At every MD&M event, manufacturers from around the globe announce new products for use in medical devices — or to take them from concept to market. This is what I saw at the first day of this year’s show. First stop: Model Solution at Booth 873 (downstairs at MD&M) The first meet of the day […]
Fuji Electric expands drives portfolio with full-featured inverter
Fuji Electric Corp. of America now offers an expanded portfolio of Variable Frequency Drives with the addition of FRENIC-Ace, a full-featured, versatile Drive with advanced integration capabilities including applied power ratings, sensorless dynamic torque vector control, PM synchronous motor control, 2-channel on-board RS485 communication port and customer customizable logic. “Flexibility was the main objective with the […]
Patented ServoTrack technology — driver-controller products for motion
Koco Motion US LLC | DINGS’ now offers its patented ServoTrackTM technology in a new line of products. ServoTrack technology provides both dynamic closed loop control for your motion control system … … and torque or force control as an integral part of the technology. ServoTrack’s simplified SnapTrack programming software makes it easy to design motion profiles and do it smarter. […]
Difference between drum motors and gear motors for food conveying
Traditional conveyor setups in food-processing and packaging industries use external gear motors as the belt-drive mechanism. But drum motors are increasingly common as an alternative conveyor drive. Here we review the strengths and weaknesses and potential improvements for both drive options. By Davide Barbanti, Associate Professor • Dr. Giampaolo Betta, Contract Professor in Food Science […]
PC-Based AGVs support warehouse renovation
Relying on PC-based PLC system from Beckhoff, America in Motion’s iBOT Automatic Guidance Vehicles break new ground with path planning system. When one thinks about automated guided vehicles (AGVs), their imagination often stirs up images from science fiction. Tiny robots, scurrying about and completing the menial tasks of their human bosses. Today, we are seeing […]
FAQ: What is CoDeSys software?
CoDeSyS stands for controller development system. It’s a development environment for programming controller applications in line with the IEC 61131-3 standard. It was developed and is still maintained by the 3S (Smart Software Solutions) Company in Germany. The platform-independent development environment is compatible with the PLCs and automation components of over 250 companies. For starters, […]
Video: Our editors check out PCB’s triaxial ICP accelerometers
In this video, Design World’s Editorial Director Paul J. Heney and Senior Editor Miles Budimir discuss PCB Piezotronics’ family of shear accelerometers—which are packaged in 0.4-in. titanium cubes and weigh a mere 015 ounces. They can be used for modal and structural analysis, NVH studies on automotive parts, space restricted installations, drop testing and package […]
Rockwell Automation recognized for women’s inclusion and advancement
Rockwell Automation has been announced as a 2017 Catalyst Award winner and will be recognized on March 8 in New York City for the company’s Culture of Inclusion journey. The Catalyst Award honors innovative organizational approaches that address the recruitment, development and advancement of women and have led to proven, measurable results. “We are thrilled to receive […]
Conveyors help medical-product manufacturer package (and temporarily store) product
Now, a production line centered around conveyors from QC Industries is helping one medical-device manufacturer boost production of sterile product. CooperSurgical is a maker of diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices to women’s healthcare providers. Recently the manufacturer turned to QC Industries to setup a new production line that maintains the cleanliness required for packaging medical products, […]
Visit Interroll in Atlanta: Food-industry products showing at IPPE 2017
Interroll, supplier of material handling equipment and systems, will present its latest lineup of hygienic, energy-saving solutions for the food industry to meat and poultry processing professionals at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta this month. Interroll will showcase its products at Booth 6274, Hall B, at the Georgia World Congress Center, […]
Panel-mount brush servo drives work for centralized motion controls
The AxCent (Axes for Centralized control schemes) product platform brings the proven and powerful performance expected of ADVANCED Motion Controls, with improvements to the design architecture that utilize years of experience in the industry and the latest advancements in modern servo system design. As technology continues its shift from analog to digital, there is still strong demand for […]
ACS Motion Control joins PI: Acquisition to provide OEMs with complete customized motion systems solutions
Motion control and nanopositioning systems global leader PI (Physik Instrumente) is proud to announce the acquisition of 80% of the Israeli-based company, ACS Motion Control, a well-known developer and manufacturer of controllers and drives for multi-axis systems. With this investment, PI is better able to serve industrial customers with complete tailored systems that can be […]
Now shorter leadtimes for Falk V-Class gear drives from Rexnord
Rexnord has established shorter standard leadtimes for products and accessories within the Falk V-Class Gear Drive portfolio, beginning at four weeks or less. Standard leadtimes for V-Class unit sizes 107-167 begin at four weeks, with additional sizes and accessories at six and eight weeks, with plans to broaden the offering in 2017. “We are proud to […]
FAQ: What are typical drive-based safety functions?
