Motion System Design articles from March 2008

Motion System Design archives from March 2008

Grid couplings.(Companion Component: Shafting)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] G-Flex grid couplings are based on the Bibby Transmissions design to protect against shaft misalignment and vibration. Features & benefits * Shot-peened spring creates protective surface layer that resists...

U-joint couplings.(Companion Component: Shafting)
March 1, 2008... Block-and-pin universal joints handle misalignment to 35[degrees] and boost safety by accommodating gross overloads. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Features & benefits * Movable shaft enables freedom of movement for load or drive along...

Steel shafting.(Companion Component: Shafting)
March 1, 2008... Case-hardened precision shafting made with custom magnetic frequency generator has precise dimensions and high strength. Features & benefits * Rapid heating and cooling quench technique hardens surface to a selected depth while...

Linear shafts.(Companion Component: Shafting)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Standard lengths in more than 450 straight shaft types feature consistent hardened depth. Features & benefits * Metric shafts are available in 52100 chrome-plated bearing steel and 440C stainless-steel...

Spline shafts.(Companion Component: Shafting)
March 1, 2008... The small SS 2 spline shaft series has an O.D. of 0.125 in. for light applications where low friction and long life are critical. Features & benefits * Suitable for rotary drives with adjustable linear position, or linear guides with...

Tapered shaft servo couplings.(Companion Component: Shafting)
March 1, 2008... BK4 bellows couplings interface servomotors with tapered conical shafts in mechanical assemblies, reducing stress on shaft bearings when the motor frame is bolted down. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Features & benefits * Stainless-steel...

Speeding up and slowing down.(Design by Objective)
March 1, 2008... Within the broad scope of motion control, some of the most challenging applications are those that involve high acceleration-deceleration cycles. Here we explore some of the latest tools and tactics to create smooth and controlled motion...

Have you hugged your linear motor today?(Solution: snapshot)
March 1, 2008... Moore's Law, famous for predicting exponential gains in semiconductor chip density, has long endured thanks in large part to advances in linear motor performance. Driven by semiconductor industry requirements, linear motor manufacturers have...

High-torque servomotors.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... High-torque MaxPlusPlus MPP230 and MPP270 servomotors offer low inertia and high power in a small package. Features & benefits * 162 Nm continuous stall torque and 513 Nm peak torque * Segmented lamination yields up to 40% higher...

Miniature bearings.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Resilient, self-aligning igubal spherical bearing is light and compact, doesn't need lubrication, is easy to install in minimal spaces, and adapts to all angular misalignments. Features & benefits * 3-mm...

Position sensors.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... LP750 series position sensors are hermetically sealed, frictionless, and will serve as a long-life replacement for failing potentiometers in industrial position measurement applications. Features & benefits * Available in standard...

Position encoders.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... Encoders with an EnDat 2.2 transmission component (a digital, bidirectional interface) provide serial data transfer, (including diagnostic possibilities, automatic commissioning, and rapid formation of the position value) in safety-related...

Electric actuators.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... MXE series of rodless screw drive electric actuators are available in three new body sizes and combine multiple screw technologies and increased load capacities to deliver highly flexible, reliable operation. Features & benefits * Six...

Lubricant bearings.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... Line of sealed solid lubricant bearings is installed with oil-filled polymers that have some of the properties of solids, but lubricate them with a film of oil. Features & benefits * Contain approximately twice the amount of oil than...

VFD cables.(New Products)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Line of variable frequency drive (VFD) cables is designed to carry power from industrial ac drive systems to ac motors. * Eight symmetrical ground design, 3-conductor 16 to 2 AWG cables, for many requirements,...

Talkin' about Shaft: precision line shafts transmit torque across longer distances while maintaining mechanical synchronization. Here we review their basics, as well as speed considerations.(Line shafts)
March 1, 2008... They're lightweight with straightness and lateral stiffness that boost stability at higher speeds. Line shafts, also known jackshafts and torque tubes, span long distances to connect other power transmission shafts. Conventional designs require...

Almost human: lifelike color sensing improves vision inspections.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it comes to inspecting parts and packages, many engineers wish that machine vision cameras were more perceptive with regard to color. Until recently, the technology required to process large amounts of color...

Gearing up your bearings: slewing ring bearings--the bearings that find use on cranes, wind turbines, and other smaller designs--are sometimes cut with teeth to double as gears. Let's review the benefits and challenges of applying these units.(Gearing)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Drive systems can be simplified by incorporating a gear on either the inner or outer bearing race of a slewing ring. These gear details can take on many styles and features: Fellows stubs, full-depth involutes,...

Room for both views.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... There is never a corollary answer to "why" when science answers the question "how." It is hardly a canard since the "why" question is beyond the scope of science. One only has to ask a child's question, such as "Why are there so many...

Science, faith not mutually exclusive.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Reader S. Scott Murray's response on the ethics of how versus why offered some viewpoints that require further discussion. Science and faith are not mutually exclusive, but can complement each other. Many of the scientific discoveries and...

Exploring energy efficiency starts now.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Some interesting letters were included in your January issue, including a few on the topic of natural or manmade warming and waste. However, I think many people are missing the basic point. Most Americans are too wealthy to do anything about...

A [better] formula for success.(In the loop)(Column)
March 1, 2008... I usually don't publish letters in my editorials. But I'd be shortchanging everyone if I didn't make an exception in this one case. It comes from Nathan Jones, founder of Automated Tooling LLC in Los Gatos, Calif. Enjoyed your column, "A...

