JVL has released Add-On-Instructions for its ServoStep integrated motors for fast and easy setup and programming in Rockwell Automation’s Studio 5000 software. It makes commissioning fast and easy and the motors can be set up in 5 minutes or less. The motors have the ability to be upgraded with other protocols or newer versions of […]
Laser marking now part of Gear Motions production
Gear Motions now has a fiber laser marking machine which was recently installed at its Nixon Gear Division in Syracuse. The Beamer Laser Systems Model FL53 uses a 50-watt high powered LED laser to mark products quickly and safely. The machine offers fast cycle times and a wide range of marking intensities. It has a […]
Electric slip rings: 5 things to know about brushes, voltage drops, and noise mitigation
Here we outline five things to know about electrical slip rings and their brushes, voltage drops, and noise mitigation. Also be sure to check out the FAQs: What are slip rings and why do some motors use them? and What’s the difference between electromechanical and fiber-optic slip rings? 1. The three main brush technologies in electric […]
Voice coil motor with internal shaft and bearing features high force-to-size ratio
Moticont’s GVCM-051-025-01 Linear Voice Coil Motor features high acceleration/deceleration, high speed, high reliability, zero backlash, high accuracy, high repeatability, and a 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) stroke length. Also referred to as an electric cylinder, this linear actuator is a low cost, high accuracy replacement for hydraulic and pneumatic linear actuators. This clean, compact, voice coil […]
Measurement, Control & Automation Association announces 2019 Board of Directors
The Measurement, Control & Automation Association (MCAA) announced its 2019 Board of Directors. MCAA President, Teresa Sebring, said, “I am pleased to welcome our newest Officers and Directors. The MCAA Board is comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and industry experiences that make them an asset to the organization.” Mike Waters, President & CEO of […]
Standard versus custom slip rings — and inductive, capacitive, wetted mercury variations
Slip-ring variations abound — and the advanced components come in bore sizes from half an inch to many feet in diameter — for medical-imaging machines designed to service livestock, for example. But options go beyond mere scale. So how do OEMs and design engineers choose between standard and custom options … and what are other […]
Where are slip rings used? Common markets and applications
Slip rings excel in myriad designs that include a rotating base or platform — including industrial equipment such as index tables, winders, and automated welders. Wind turbines are another key application — as are medical applications for MRI and CT imaging. Slip rings also work at the pivot point of closed-circuit security cameras. Slip rings […]
New hybrid cable from igus handles both power and feedback signals
The new CF280.UL.H cable from igus is a hybrid servo cable offered as an expansion to the chainflex line of cables for moving applications. The flexible cable can deliver motor power and feedback functions through a single cable. Hybrid cable technology was introduced by drive manufacturers to streamline their cable connections to eliminate the encoder […]
Automate 2019 (and Promat) April 8 to 11: North American event to showcase real-world technology advances
Automate 2019, North America’s largest showcase devoted to automation industry trends, leading-edge technology and business innovation, returns to Chicago’s McCormick Place April 8 to 11. Produced by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), Automate hosts many of the industry’s leading manufacturers and system integrators of robotics, machine vision, metrology, software, safety, motion control and motors. […]
The top 5 articles on Motion Control Tips for 2018
We here at motioncontroltips.com are not immune to a little bit of end-of-year reflection. It’s an opportunity to do a reckoning of sorts and find out what you, our readers, liked most. So here is a short list of the top 5 most viewed posts published in 2018, starting with Number 5 and building our […]
What’s the difference between electromechanical and fiber-optic slip rings?
Design engineers identify the need for a slip ring in the very first stages of the design process — as usually there are no viable alternative solutions. Of course, while engineers know near the beginning of the design process whether they need a slip ring, the slip-ring design details are usually developed and finalized with […]
Electrical power and signals through a slip ring: Where do they go?
