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PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC
CONTROLLER (PLC) AND
AUTOMATION

DEJ5153
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UNIT 2_2
LOGICAL SENSORS AND
ACTUATORS
Understand types of logical actuators:

• Describe solenoid, valves, cylinders and motors.

• Explain solenoid, valves, cylinders and motors.

Apply automation system using logical sensor and logical

actuators.
• Construct simple logical sensor application.
• Construct simple electro-pneumatics system using logical
actuators.

Design hardwire/conventional automation sequence system.

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LOGICAL ACTUATOR

Actuators converts electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic energy into some

form of mechanical motion.

Types of actuator:
 Solenoid
 Valve
 Cylinder
 Motor
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LOGICAL ACTUATOR
SOLENOID

A solenoid is an electromagnetic device that is used to convert electrical energy

into mechanical energy in the form of linear motion. Solenoids have a movable
iron core, called a plunger, and a coil of wire wrapped around a hollow form.
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LOGICAL ACTUATOR
SOLENOID
 Solenoid is the most common actuator component.
 Solenoid is the generic term for a coil of wire used as an electromagnet.
 It also refer to any device that convert electrical energy to mechanical energy
using solenoid.
 Solenoid are inexpensive and their use is primarily limited to on-off
applications such as latching, locking and triggering
 Common application:

 Home appliances (washing machine valves)

 Office equipment (copy machines)
 Automobiles (door latches)
 Pinball machine (plungers & bumpers)
 Factory automation
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LOGICAL ACTUATOR
SOLENOID

current off current on

 The basic principle of operation:

 There is a moving ferrous core (a piston) than will move inside wire core as shown in
Figure 1.
 Normally the piston is held outside the coil by a spring.
 When voltage is applied to the coil and current flow, the coil builds up magnetic field
that attracts the piston and pulls it into the center of the coil.
 The piston can be used to supply a linear force.
 Most industrial solenoids will be powered by 24Vdc and draw a few hundred mA.
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LOGICAL ACTUATOR
VALVES

What is Valves?

• Valves are mechanical devices that controls the flow and pressure within a
system or process.
• They are essential components of piping system that conveys liquids, gases,
vapors, etc.
• Some valves are self operated while other manually or with an actuator or
pneumatic or hydraulic is operated
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LOGICAL ACTUATOR
VALVES
Valves Function:
 Stopping & starting flow
 Reduce @ increase a flow
 Controlling the direction @ flow
 Regulating a flow or process pressure
 Relieve a pipe system of a certain pressure

Valve application:
 Refrigerator water dispensers
 Freezer ice cube makers
 Washing machines
 Car transmissions
 Air conditoners
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VALVES

Solenoid control valve

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SOLENOID VALVES
• A solenoid valve is an
electromechanical controlled valve.
The valve features a solenoid,
which is an electric coil with a
movable ferromagnetic core in its
centre. This core is called the
plunger. In rest position, the
plunger closes off a small orifice.
• An electric current through the coil
creates a magnetic field. The
magnetic field exerts a force on
the plunger. As a result, the
plunger is pulled toward the centre
• Solenoid valves are used to close, dose,
of the coil so that the orifice opens.
distribute or mix the flow of gas or liquid
This is the basic principle that is
in a pipe
used to open and close solenoid
valves.
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TYPE OF VALVES
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VALVES

A solenoid Controlled 5 Ported, 4 Way 2 Position Valve

 The basic principle of operation:

 The solenoid is mounted on the side. When actuated, it will drive the central spool
left.
 The top of the valve body has two ports that will be connected to a device such as
peumatic cylinder.
 The bottom of the valve body will be connected to a pressure line.
 In one position, the power flow to the right hand of cyclinder port.
 The left hand cyclinder port is allowed to exit through an exhaust port.
 In other position, the pressure is now applied to the left hand port and the right
hand port can exhaust.
 Valves are also available that allow the valves to be blocked when unused.
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SOLENOID VALVE + CYLINDER

How it works?
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24V DC, Pneumatic Double Acting Solenoid Valve

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LOGICAL SENSOR
CYLINDER
• Pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders uses the power of pressurized gas or fluid to
produce reciprocating linear motion in the piston.

• On actuation, compressed air enters into the cylindrical column through the
inlet port (at one end of the piston) and imparts force on the piston. Piston
extends in this process in response to the pressure difference on its two sides.
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LOGICAL SENSOR
CYLINDER
• The animation shows the cross section of the cylinder and the movement of
piston inside the cylinder.

