The newly designed right angle bevel products let you install gearboxes in confined spaces. The right angle bevel series is more compact compared to the existing parallel helical screw conveyor package. Its right-angle design is compatible with standard CEMA mounting. The three-hole tapered CEMA drive shaft is easy to mount and remove if needed. Its…
Complying with New Functional Safety Standards
Better understand functional safety and how it applies to the equipment you build and use. As EN ISO 13849-1 (EN 954) and IEC 62061 become more prevalent in North American design and industry segments request Safety Integrity Level (SIL), Control Category and Protection Level (PL) ratings, our approach to machine safety stands to change. This…
The Best Way to Implement Tools for Optimal Results
By Richard Vaughn, Senior Automation Engineer, Bosch Rexroth Corporation, www.boschrexroth-us.com Reprint Info >> Manufacturers implementing mechatronic and robotic handling systems constantly seek to do more with less. Creating systems faster and easier leads to systems that are less expensive to design, engineer, and bring online. Here are some practical implementation tips. Focusing to prevent overly…
PH18 Series Photoelectric Sensors from Carlo Gavazzi
Carlo Gavazzi announces the launch of its PH18 Series photoelectric sensors in a versatile M18-rectangular housing, with advanced features and extended sensing ranges. The new PH18 Series features a robust and flexible housing. With its flat sides, it can be mounted as a rectangular sensor, via its two mounting holes. And with its short threaded…
CCS Rotary Stages from Aerotech
A new series of rotary stages from Aerotech features integral pneumatic collet chucks for automated material handling. The CCS series (U.S. patent pending) supports precision laser machining and micromachining of tubular products in plastics, metals and many other materials. It is particularly suited for cylindrical tube laser machining of medical products including stents and fine…
Spiroplan® Right-Angle Gearmotors from SEW-EURODRIVE
High speed, high efficiency, and low noise makes the W37/W47 Spiroplan® right-angle gear units from SEW-EURODRIVE the perfect choice for conveyors in the food, beverage, airport, and material handling industries as well as other logistics. With a robust aluminum housing, Spiroplan gear units are compact, light-weight, lubricated for life, and may be mounted in any…
Real World Nonlinear Mechanical Applications
Until recently, most finite element analysis (FEA) applications undertaken by design engineers were limited to linear analysis which provides an acceptable approximation of real-life characteristics for most problems. However, occasionally more challenging problems arise that call for a nonlinear approach. In this webinar, you will hear about real-world nonlinear applications and case studies associated with…
Technology-neutral Selection of Electric and Pneumatic Drives
Users often make the choice of drive technology—pneumatic or electric—on the basis of experience alone. However, in order to identify the most energy-efficient customer solution in the field of automation, a technology-neutral comparison is required. With the engineering software PositioningDrives, users require just a few key data in order to arrive at the right solution.…
Linear MOTIONEERING 2.0 from Thomson
Thomson introduces Linear MOTIONEERING® 2.0. The latest version of the company’s powerful web-based linear motion system sizing and selection tool, Linear MOTIONEERING 2.0 enables OEM and factory automation users to optimize machine design and operation by walking them through an intuitive process that delivers all the data necessary to make a quick, logical system selection…
DSS Loading Dock Safety System from Omron STI
Omron Scientific Technologies, Inc. introduces the DSS Trapped Key Loading Dock Safety System. This cost-effective system protects dock workers by enforcing a safe sequence of actions. It installs quickly to minimize site disruption. DSS is also easy to use because it uses the trapped key concept – in essence this means that the loading dock…
Lenze Americas Announces New Program Manager of OEM Business Development
Lenze Americas announces the appointment of Tom Jensen as Program Manager, OEM Business Development, Lenze Americas. Jensen is responsible for leading the OEM Business Development team – his key responsibilities include developing and executing sales strategies for select, targeted OEM customers in the OEM packaging and material handling industries. He has over 20 years of…
The Marriage of Electrics and Pneumatics
By Steve Meyer, Contributing Editor Reprint Info >> Pneumatic actuators and electric actuators are increasingly being used in the same system to achieve results that one technology, by itself, would have difficulty solving. Most often we tend to think of air cylinders as direct competition for electrically powered actuators. But that’s not the whole story.…
Reid Supply’s New Website Offers Powerful Features
