Motion System Design articles from July 2007

Motion System Design archives from July 2007

Fly like an eagle: Side B.(In the loop)
July 1, 2007... In the May issue, I wrote about a study on the state of U.S. manufacturing produced by the National Association of Manufacturers. Since then, I've received quite a bit of feedback from readers puzzled by the overwhelmingly positive tone. As...

Elevator tech on the rise.(Miconic 10's user interface )
July 1, 2007... The view from the top is wonderful, but getting there can be a real pain. For people who live or work in tall buildings, it's no fun when the elevator stops at 2, 4, 7, 9, and 10 on the way up to 20. But change is taking place along the Z axis...

Looking through rose-colored glasses?(In response)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I'm confused regarding your editorial extolling how healthy our manufacturing industry is (May 2007). Minnesota has lost 5,500 manufacturing jobs over the past year and the Ford Ranger plant here is expected to close in a year or so. Is...

Patent protection necessary.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I read with interest the previous remarks by your reader. This kind of thing has been proposed but I'm not sure that it would make much difference. Here are some thoughts: If the employer is paying you to do the research and development,...

Women a boon to engineering.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Comments in Senior Editor Elisabeth Eitel's May 17 eNewsletter generated several responses about the diligence and skills of females in the technical workplace. Read on and perhaps you'd like to share your own thoughts next month. I found...

Stay out of my fridge.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Regarding your article (June 2007 "Coming soon to a node near you"), I think it's OK to have more IP addresses, but it's a really bad idea to put appliances on a network that can be breached by individuals who create harmful programs that...

Keep 'em coming.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Just a note to say how much I have been enjoying your "In the Loop" column. I really like the way you couple seemingly unrelated topics (like DiVinci's painting technique), with engineering. Very informative and engaging. Joseph Biondo ...

Twisting and turning on the track.(Maverick roller coaster by IntaRide LLC)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... It's not the tallest or the fastest roller coaster in the world, but it just may be the most fun, thanks in part to the linear synchronous motors that drive it. Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, opened yet another new ride in 2007. Maverick, a $21...

ITT acquires International Motion Control.(What's New)
July 1, 2007... ITT Corp., White Plains, N.Y., has announced it will acquire International Motion Control (IMC), Buffalo, for $395 million. IMC is a global developer of motion control products. The acquisition will be completed in the third quarter. ...

Danaher Motion establishes SynqNet interest group.(What's New)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... To promote the architectural and technological advances of the SynqNet motion network, Danaher Motion, Wood Dale, Ill., has established the SynqNet Interest Group at SynqNet.org as an educational resource for design engineers to maximize the...

Making the connection in wafer development.(Industry Focus: Semiconductor Manufacturing)
July 1, 2007... Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a system for manipulating and precisely positioning individual nanowires on semiconductor wafers. Their technique allows the fabrication of sophisticated test...

PTDA names new director.(What's New)(Power Transmission Distributors Association)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) Foundation, Chicago, appointed Phyllis Russell to executive director. She is responsible for all aspects of the Foundation's management, including implementing its missions, goals, and...

Bosch Rexroth consolidates divisions.(What's New)
July 1, 2007... Bosch Rexroth Corp., Rochester Hills, Mich., is consolidating its branch offices in the Detroit area, moving 120 local employees into a 57,000-[ft.sup.2] facility on Research Drive in Rochester Hills to be nearer to its automotive and...

Software helps deliver safe landings.(What's New)
July 1, 2007... Engineering company LMS, Leuven, Belgium, has introduced a dedicated simulation solution for landing gear systems based on the company's Virtual. Lab Motion program. The new program--Virtual. Lab Landing Gear--allows design teams to build...

Beating traffic wins the race.(new and improved actuators for proper navigation through heavy city traffic)
July 1, 2007... Navigating through traffic is difficult enough for even the best of drivers, but imagine having to do it without your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. That's what teams will be doing in this year's Defense Advanced Research...

Multi-mode ac drive.(Product spotlight: Vector drives)
July 1, 2007... Unidrive SP includes an encoder-equipped ac induction motor that accurately controls speed and position for a wide range of loads. Features & benefits * Works with three-phase induction motors up to 2,900 hp * Runs off 230, 460,...

