MISUMI USA, Inc., a subsidiary of MISUMI Corporation, has added two new models to its comprehensive line of Ball Screw Support Units. The new models include: Square Fixed…
6 mistakes engineers make in mounting and specifying air cylinders
1. Inappropriate sizing When it comes to air cylinder sizing, bigger is not necessarily better. A cylinder that is larger than necessary will cost more to purchase and…
Feedback
In the past I would have said I was more familiar with the kind of feedback that came from an electric guitar and amplifier. Lately I have become more familiar with the kind that shows up on servomotors and linear feedback on actuators. Feedback technology has become more sophisticated and some vendors like Timken Motion […]
Rules for Actuator and Guide Alignment in Linear Motion Systems
by Gary Rosengren, Director of Engineering, Tolomatic, Inc., Hamel, Minn. Following a few simple guidelines for designing linear motion systems can improve system performance and actuator life. Many automated machines rely on linear guidance components, such as profiled rail, round rail or other rolling or sliding bearing structures, to guide and support the moving elements…
Haydon Kerk Introduces BGS Linear Rails
The BGS Linear Rail combines many technologies into a single integrated linear motion platform. The system provides excellent load capability and is engineered for both normal and overhanging loads. High roll, pitch, and yaw moment loading capability allows the system to maintain tight accuracy and repeatability, even in applications requiring significant cantilevered loading. At the […]
Comatrol Introduces HLE10 Logic Elements
Comatrol introduces the HLE10-CPC and HLE10-OPO high power logic elements. Responding to the market demand for higher flow and pressure capability in smaller valves, Comatrol designed the HLE10 models with the focus on delivering high performance in cost-effective valve designs with small space claims. These logic elements use a 10-3S cavity, which allows for higher […]
Optimizing Motion Control
Decades of effort have gone into methods of improving servomotor control. There are many contributing factors that result in better products. Better feedback devices give the controller chips that manage the voltage and current to the motor winding a higher resolution basis for the management of power between the amplifier and motor. These are critical […]
WAGO Corporation’s 2-channel Analog Output Module
WAGO Corporation’s new, 2-channel Analog Output Module carries Ex [ia] Safety Approvals, expanding the company’s Ex-i portfolio. The Intrinsically Safe 750-586 Module provides a signal current of 4–20 mA, linking WAGO Ethernet Controllers with actuators in hazardous location Zones 0, 1 and 2. ATEX and IECEx certified, the 750-586 galvanically isolates field and system levels…
MSR Series Linear Actuators From Techno-Omil
A new series of 5 Linear Actuators from Techno-Omil include configurations such as cross roller guides, adjustable position, shock absorbers, guide bushings, external cylinder and more. Identified as the MSR Series, these linear actuators feature a range of operating pressures from 0.2 to 0.88 MPa. The housings are made of high tensile hard-coated aluminum alloy, […]
Critical Actuator Technology
In the emerging economy there is a critical dependency on linear actuator technology. Not just linear actuators, but linear actuators that give high performance at low cost. I am intentionally vague on the performance. Performance can mean many things. For heavy machinery and forestry industry machinery, hydraulic actuators with high force and high power density […]
THK Introduces Compact ES/EC Actuators
THK America, Inc.’s Type ES and Type EC Actuators boast long–term maintenance-free operation and compact designs. Combining the Caged Ball LM Guide Type SRS and a rolled ball screw equipped with a QZ Lubricator, the Type ES Actuator performs for extended periods without requiring maintenance. THK Caged Technology employs a synthetic resin cage with a […]
Actuators Simplify Product Changeovers
When a leading manufacturer of an automated, powder-filling, packaging equipment machine wanted to gain greater control over a critical container-lifting sequence, it decided to use an electric rod-style actuator. The change was aimed at making product changeovers faster and easier for customers who used the packaging machines for filling a variety of container sizes. While…
MISUMI Provides Broad Range of Linear Motion Products
MISUMI USA, Inc. now offers a inclusive selection of Linear Motion components. The wide range of products provide one-stop shopping for designers and manufacturers of production machinery and factory automation systems across a wide range of industries. MISUMI’s broad product line of Linear Motion components includes: Linear Actuators and Linear Guides Linear Shafts and Bushings […]
The 7 biggest mistakes engineers make in designing compressed air systems
1. Choosing line sizes that are too small for the desired air flow. This includes the interconnecting piping from compressor discharge to the header and the distribution lines conveying air to production areas and within the equipment found there. Undersized piping restricts the flow and reduces the discharge pressure, thereby robbing the user of expensive […]
Tolomatic ERD electric rod-style actuators with reverse-parallel motor mounts
Tolomatic’s stainless-steel ERD electric cylinders with optional reverse-parallel motor mounts are ideal for food and beverage and washdown environments, where corrosion resistance, compact size and flexible motor sizing are important features. The reverse-parallel motor mount reduces the length of the actuator to fit in tighter spaces, and belt reduction options offer flexibility in sizing the […]
More on the mechatronics of robotics
There are several aspects of the mechatronics challenge in robotics. In the previous post, I hinted at some, but on reflection the list is significant and all the issues should be considered. Managing the trajectory is a challenge on computing level just to crunch the numbers and resolve the mechanical organization of the robot into […]
Electric actuators aid design of medical device
Many of today’s medical devices rely on electric actuators for motion control in critical, life-saving applications. They offer a number of advantages that suit this industry, including their performance and increased efficiency. Clean operation—operating without the need for fluids or ancillary equipment—is one of the major advantages of electric actuators. Electric actuators use roller screw…
Robots and Controls
Robots are unlike any other mechatronic system. Robots are typically 5 to 6 axis platforms, which, while they may be made up of the same components as any other mechatronic systems, they are subject to very complex control requirements. The control of the robot has to take into account the weights and sizes of […]
MISUMI LX and RS Series Single Axis Actuators Provide Versatility, Precision And Productivity
MISUMI USA, Inc. offers an array of single axis actuators available for machine builders and automation system designers across a wide range of industries. Two main product lines include the LX Series and RS Single Axis Robotic Actuators, both designed to reduce design/build time and costs for manufacturers of production machinery, automation systems and motion…
Tolomatic online electric actuator sizing software simplifies linear motion systems
A new online electric actuator-sizing program from Tolomatic simplifies the design and specification of electric motion control projects. The online software allows precise specification of either rod-style or rodless electric actuators based on the motion profile (velocity/acceleration), orientation, loads and forces. Application and sizing details can be saved, printed and shared electronically with other design […]
Clippard’s Maximatic FRLs enhance pneumatic systems
Clippard Instruments Laboratory Inc. Maximatic Filters, Regulators and Lubricators (Maximatic FRLs) prepare and condition compressed air for utilization in fluid power systems. Pneumatic applications with properly conditioned air have greater efficiency, longer life and lower cost. These Maximatic Filters, Regulators and Lubricators are available in five sizes ranging from #10-32 to 1-inch NPT. Aside from […]
SMC Pneumatics upgrades CQ2 pneumatic actuator
SMC Pneumatics has upgraded the CQ2 pneumatic actuator, and it is now available in 15 bore sizes ranging from 12mm to 200mm. It is also five percent to 13 percent less heavy than the old design without any reduction in body strength. Aside from that, the new design utilizes less aluminum, making the new CQ2 […]
Festo Corporation Celebrates 40 Years of Advancing Automation in the United States
Festo Corporation is celebrating 40 years of advancing automation. Based in Hauppauge, New York, the company has grown to become a significant force in the process and industrial automation industries. Festo Corporation was formed in 1972 to provide parts and service to Festo’s woodworking equipment and to market the line of pneumatic automation components. Over […]
Dunkermotor Releases New ServoTube Linear Motors and Actuators Catalog
Dunkermotor has released its first ServoTube linear motors and actuators catalog with technical specifications and drawings that cover 1,346 standard product configurations of tubular linear motors, actuators, modules, components and gantries. Comprised of just two parts, a rod and a forcer, the ServoTube linear motor is inherently simple and elegant. The stainless steel rod is […]
BEI Kimco Magnetics Introduces High Force Voice Coil Actuator
BEI Kimco Magnetics has introduced a Linear Voice Coil Actuator featuring a patented design that incorporates magnetic latches at each end of travel. The new design provides an ideal solution for critical applications where there is a specific ‘stop’ position desired when the coil is de-energized. Typical uses include applications for proportional valve control, circuit…