Reid Supply Company launched their new e-commerce website for industrial products today with better search tools and online account management. “The new ReidSupply.com is a culmination of best practices in web design and creative collaboration between the web team and our customers,” said John Carrier, President of Reid Supply Company. “Customers are going to get…
Fast, Ergonomic and Cost Effective Load Handling with AirBalancer from Konecranes
AirBalancer from Konecranes is a lifting device with a floating load unit, that aids in the picking, lifting, moving and precise placement of items by hand. With air pressure as the power source, the item being lifted can feel practically weightless to the person lifting it. AirBalancer from Konecranes combines improved productivity with low acquisition,…
Robotic Designs Look to Nature for Inspiration
Reprint Info >> If there are no new ideas, why not look to the oldest idea generator around — evolution. The concept of using nature as inspiration for mechanical design has been around for a long time. What young engineer hasn’t heard the story of George de Mestral, the Swiss electrical engineer who invented Velcro?…
Move Small Masses Dynamically and With Precision
The MCL ironless linear motors position small masses with precision and maximum synchronization. The motors are easy to integrate into machines. Typical areas of application include assembly and handling technology as well as semiconductor and solar technology. The MCL product line has four sizes with graded lengths and a maximum force range of between 20…
Shuttlelift Launches New Series of Double-Beam Mobile Gantry Cranes
Shuttlelift has announced the launch of a newly developed series of double-beam mobile gantry cranes designed to provide state-of-the-art material handling and operational efficiency at an exceptional value. As an industry leader in rubber-tired gantry cranes, Shuttlelift’s new “DB” Series was engineered in response to a growing need in the marketplace for cost effective lifting…
Energy Efficient Gear Motors
Gear motors are common units on belt conveyors. The trend is for these units to manage heat better, be lower in weight, and smaller in size. One example is the eDrive™ Technically Advanced Power Transmission Line. This gear motor reduces heat by 25%; reduces weight by 30%; and has a footprint that’s 15% smaller than…
Insights: Booth duty
For the most part, industrial tradeshows are necessary evils. People who don’t travel (especially spouses) seem to think they’re comprised of an endless array of fantastic locales, amazing meals and endless partying. The reality is more about sore feet and legs, unhealthy convention center food, excessively long customer dinners, and that dreaded phrase: “booth duty.”…
Solving Assembly Challenges in Reduced Footprint Applications
Smaller, lighter, and thinner electronic devices and their inherently restrictive design envelopes present several challenges on the road to their assembly and manufacture. Hardware for component attachment must perform reliably, despite the shrinking and limited footprints for fastener placement and installation. In addition, designers face reduced parts counts for weight savings and production economies. An entirely…
Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation Acquires Target Electronic Supply
Kaman Corporation (NASDAQ-GS: KAMN) announced its subsidiary Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation (Kaman) has acquired the assets of Target Electronic Supply, Inc. (Target), of Westwood, Massachusetts. Target, a leading motion control distributor in the New England trading area, increases Kaman’s already strong position in those markets and will become part of Kaman’s Minarik subsidiary. “The acquisition…
NI Recognizes Graphical System Design Achievement Award Winners
The 2011 Graphical System Design Achievement Awards received 130 submissions from authors in 20 countries. A judging committee of NI technical experts reviewed the papers and selected the contest finalists and winners. Here’s a look at a few of them. 2011 Customer Application of the Year: Implementing FPGA-Based Feedback Control of a Single Atom With…
In Start-Stop Motion, Oil Shear Maintains Brake Operation
The start/stop action of many conveyor and other material-handling equipment applications shortens the life of many of the motion control components, such as motor brakes. One way to combat this issue is to choose motor brakes that use oil shear technology, such as the MagnaShear™ motor brake. With oil shear technology, a layer of automatic…
Reed Sensor & Magnet Design and Evaluation Kits from MEDER electronic
MEDER electronic, Inc. announce the release of their new Reed Sensor & Magnet Design and Evaluation Kits, designed by engineers for engineers to streamline the process of sensor system design. These kits provide engineers with quick and convenient access to sensor systems for evaluation purposes, taking the guess work out of the sensor design process.…
Heavy Duty Lifting Columns
SERAPID, Inc recently provided two high cycle, heavy duty automotive BIW scissor lift tables for a material handling company, who integrated them into a larger system for a major automotive company. The BIW scissor lift tables provided by SERAPID cycle once every 50 seconds, or 29 times per hour for a total of 250,000 cycles…