Motion System Design articles from October 2005

Motion System Design archives from October 2005

Subscribe online.(Web CONTENTS)
October 1, 2005... Don't miss an issue of Motion System Design! Online renewal is free and fast to those engineers and designers involved in the field of PT motion control systems.

Motor definitions and more.(www.minarik.com/support.html)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... From www.minarikval-add.com. Minarik Corp. (a motion control/automation manufacturer and distributor) has redesigned their website to offer general and helpful information. From the glossary page at www.minarik.com/support.html: Four...

Motion control site.(Web CONTENTS)
October 1, 2005... AC Technology of Uxbridge, Mass. still hosts its site at www.actechdrives.com. However, the company has launched a new website at www.actech.com. Why? Over the last couple years, the company has evolved from specializing in variable speed...

Learn by example.(Web CONTENTS)
October 1, 2005... Bimba Manufacturing of Monee, III. hosts a new Solutions Shop microsite at www.bimba.com/solutionshop. At the site, visitors can search by industry or application type and download printable PDFs of sample applications.

Waverunner--Part 1.(In the LOOP)
October 1, 2005... He invented the ac induction motor. He also invented radio, radar, neon and fluorescent lighting, and the electrical power system that illuminates the globe today. Other conveniences we owe to this innovative genius include microwave cooking,...

Looking for a number.(In RESPONSE)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I really enjoyed your most recent "Fun with Fundamentals" problem in the September 2005 issue. For some reason it wasn't identified as problem #281, consistent with all previous problems. In future issues, please make sure the "Fun with...

In the know.(In RESPONSE)
October 1, 2005... Thank you for your piece in the August MSD. It really puts a perspective on the difference between radical Christians like Pat Robertson who will reflect on his actions and apologize if necessary and radical Muslims who speak murder openly. (I...

World machine tool demand on the rise.(What's NEW)
October 1, 2005... World demand for machine tool products--metal cutting and metal-forming machine tools and accessories--is projected to increase 5.2% per year through 2009 to more than $84 billion. In a recently released study, World Machine Tools, The Fredonia...

ABB Inc.(appointments )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... ABB Inc., Raleigh, N.C., recently made two key appointments to its Low Voltage Systems division. Bruce Wittbrodt was named senior vice president and general manager of ABB's Automation Products, Low Voltage Systems, North American Operations,...

Moog Inc., East Aurora, N.Y., acquired FCS Control Systems B.V., Amsterdam.(Company news)
October 1, 2005... Moog Inc., East Aurora, N.Y., acquired FCS Control Systems B.V., Amsterdam. FCS designs and manufactures high-fidelity electro-mechanical and electro-hydraulic flight and vehicle simulation equipment and structural test systems for the...

Design, control, test software improves productivity.(What's NEW)
October 1, 2005... National Instruments, Austin, upgraded its graphical development platform to LabVIEW 8, which improves the productivity, of engineers and scientists in design, control, and test settings. This upgrade introduces distributed intelligence for...

Contactless energy transfer system resists interference.(What's NEW)
October 1, 2005... A new contactless energy transfer system by drive technology supplier SEW-Eurodrive, Lyman, S.C., does not cause electromagnetic interference and is insensitive to outside influences. Called Movitrans, it has been EMC tested according to BGV...

TRD Manufacturing.(Company news)
October 1, 2005... TRD Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Bimba Manufacturing Co., expanded its facility size with a move to a 77,000 sq-ft facility in Machesney Park, Ill. TRD manufactures pneumatic cylinders and accessories.

ThinGap Corp.(appointment of Rean Pretorius as president)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... ThinGap Corp., Ventura, Calif., appointed Rean Pretorius as CEO and president. He joined the company in April as vice president for worldwide business development. Previously, he was senior vice president, global channel and alliances for...

AC vector technology provides efficient and flexible alternative to servos.(What's NEW)
October 1, 2005... AC vector technology continues to increase in servo applications, such as in an automotive timing-chain manufacturing plant recently serviced by distributor Eastern Bearings Inc., Waltham, Mass. The manufacturer's chain-life testing...

Mechanical and electrical manufacturers form strategic alliance.(What's NEW)
October 1, 2005... THK America Inc., Schaumburg Ill., and Yaskawa Electric, Waukegan, Ill., have formed a strategic alliance to offer a complete motion control package. The alliance will fuse THK's high-performance VLA series of linear actuators with Yaskawa's...

Magtrol Inc.(new facility in china and appointment of Charles Lin as general manager)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... * Magtrol Inc., Buffalo, opened a new sales and service office in Shanghai, China. This team will focus on increasing international sales of torque-speed-power products, including dynamometers, power analyzers, motor testing software, and...