Understanding motion simulation: Part 1 of 2.(Course Audit: Advanced learning at your desk, at your pace)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this installment: * Simulation vs. other software * Design verification * Reverse engineering motion * Modeling velocity, acceleration When computer-aided engineering (CAE) methods became...

Bearings and slides: what do today's system designers need to know about working with bearings and slides? What do they need to watch out for? Learn what industry experts think about these issues as we take a look at bearing and slide technology.(Productivity forum)(bearing and slide technology)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The basics How do bearings and slides contribute to productivity in today's motion-centric automation environment? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Matt * igus: An important development in recent times has been...

Photoelectric sensors.(Product Spotlight: Proximity Sensors)
March 1, 2008... M18 photoelectric sensors with an integral right angle prism improve conveyor control reliability and are flush mounted onto a conveyor side looking across the belt or rollers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Features & benefits * High...

Miniature proximity sensors.(Product Spotlight: Proximity Sensors)
March 1, 2008... M8 miniature picoprox sensors feature Uprox+ technology to provide compact housings with sensing distances that far exceed ferrite core sensors, especially while sensing non-ferrous metals. Features & benefits * 316 stainless-steel...

Miniature photoelectric sensors.(Product Spotlight: Proximity Sensors)
March 1, 2008... Mini-Eye photoelectric sensors perform nearly all sensing tasks from even the tightest locations; proximity, thru-beam, and retroreflective models perform object detection such as web break detection, counting, inspection, orientation, and...

Inductive proximity sensor.(Product Spotlight: Proximity Sensors)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IProx tubular proximity sensor uses an embedded microprocessor and SmartSense technology to sense up to three times farther than other shielded or unshielded sensors. Features & benefits * Stainless-steel...

See it in action.(Web Contents)
March 1, 2008... Do you enjoy our Programmable Automation department in the magazine? Then be sure to stop by our "What's New in Motion" department on the MSD site each month to see design in action with video graphics that depict the technology discussed in...

Graphics simplify searching.(Web Contents)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Graphics, including 3D images and cable assembly photos, enhance Cicoil Corp.'s redesigned website, www.cicoil. com. The Valencia, Calif. manufacturer of flat cable assemblies has increased its technical information...

A strong finish but cautious 2008 outlook: industrial controls finish 2007 strong, but future unclear.(What's New)
March 1, 2008... Although 2007 saw strong growth, the weakening housing market and signs that business confidence is becoming increasingly fragile are causing prospects for the manufacturing sector to erode and may result in declines in shipments of industrial...

PTDA sees growth but confidence drops.(What's New)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), Chicago, released 2007 year-end sales data for distributors and manufacturers of power transmission/ motion control (PT/MC) products, showing distributors and manufacturers in North...

Electricity gets smart: NEMA defines electric supply chain "intelligence".(What's New)
March 1, 2008... A NEMA (The Association of Electrical and Medical Imaging Equipment Manufacturers) task force moved closer to creating an electricity supply chain that can correlate the ever-changing demand and supply of electricity nationwide. The concept,...

Bearing simplifies harrowing task.(Industry Focus: Agriculture/Construction)
March 1, 2008... Fitting deep groove ball bearings onto its power harrow machine was getting to be an expensive and time-consuming hassle for German agricultural machinery maker Lemken. Its Zirkon 10 power harrow was previously designed with a standard deep...

PT/MC exhibition hits Milan.(Biz bits)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The 2008 Mechanical Power Transmission & Motion Control, the Biennial International Exhibition of Motion Control Systems, Drive Techniques and Mechanical Power Transmission, will be held at Fieramilano, Rho, Milan, from May 27-30. The...

IC provider aligns with motion system maker.(Biz bits)
March 1, 2008... Austriamicrosystems, Unterpremstaetten, Austria, a manufacturer of high-performance analog ICs, and New Scale Technologies Inc., Victor, N.Y., a developer and manufacturer of miniature motion systems, have formed a strategic alliance....

Strength by laser.(InSights)(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, along with colleagues at New Jersey-based Metal Improvement Co. Inc., use their Lasershot Peening System to extend the lifetime of critical metal parts, from aircraft engine fan blades...

ABB CEO resigns.(Biz bits)
March 1, 2008... ABB CEO Fred Kindle is leaving the Zurich-based company due to "irreconcilable differences" on how to lead the power and automation giant in the future. In his absence, the board of directors has named chief financial officer Michel Demare as...

Online registration open for BSA conference.(Biz bits)(Conference news)
March 1, 2008... The Bearing Specialists Association (BSA), Glen Ellyn, Ill., has opened online registration for its Conference Table Session at the association's 2008 annual convention, April 26-29 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson, Az. BSA's...

Balluff adds metal forming market expert.(Biz bits)
March 1, 2008... Balluff, Florence, Ky., has named Drew Stevens as business development support specialist for metalforming. Stevens brings a great deal of metalforming expertise to his new role and will be responsible for directing Balluff's metalforming...

Students explore construction.(What's New)
March 1, 2008... Visiting ConExpo-Con/AGG this month? For a fun diversion, check out what hundreds of high school students will be learning about the construction industry as they compete in the AEM Construction Challenge. In addition to the "Infrastructure...

Robots making rounds.(World in Motion)
March 1, 2008... Every minute a hospital worker spends delivering bed linens or pushing a medicine cart means time away from patient care. Automating these mundane tasks frees up medical staff for more important duties, and that's just what one company is doing...