Motion System Design articles from April 2007

Motion System Design archives from April 2007

Maximizing energy efficiency.(Design by Objective)
April 1, 2007... It's been said that the most promising alternative fuel source is energy efficiency. With carbon emissions a hot topic among politicians, scientists, and consumers alike, engineers who work with industrial motion systems must think about...

Digital drives.(Design by Objective)
April 1, 2007... ION digital drives support distributed control over an asynchronous serial (RS485) or CANbus network, eliminating the need for motion cards, connections between cards and amplifiers, and complicated wiring. High-efficiency MOSFETs operating at...

Energy-efficient bearings.(Design by Objective)
April 1, 2007... SKF will manufacture a new bearing family later this year, which will reduce energy consumption by at least 30% compared to standard ISO products. Production will begin with deep-groove ball bearings and tapered roller bearings. Specialized...

Premium efficient motors.(Design by Objective)
April 1, 2007... Several new motors have been added to the Super-E family of premium efficient motors--ranging from 1 to 1,500 hp--all of which meet or exceed NEMA Premium efficiency standards. All motors are balanced to half of the NEMA allowable vibration...

DBO * list.(increasing efficiency of motion system)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... * Efficiency results from many components working well together * In a motion system, efficiency begins with the motor, but also includes interface, drive, and control dynamics * Think about loss points during the motor's conversion of...

Diffusing current trouble: variable frequency drives can cause voltage buildup on motor shafts. Several methods--one fairly new--can channel it away.(Variable frequency drives)
April 1, 2007... The use of variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to control ac motors has increased dramatically in recent years: on power generators, gas turbines, wind turbine generators, ac traction and break motors, cleanroom and HVAC systems, and other...

Optimizing reciprocating motion: reciprocating motion is found in cutting, pumping, and positioning applications everywhere. Here are some ways to improve the performance of these cycling systems.(Engineering extremes)
April 1, 2007... Think of reciprocating motion, and cams--those kings of kinematic linkages--may come to mind. For good reason: Cams have been the traditional gold standard for reciprocating motion since the dawn of industrialization. Even today, modern...

Problem 296: gone to the dogs.(Fun with fundamentals)
April 1, 2007... To make a little extra spending cash, Finagle J. Wurme has taken a job as a dog walker. When he meets up with his new clients, he's dismayed to learn he'll be walking three Irish Wolfhounds--Summer, Autumn, and King. All is going well...

Win a power supply.(Fun with fundamentals)
April 1, 2007... The winner of this month's problem receives a RHINO PSP series power supply from AutomationDirect, Cumming, Ga. These provide tightly regulated output voltage for sensitive loads in industrial environments. The slim plastic case is lightweight...

Mechatronics--the inside story.(In the loop)
April 1, 2007... In the early 1990s, I received a letter from a man incensed by an editorial I wrote on the subject of mechatronics. I had been promoting the concept for several years, and in my zeal, I must have pushed this guy over the edge. In a stinging...

Steer-by-wire offers tractors new direction.(Industry Focus: Agriculture)
April 1, 2007... Off-highway tractors slog through mud, muck, and other rough terrain on a daily basis. Getting the job done in spite of these harsh conditions requires technology at its best. For one heavy-equipment maker, the requirements were...

Digging through the dirt, on Mars.(What's new)
April 1, 2007... April means gardening season is here again, but how about digging through some red dirt about 40 million miles away? For engineers at Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft and Mechanisms Design Company, based in New York, they've been doing just that...

Mini-motor maker says cheese.(What's new)
April 1, 2007... Cell phone cameras may be fun to play with, but for serious image quality, photo buffs are better off snapping shots with real digital cameras. Industry analysts predict that may all change within the next 18 months, as mobile phone camera...

Hybrid stepping motor.(Products)
April 1, 2007... NEMA size 11 stepper motor produces high torque in a small, RoHS-compliant package. Features & benefits * 1.8[degrees] (200 steps/rev) bipolar and unipolar designs measure 28 [mm.sup.2] 3 32 mm long * Delivers accurate open loop...

