1

School of Engineering
Term 2: Week 1- Lecture 2

ES2D5: Planar Structures and Mechanisms

Introduction of Kinematics

Dr Mohammad Al-Amin

Email: [email protected]
Outline of presentation

• Degree of Freedom (DOF) or mobility

• Type of motion
• Links, Joints and Kinematic chains
• Determining Degree of Freedom
• Mechanism and Structures

2
Branches of Mechanical Engineering

What is the difference between Kinematics

and Kinetics?
3
Why we study?
• In order to accomplish desired motion or task of body
or machine

• To determine the dynamic behaviour of a rigid body

• Fundamental requirement for a machine design

• Develop an ability to design viable mechanisms solution

to real, unstructured engineering problems by using a
design process.

4
Some applications…

Auto suspension linkage Utility tractor with backhoe Linkage-driven exercise

mechanism

5
Degree of Freedom (DOF) or mobility
• A mechanical system’s mobility (M) can be classified according to the number of Degrees
of Freedom (DOF)

• DOF is equal to the number of independent parameters (measurements) that are needed
to uniquely define its position in space at any instant of time.

• DOF is the number of inputs the need to be provided in order to create a predictable
output

How many parameters you need to

define any position of the pencil?

Answer: Three (x, y and 𝜃)

6
DOF in 3D
• Any rigid body in three-space
has six degrees of freedom.

• One possible set of parameters

that could be used is three
lengths, (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧), plus three
angles (𝜃, 𝜑, 𝜌).

7
Type of motion
In 2D the planar motion:

• Rotation about a fixed axis. When a rigid body rotates about a fixed
axis, all the particles of the body, except those which lie on the

• Translation. This type of motion occurs when a line in the body remains parallel to its
original orientation throughout the motion. When the paths of motion for any two points
on the body are parallel straight lines, the motion is called rectilinear translation, If the
paths of motion are along curved lines, the motion is called curvilinear translation.

8
Type of motion (cont.)
In 2D the planar motion:

General plane motion. When a body is subjected to general plane motion, it undergoes a
simultaneous translation and rotation. The translation occurs within a reference plane, and
the rotation occurs about an axis perpendicular to the reference plane.

9
VEVOX

• Please use a mobile device

(phone, tablet, laptop), go to
vevox.app and enter the
following
Meeting ID: 184-127-894

10
What type of motion 'd' is?

Rectilinear translation
0%
General plan motion
0%
Curvilinear translation
0%
Rotation about fixed axis
0%

##/## Join at: vevox.app ID: 184-127-894

11
 ##/## Join at: vevox.app ID: 184-127-894
What type of motion 'd' is?

Rectilinear translation
0%
General plan motion
0%
Curvilinear translation
0%
Rotation about fixed axis
0%

Results slide
12
Links, Joints, and
Kinematic Chains

13
Links
• Are rigid bodies (assumed)
• Have at least two nodes that are point for attachment
to other links
• Can be any shape (not just those shown)
• Link order is the number of nodes

• Binary Link – one with two nodes

• Ternary Link – one with three nodes

• Quaternary Link – one with four nodes

14
Joints
• A joint is a connection between two or more links (at their nodes), which allows some
motion, or potential motion, between the connected links.

• Joints (also called kinematic pairs) can be classified in several ways:

1. By the type of contact between the elements, line, point, or surface.

2. By the number of degrees of freedom allowed at the joint.

3. By the type of physical closure of the joint: either force or form closed.

4. By the number of links joined (order of the joint)

15
Joints

Different type
of joints and
DOF

16
Links and Joints
• Real links can be of any shape, but a “kinematic” link, or link edge, is defined as
a line between joints that allow relative motion between adjacent links.
• Joints can allow rotation, translation, or both between the links joined.

17
Definition
• Kinematic chain

An assemblage of links and joints interconnected in a way to provide a controlled

output motion in response to a supplied input motion.

• Mechanism

A mechanism is a constrained kinematic chain. A kinematic chain in which at least one

link has been “grounded,” or attached, to the frame of reference (which itself may be
in motion).

• Machine

A combination of resistant bodies arranged to compel the mechanical forces of nature

to do work accompanied by determinate motions.

18
Definition
• Crank - A link that makes a complete revolution and is
pivoted to ground

• Rocker - A link that has oscillatory (back and forth)

rotation and is pivoted to ground

• Coupler (or connecting rod) - A link that has complex

motion and is not pivoted to ground.

• Ground - Any link or links that are fixed (non-moving)

with respect to the reference frame. Note that the
reference frame may in fact itself be in motion.

https://technologystudent.com/cams/crkslid1.htm
http://ezymechanic.blogspot.com/2015/08/grashofs-criterion-crank-rocker-four.html
19
Fourbar linkage
• The Fourbar linkage has been shown above
to be the simplest possible pin-jointed
mechanism for single-degree-of-freedom
controlled motion.
• It is a planar mechanism consisting of four
rigid bars:
o Frame (𝑟1 )
o Input link (𝑟2 )
o Output link (𝑟4 )
o Coupler link (𝑟3 )

• The Frame exhibits no motion

20
 DOF in Planar Mechanism
• To determine DOF of any mechanism - account for the
number of links and joints, and for the interactions
among them
• The DOF of any assembly of links can be predicted from
an investigation of the Gruebler condition
• Any link in a plane has 3 DOF.
• Any link is grounded or attached to the reference frame,
all three of its DOF will be removed
• Gruebler’s equation for DOF:
𝑀 = 3𝐿 − 2𝐽 − 3𝐺

𝑀 = 𝐷𝑂𝐹 𝐿 = Number of links

𝐽 = Number of joints
𝐺 = Number of grounded links 21
DOF in Planar Mechanism
• In any real mechanism, even if more than one link of the
kinematic chain is grounded, the net effect will be to
create one larger, higher-order ground link, as there can
be only one ground plane. 𝐺 is always one, and
Gruebler’s equation becomes:

𝑀 = 3(𝐿 − 1) − 2𝐽

• A mechanism with half joint:

𝑀 = 3(𝐿 − 1) − 2𝐽1 − 𝐽2
Multiple joints count as one less 𝑀 = 𝐷𝑂𝐹
than the number of links joined 𝐿 = Number of links
at that joint and add to the “full” 𝐽1 = Number of 1 DOF full joints
(𝐽1 ) category
𝐽2 = Number of 2 DOF half joints
22
 Mechanisms and Structures
• The degree of freedom of an assembly of links completely predicts its character.
a. If the DOF is positive, it will be a mechanism, and the links will have relative motion.
b. If the DOF is exactly zero, then it will be a structure, and no motion is possible.
c. If the DOF is negative, then it is a preloaded structure, which means that no motion
is possible and some stresses may also be present at the time of assembly

23
##/##

What is the DoF of this structure?

a. 2
0%
b. 0
0%
c. 3
0%
d. 4
0%

Join at: vevox.app ID: 184-127-894

24
 ##/## Results slide

What is the DoF of this structure?

a. 2
0%
b. 0
0%
c. 3
0%
d. 4
0%

Join at: vevox.app ID: 184-127-894

25
Inversion
• An inversion is
created by grounding
a different link in the
kinematic chain.
• The motions resulting
from each inversion
can be quite
different,.

Credit: Design of Machinery- R. L. Norton 26

The Grashof Condition
• The Grashof condition is a very simple relationship that predicts the rotation behaviour
or rotatability of a four bars linkage’s inversions based only on the link lengths.
• Let: 𝑆 = length of shortest link
𝐿 = length of longest link
𝑃 = length of one remaining link
𝑄 = length of other remaining link

𝑺+𝑳≤𝑷+𝑸
• The linkage is Grashof and at least one link will be capable of making a full revolution
with respect to the ground plane (Class I kinematic chain)

• If the inequality is not true, then the linkage is non-Grashof and no link will be capable of
a complete revolution relative to any other link (a Class II kinematic chain).

27
 ##/## Join at: vevox.app ID: 184-127-894

Does this linkage satisfy Grashof’s law?

Yes
0%
No
0%
Can not determine
0%

28
 ##/## Join at: vevox.app ID: 184-127-894

Does this linkage satisfy Grashof’s law?

Yes
0%
No
0%
Can not determine
0%

29
Reference Textbook

• Chapter 2 - Design of Machinery, Norton, RL, 6th edition (McGraw

Hill 2020)
• Chapter 1 - Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, John J. Uicker,
Jr., Gordon R. Pennock, Joseph E. Shigley, 5th edition,(Oxford
University Press 2017)

30
What is next?

Solve Problem set

Lecture 3:
• Kinematics (Position Analysis)

31
Questions?

32