Slip rings — also called electric swivels, collector rings, and rotary electrical joints — are electromagnetic devices of electromechanical, fiber-optic, or even non-contacting inductance and capacitance subtypes that transmit power and data signals between a rotating machine segment and a stationary segment. Of course, power transmission is associated with higher voltage and higher current than […]
Premium-efficiency, cast-iron three-phase ac motors from AutomationDirect
IronHorse MTCP2 industrial duty motors meet the premium efficiency requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. MTCP2 motors are offered in T-Frame (1 to 300 hp) and TC-Frame/C-Face (1 to 30 hp). C-face kits are available for motors over 30 hp. These motors are available in 1,200, 1,800, and 3,600 RPM and […]
maxon precision motors awarded top LEAP prize in Motion Control for Exoskeleton Joint Actuator
At the recent LEAP Awards dinner gala in Costa Mesa, Calif., maxon precision motors was awarded the trophy for top design in Motion Control — for its Exoskeleton Joint Actuator. The judges commented: “Excellent product in a ground breaking application. maxon has taken a leadership role by packaging products specifically for the exoskeleton market … By providing an […]
CC-Link IE and CC-Link installed base on target to reach 24 million during 2018
The number of devices communicating via the open CC-Link IE Ethernet and CC-Link Fieldbus networks passed the 22 million mark in 2017, confirming their position as one of the fastest rising industrial network technologies globally. Having posted an increasing annual growth figure of over 2 million every year for the past four years, the governing […]
Final considerations for optimal gear reducer selection
This is the last in a multi-part series on gear reducers. In this last part we look at some additional considerations for selecting the optimal gear reducer. (Click for Part 1 and Part 2.) The information here is supplied by Bodine Electric Company. Aside from having the required technical specifications for selecting the right gear […]
Omnify Software’s Empower PLM software wins LEAP Award in Industrial Automation category
Earlier this week at the LEAP Awards dinner gala in Costa Mesa, Calif., 11 winners were announced for the first annual awards competition recognizing excellence in engineering design. In the Industrial Automation category, Omnify Software’s Empower PLM Software won the top prize for its use in developing 6 River’s Robot Chuck. The judges for the […]
AutomationDirect adds compact WEG VFD drives
AutomationDirect has added a new line of ac variable frequency drives (VFD) for motor speed control and other industrial control applications. The WEG CFW300 variable frequency drive is a high-performance VFD for three-phase induction motors. It’s suitable for applications on machines or equipment that require precise control with easy setup and operation. The CFW300 features […]
Software tools streamline cable design, management
A critical but sometimes overlooked component, cables come in a variety of customized versions to meet specific application requirements. Cable properties such as the number of solid conductors or wire strands for transmitting power to motors as well as feedback to and from controllers and sensors are an example of what designers must consider when […]
Internationally certified stepper motor for hazardous locations from Applied Motion Products
Applied Motion Products introduces a commercially available step motor internationally certified for use in hazardous locations throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. Offering high-performance motion control in the challenging environments of oil, gas, printing, and paint finishing applications, the HX56-100 Hazardous Location Stepper Motor features: ATEX and IECEx certifications for Class 1, […]
Sensors at heart of bionic robots
Robotics is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and fastest growing areas of technology. Each year more and varied robots are being used in applications from industrial to consumer uses and beyond. In addition to controllers and motion components such as motors and actuators, sensors play a vital role in robotic operation by providing data […]
CleanMove Standard conveyors now come with Inner Drive option
Now, belt and plastic modular-belt varieties of CleanMove Standard conveyors from mk North America are available with an Inner Drive. Conveyors with these drives can deliver speeds to 250 fpm and are suitable for horizontal, incline, and Z-shape conveying applications. Conveyor Inner Drive features The conveyor drive takes the form of a drum motor that […]
Allied Motion acquires TCI, LLC
Allied Motion Technologies Inc. has acquired TCI, LLC, a leading developer and manufacturer of active (electronic) and passive (magnetic) products to resolve power quality and harmonic issues associated with industrial power conversion for $64.1 million. The purchase price was funded with existing cash plus borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility. “TCI broadens and strengthens […]
HarshIO industrial Ethernet I/O modules for motorized drive rollers from Molex
Molex New HarshIO Industrial Ethernet I/O Modules from Molex allow programmable logic controllers to connect to motorized drive rollers over an Ethernet fieldbus. This is done without requiring a proprietary system specific to one MDR manufacturer, pending the application and MDR type in use. The modules are designed for system builders, integrators and end-users designing […]
New entry-level PC-based controller from Beckhoff
The new CX7000 Embedded PC from Beckhoff opens up the convenience and efficiency of the TwinCAT 3 software environment to highly compact, DIN rail-mounted controllers. This further enhances the scalability of PC-based control technology from Beckhoff – ranging from mini-PLCs to many-core Industrial PCs. An advanced 400 MHz processor and built-in configurable I/Os mean this […]