Flux vector drives.(Product spotlight: Vector drives)
July 1, 2007... SM2 series drives operate in environments where inverter technology was considered too costly and offer high starting torque, auto tuning, advanced low-speed control, and dynamic speed regulation. Features & benefits * V/Hz, enhanced...

Three-level inverter.(Product spotlight: Vector drives)
July 1, 2007... G7 ac drive features 480-V 3-level inverter architecture to eliminate or minimize installation problems associated with IGBT switching and protect the motor-drive system. Features & benefits * 0.5 to 150 hp at 240 Vac; 0.5 to 500 hp at...

Juggling many functions: now you can control entire automation systems and individual robots within a single integrated control environment.(Kinematics)
July 1, 2007... These days, everything from hand soap to candy bars comes in multiple versions. Behind all this variety are smart manufacturing plants that have the ability to collect, move, and package products into multiple formats. Have it your way ...

Commanding new heights: it's easy to synchronize motion, but doing it well is another thing altogether. New algorithms take machine coordination to the next level.(Multi-axis control)
July 1, 2007... Almost all motion controllers on the market today can synchronize two or more axes. But too many times, this merely means that the controller has the ability to effectively parallel command signals to two or more drives, or follow a master...

Nailing down the limits of your leadscrew assembly: the pressure-velocity factor is a key design parameter for properly sizing and selecting leadscrew assemblies that use polymer nuts.(Linear motion)(Report)
July 1, 2007... If you've specified radial bushings or slides in a recent design, you may have sized them using pressure-velocity (PV) factor--a measure of pressure and velocity between key contacting surfaces. Well, the descriptive expression can also...

Keeping pace with displacement sensors: linear encoders bypass many machine errors and go straight to the source for positional information. Here, we discuss how they perform under speedy and snail-slow movement.(Extreme engineering)
July 1, 2007... Linear encoders by their very design overcome various mechanical machine limitations by providing a direct source of positional feedback. They can monitor most applications, including hostile, oily environments or those that require total...

Proximity sensing.(Productivity forum)
July 1, 2007... How close is it? That's the golden question proximity sensors were born to answer. Today, however, another question is when is a proximity sensor a better choice than a machine vision system--a line that continues to blur as sensors get...

Web contents.
July 1, 2007... Surfing the web but tired of the same old sites? Then stop by and visit us! Motion System Design's website is home to a vast amount of knowledge on all things motion control. In addition addition to archived articles from our magazine, you...

Delta robot redesign picks up the pace: Delta robots are the best thing to hit the packaging industry since the advent of conveyor lines. Recent improvements in planetary gearing and servomotor technology have made them even faster and more compact.(Mechatronics in motion)
July 1, 2007... The packaging industry's most successful rapid transfer robot--the Delta robot--was developed in Switzerland during the early 1980s by Reymond Clavel. Since then, this lightning-quick, spiderlike mechanism has spread to factories around the...

Illumination information: like people, machines can't see in the "dark." Here are several suggestions on how to turn on the lights, making machine vision work for you.(Lessons in Vision)
July 1, 2007... Machine vision is a key control element for countless robotics and automated systems, as well as the basis for a wide variety of systems that measure and extract information from objects. But without proper illumination, vision systems are...

Encoder disc functions.(MSD 101)
July 1, 2007... Shaft motion can be tracked by incremental encoders for analysis and use by system controls downstream. Rotational direction is monitored with an encoder disc paired with simple electronics and a dual optical interrupter; with a bit of...

Pulling their weight.(BETTER BY Design)
July 1, 2007... A modular gearbox design integrates gearing into a timing pulley for dynamic linear motion systems, including gantry robots, high-speed packaging machinery, and assembly automaton. These precision pulleys offer ratios up to 90:1 and provide...

Servodrive.(Products)
July 1, 2007... XtraDrive-DL servo system features a dual-loop design that addresses instability issues inherent in high-speed precision motion systems requiring high accuracy. Features & benefits * Senses and compensates for load position...