• Pneumatic cylinders vary in size, appearance and function. There are various types
of pneumatic cylinder available, many of which are designed to fulfil specific and
specialized functions.

• Basically all the pneumatic cylinders can be broadly classified into two main types:
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PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS
Rod cylinders Rotary actuators

Rodless cylinders
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PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS
What inside?

Rodless cylinders
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Single acting cylinders

• A Single acting cylinder has an entry for compressed air on one side and a spring
on the other side.
• As shown when air is forced into the inner chamber it compresses the spring and
makes the piston move forward.
• Upon removing the air supply it immediately retracts back because of the force
due to spring.
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Double acting cylinders

• A Double acting cylinder has two air inlets for compressed air at both the ends of the
chambers.
• On passing compressed air from one end, piston moves forward and pushes the air out
from the other end and vice versa. So each end of the cylinder acts as both inlet and
outlet for the compressed air.
• The force which the piston rod can deliver is not the same for forward and backward
strokes when both are powered pneumatically by equal pressure of compressed air.
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PNEUMATIC CYCLINDER & VALVES

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LOGICAL SENSOR
MOTOR

• The motor or an electrical motor is a device that has brought about one of
the biggest advancements in the fields of engineering and technology ever
since the invention of electricity.
• A motor is nothing but an electro-mechanical device that converts
electrical energy to mechanical energy.
• Its because of motors, life is what it is today in the 21st century.
• Without motor we had still been living in Sir Thomas Edison’s Era where
the only purpose of electricity would have been to glow bulbs.
• In simple words we can say a device that produces rotational force is a
motor.
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LOGICAL SENSOR
MOTOR
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LOGICAL SENSOR
MOTOR

• A DC motor is any of a class of rotary electrical machines that converts direct

current electrical energy into mechanical energy. The most common types rely
on the forces produced by magnetic fields. Nearly all types of DC motors have
some internal mechanism, either electromechanical or electronic, to
periodically change the direction of current flow in part of the motor.

• Due to the fast performance of DC motors, these motors are regulated in a

wide range of speeds and can be used in many applications.

• The main advantage of using DC motors in today's world is the ability to easily
control the speed and angle of the motor.
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LOGICAL SENSOR
MOTOR

Stepper motors:

• Stepper motors are DC motors that move in discrete steps. They have
multiple coils that are organized in groups called "phases". By energizing
each phase in sequence, the motor will rotate, one step at a time. With a
computer controlled stepping you can achieve very precise positioning and/or
speed control
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LOGICAL SENSOR
MOTOR
Servo motors:
A servomotor is a rotary actuator or linear actuator that allows for precise
control of angular or linear position, velocity and acceleration. It consists of a
suitable motor coupled to a sensor for position feedback. It also requires a
relatively sophisticated controller, often a dedicated module designed
specifically for use with servomotors.
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LOGICAL SENSOR
MOTOR

Stepper vs Servo Motors

• The stepper motor is used in applications requiring about 2000

rpm or less where you need a lot of torque at the low end, where as
a servo motor is typically used for your higher speed applications that are
more dynamic and require more acceleration and deceleration typically
2000 rpm and higher.
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MOTOR
 The basic principle of operation:

 A motor is an electrical machine which converts electrical energy into mechanical

energy. The principle of working of a DC motor is that "whenever a current carrying
conductor is placed in a magnetic field, it experiences a mechanical force“.

 When armature windings are connected to a DC supply, current sets up in the

winding. Magnetic field may be provided by field winding (electromagnetism) or by
using permanent magnets. In this case, current carrying armature conductors
experience force due to the magnetic field, according to the principle stated above.

 Commutator is made segmented to achieve

unidirectional torque. Otherwise, the direction of force
would have reversed every time when the direction of
movement of conductor is reversed the magnetic field.
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Hydraulic
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Hydraulic
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Pneumatic
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Electro-pneumatic

 The electro-pneumatic action is a control system for pipe organs, whereby air
pressure, controlled by an electric current and operated by the keys of an organ
console, opens and closes valves within wind chests, allowing the pipes to speak.

 This system also allows the console to be physically detached from the organ
itself.

 The only connection was via an electrical cable from the console to the relay,
with some early organ consoles utilizing a separate wind supply to operate
combination pistons.
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Electro-pneumatic
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