valves
that can be used like the ball valve, gate valve, plug valve, butterfly valve. The actuator should be able to control any
of this as long as its maximum load is sufficient.

2.12 Molder
. One of the machines which is really relevant and important in this project is the molding machine. Molding
machine is responsible for creating the desired outcome form or appearance of the product that you are producing.
Upon further research various molding machines are already used in the market especially in the field of food
production. Most of these that are available locally are from suppliers and distributors only. There are also molders
available that are producing spherical objects which is similar to what our project aims to create. However, these
machines are really expensive because they are designed for industrial use and large scale of mass production
purposes. In other words, they are used in large factories.
 Faster, better, and cheaper is the name of the game for machine and device designers. Demands for higher
performance and increasingly efficient machines designed in a shorter amount of time with smaller design teams are
challenging machine designers to improve their design processes.
The automatic pressing molds machine presses fast and accurately the cooked ham molds lids, independently
from the size and shape. The pre-loading conveyor belt, with automating centering arms, permits the insertion of the
pressing mold machine inside the production lines, after de-aeration or after under vacuum thermo-welding machine,
but even after hot re-pressing. The double action of the pressing head that with different pressure and time acts
separately on lid and handle, assures the perfect closing.
In other products, they are capable of adopting import servo electromagnetic system, which has the characteristics
of advanced design, automatic control, and stable operation, no impact and quiver. The diameter and thickness of the
round-ball type food can be designed and manufactured according to the customers demand. [3] The Meatball Machine
when aligned with another conveyor unit must have a maximum distance of 5cm to allow the entry conveyor belt to be
clear of snagging.
To stay ahead of the competition, leading machine design teams today are incorporating sophisticated features
such as synchronized motion, vision, I/O, real-time signal processing and analysis, remote monitoring and support,
data logging, and more. At the same time, industrial automation equipment purchasers are placing more emphasis on
the importance of optimizing the design not just for increased performance but also for environmental factors such as
reduced energy consumption and scrap material. To meet these demands, machine designers are replacing the gear-
and cam-based motion control systems that characterized the traditional machine design process with newer software-
controlled electric motor drive systems. This transition from a mechanical design process to an electromechanical
design process is having a profound impact on how machine teams work together.
The modern machine is a collection of interconnected subsystems with many design dependencies that cross
the boundaries between the mechanical, electrical, software, and embedded system domains. Effective
multidisciplinary teams are taking steps to make their development process more parallel and are using new techniques
such as simulation to improve communication within the team early in the development process. At the same time,
modern programmable automation controllers, or PACs, are being adopted for machine control because they
incorporate the discrete control capabilities of traditional programmable logic controllers (PLCs) but add advanced
features such as integrated motion, vision, and machine condition monitoring within a single embedded system.

I. Bibliography
MOLDERS
[1]"What is a Machine? Classification of Machines. Types of Machines.", Brighthub Engineering, 2017. [Online].
Available: http://www.brighthubengineering.com/cad-autocad-reviews-tips/9948-what-is-a-machine/.
[Accessed: 02- Aug- 2017].
 [2]F. Process, F. machine, A. Conveyor and A. Conveyor, "ANKO Automatic Rounding
Conveyor", Ankofood.en.taiwantrade.com, 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://ankofood.en.taiwantrade.com/product/anko-automatic-rounding-conveyor-1157083.html.
[Accessed: 02- Aug- 2017].
[3]2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.ipinium.se/eng/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/02/ipinium-meat-
rounders-manual-maintenance.pdf. [Accessed: 02- Aug- 2017].
[4]"disc type rice round ball making machine, View disc type rice round ball making machine, LEEHO Product
Details from Henan Leeho Trading Co., Ltd. on Alibaba.com", Hnleeho.en.alibaba.com, 2017. [Online].
Available: http://hnleeho.en.alibaba.com/product/668612979-
212983521/disc_type_rice_round_ball_making_machine.html#!. [Accessed: 02- Aug- 2017].
[5]"National Instruments Mechatronics Machine Design", Automation, 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://www.automation.com/pdf_articles/ni/ni_mechatronics_machine_design_guide.pdf. [Accessed: 02-
Aug- 2017].

ACTUATORS
How It Work: Actuators. (2017). Cameron.slb.com. Retrieved 28 July 2017, from
https://cameron.slb.com/products-and-services/valves-index/valve-academy/how-does-it-work-
actuators

Hussain M., (2017, February 22). How can I increase the current from 100mA to 450mA without altering
the voltage?. [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-increase-the-
current-from-100mA-to-450mA-without-altering-the-voltage

Bera C., (2017, May 4). How does an electric actuator work?. [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/How-does-an-electric-actuator-work

L293x Quadruple Half-H Drivers. (2016). Texas Instruments. [Datasheet]. Retrieved from
www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/l293.pdf

2.6 http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-power-supplies/
2.8.1 https://www.methodshop.com/2017/03/micro-linear-actuators.shtml
http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/flow_transfer_control/valve_actuators_positioners/valve_actuators_general