Fundamentals of

Mechanisms, Synthesis
Analysis

Tutorial 1, Week 2
Tutorial content: Overall
Unit Map

Dynamics of machines

Mechanism module Vibration module

Position, velocity & acceleration analysis SDOF forced vibration system

Force analysis & Balancing 2DOF forced vibration system

Lecture, tutorial slides, Lecture, tutorial slides,

Available resources
video tutorials video tutorials

2
Recap of Lecture
1. Fundamentals of mechanism
o Determining mobility (DOF)
o Grashof condition
o Graphical synthesis

Tutorial contents

1. Determine mobility
2. Grashof condition & Transmission angle
3. Graphical synthesis (three point synthesis with driver dyad)

3
Most important concepts for today’s exercises

• Grübler-Kutzbach equation:
Mobility = 3(Number of links -1) – 2×Number of full joints –Number of half joints.
𝑀 = 3 ⋅ 𝐿 − 1 − 2 ⋅ 𝐽1_𝐹𝑢𝑙𝑙 − 𝐽2_𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑓

Mobility Links Full joints Half joints

(DOF) (1 d.o.f. joints) (2 d.o.f. joints)

DOF =+ve; Mechanism

DOF =0; Structure
DOF =-ve; Preloaded structure

• Grashof condition for 4 bar linkages:

S- shortest link
𝑆 + 𝐿 ≤ 𝑃 +Q L- longest link
P,Q- remaining links

4
Full joints
Full joint/lower pair
- Surface contact
- 1 DOF (rotational/translational)

Sliding, piston
Revolute, pin, hinge

5
Half joints
Half joint/higher pair
- Point or line contact
- 2 DOF (rolling and sliding)
- Also know as Roll-slide joint

Cam & follower Gear meshing

6
Pin in a slot joint
Full and Half joints

1 or 2 DOF?

7
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

• Identify links (do not

forget ground link)

• Identify joints:
• Full joints
• Half joints

• Use Grübler-Kutzbach
equation

• Use definition of:

• Mechanisms
• Structures
• Preloaded structures

8
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

Mechanism Structure Pre-loaded Structure

9
Calculation check list:

1. Count apparent number of links + 1 for any number of grounded

joints if available.

2. Look for multiple joints as number of apparent links -1, and count
full joints.

3. Look for half joints.

10
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

1 •𝐿 =3 𝑀 = 3 ⋅ 𝐿 − 1 − 2 ⋅ 𝐽1 − 𝐽2
3
• 𝐽1 = 2 𝑀 =3⋅ 3−1 −2⋅2−1
• 𝐽2 = 1 𝑀 =6−4−1=1
2
DOF=1 ➔ MECHANISM
1

Ground =1

11
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

4 4

3
•𝐿 =4 𝑀 = 3 ⋅ 𝐿 − 1 − 2 ⋅ 𝐽1 − 𝐽2

3
• 𝐽1 = 4 𝑀 =3⋅ 4−1 −2⋅4−0
• 𝐽2 = 0 𝑀 =9−8−0=1
2
2 DOF=1 ➔ MECHANISM
1

Ground =1 It is actually a crank-slider

12
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

7
7
6
6 5
Ground =1 5
4
1
3 4
2 3
2
1

• 𝐿 =7 𝑀 = 3 ⋅ 𝐿 − 1 − 2 ⋅ 𝐽1 − 𝐽2
• 𝐽1 = 7 𝑀 =3⋅ 7−1 −7⋅2−1 DOF=3 ➔
• 𝐽2 = 1 ➔ MECHANISM
𝑀 = 18 − 14 − 1 = 3
13
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

14
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.
Mechanism Structure

7 3 4
1 3
6 6
5 5

5
4
4 4
2 2 5
3 3
2 6
1
1 2 1

𝑀 = 3 ∗ (5 − 1) − 2 ∗ 6 − 0= 0
𝑀 = 3 ∗ (6 − 1) − 2 ∗ 7 − 0= 1

15
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

 In the real case it is more difficult

to identify links and joints
 First step: simplify the diagram
 Then apply the same procedure:

• Identify links (do not forget ground link)

• Identify joints:
• Full joints
• Half joints

• Use Grübler-Kutzbach equation

• Use definition of:

• Mechanisms
• Structures
• Preloaded structures

16
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

Pin joint with

clearance

2 full joints
or 1 half joint

Pure rolling
(without sliding)
Calculate mobility and identify mechanisms/structures/preloaded str.

