Motion System Design articles from April 2006

Motion System Design archives from April 2006

Keeping belts in synch: tooth profiles, belt materials, and sprocket tolerances influence a belt's positioning accuracy. Find out how these factors can help you select the right synchronous belt drive.(Belt drives)
April 1, 2006... Synchronous belts--originally known as timing belts--precisely match, or synchronize, the motion of two or more shafts. They keep shafts in synch because they have a toothed surface that meshes with grooves in the associated sprockets. This...

Circle ballet.(Brushing up)
April 1, 2006... Trochoids--curves traced by rolling circles--were originally explored and defined by Archimedes, that lover of all things spiral, for sport. Later the curves and their precise definition caused so much strife between 17th-century mathematicians...

Stop and go: points to consider when optimizing high-speed indexing.(Design by objective)
April 1, 2006... Manufacturing processes often march to the beat of short repetitive moves. These incremental or indexing cycles are prevalent on all sorts of production machinery, and they frequently hold the key to throughput and productivity. Today,...

Joachim Uhing: this month, we review the life of Joachim Uhing, inventor of the rolling-ring actuator, for inspiration and ideas.(Did you know)
April 1, 2006... In the late 1940s, Joachim Uhing was working in a factory in Germany that made thread guides and other parts for industrial knitting machines. As in many plants at the time, most of the machines in Uhing's facility were driven by a common shaft...

Hanging by a thread.(Problem 286)
April 1, 2006... Finagle J. Wurme is a contestant on a new reality challenge show. For his first task he must cross a 1,200 ft gorge, with sharp craggy rocks and venomous snakes slithering below. Wurme expects to find a rickety bridge when he arrives at the...

Waverunner--the conclusion.(Nikola Tesla )(Biography)
April 1, 2006... Almost every book written about Nikola Tesla mentions the inventor's unusual behaviors. The speculation is that Tesla had a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder or rare form of autism. Tesla himself commented on his peculiarities, matter of...

The eyes of motion: machine vision systems can execute tasks simultaneously when integrated into motion control applications. Find out how vision systems work and how to select their components.(Machine vision)
April 1, 2006... With some help from machine vision systems, automated mechanical systems can align components, read barcodes, guide manipulators, and inspect their own work. Vision and mechanical systems can share the same sensor to measure, find, and orient...

Turning wafers upside down: an automated, grip-and-fflip mechanism rotates wafers for backside processing and inspection, improving throughput in chipmaking plants.(Mechanisms and machines)
April 1, 2006... During semiconductor fabrication, wafers undergo numerous processing steps--coatings, bakings, etches, rinses--and inspections, creating electrical circuits that stretch across their surface. In many cases, wafers must be flipped, manually or...

Screw stiffness.
April 1, 2006... Ballscrews are essentially long beams, so there's no way to prevent them from flexing and elastically deforming under load. That said, they can be made stiffer for better axis drive precision. First off, modifications can be made to the...

Kicking into high gear.(Need for speed)
April 1, 2006... Whether used as common speed reducers or exotic speed increasers, gearboxes face special challenges when rpms run high. Noise, vibration, and wind losses can diminish efficiency fast. Rapid engagements make for more friction and heat--which can...

Servo system switches cartons with ease and speed.
April 1, 2006... When a company switches from filling cookie to cereal boxes, it requires a quick and efficient system that can handle the different dimensions of the various boxes. The Veronica vertical cartoner by Ultra Packaging Inc., Bensenville, Ill.,...

Additive protects gear oils from corrosion.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A new anti-corrosion additive for hydraulic and lubricating oils protects equipment during operation and intermittent shutdowns. Cortec Corp.'s M-530 is used with mineral and synthetic-based oils to protect ferrous and non-ferrous metals,...

Profibus Trade Organization adds certified training.(Profibus Trade Organization)(Profitech Certification Training Course program)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Profibus Trade Organization (PTO) and the Profi Interface Center (PIC) have added two courses--Profibus Installer's and Profinet Certified Network Engineering--as part of the Profitech Certification Training Course program for 2006. ...

BSA marks 40th year.(Bearing Specialists Association)(BSA has focused on education and training)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
April 1, 2006... The Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) kicks off its 40th anniversary celebration at its 2006 Annual Convention, April 22 to 25 at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, Sarasota, Fla. BSA was founded in 1966 by the merger of the former Anti-Friction...

Lights, switches, action: new motor uses optical switches to control rotor flux and regulate torque.(What's new)
April 1, 2006... Electromagnetic motors have one thing in common: They're all driven by magnetic fields. How the fields are produced and how they couple the rotor and stator is limited only by the imagination of the designer, which is where the story begins for...

Rodless band cylinder.(Pneumatic solutions)
April 1, 2006... Ultra Band rod less cylinder seals mechanical piston/yoke connections. Features & benefits * 18 to 63 mm bore sizes (inch available) * Stroke length to 3 m * Sealing efficiency rating of 100 sccm leakage * Cushioning and...

Air cylinders.(Pneumatic solutions)
April 1, 2006... Pancake II interchangeable pneumatic cylinders offer high load bearing capacity, reduced friction, and zero slip stick. Features & Benefits * Four styles and eight bore sizes from 1/2 to 4 in. * High strength, self lubricating...

Precision mechanical components.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... Comprehensive, easy-to-use format for over 50,000 components: bearings, belts & pulleys, shafts, couplers, gears, hardware, slides, lead screws & nuts, positioning tables, linear motion systems and more. Call for application engineering...

Motion control solutions.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... SEPAC's catalogue of motion control solutions includes spring-set and large spring-set power-off brakes, permanent magnet power-off brakes, multiple disc clutches and brakes, tooth clutches and brakes, and spring engaged clutches and brakes...

