MECH 343

Experiment 1: Analysis of a Four-Bar Linkage Mechanism Using Solidworks Motion

Lab Section: AI-X

By: Yousef Meguid (40075611)

Submitted: September 26, 2020
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Objective
The objective of this experiment is to study a four-bar linkage in solid works motion to
analyze the motion at specific points of interest in the mechanism.
Introduction
Solidworks motion is used to evaluate the mechanical performance of kinematically
constrained mechanisms by simulating their movement. The software allows for simulating
forces, springs, dampers and many other kinematic and dynamic behaviors of a system. Once
an assembly has been created through Solidworks, it can be evaluated in many different
scenarios where components of the mechanism are modified.
This experiment will analyze a simple four-bar crank rocker mechanism, a four-bar
linkage mechanism is comprised of 4 links with joints that form lower pairs.

Figure 1: Four Bar Linkage Mechanism [1]

According to Grashof’s theorem, a four-bar mechanism will have at least one revolving link if

Where

The other links that are mobile will rock if

Procedure
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Drawing the Components

1. Open Solidworks and select new part .
2. Set the units to MKS from the bottom right corner of the window.
3. Select the top plane and begin a sketch.
4. Draw a slot of width 0.2m, draw a circle at the center of the arc with a diameter of
0.10m.
5. Draw a line cutting the slot horizontally and make the center of the circle and arc a
distance of 0.2m away.
6. Select trim entities and trim around the horizontal line, leaving behind a portion of
the original slot.
7. Exit the sketch and extrude the part 0.05m.
8. Using the same procedures make 3 more links
a. Part2: L2=3m
b. Part3:L3= 3.32m
c. Part4:L4=4m
Assembling the Part
1. Create a new assembly file and import all the parts from the previous steps.
2. Fix one of the supports and mate the other by clicking on the vertex on each part
and setting the distance to 4m.Select the 2 top faces to coincident to lock them in
the same plane.
3. Join part 2 and the fixed support by mating the two faces as concentric and
coincident mates.
4. Repeat all the same steps for each mate.
Motion Study
1. Start a new motion study
2. Add a motor to the driver link, set to turn CW and at a speed of 60 rpm
3. On the bottom left of the window where it says “Animation” open the drop-down
menu and select “Motion Analysis”
4. Click on the graph icon on the simulation tab, select the inner face at the connection
link 1 and 2. Select displacement/velocity, linear displacement, y-direction and run
the simulation.
5. Repeat steps for connection between link 1 and 2 for linear velocity and angular
acceleration.
6. Repeat steps for connection between link 2 and 3, determining angular
displacement, angular velocity ,angular acceleration and trace the path.

Results
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Figure 1: Linear Displacement of 1-2

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Figure 2: Linear Velocity of 1-2

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Figure 3: Angular Acceleration of 1-2

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Figure 4: Angular Displacement of 2-3

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Figure 5: Angular Velocity of 2-3

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Figure 6: Linear Displacement of 2-3

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Discussion
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Through analyzing the results, the motion of connection 1-2 , the linear displacement
and velocity had the same period. The angular acceleration graph however was not as uniform
for connection 1-2, given that the driver completes full rotations this makes sense.
For connection 2-3, the displacement graph shows that it rocks between 175 degrees
and 185 degrees based off the initial lengths of each link.
The trace of connection 2-3, remains constant in the z-direction because it is fixed in
that plane, only allowing it to move in the x-y plane. However, the link rocks back and forth in
the x-y plane .The length of the driver link was changed from 3m to 2m, the most noticeable
change was the range of connection 2-3 was decreased, i.e. the trace path was shorter.

Conclusion
The objective of this experiment was successfully met, the simulation of the four-bar
mechanism was analyzed and plotted for various findings. The driver arm rotates fully and the
other links rock illustrating Grashoff’s theorem successfully. The system requires one input to
allow for the mechanism to move and therefore has a mobility of 1.
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References
[1] Mech 343 Lab Manual
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Data Sheet
Table 1: Linear Displacement 1-2 Connection
Frame Time Linear Displacement
(meter)
1 0.000 6.0192E+00
2 0.040 5.9815E+00
3 0.080 5.8961E+00
4 0.120 5.8687E+00
5 0.160 5.9542E+00
6 0.200 5.1130E+00
7 0.240 3.3227E+00
8 0.280 2.7070E+00
9 0.320 2.4742E+00
10 0.360 2.3598E+00
11 0.400 2.2991E+00
12 0.440 2.2713E+00
13 0.480 2.2691E+00
14 0.520 2.2911E+00
15 0.560 2.3409E+00
16 0.600 2.4282E+00
17 0.640 2.5744E+00
18 0.680 2.8196E+00
19 0.720 3.2099E+00
20 0.760 3.7404E+00
21 0.800 4.3342E+00
22 0.840 4.9027E+00
23 0.880 5.3828E+00
24 0.920 5.7365E+00
25 0.960 5.9472E+00
26 1.000 6.0192E+00
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Table 2: Linear Velocity of Connection 1-2

Frame Time Velocity (meter/sec)
1 0.000 -2.1880E+00
2 0.040 -5.4071E+00
3 0.080 -7.2761E+00
4 0.120 -7.1550E+00
5 0.160 -8.5910E+00
6 0.200 -3.5214E+01
7 0.240 -2.2589E+01
8 0.280 -1.2660E+01
9 0.320 -8.9927E+00
10 0.360 -6.3681E+00
11 0.400 -3.8469E+00
12 0.440 -1.2728E+00
13 0.480 1.3213E+00
14 0.520 3.8535E+00
15 0.560 6.2501E+00
16 0.600 8.4947E+00
17 0.640 1.0683E+01
18 0.680 1.2983E+01
19 0.720 1.5139E+01
20 0.760 1.6114E+01
21 0.800 1.5336E+01
22 0.840 1.3076E+01
23 0.880 9.7842E+00
24 0.920 5.8720E+00
25 0.960 1.7388E+00
26 1.000 -2.1880E+00
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Table 3: Angular Acceleration for Connection 1-2

Frame Time Angular Acceleration

(deg/sec^2)
1 0.000 0.0000E+00
2 0.040 1.5968E-23
3 0.080 -4.1083E-21
4 0.120 1.1773E-17
5 0.160 -1.0830E-17
6 0.200 1.6735E-18
7 0.240 -1.0867E-17
8 0.280 1.8561E-17
9 0.320 1.4697E-17
10 0.360 -3.9961E-16
11 0.400 0.0000E+00
12 0.440 0.0000E+00
13 0.480 7.7446E-16
14 0.520 -1.3059E-15
15 0.560 -5.3029E-17
16 0.600 -1.4750E-15
17 0.640 2.1316E-15
18 0.680 -5.3067E-15
19 0.720 3.0064E-21
20 0.760 -3.9056E-22
21 0.800 4.2672E-16
22 0.840 5.1065E-23
23 0.880 4.6820E-17
24 0.920 -3.2823E-17
25 0.960 2.6802E-19
26 1.000 -2.7690E-17
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Table 4: Angular Displacement of Connection 2-3

Time Angular Displacement
(deg)
0.000 1.0930E+02
0.040 1.1398E+02
0.080 1.2124E+02
0.120 1.3374E+02
0.160 1.5852E+02
0.200 -1.5401E+02
0.240 -1.2510E+02
0.280 -1.2726E+02
0.320 -1.3689E+02
0.360 -1.4861E+02
0.400 -1.6115E+02
0.440 -1.7403E+02
0.480 1.7296E+02
0.520 1.6000E+02
0.560 1.4726E+02
0.600 1.3499E+02
0.640 1.2364E+02
0.680 1.1403E+02
0.720 1.0715E+02
0.760 1.0332E+02
0.800 1.0177E+02
0.840 1.0162E+02
0.880 1.0238E+02
0.920 1.0387E+02
0.960 1.0610E+02
1.000 1.0930E+02
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Table 5: Angular Velocity of Connection 2-3

Time Angular Velocity
(deg/sec)
0.000 9.5446E+01
0.040 1.4253E+02
0.080 2.3050E+02
0.120 4.2142E+02
0.160 8.8344E+02
0.200 1.2915E+03
0.240 1.7275E+02
0.280 -1.8854E+02
0.320 -2.7565E+02
0.360 -3.0611E+02
0.400 -3.1900E+02
0.440 -3.2432E+02
0.480 -3.2517E+02
0.520 -3.2211E+02
0.560 -3.1408E+02
0.600 -2.9776E+02
0.640 -2.6620E+02
0.680 -2.0987E+02
0.720 -1.3243E+02
0.760 -6.3044E+01
0.800 -1.8272E+01
0.840 9.0139E+00
0.880 2.8384E+01
0.920 4.6025E+01
0.960 6.6553E+01
1.000 9.5446E+01
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Table 6: Angular Acceleration of Connection 2-3

Time Angular Acceleration
(deg/sec^2)
0.00 8.9290E+02
0
0.04 1.5471E+03
0
0.08 3.0799E+03
0
0.12 7.1476E+03
0
0.16 1.6740E+04
0
0.20 -1.4880E+04
0
0.24 -1.8392E+04
0
0.28 -3.8115E+03
0
0.32 -1.1778E+03
0
0.36 -4.7312E+02
0
0.40 -2.0667E+02
0
0.44 -7.0971E+01
0
0.48 2.6503E+01
0
0.52 1.3041E+02
0
0.56 2.8446E+02
0
0.60 5.5996E+02
0
0.64 1.0637E+03
0
0.68 1.7509E+03
0
0.72 1.9725E+03
0
0.76 1.4262E+03
0
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0.80 8.5412E+02
0
0.84 5.5111E+02
0
0.88 4.4214E+02
0
0.92 4.5819E+02
0
0.96 5.8977E+02
0
1.00 8.9290E+02
0

Table 7: Trace of Connection 2-3

X(m) Y(m) Z(m)
3.42049 6.055436 4.453923
7
4.01816 6.026036 4.453923
9
4.42907 5.95287 4.453923
3
4.46476 5.9444 4.453923
2
3.59774 6.056067 4.453923
7
1.06405 5.211413 4.453923
9
-0.24945 3.385639 4.453923
-0.41193 2.773327 4.453923
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-0.4456 2.554117 4.453923

-0.45694 2.453258 4.453923
-0.46165 2.402738 4.453923
-0.46354 2.380213 4.453923
-0.46374 2.377737 4.453923
-0.4624 2.39402 4.453923
-0.45891 2.432977 4.453923
-0.45138 2.505552 4.453923
-0.43462 2.635069 4.453923
-0.39431 2.864169 4.453923
-0.29696 3.242162 4.453923
-0.09323 3.765647 4.453923
0.25055 4.356487 4.453923
4
0.73508 4.92478 4.453923
8
1.33694 5.406322 4.453923
2.01823 5.762781 4.453923
5
2.73138 5.977572 4.453923
6
3.42049 6.055436 4.453923
7
4.01816 6.026036 4.453923
9
4.42907 5.95287 4.453923
3
4.46476 5.9444 4.453923
2
3.59774 6.056067 4.453923
7
1.06405 5.211413 4.453923
9
-0.24945 3.385639 4.453923
-0.41193 2.773327 4.453923
-0.4456 2.554117 4.453923
-0.45694 2.453258 4.453923
-0.46165 2.402738 4.453923
-0.46354 2.380213 4.453923
-0.46374 2.377737 4.453923