• 𝐿 =10 Mechanism
9 11
9 10
• 𝐽1 = 13 8 12
• 𝐽2 = 0 10 13
(2 full joints)
Ground =1 7
Pure rolling
1
(without sliding)
2 • 𝐿 =9
4 5 • 𝐽1 =11
2 3 3
4 5 8 • 𝐽2 = 1
6 (1 half joint)
6
7

𝑀 = 3 ∗ (10 − 1) − 2 ∗ 13 − 0= 1
Identify and classify four bar linkage

Ground, L1 Input, L2 Coupler,L3 Output, L4

 Identify
a. 3.5 9 7 2
 The shortest link
b. 2 4.5 7 9  The longest link
c. 6 4 2 8
d. 4.5 2 7 9  Apply Grashof condition
e. 9 4 2 7
 Identify the mechanism
type

19
Identify and classify four bar linkage

RRR2

20
Identify and classify four bar linkage

Ground, L1 Input, L2 Coupler,L3 Output, L4 S+L P+Q Code

a. 3.5 9 7 2 a. 11 > 10.5 RRR2
b. 2 4.5 7 9 b. 11 < 11.5 GCCC
c. 6 4 2 8 c. 10 = 10 SRCR
d. 4.5 2 7 9 d. 11 < 11.5 GCRR
e. 9 4 2 7 e. 11 = 11 SRCR

Shortest, S S+L < P+Q Grashof, Gxxx

Longest, L ∴ Full Rotation
S+L > P+Q Non-Grashof, RRRx
∴ No Full Rotation

S+L = P+Q Special case, Sxx

∴ more than one class
21
Special case example:

Can either be crank-rocker or double crank

22
Transmission angle

Angle between coupler & output link Coupler

Input link
Output link
Ground link

Optimal transmission angle

23
Transmission angle

• Verify Grashof condition and identify linkage type

• When transmission angles may be minimum?
• Identify minimum angle among these positions (𝜇𝑚𝑖𝑛 )
• Verify maximum angle in between the identified positions (𝜇𝑚𝑎𝑥 )
• Useful theorem “Cosine rule”: 𝑎2 = 𝑏 2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑏𝑐 ⋅ cos 𝛼 (where
𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 are the sides of any triangle and 𝛼 is the angle opposed to
side 𝑎)

24
Transmission angle

• Linkage is a GCRR
• Identify co-linearity of 𝐿1 and
𝐿2
• Cosine rule with:
• 𝑎 = 𝐿1 ± 𝐿2
• 𝑏 = 𝐿3
• 𝑐 = 𝐿4
• Find 𝛼1 , 𝛼2
• If they are not acute take
𝜇𝑖 = 𝜋 − 𝛼𝑖 , otherwise
𝜇𝑖 = 𝛼𝑖
• Identify
𝜇𝑚𝑖𝑛 = min 𝜇1 , 𝜇2
• Identify 𝜇𝑚𝑎𝑥 in the range
𝛼1 ; 𝛼2

25
Toggle position
Two links of mechanism are collinear

26
Toggle position

Transmission angle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBFFwgCCP0U

27
Toggle position

Transmission angle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBFFwgCCP0U

28
Transmission angle

29
Transmission angle

• Cosine Rule
• 𝑎2 = 𝑏 2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑏𝑐 ∙ cos 𝛼
𝑏2 +𝑐 2 −𝑎2
• 𝛼= acos
2𝑏𝑐
• 𝑎 = 𝐿1 + 𝐿2
• 𝑏 = 𝐿3
𝛼 • 𝑐 = 𝐿4

• 𝜶𝟐 ≈ 𝟗𝟒. 𝟐°

30
Transmission angle

𝜇𝑚𝑖𝑛 = min( 31.5°, 85.8°)

𝜇𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 31.5°
𝜇𝑚𝑎𝑥 is 90° because 𝛼
from 31.5 to 94.2

94.2°
85.8°
31.5°
[Ref: Norton-3.3 (page-102)]

31
Importance of transmission angle

Transmission angle:

❑ transmission angle is important, to understand how the mechanism will perform

under loaded condition
❑ performance of mechanism- transmission of motion/force from input link to
output link
❑ when fixed/ground link collinear (extended or folded) with crank/input link, then
µmax & µmin
❑ at optimum transmission angle, µmax=90, max transmission of torque input-
output

32
Three position synthesis with driver dyad
B1

D
B2
A2
A1
O6

A3
B3

1)Draw a circle, O2 is the centre, arbitrary C1 C3

radii;
2)Get two intersection points,C1 and C3 for
the circle with O2A1 and O2A3
3)Draw a line through C1 and C3 O2
O4
4) Select O6 at any position on extension of
C3C1
5) Get r6= C1C3/2 and point D
6) link 6; O6D: link 5; DC1 http://benchtophybrid.com/Textbook/Ch2_Driv
33
er_Dyad.html
 34
Ref: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=thank+you&rlz=1C1GGRV_enAU784AU784&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXyObr-
67ZAhXGipQKHahtC78Q_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=974#imgrc=_TcnsbaxkbD8hM: