IKO International has announced the U.S. availability of the Mech Series of E-actuators as part of its distribution partnership with AutomationWare. With AutomationWare’s Mech Series E-actuators, engineers can obtain accurate, controllable movement for almost any performance and size requirement. The series features an advanced ball screw transmission system to handle a wide range of dynamic […]

Beckhoff has created new possibilities in adaptive automation by expanding the functionality of the XPlanar “flying motion” system. Now, on top of XPlanar’s field-proven capabilities, the solution can handle more products with even more flexibility through new mover identification, movers for two lanes of traffic on one tile, rectangular movers and mover coupling for higher […]

The new AT20-600 series of Motorized Vertical Lift Stages from Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc. (OES) features a vertical lift of 600 mm. The AT20-600-01 is driven by a two-phase stepper motor and features a repeatability of 5 microns, positional accuracy of 20 microns and has a knob on the motor for manual adjustment. The AT20-600-02 […]

With the PSA56, Nanotec launches its first linear actuator with integrated controller. This extremely compact drive unit combines the LSA56 hybrid linear actuator and the intelligent controllers of Nanotec’s PD4-E series. The integrated magnetic single-turn absolute encoder has a resolution of 1,024 CPR and supports field-oriented control via CANopen. The screw’s protective coating is made […]

As a world leader in compact linear motion systems, Ametek Haydon Kerk Pittman (HKP), a business unit of Ametek, is pleased to announce its new EGS04 low-profile precision rail. The EGS “efficient guided system” is ideally suited for customers in lab automation and electronic assembly whose applications require high speed and highly efficient point-to-point motion. […]

Ball splines were once a staple for machine designers seeking an elegant way to integrate rotary and linear motion. Driven by pressures to speed their machines to market, many designers found it faster to implement prepackaged solutions in which rotary and linear motion shafts had already been integrated. By Charles Isaac • Thomson Industries Chris […]

Nidec Machine Tool Corporation will launch the MPLS series, an inductive coupling principle-type linear position detector that determines a machine’s position and detects its feed digitally, on November 1st. Intended for compact machine tools, it uses a signal-detection method and integrates numbers of substrates to realize a simple structure that does not require scale wiring […]

NUM has launched a series of brushless linear servo motors designed specifically for continuous duty cycle applications in machine tools. NUM’s new LMX series linear motors incorporate a number of features to help mitigate the effect of arduous operating conditions. Their moving coil primary section is fully encapsulated in a robust stainless-steel housing, with an […]

A roller screw’s application will dictate whether the shaft or nut should rotate. In either case, the type of nut selected depends on the load and how the assembly will move and actuate the system. There are three major types of roller screw nuts: single, split, and double. Single nuts are the most common configuration […]

Thomson Industries, Inc., has introduced a line of precision ball splines that enable robust delivery of rotary and linear motion on a single shaft. These new components give designers more flexibility to compress an assembly, extend a stroke, distribute a load or otherwise meet modern automation demands. “Ball splines have provided an elegant, single shaft […]

Thomson Industries, Inc., has added a polymer bushing to its line of state-of-the-art Ball Bushing bearings. It expands the company’s extensive bearing portfolio, providing design engineers a new option that helps them avoid overdesigning for low-load applications. Thomson polymer bushing bearings provide a reliable solution for machines where moment load is non-critical (30 to 40 […]

Roller screw systems typically have smaller footprints and more compact designs than their hydraulic counterparts. One motivation to replace hydraulics with roller screws is to reduce bulky and auxiliary equipment and its associated maintenance without compromising performance. Roller screw shafts come in a variety of diameters and load capacities. Some are 3.5 mm in diameter with […]

LINARIX linear positions sensors from POSITAL have been updated with extra-heavy-duty draw-wire mechanisms and with a convenient pre-scaling option for devices with analog communication interfaces. LINARIX position sensors are suitable for a wide variety of applications, including medical equipment, packaging and materials handling systems, forklifts, overhead gantries, lifts, and flow control gates in water management […]

OES (Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc.) has released four all new three-axis Azimuth, Angular Elevation, and Roll Gimbal Mounts. These new high-precision and high stability AU270-AER Gimbal Mounts locate the surface of the roll stage 115 mm below the center line of rotation allowing for the positioning of cameras, optics, lasers and instrumentation for scanning, tracking, […]

The new TFD Series of touchless linear position sensors from Novotechnik, U.S. provide wear-free operation in tight spaces, with maximum sensor dimensions of 40 x 27 x 7 mm thin. Sensing direction can be either parallel or perpendicular to mounting holes. The TFD-4000 Series uses a magnetic position marker to provide a touchless measurement range […]

In an active demonstration, as shown in this YouTube video of the demo, pneumatic and electric actuators from Festo handle and pierce battery cells. This new demonstration showcases the company’s motion automation innovations in battery and electric vehicle assembly. In battery production applications, high speeds and throughput are required, as are reliability and repeatability. In […]

(This is the second article in a two-part series, the first of which can be found here.) Dr. Cliff Jolliffe Head of Automation Market Segment Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH Modular controllers offer an easy and straightforward way to link a laser to multi-axis positioning systems. For instance, PI’s ACS Laser Control Module (LCM) introduces a […]

Linear guides, cam followers, and crossed-roller bearings can satisfy the demanding requirements for space-flight hardware. By IKO engineering staff | www.ikont.com As space activity shifts from governmental agencies to a growing industry driven by commercial entities and even startups, the types of spacecrafts and the missions they support are also expanding. This diversifying industry is […]

New modular controllers offer flexible solutions for linking a laser to multi-axis positioning, making it easier for system integrators to design and build advanced systems for a new age of laser applications. Dr. Cliff Jolliffe Head of Automation Market Segment Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH This is Part 1 of a 2-part series of articles on […]

Moticont’s new miniature GVCM-016-019-01M linear voice coil servo motor is smaller in diameter than a U.S. dime. This 15.9 mm (0.625 in.) diameter servo motor, also called an electric cylinder, features a high force-to-size ratio of 1.5 N (5.3 oz) continuous force and 4.6 N (16.6 oz) of peak force. The compact housing is just […]

Bell-Everman has introduced a new multi-axis transfer robot based on its proven ServoBelt backlash-free belt drive technology. Called ServoBelt Arc Drive, it features custom designed rotary and tilt axes that precisely position semiconductor glass panels. Measuring 450-mm across, the robot’s large rotary axis is built around a ServoBelt drive mechanism and a proprietary Bell-Everman bearing […]

Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc. (OES) has released two new motorized elevator stages, the DAG20-120-01 and the DAG20-120-04. These high-resolution, compact, low-profile elevator stages feature high stability 120 x 120 mm tables and 20 mm of vertical travel. High precision ball bearing profile rails assure high parallelism and smooth motion throughout the raising and lowering of […]

igus is expanding its 3D-print and online ordering offering to include custom format toothed belt pulleys. Toothed belt pulleys are a common component in many machines and are widely used in linear drives of printers, robots, and packaging machines. However, if an individual variant is required, developing a custom component can take days or even […]

Thomson Industries, Inc. has enhanced its online ball screw selection tool to include online configurability options, expert guidance and faster performance. Design engineers using the tool will now have access to more capabilities and expert guidance in configuring end machining, end fixity, thread lengths, nuts and related assembly preferences. An interactive reference table is updated, […]

The highly dynamic AL8000 linear motors from Beckhoff now meet even greater requirements for accuracy and synchronization with the new TwinCAT Cogging Compensation software. This makes the linear motors particularly suitable for high-precision applications such as milling machines or laser cutting machines. The cogging compensation software makes use of machine learning, which is seamlessly integrated […]