Pneumatic swing clamp.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Swing clamp's arm rotates 90[degrees] clockwise or counterclockwise as it extends up and away from the work piece, providing clearance and access for loading and unloading. Features & benefits * 8 bore sizes from 12 to 63 mm; strokes...

Hand controls.(Products)
April 1, 2007... TCH series electronic, industrial hand controls can be easily integrated into vehicle design. Features & benefits * Non-contact sensor design * Control electric vehicles and electro-hydraulic systems * Replace conventional...

Motion controllers.(Products)
April 1, 2007... SpiiPlus SA multi-axis, standalone motion controllers provide users with the power of PC-based control by using distributed multi-processor architecture running an on-board RTOS. Features & benefits * Fixed 20 kHz servo update for...

Disconnect switches.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Ferraz Shawmut's Sirco and Fuserbloc 600 Vac/250 Vdc fusible and non-fusible switches feature makeand- break power circuits under load and are UL, CSA, CE, and IEC-rated. Features & benefits * Sirco available in 30 to 800 A ratings;...

All-in-one control.(Products)
April 1, 2007... SilverPak 23CE features an integrated NEMA 23 high torque step motor, microstepping driver, intelligent controller, and optical encoder all in one compact unit. Features & benefits * 3.41, 3.85, and 4.78 in. body lengths; up to 294...

Guide rollers, cam followers.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Power-Core miniature guide rollers and cam followers feature miniature ball bearings and self-lubricating, thermally installed precision machined plastic tires. Features & benefits * O.D. as small as 1.2 in. * Handle shock and...

Linear bearings.(Products)
April 1, 2007... X-Rail stainless-steel linear bearings are C-shaped to keep contaminants out. Features & benefits * Sizes from 20 to 45 mm * Load capacities to 400 lb * Food-grade lubrication allows long life in washdown environments ...

Dual readhead encoders.(Products)
April 1, 2007... DSi rotary encoders combine two error-correcting Signum SR readheads on an RESM ring and provide a customer- selectable propoZ reference (index) position that is unaffected by bearing wander or power cycling. Features & benefits *...

Motor testing equipment.(Products)
April 1, 2007... Micro Dyne system tests micro, low-torque motors resolving from 0.0004 nN-m on a 2 mN-m scale. Features & benefits * Maximum kinetic power rating of 4 W; maximum speed rating of 100,000 rpm * Hysteresis dynamometer and motor...

Curved motion bearing.(Products)
April 1, 2007... RVF Gonio curved slide way is a low-friction, non-recirculating curved motion bearing with precision cross rollers for minute curved motion. Features & benefits * Hardened and ground raceways * Caged rollers provide stable...

Sensor actuator interfaces.(Programmable Automation Products)
April 1, 2007... Active SAIs are IP67-rated and provide wiring flexibility for modular and decentralized process control. Features & benefits * Support Profibus, DeviceNet, CANopen, Ethernet, Ethernet/IP, Profinet, and Modbus/TCP * M8 and M12...

Wireless transceiver.(Programmable Automation Products)
April 1, 2007... MRF24J40 2.4 GHz transceiver networks ZigBee protocol and wireless protocols in RF applications. Features & benefits * Combines with 200 8-bit and 16-bit PIC microcontrollers and dsPIC DSCs * Provides source-code format to allow...

Innovations in automation 2007.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... B&R's Innovations 2007 brochure presents the latest products and trends for machine automation. Learn more about integrated safety technology, compare the most advanced Industrial PCs and control solutions or simply stay up to date. Get your...

AutomationDirect's volume 11 free catalog.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... AutomationDirect's volume 11 catalog offers 6,000 industrial automation products for a wide range of applications. The latest volume is loaded with over 1,900 pages featuring product descriptions, technical data, photos, and price lists for...

