Mechanisms & Fluid Power

Transmitting force and motion. Kinematics, gears, linkages, screws, belts and precision mechanisms, then pressure and fluid power — pneumatic and hydraulic actuation with electro-fluid control.

• Kinematics — Kinematics describes motion without asking what causes it. Learn displacement, velocity and acceleration, the constant-acceleration equations, motion graphs, projectiles and rotational kinematics.
• Gears — Gears transmit motion and torque with a fixed ratio. Learn spur, helical, bevel and worm gears, module and pitch geometry, gear ratios and trains, tooth forces, Lewis bending and AGMA/ISO contact stress, and gear materials.
• Mechanisms & Motion Transmission — Turning motor rotation into useful motion. Learn linkages and degrees of freedom (Grübler's equation), four-bar mechanisms, cams and followers, gears and gear trains, lead screws and ball screws (lead, efficiency, back-driving), belts and pulleys, rack and pinion, linear guides and bearings, couplings, backlash, compliance and resonance, and flexures — with Python comparing a ball screw and a timing belt.
• Pressure — Pressure is force per unit area in a fluid. Learn hydrostatic pressure p = ρgh, absolute vs gauge pressure, manometers, Pascal's law and hydraulic presses, forces on submerged surfaces and buoyancy.
• Pneumatics, Hydraulics & Electro-Fluid Control — Force and motion from pressurised fluids. Learn pneumatic and hydraulic system components (compressors/pumps, FRL units, valves, cylinders, motors, accumulators), ISO 1219 symbols, cylinder force and speed, flow and power, directional/pressure/flow control valves, solenoid valves and electro-pneumatic circuits with PLCs, proportional and servo valves, sequencing (A+B+A−B−), and safety — with Python sizing hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders.