Motion System Design articles from March 2009

Motion System Design archives from March 2009

Mechanical speed adjustment.(Celebration: MSD's big Five-O)(Motion System Design)
March 1, 2009... In 1959, when Motion System Design made its debut, mechanical systems were the only way to control system speed. Now we ask of one inaugural-issue headline: Does it still hold true? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You may be surprised... ...

LEDs lighting the way.(Green engineering)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] While energy production and distribution have always been a challenge, today it is increasingly urgent to reduce power consumption--and lighting is no exception. Light-emitting diodes or LEDs provide an alternative...

Update your files quickly and easily.(File builder)
March 1, 2009... Get your next project off to a fast start, no matter what it entails, by collecting design-oriented information now. Send in your response card (stitched into your copy of MSD) or visit www.motionsystemdesign.com and click on Reader Service...

Green engineering.(Design by Objective)
March 1, 2009... When it comes to saving energy and using resources more efficiently and sustainably, today's engineers and bean counters alike know that green is the new black. This special report on green engineering takes a look at some of the latest tools...

Efficient motors comply with EISA.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), signed into law December 2007, includes several items geared to promote sustainable energy supplies and energy efficiency. Part of EISA addresses raising the...

Bearing system suits wind turbines.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A modular bearing system is available for planetary gears in wind turbine gearboxes that transform the relatively low rotational speed of the main shaft into higher speeds required for power generation....

Gearmotors conserve energy.
March 1, 2009... In response to requests for increased efficiency in equipment using fractional hp electric motors, a new gearmotor series is available in five standard models. 107 series Verdant Duty gearmotors are rated at 1/20 hp at 230 volt, 60 Hz, 3-phase...

Energy efficiency: a vital strategy.(Solution: snapshot)
March 1, 2009... Ernest Moniz, an energy expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass., is a scientist who sees the big picture. How will the world supply energy to billions more people, meet the growing electricity demand in...

Turn your gearbox into a greenbox.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Several factors influence how and why efficiency is lost during operation of a gearbox system. A new whitepaper, How Green is Your Gearbox? from Sumitomo Drive Technologies, Chesapeake, Va., explains some of these...

Riding the energy wave.(Green engineering)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new project hopes to harness the energy of the rolling tides. Electro Standards Laboratories (ESL), Cranston, R.I., in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island (URI), has been awarded a $200,000 grant from...

Wineries say why not to green ideas.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based on recent news stories, it appears that some industries are embracing green technologies faster than others. Food and beverage packaging operations seem to be among the early adopters, notably some of the...

Drum motors handle heavy loads.
March 1, 2009... Offering a high-performance belt conveyor drive solution, a new 8.5-in. diameter drum motor is designed to manage demanding medium and heavy load applications. The 220 Series motor, which is IP66/67 food grade approved, features an internal...

Coreless design enhances efficiency.
March 1, 2009... Athlonix high-power density, brush dc motors deliver solid speed-to-torque performance in a compact lighter weight package (15 to 53 grams depending on frame size) with output power up to 9 W. Motors feature an energy efficient coreless design...

Machine vision passes inspection on the production line: vision sensors, in contrast to traditional photoelectric sensors, help machines inspect, analyze, and reject faulty parts.(Lessons in Vision)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sensors are a critical part of industrial manufacturing processes, optimizing productivity and quality by detecting faulty parts before they leave the production line. While traditional photoelectric sensors analyze...

Gear pioneers.(In response)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... The following letter is in response to an article in our January issue that showcased a 1925 Lanchester 40HP Tourer that ran into car trouble involving its rear axle worm and wheel. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I enjoyed reading about the...

Sun shining on engineers.(In the Loop)
March 1, 2009... Finally, science and technology are once again elevated to their rightful pedestal as the means to a stable and prosperous future for Americans. Washington's new $787.2 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is packed with incentives...

Moving rod ends.(MSD 101)
March 1, 2009... Similar to ball-and-socket joints, rod ends integrate a spherical bearing with a threaded shaft to make a support structure for other pivoting or moving parts. They prevent translation while permitting rotation of the components they support...

A controlled STOP: electromechanical spring-applied and PM brakes--they help to make servomotor-driven machines safer, more reliable, and more controllable.(Mechanical braking)
March 1, 2009... Fast, powerful and controllable, servomotors are an essential part of many designs. But what happens when power to them shuts down? Without energy to control motor shaft position, systems tend to move in response to whatever external loads...

Linear motion slide.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Kerk RGS 10000 Slide is suitable for demanding applications such as material handling, packaging, automated cutting and slitting, and large X-Y tables. Features & benefits * Handles dynamic axial loads up to 100 lb. at speeds greater than...

Long stroke gripper.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The PEH series of servo-electric, 2-finger long stroke grippers now includes sizes 30 and 50, suitable for small components to large workpieces. Features & benefits * Size 50 offers maximum stroke of 100 mm per finger and gripping...

Wave springs.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Single and multi-turn wave springs act as load-bearing devices, compensating for accumulated tolerances in assemblies and providing endplay take-up. Features & benefits * Wave springs are superior to coil...

Belt welding kit.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The Handi-Weld urethane belt welding kit lets users make belts out of round or flat Pyrathane polyurethane extrusions. Features & benefits * Suitable for prototyping or quick repairs * Welds round cord with 1/16 to 3/4 in. OD;...

Distributed I/O system.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Cube67 I/O fieldbus technology simplifies automation systems by providing power supply and communication between components in a straightforward manner. Features & benefits * Combines IP20 and IP67 technology with distributed I/O ...

Variable frequency drives.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... MVW-01 drives power medium voltage motors from 500 to 4,500 hp. Features & benefits * Variable speed control for motors powered from 2,300, 3,300, and 4,160 Vac mains; 98.5% efficient * 12 or 18-pulse input rectifier configuration...

Motion controller.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The Flex DC combines a high performance motion controller with one or two axes of Nanomotion drivers, offering a simple package for driving ceramic servomotors. Features & benefits * Easy-to-use GUI simplifies machine set-up and tuning...

Machinery drive.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... ACS350 general machinery drives average 2-sec programming time per unit, suitable for volume machine builders to increase throughput. Features & benefits * 20 and 25 hp rated at 480 V; R4 frame, to accommodate repeatable installation...

Ripple-free stage.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... ALS130H Series linear motor stage provides outstanding step-to-step resolution for precision alignment and bidirectional repeatability to 75 nm. Features & benefits * Direct-drive linear motor for ultra-precise motion, 23 N...

Planetary drives.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... 300 Series drives are for heavy-duty applications with high torque, shock, and where space is at a premium. Features & benefits * New frame sizes 304 and 314, with torque ratings of 3,600 and 80,000 Nm * Splined hollow output...

System software.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Automation Studio provides a single development environment for control, visualization, motion control, and communication tasks. Features & benefits * Connects ERP systems, E-CAD tools, automation tools * Standardized IEC editors,...

Compact PLC and I/O.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... RIO 471x2 Pocket PLC controller provides expanded program memory, variables, arrays, and programmable PID control loops. Features & benefits * 400 lines of memory, 254 symbolic variables, six programmable PID loops; $345 or lower in...

Magnetorheological fluid.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Glycol-based MR actuating fluids are an alternative to traditional hydraulic fluid and are available for evaluation. Features & benefits * Exposed to a magnetic field, MR fluids change state from liquid to semi-solid nearly instantly...

Planetary gearboxes.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The PGC Series of planetary gearboxes exhibits only 5 arc-min. of backlash. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Features & benefits * Can also be supplied with 1 arc-min., ratios from 5:1 to 10,000:1 * IP55-rated gearboxes have 5:1 to...

Chain idler sprockets.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Stock and custom idler sprockets create accurate tension in chain drives and eliminate whipping sometimes exhibited by drives with long centers. Features & benefits * Ride on either bronze bushed, bronze bearing; needle bearing with...

Disc couplings.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Torsiflex disc couplings have high torque capability, operating at 0.26 to 85-kNm. Features & benefits * Speeds of 8,000 to 3,600 rpm (smallest to largest), last 20 to 30 years * Torsionally stiff and...

Introduction to PID control: for deeper understanding of their usefulness, we deconstruct P, I, and D control functions. (Control basics).(proportional integral derivative)(Technical report)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Everyone uses control loops. Anytime you adjust how you do something based on previous results, you are forming your own control loop. For example, when you want to drive your car at 65 mph, you depress the...

Stainless steel bellows couplings.(Product Spotlight/Servo couplings)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Precision couplings Flex B and Flex K provide excellent kinematic properties with three types that offer different combinations of stiffness, radial compensation, and axial motion for high-end servo drives. ...

Precision couplings.(Product Spotlight/Servo couplings)
March 1, 2009... Servomax precision couplings are designed to handle 10,000,000 cycles at rated torque. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Features & benefits * Polyurethane insert damps vibration and absorbs slight shaft misalignment in lateral, axial, and...

CD couplings.(Product Spotlight/Servo couplings)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A special coupling design features a CD disc that has high torsional stiffness, yet allows for misalignment in highstress applications. Features & benefits * Using finite element analysis, the CD disc can be...

Flexible beam couplings.(Product Spotlight/Servo couplings)
March 1, 2009... Zero-backlash beam couplings are machined from a single piece of aluminum and feature multiple spiral cuts to provide high torsional stiffness and torque capabilities. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Features & benefits * Multiple spiral...

Long-life sensors reduce downtime.
March 1, 2009... LP750 linear position sensors save maintenance time and cost over more delicate potentiometers. These noncontact, long-stroke displacement sensors operate in rugged environments and are suited for industrial applications such as machine tool...

Cable extension sensors allow easy installation.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WS 31 cable extension sensors feature a mounting bracket that allows flexible installation and position measurement in almost every direction. These linear position sensors offer measuring ranges of 10 and 20 in. and...

Noncontact sensors use FPGA technology.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ECL202 eddy-current displacement/ position sensors have improved thermal stability and immunity to electromagnetic interference as well as improved linearity and resolution. The sensor employs FPGA technology,...

Top 10 tips timely tips for dealing with drive accessories: motors and drives are complicated enough, but when you connect them to other devices, things get even trickier.
March 1, 2009... Beware of VFD-induced motor currents. Engineers are often unaware of the currents induced on motor shafts by variable frequency drives (VFDs) and the havoc these currents can wreak on bearings and motors; remember to use shaft grounding...

CANopen free online class.(Web Contents)
March 1, 2009... Learn all about it! CANopen, based on Controller Area Network or CAN technology, is a proven serial bus that links multiple devices and is optimized for reliability and real-time control. A webinar covering the protocol will take place on...

Switch + sensor website.(Web Contents)
March 1, 2009... A new user-friendly website at www.standexelectronics.com now offers more technical information to engineers and technical buyers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The site of Standex Electronics, Inc., information on ATC-Frost, Magnetico, and...

PARTsolutions online catalog.
March 1, 2009... Belden, manufacturer of precision universal joints, has launched an online product catalog and configurator in partnership with PARTsolutions to provide digital 2D and 3D CAD files at www.beldenuniversal.com. "Our new online CAD catalog makes...

Robot handles parts with ease.(Industry Focus: Material Handling)
March 1, 2009... Creating a robot for small parts handling calls for a machine design that is both dynamic and precise. With the Galileo Sphere, the Italian Mechatronic System Co. has built an elegant robot that combines the advantages of linear and direct...

Material handling holds promise.
March 1, 2009... Material handling appears to be one of the bright spots in today's gloomy economic sky. A new study from The Freedonia Group Inc., Cleveland, projects a 5% per year increase in the world market for material handling equipment and systems...

ASME president emphasizes education.
March 1, 2009... Mechanical engineers take note: To future-proof your career, lifelong learning is of utmost importance. This was the gist of a speech given recently by ASME's president, Thomas Barlow. During proceedings of the third World Engineers' Convention...

End effector boosts efficiency.(What's New)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Palletizing systems are used everywhere for baking, bottling, brewing, paint, pet food, and even publishing. One company named vonGal, based in Montgomery, Ala., makes customized palletizing systems for such...

Slip clutch keeps camera on track.
March 1, 2009... To provide a better view of the action on high school and college football fields, a portable tower system from Endzone Video Systems (EVS), Sealy, Tex., lifts a video camera 25 to 35 ft. above the action. To keep the operator from cranking the...

InSights.(What's New)
March 1, 2009... Butterfly wings have scales that work as tiny solar collectors, a discovery that has led scientists in China and Japan to design a more efficient solar cell that could be used to power homes, businesses, and other applications. Their study...

Moog acquires Insensys.(Biz bits)
March 1, 2009... Moog Inc., East Aurora, N.Y., has acquired 70% of the stock of Insensys Ltd., Southampton, U.K. As part of the transaction, Moog has an option to purchase the remaining 30% within one year. Insensys is a leading supplier of pitch control and...

CSIA names new president.(Biz bits)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lynda Patterson was recently hired as president of Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), Madison, Wis. Effective Jan. 1, Patterson and her team are responsible for managing the business and administrative...

Test drive some cable.
March 1, 2009... Want to try before you buy? If your shopping plans include cable or carriers, you may be interested in a new offer from igus Inc., East Providenece, R.I. The company is giving away free cable carrier and continuous-flex cable samples as part of...

Environmental Systems acquires ECC Controls.
March 1, 2009... Environmental Systems Inc. (ESI), Waukesha, Wis., has acquired ECC Controls Inc. (ECC) to expand its technology offerings and Midwest presence. ESI provides a range of products and services in building automation, systems integration,...