Non-magnetic rigid chain.(Products)
July 1, 2007... RigiBelt is made of reinforced plastic and stainless steel, with two belts that join together like a zipper to form a column. Features & benefits * Driven with electric motor; handles loads from 2 to 1,000 lb * Stroke lengths to 6...

Sercos analog, digital devices.(Products)
July 1, 2007... Sercos III Block I/O digital and analog devices easily integrate I/O signals in technical testing and regulating applications by connecting sensors and actuators to high-level control systems. Features & benefits * Digital version has...

Linear motion guide.(Products)
July 1, 2007... Box Redi-Rail linear motion guide is rigid, self-supporting, and interchangeable for faster and easier installation. Features & benefits * 30 and 45-mm sizes * T-slots allow for easy adaptability to many components and assemblies...

Optical commutation encoder.(Products)
July 1, 2007... RCML15 encoder provides signals for brushless motor commutation as well as incremental position feedback in a low profile. Features & benefits * 3.3 V supply [+ or -]10% maximum ripple, and 40 m[V.sub.p-to-p] * Resolution to 4096...

Dc micromotor.(Products)
July 1, 2007... Series M2232U dc micromotors feature low-cog rotation by combining skewed laminations and a tapered magnetic system. Features & benefits * 22-mm diameter and 32-mm long * Achieves stall torque of 25.62 mNm and speeds to 10,000 rpm...

Linear actuators.(Products)
July 1, 2007... LCB series of compact linear actuators incorporates a low friction, dry running, sliding bearing carriage that provides long, reliable travel life, even at 100% duty cycle. Features & benefits * Acceleration at 20 [m.sup.2]; speeds to...

Wafer-mapping sensor.(Products)
July 1, 2007... OHDM 16 long-distance laser-diffuse sensor detects stacked 300 mm wafers from the open side of the Front Operating Unified Pod (FOUP) regardless of surface quality or coating. Features & benefits * Sensing range to 133 mm allows...

Clutches and brakes.(Products)(AquaMaKKs water-cooled clutches )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... AquaMaKKs water-cooled clutches and brakes provide accurate torque control for constant tensioning. Features & benefits * Fewer parts mean easier installation and maintenance * Water jacket design ensures high heat absorption and...

Air-bearing stages.(Products)
July 1, 2007... ABRT rotary air-bearing stages feature large air-bearing surfaces and preloading for high stiffness and load capacity. Features & benefits * Provide 360[degrees] continuous travel with resolution to 0.027 arc/sec * 69 kg payload...

Anti-seize lubricants.(Products)
July 1, 2007... Permatex brand lubricants protect mated metal parts against corrosion, rusting, galling, friction, and seizing. Features & benefits * Inert blend of heavy-duty aluminum, copper, and graphite lubricants in a petroleum base *...

Clamping sleeves.(Products)
July 1, 2007... Kostyrka GmbH clamping sleeves create a shaft-hub joint actuated by hydraulic pressure to support machine tools. Features & benefits * 20 sizes from 10 to 140-mm ID * Holding force in excess of 22,000 lb-ft with only negligible...

Optimizing precision and accuracy.(AMK Drives and Controls Inc. introduces AMKASYN programmable logic controllers)(Nippon Pulse America Inc. introduces Linear Shaft Brushless Motors)(SKF USA Inc. introduces new roller screws)
July 1, 2007... Remember the dartboard analogy? Darts landing near the bull's eye mean accuracy, whereas misfires landing close together, but far from the bull's eye, are more indicative of precision or repeatability. Today's motion systems, of course, usually...

DBO [check] list.
July 1, 2007... [check] Regarding positioning, accuracy is how closely a system in motion approaches a command position; precision refers to the error between successive attempts to move to the same location; resolution is the smallest move increment that can...

A stupid dream.(Problem 298)
July 1, 2007... Finagle J. Wurme is getting ready to live one of his lifelong dreams--auditioning for a spot on David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks. Finagle's been training his Siamese cat, Thrasher, to ride a skateboard and things are going well. He's now...