SW and PW Series UtiliTrak[R] linear motion guides.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... UtiliTrak with signature DualVee[R] guide wheels and MadeWell[TM] crown rollers from Bishop-Wisecarver is a smooth, low cost linear guidance solution that is ideal for a variety of environments where high speed motion is required. Features...

Self-lubricating gear solutions calculated for life.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... 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...

Higher ratings for REALI-SLIM[R] bearings.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... Higher dynamic capacity ratings based on actual testing show that REALI-SLIM[R] thin-section bearing life is longer than previously published. The ratings are in a new, 132-page Catalog 300, which also describes how these bearings create space...

Precision mechanical components.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... 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...

Spiral retaining rings & wave springs.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... 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...

Belt-driven DB actuators.(Media MART)
April 1, 2007... Belt-driven DB actuators operate @ 5.1 meters per second (MPS). No lubrication or maintenance. They are ideal for applications where speed is critical such as pick-and-place mechanisms on high speed automation equipment. Travel up to 6 meters,...

Vibration control: whether it's everyday gear backlash or an unexpected shock load, vibration is a fact of life for modern motion systems. In this forum, Motion System Design editors speak with two industry experts about the best ways to confront system vibration--and keep it to a minimum.(Productivity forum)(Interview)
April 1, 2007... HOW DOES VIBRATION CONTROL--OR LACK THEREOF--AFFECT PRODUCTIVITY AND THROUGHPUT IN INDUSTRIAL MOTION SYSTEMS? Jeff * Enidine: Vibration control affects productivity through its impact on the accuracy and repeatability of manufactured parts....

High-tolerance shaft collars.(Product Spotlight: Collars & Hubs)
April 1, 2007... Shaft collars are single-point faced to ensure a high level of face-to-bore perpendicularity, offering runout of TIR less than 0.05 mm. Features & benefits * One and two-piece clamp styles in bores from 3 to 80 mm *Aluminum, black...

Hub and shaft collars.(Product Spotlight: Collars & Hubs)
April 1, 2007... S25FB9 (brass) and S25FY9 (stainless-steel) shaft collars incorporate a built-in bearing shim spacer and feature a Fairloc integral hub fastener. Features & benefits * Fit shafts that are 0.12 to 3.4 in. or 3 to 20 mm diameter *...

Jaw hub.(Product Spotlight: Collars & Hubs)
April 1, 2007... L type jaw hub pairs with most elastomers for coupling applications. Features & benefits * Available in sintered iron, cast iron, steel, and stainless steel * Works with an elastomeric insert to compensate for various types of...

Shaft collars with clamp levers.(Product Spotlight: Collars & Hubs)
April 1, 2007... D-cut shaft collars with clamp levers require no tools for installation or maintenance. Features & benefits * Available with 1045 steel black oxide, electroless nickel plating, and 304 stainless steel * Accommodate 10 to 20-mm...

Catching some heat: infrared temperature sensors function where conventional probes fear to tread.(Temperature sensing)
April 1, 2007... Few industrial tools in recent years have generated more interest than non-contact infrared temperature sensors. These devices can reliably measure temperatures to 800[degrees]F in areas where surface probes tend to fail. Besides temperature...

Dr. DeviceNet accepts patients.(Web contents)
April 1, 2007... If you have a burning question about a Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) network, help is just a click away at Ann Arbor, Mich.-based ODVA's new site, odva.org. Within the Training and Support area, visitors can seek help from Dr. DeviceNet, Mr....

Sensor site generates products.(Web contents)
April 1, 2007... A new product generator powered by 3D PartStream.net from Solid-Works Corp. is now available at the redesigned Cary, N.C.-based MTS Systems Corp.'s Sensors Division website, mtssensors.com. Visitors can build and view a product, and then...

Sustainable scooter fuels desire for fun.(World in Motion)
April 1, 2007... When a company sets a goal as lofty as revolutionizing an entire industry, things usually don't happen overnight. It often takes years of research, prototypes, design, and redesign. So it is with Andrew MacGowan's Vectrix Corp., Newport, R.I.,...