Sighting in: automated machines can now see what they're missing with a new breed of vision sensors that fill the gap between photoelectrics and multi-component vision systems.(Machine VISION)
October 1, 2005... Industries that rely on automation--such as automotive manufacturing, packaging, material handling, and metal forming--employ sensors as the "eyes" of their intelligent process. For decades, photoelectric sensors were the only choice for...

Finding the perfect mesh: understanding the proper requirements for both lubrication type and delivery method is the best way to keep gears happy.(Lubes & GEARS)
October 1, 2005... Gears are compact, motion-control components that determine a driven machine's speed, torque, and direction of rotation. To turn smoothly, hey require lubrication--oil--which forms a film between tooth surfaces and cushions them from the...

Motion in packaging operation: material handling: lessons and solutions for all motion engineers.(Motion IN PACKAGING)
October 1, 2005... Material handling, in most cases, refers to operations where components are moved between processes with little or no value added during the transition. In other words, there are no changes to the form, shape, or content of the materials being...

Couplings and shafts.(Usage of shaft couplings)
October 1, 2005... What design features in couplings and shafts contribute to higher productivity, and why? Galen/Rockwell: Couplings that warn of failure--noise and minor vibration--allow scheduling ahead for downtime and part replacement. Flexible,...

Adjusting tapered bearings.(MSD 101)
October 1, 2005... Tapered roller bearings are designed to handle both radial and axial loads. They have a tapered inner raceway (called the cone), a tapered outer raceway (called the cup), and conically shaped tapered rollers. The bearing roller/cage assembly...

Servo welding actuator.(Design by objective: LIFETIME & RELIABILITY)
October 1, 2005... SW series servo welding actuators extend service life to more than 10 million cycles (roller screw models) and 5 million cycles (ball screws). FEATURES & BENEFITS * 8-pole Nd-Fe-B hollow-core rotor with skewed stator laminations...

Shock absorbers.(Design by objective: LIFETIME & RELIABILITY)
October 1, 2005... Xtreme series shock absorbers offer high energy capacity and reliability for safely and efficiently decelerating loads. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Adjustable and nonadjustable units in 3/4 to 1 1/8 in. bores and stroke lengths to 6 in. ...

Gear drive lubricant.(Design by objective: LIFETIME & RELIABILITY)
October 1, 2005... GMax 6000 enclosed gear drive lubricant provides wear protection, thermal and oxidation stability, and extended operating life. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Extends operating life to 15,000 hr between changes * Operating temperature of...

Mini screwrails.(Design by objective: LIFETIME & RELIABILITY)
October 1, 2005... Mini ScrewRails are designed for semiconductor manufacturing applications, offering quick set-up, ease of operation, accuracy, and reliability. FEATURES & BENEFITS * 3.75 in. O.D. * Available with many screw leads in standard and...

Shaft grounding brush.(Design by objective: LIFETIME & RELIABILITY)
October 1, 2005... Aegis SGR shaft grounding brushes prevent electrical damage to ac motor bearings and extend motor life by safely channeling harmful shaft currents to ground. FEATURES & BENEFITS * 9 sizes for NEMA motors ranging from 1to 150 hp with...

Tipping gives easy access.(Systems & SUBSYSTEMS)
October 1, 2005... The tip-up tail design on the 7400 series sanitary conveyor platform allows users to tip up the idle end or both pulley ends without using tools to create slack on the belt. Added slack improves cleaning access underneath the belt and conveyor...

A guiding hand.(Systems & SUBSYSTEMS)
October 1, 2005... Speedi-Roll linear guidance systems offer long strokes and high speeds in a lightweight, cam roller-type rail guide system for automation, pick-and-place, and robotics operations. Featuring high load-carrying capacity, rigidity, and torque...

Now dispensing.(Systems & SUBSYSTEMS)
October 1, 2005... New series of gantry-cartesian dispensing robots features working areas to 32 x 24 in. and high speed movements to 800 mm/sec. Key operating specifications include resolution of 0.01 mm and repeatability of 0.02 mm. For use with dispensing...

Seeking a new position.(Systems & SUBSYSTEMS)
October 1, 2005... HB series linear positioners are easy to apply, install, and maintain for robust positioning applications. They feature a deep-channel extruded body and solid carriage for beam strength and carriage stiffness in cantilevered or other...

Rodless cylinders.(Pneumatic SOLUTIONS)
October 1, 2005... GSU (guided slide unit) pneumatic linear drive can be used in gantries as an X-axis or as a workpiece pallet in material supply. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Speeds to 1.5 m/sec for short cycle times * 16 and 25 mm bores * High...

Pneumatic grippers.(Pneumatic SOLUTIONS)
October 1, 2005... GRR Guardian grippers provide high grip force in long jaw travels of 150, 200, 250, and 350 mm. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Withstand high impact and shock loads * Double acting for internal and external gripping * Dual air-passage...

Industrial shock absorber.(Pneumatic SOLUTIONS)
October 1, 2005... MC 30M-Z miniature industrial shock absorber mounts into pneumatic cylinders and rotary actuators with a stretch seal design for high-energy absorption in confined spaces. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Impact velocity range of 2.2 to 12.9...

Stainless steel cylinders.(Pneumatic SOLUTIONS)
October 1, 2005... Pneumatic cylinders feature polished stainless steel tubes with ID 304 for low friction. FEATURES & BENEFITS * 12 bore sizes with strokes to 40 in.; full metric line offered * Maximum pressure of 250 psig * Precision-rolled...

Tips for using chain drives: here are some helpful hints on getting the most out of your chain-driven mechanical system.(Designers forum: BELTS AND CHAINS)
October 1, 2005... What are some outstanding design/ construction features in a chain drive, and how do they contribute to higher productivity? Chains are versatile components used in power transmission, conveying, and lifting applications, transmitting power...

Polyurethane belt drive.(Spotlight BELT AND CHAIN DRIVES)
October 1, 2005... Poly Chain GT2 belt systems require no lubricants or retensioning and handle more than 118,000 high-torque drive combinations. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Rated to 1,000 hp and includes Taper-Lock sprockets * Available in 8 and 14-mm...

Timing belt pulleys.(Spotlight BELT AND CHAIN DRIVES)
October 1, 2005... Timing belt pulleys offer smooth entry in and out of the mating pulley to reduce wear and enhance positioning accuracy. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Pin and split hub or hubless configurations * Other options are round belt, cluster, and...

Linear timing belts.(Spotlight BELT AND CHAIN DRIVES)
October 1, 2005... Omega HL timing belts in 8 and 14-m sizes suit drives operating under shock loads and at high torque. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Glass bead tension cord has high dynamic, load-bearing capacity and little permanent or elastic elongation ...

Belt pulleys.(Spotlight BELT AND CHAIN DRIVES)
October 1, 2005... A6D16 series 0.080 pitch aluminum MXL timing belt pulleys for 1/4 belts feature Fairloc integral hub fasteners that eliminate conventional separate hub-clamp devices. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Offers frequent position adjustment with...

Harmonic filters for variable-frequency drives.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... HG7 drive-applied harmonic filters reduce harmonic distortion and improve true power factor. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Limits current distortion to 5-7% TDD * Less than 2% voltage drop on dc bus * Eliminates nuisance tripping and...

Multi-axis controller.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... SpiiPlus PCI high-performance multi-axis motion controller supports position feedback devices with sin-cos output up to 3MHz. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Built-in multiplication factors from 1,024 to 8,192 produce 0.4 to 0.05-nm positions at...

DC brush driver.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... EZSV10 dc brush servo driver is a fully programmable driver and controller that easily integrates with other motion products. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Measures 0.95 x 1.4 x 0.6 in. and requires little or no tuning with motor diameters...

AC drives.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... E-trAC X4 ac drives target heavy duty, hostile-environment applications. FEATURES & BENEFITS * IP-66 rated contamination-proof enclosures exceed NEMA 1, 12, 4X * Models from 1 to 10 hp, up to 150% overload capacity * Wide...

Ultrasonic proximity sensors.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... Programmable, long-range ultrasonic proximity sensors deliver precise, non-contact proximity, position, and distance measurements for sound reflecting substrates in clear and opaque materials. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Available in 12 and...

DC motor controller.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... The 371-0028 brushless dc controller delivers 1,000 W to closed and open-loop systems, producing more than 160 oz-in. of torque at 7,000 rpm. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Input between 10 to 50 V with a rating of 20 to 40 A * Amplifier...

Double-reduction gearmotors.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... Type 3RD gearmotors offer high torque at low speed. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Gear ratios from 80:1 to 3,600:1 * 0.5 to 31 rpm output at up to 150 lb-in. of torque * Built-to-order shaft options include single, double, and...

Gearheads and gearmotors.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... Gearheads and dc gearmotors span a wide range of OEM applications. FEATURES & BENEFITS * 79 planetary and spur gearhead models in gear ratios from 3:1 to 300:1 * 1,257 rpm output at max efficiency * Rated torque to 44 lb-ft;...