Self-lubricating gear solutions calculated for life.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... The Intech Power-Core[TM] gears are precision machined and offer solutions to applications in which lubrication, wear, noise, vibration, inertia, shock load, moisture and chemicals present a problem for nylon, Delrin or metal gears. Metal Core...

Linear module actuator.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... Rodless actuators offer a high speed maintenance free synchronous belt driven LM type actuator. It consists of a lightweight aluminum carriage running on wheels with ball bearings riding inside a special aluminum extrusion. it is driven by a...

Spiral retaining rings & wave springs.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... Smalley's complete product line is now available in one easy to navigate catalog. The new catalog includes over 7,000 standard wave springs, spiral retaining rings and snap rings. Smalley's new catalog offers simplified part selection, special...

Mini Catalog.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... With PACAMOR KUBAR BEARINGS (PKB) miniature and instrument ball bearings installed in your products, you can be confident that your precision devices contain high quality, reliable, and domestically produced components. Miniature and instrument...

Bearing redesign adds strength to Dorner's 2200 series conveyors.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... Dorner Manufacturing has enhanced the durability and reliability of its popular selling 2200 Series conveyors through a re-engineering that completely protects the conveyor's bearings. Bearings on the 2200 Series conveyor are now installed into...

Tri-Flow[R] Industrial Lubricants.(Media MART)
April 1, 2006... Krylon Products Group offers a new six-page, full-color product guide featuring its complete line of Tri-Flow[R] Industrial-Strength Lubricants. The guide outlines key benefits of Tri-Flow Industrial and Superior lubricants, Food Grade...

Turn steppers into servos.(Products)
April 1, 2006... SilentStep control software lets stepmotors run like servos by optimizing torque, precision, and noise. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Patent-pending software technology * Reduces resonance and noise by up to 75% * Efficient control...

Rod ends bearings.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Rod end bearings Self-lubricating rod end bearings come in metric sizes. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Threaded stem or tapped body styles * Made of zinc-plated steel (rod end), hardened and ground Cr6 bearing steel (ball socket), and...

Magnetostrictive sensors.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Miniature C-series sensors feature a flexible shaft to provide precise curvilinear measurements when there is less than 270[degrees] of rotation to monitor. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Modular architecture based on core sensor *...

Linear servomotors.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Linear servomotors P01-48 linear servomotors provide reliable positioning and handling without belts, cams, or gears. FEATURES & BENEFITS * 135 lb peak force * 45 G acceleration * 175 in./sec speeds * 22 models with...

Power connectors.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Epic LS1 circular and mixed power connectors are available in five styles based on a standard M23 threaded connection housing. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Two contact configurations--5+PE contacts for power distribution and 3+PE+4 contacts...

Brushless dc gearmotor.(Products)
April 1, 2006... New 24-V brushless dc gearmotorbrake system develops 145 lb-in. of torque at 72 rpm. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Small size: 2.3 in. (diam.) x 9.2 in. (length) * Keyed 12-mm (diam.) output shaft * IP 54 protection rating *...

Rotary sensor.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Non-contact rotary sensor has no moving or mechanical parts, eliminating lifetime and wear concerns. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Embedded, integrated circuit provides analog output from 30[degrees] to 360[degrees] in 10[degrees] steps *...

Timing belt pulleys.(Products)
April 1, 2006... A6D51 series timing belts come in inch and metric sizes for 6 mm (0.236 in.) wide belts. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Made of aluminum with integrated Fairloc hub * Tooth pitch: 2 mm; available in sizes from 15 to 120 grooves * Bore...

High-torque motors.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Brushless EC 45 four-pole motor provides high torque without a gearhead. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Four-pole neodymium magnets, electrically commutated, no wearing brushes * 45 x 155 mm, 1.13 kg, 200 W output to 10,000 rpm *...

Stand-alone controller.(Product spotlight: Platforms & hardware)
April 1, 2006... EC21 embedded controller is a stand-alone CPU for switching cabinet installation that connects to three I/O systems (X67 I/O, compact I/O, and X20 system). Features & benefits * Interfaces include RS232, CAN, Profibus DP, X2X Link, and...

I/O module.(Product spotlight: Platforms & hardware)
April 1, 2006... The 759-670 I/O module provides step motor and servo drive control in a compact 12 mm wide package. Features & benefits * Supports two pulse output patterns--step/direction or incremental encoder * RS-422 interface; controlled by...

Four-axes controllers.(Product spotlight: Platforms & hardware)
April 1, 2006... Four-axes controllers Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 1768-L43 controllers handle up to four axes by combining motion and sequential control into one integrated multitasking platform. Features & benefits * Support DeviceNet, Control Net,...

I/O terminals.(Product spotlight: Platforms & hardware)
April 1, 2006... KL2532 and KL2542 I/O terminals provide an alternative to traditional drive systems for dc motor control. Features & benefits * 2-wire connection from motor to bus terminal * 12-mm KL2532 supplies up to 1 A to two 24 W dc motors...

Logic controllers.(Platforms & hardware)
April 1, 2006... Logic controllers Servo Wire motion and logic controllers come in three models--30, 80, and 160--and control up to 16 axes and thousands of I/O points. Features & Benefits * Connect as many as 16 digital Servo Wire SM drives with up to...

Motion control card.(Platforms & hardware)
April 1, 2006... Magellan PCI motion controller features a 50 sec per axis servo loop rate that supports dc brush, brush less dc, micro stepping, and pulse and direction motors. Features & benefits * 5Mcount/sec quadrature encoder input; 5 Mpulse/sec...