When production experiences a glitch, there is not time for a lengthy process of discovery and finding colleagues. In many industrial operations today, plant-floor workers must deal with downtime events by connecting to the server, hopscotching between devices and data sources, running back and forth between information portals, and hunting down colleagues who have expertise […]
Application story: Smart motors from maxon make high-tech e-bikes
Use of electronic bikes or e-bikes — those with power-assist and full drive capabilities — is exploding in Europe and now the Americas as more people than ever look for green modes of transportation in increasingly dense urban centers. Recently introduced to the world market, maxon motor makes an integrated drive (sometimes called a hub […]
Opto 22 Digital I/O Carrier Board connects real-world industrial devices to millions of Raspberry Pi single-board computers with release of Digital I/O Carrier Board for Raspberry Pi
Industrial automation manufacturer and Internet of Things platform developer Opto 22 now sells a Digital I/O Carrier Board for the versatile Raspberry Pi single-board computer, enabling the Pi to sense or switch up to 16 individually selectable electrical loads ranging from 2.5 to 280 VAC/VDC, with solid-state power and reliability. This new carrier board adds the […]
Continental plant in Ohio honored with ambassador of energy efficiency award
Continental’s St. Marys, Ohio, plant, its premier North American manufacturing facility for engineered products, recently received the Ambassador of Energy Efficiency award from Efficiency Smart, a Columbus-based company that assists companies with implementing energy-efficient products and services. “We are proud to receive this award,” said Frank Smith, St. Marys’ plant engineering manager. “We had a […]
Sercos TSN Demonstrator – Sercos over TSN makes its debut at this year’s SPS IPC Drives show in Nuremberg, Germany
Sercos International, provider of the Sercos automation bus, will demonstrate for the first time the transmission of the Sercos III real-time protocol via Ethernet standard IEEE 802.1 TSN (Time-Sensitive Networks) at the 2016 SPS IPC Drives show. The Sercos TSN Demonstrator was created by the Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW, University […]
HMI with CODESYS 3 PLC and visualization (from Turck)
Turck now offers an HMI with CODESYS 3 PLC — the TX500 HMI PLC. With high-end touch displays and fast processors, these HMIs are ideal for use in small- to medium-size machines whose processes have to be controlled, displayed and operated locally. Each TX500 is equipped with a Profinet master and EtherNet/IP scanner, as well as […]
PITTMAN introduces DC022C series brush dc motor
PITTMAN a business unit of AMETEK Precision Motion Control, now offers the latest addition to its line of brush-commutated DC motors — the DC022C Series … a 22-mm diameter unit offered in three lengths with continuous output torques of 0.0056 to 0.141 Nm. More after the jump. The DC022C Series is offered with eight standard windings with special windings […]
Frameless Brushless Torque Motor
H2W Technologies has developed an unhoused arc segmented frameless brushless torque motor (TWR-070-410-1150-3PH) with low inertia moving coil assembly for high angular acceleration applications. The rotary 3-phase brushless motor, also known as a rotary servo motor, is a direct drive motor that is ideal for limited or unlimited, closed loop servo, rotary motion applications. It […]
IDEC releases version 8.2.2 of WindLDR PLC programming software
IDEC Corporation announces Version 8.2.2 of its WindLDR PLC programming software, a PC-based platform used to program IDEC’s FC6A MicroSmart PLC. The software can also be used to program IDEC’s entire line of PLCs. IoT capability is provided by custom web pages which can be configured for remote monitoring and control. Web pages are created […]
Netzer DS-25 17-bit resolution absolute encoder
The DS-25 is a member of the DS series of Electric Encoders, based on Netzer Precision proprietary technology. These encoders offer many advantages, some unparalleled: 17 bit resolution and accuracy to better than 0.025° Analog Sin/Cos,Digital SSi,BiSS-C output options Lightweight miniature absolute rotary encoder Hollow floating shaft and no bearing or other contact High precision […]
Rockwell Automation recognizes safety excellence at Dana and OCME
Rockwell Automation named three organizations as recipients of its fourth annual Manufacturing Safety Excellence Awards. The recipients are Dana Incorporated, a global supplier of powertrain technology; MESNAC, an equipment builder in China; and OCME, a global equipment builder in Italy. “This awards program celebrates the world’s safest manufacturing companies for their leadership in making workplace […]
New compact right-angle, flange-mounted planetary gearbox from Neugart
Neugart USA’s new compact right-angle, flange-mounted WPLFE gearbox is suitable for applications with tight space constraints and powerful torque requirements. Depending on the frame size, this gearbox requires up to 30% less space than comparable right angle gearboxes. With lifetime lubrication and minimal installation height, the WPLFE gearbox has the flexibility to mount in any […]
POSITAL-FRABA now sells multiturn kit encoders for cost-effective feedback
POSITAL’s new kit encoders give manufacturers of servomotors and other machinery an accurate and rugged option for including rotary-position measurement in designs. At the core of these new kits are POSITAL’s self-contained magnetic rotary encoders. But now the core components of these sensor assemblies come separate to facilitate easy integration into other products. • Electrical Resolution is 17-bit Singleturn — and up to 32-bit […]
FAQ: What is a servo drive?