Functional safety standards EN/IEC 62061 and EN/ISO 13849-1 ensure safety via electronic solutions, unlike traditional safety systems, which used electromechanical components to achieve safety. And while functional safety applies to a machine and its control system (not to individual components), the drive lies at the heart of the safety implementation. In fact, functional safety specifies that monitoring […]
Encoder Products Co. now sells magnetic encoder with threaded housing
Encoder Products Co. now sells a new Model 30MT — a 30-mm diameter magnetic encoder module. By means of advanced sensing and signal processing technology, the Model 30MT provides accurate incremental feedback, even in harsh operating conditions. With its threaded housing, the Model 30MT is simple to install. See the unboxing video for an overview. Encoder excels in harsh environments […]
Motion system applications: clever uses for integrated motors
Integrated motors, also called smart motors, include a motor rotor and stator (in a brushless dc, servomotor or stepper motor form) paired with other motion components. About half of all integrated motors incorporate a brushless motor with permanent magnets on the rotors, though other formats exist. The most basic integrated motors consist of just a motor […]
Manufacturing in the U.S. expanding in Illinois: The case of GAM Enterprises
Last month, I had the pleasure of making a day trip to the Chicago area to see one example of reshoring firsthand. GAM Enterprises — manufacturer of precision gear reducers, servo couplings, linear-mounting kits, and other automation products — offers engineering expertise and flexible manufacturing to support engineers building motion designs. Now they’re using reshoring […]
Economical, custom, modular motors and gearbox drives
ABM Drives are tailor-made specifically for the application whether it requires compact design, low-noise operation or maximum operating safety. A flexible modular design system allows cost-effective low volume production runs. Custom motors and drives are available for a wide range of application types: forklifts, electric vehicles, lifting technology, biomass heating systems, textile machines, wind power control, warehouse logistics, […]
Wayne Products introduces intermittent-use oil skimmer
Wayne Products now sells a Mini-Skimmer R.S., a belt-type oil skimmer that collects over a quart of oil per hour despite its tiny housing that measures just 3 x 3 x 2.75 in. Designed as an easy-to-use solution for small machine shops, Mini-Skimmer R.S. skims unwanted tramp oils from coolants, but can rest easily with the flip […]
FAQ: What are the benefits of networking for motion control?
The old way of connecting components in a motion control system was to make individual wire connections between components, which was time consuming and tedious. So when networks for motion control came along it was a relief, simplifying design and saving time and money. Here are four of the biggest benefits of using networks in […]
Encoders in motion applications
THERE ARE AS MANY ENCODER CHOICES as there are design objectives. When encoders provide position feedback, it’s common to specify encoder resolution exceeding what the application requires as a way to address the partial count uncertainty of digital measurements. Heavy industrial equipment for metal stamping, wind turbines, printing, and steel processing often uses high-speed rotary […]
Ralph Rosa named President of Lenze Americas
Lenze SE, a global leader and manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drive, motion control and automation technologies, recently announced the appointment of Ralph Rosa as president of Lenze Americas. “More than ever, Lenze’s motion centric applications and solutions expertise can make a real difference for machine builders looking for higher productivity, better energy efficiency, lower […]
Thomson video on how to install SB Series power-off brakes
Thomson Industries has released an educational video for design engineers illustrating how to properly install its SB Series power-off brake. Thomson’s SB Series is designed as a servo brake with low backlash splines for high-performance applications such as robotics, medical equipment and packaging. SB power-off brakes are typically mounted on the back end of a […]
New hollow-shaft encoders from HEIDENHAIN provide functional machine safety
HEIDENHAIN’s new series of functionally safe hollow-shaft connection rotary encoders, the ECN/EQN/ERN 400 series, are especially useful in applications where quick machine shut-off is required in dangerous situations. Featuring a new shaft coupling which provides mechanical fault exclusion for connection to the customer’s machine shaft, these new encoders are of particular use in safety-related applications […]
Inverter series G120C extends Siemens offering into more markets
With the Sinamics G120C, Siemens Drive Technologies expands its product portfolio of inverters. This compact device has been designed for various applications in industrial environments. It is suitable for use with pumps, compressors and fans, as well as mixers, extruders, conveyor belts and materials handling machines. The target groups for this new line are production […]