Digital multimeter.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... The 87V DMM measures voltage and frequency on adjustable-speed motor drives and is unaffected by noise. FEATURES & BENEFITS * Withstands voltage spikes up to 8 kV and protects against arc flash * Contains built-in thermometer;...

Hybrid stepmotors.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... High-torque NEMA 42 stepmotors operate in unipolar as well as bipolar series and parallel modes in 1.8-degree steps. FEATURES & BENEFITS * 180 lb-in. holding torque in a [4.3.sup.2] x 5.91-in. long package * 6.5-A phase current...

Line shaft couplings.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... ZAE line shaft couplings are designed for mechanical synchronization of drives and actuators, offering high torsional rigidity, zero backlash, and compensation for axial, angular, and lateral misalignment. FEATURES & BENEFITS *...

Wash-down bearings.(New PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... PN Gold bearings are engineered for extended bearing life in industries with corrosive, wash-down environments. FEATURES & BENEFITS * High phosphorous, electroless nickel-plated 51200 steel races * In 5% salt fog tests, outperforms...

Efficiency motors.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... Baldor Electric Company offers Super-E[R] NEMA Premium[TM] efficiency motors from 1 through 1500 HP in low and medium voltages. TEFC, ODP, WPI and WPII enclosures are available with choice of environmental protection such as severe duty, IEEE...

Track Roller & Cam Follower solutions.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... Intech Power-Core[TM] Track Rollers and Cam Followers feature quiet, easy motion, high resistance to flat development, no rail wear, high load and shock capacity. Suitable for wash down and harsh environments. Proprietary thermal bearing...

Optical encoders.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... This Design and Specifying guide provides a comprehensive summary of optical encoders and their accessories. The guide includes detailed design examples with special attention to operation in extreme environments. It includes absolute and...

Linear module actuator.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... 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...

CGI Inc. gearheads.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... Offering the widest range of standard gearhead ratios available in the industry. Providing custom solutions for motion control and automation applications. CGI is focused on engineering expertise and knowledgeable, customer service. CGI Inc.,...

Precision encoders.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... EPC's 104-page catalog features the full line of Accu-Coder[TM] Brand incremental encoders, as well as EPC's new absolute encoder series, to meet a wide variety of industrial positioning, counting, motion and motor control needs. Expert cross...

Spiral retaining rings & wave springs.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... 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...

3000 lb capacity linear electric actuators!(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... New brochure features Burr's high performance A-Series acme screw actuators, which handle load capacities up to 3000 lbs. and static loads to 5000 lbs. for your most demanding applications. Line offers 34:1 and 110:1 gear ratios, and is AC or...

New: integral stud and bushing wheels.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... BishopWisecarver announces Integral studs and bushings that eliminate tolerance stack-up and improve durability and stability. DualVee[R] wheels with integral bushings and studded shafts provide higher load capabilities and reduce installation...

UtiliTrak[R] linear motion guides with polymer wheels.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... BishopWisecarver announces the PW UtiliTrak[R] with signature DualVee Motion Technology[R] guide wheels. This smooth, low cost, corrosion resistant linear guidance solution features a pre-assembled carriage with studded polymer wheels and...

Miniature guideways.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... Schneeberger now stocks eight sizes of miniature guideways and six sizes of ball monorail available with 2nd day delivery. Minirail offer retained carriage balls, max speeds of 5m/s and max accelerations of 300m/s [less than or equal to]....

Motors, gearmotors and drives.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... LEESON's Catalog 1050 offers detailed information and specifications on thousands of ratings of industrial-duty motors, gearmotors and drives--available from stock warehouses throughout the United States, North America and the world. Products...

Looking for a new integrated automation system?(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... Containing detailed technical information for a wide variety of products the new B&R product catalog shows our customers various options for an efficient Integrated Automation Solution; whether you are looking for Visualization, Motion...

Krytox[R] Fluorinated lubricants.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... Krytox'[R] Fluorinated Greases and Oils are chemically inert, insoluble in common solvents, thermally stable Temperature range (-103[degrees] to 800[degrees]F). Nonflammable. Nontoxic. Oxygen Compatible--safe for oxygen service. Low vapor...

BiSlide[R] positioning system.(Media MART)
October 1, 2005... BiSlides are a modular system that enables you to quickly and easily create complete single or multi-axis, high accuracy positioning systems. Travel range: 5"--80". Size: 3.4"W x 2.6"H Durable, low cost motorized and manual, BiSlides are...

Fair game: this month's problem will have you going in circles.(PROBLEM 282)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Autumn is underway and Farmer Dan is once again taking part in the county fair. This year, he's exhibiting his prized cows and goats. While on break one afternoon he boards a hayride to observe the festivities up close. There are cotton candy...