Servo systems consist of four main components: a motor, a drive, a controller, and a feedback device, which is typically an encoder. The controller and drive work together to determine what the motor needs to do (the controller) and send the necessary electrical energy to the motor to make it happen (the drive). The controller […]
Torquemaster family of brush DC motors from Torque Systems
Torque Systems, a division of SL-MTI, has developed a high performance family of three new size-15 permanent magnet dc motors. They are used in a wide range of applications that includes semiconductor processing equipment, robots, UAVs and medical devices. The longer stack size 15 DC motor (model MS1525-A) reaches a rated torque value of 10 […]
Delta expands and enhances C2000 series VFD to run induction and PM motors
Delta’s VFD-C2000 has become bigger and better with new features for applications in industrial automation markets. The VFD-C2000 is designed for variable frequency drive (VFD) applications up to 600 HP for 480 VAC and 840 HP for 690 VAC for induction and permanent magnet motors. Its modular design allows for easy maintenance in replacing printed […]
High-voltage power supply features 250 KW output with more than 92% efficiency
A compact solid-state high voltage DC power supply that provides high efficiency and reliability in a single small enclosure is being introduced by Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) of Bedford, Massachusetts. The DTI 250 kW HVPS Series Switching Mode Power Supply is a compact, fully integrated solid-state unit that provides 15 to 100 kV adjustable output […]
HMI and controller maker IDEC uses alternative energy to power Silicon Valley facility
IDEC is a manufacturer of innovative industrial automation and control products, and has a corporate mandate to reduce carbon footprint and increase the use of renewable energy sources at its facilities world-wide. To meet this mandate, cut costs and improve the environment, the U.S. headquarters in Silicon Valley uses a combination of roof-mounted solar panels […]
High-performance Simmerrings seals increase industrial gearbox reliability
According to a comprehensive analysis by WITTENSTEIN, a specialist in mechatronics and drive technology, high-performance Simmerrings seals from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies make a considerable contribution to the reliability of industrial gearboxes. The seals in the investigation are manufactured from a wear-resistant elastomer and are used on the drive and output ends of high-end planetary and […]
Studio 5000 Software simplifies automation system design
Engineers are under constant pressure to deliver automation systems faster. To help streamline the design and configuration process, Rockwell Automation has enhanced the Rockwell Software Studio 5000 integrated development environment. The software now includes expanded integration with engineering tools, predeveloped application content to replace custom code, and new features to help enhance security. The Studio […]
Customizable angle sensors from Novotechnik
The new Vert-X 2800 Series of sensors from Novotechnik, U.S. measure angular position, converting rotational angle into an analog or digital output, depending on the version. Users can select a stock part to simply measure angle or they can be configured, using a tool connected to a PC called Easy Adapt, to be application-specific. Possible […]
Realtime control SoCs free designers to focus on industrial drive differentiation
By Brian Fortman | DesignDRIVE Marketing Manager, C2000 Microcontrollers | Texas Instruments Many industrial inverter and servodrive manufacturers traditionally rely on field-programmable gate-array (FPGA) or ASIC technology to complete functions unsupported by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products such as 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs). There are drawbacks, though. Case in point: Adding FPGAs and ASICs to software programmable […]
FAQ: How to choose between PC-based and dedicated PLC motion control?
Two of the most common control architectures for motion control systems are PC-based controls and PLCs (programmable logic controllers.) But how does one choose between them? What factors are involved in making the decision? Speed One of the most critical factors involves computation or processing speed. PLCs have traditionally had the edge here, being designed […]
New Rockwell Automation Analytics Solutions scale from device through enterprise
By 2020, the industrial sector will be producing nearly 15 trillion gigabytes of data. With increasing amounts of data, manufacturers must find more effective and efficient ways to put this data to use. Rockwell Automation is releasing expanded and scalable analytics offerings to help customers more quickly and easily gain insight from their investments in automation technology. “Our Connected […]
New precision encoders from Celera Motion offer 5-nm resolution
The new MicroE Optira™ Series encoders from Celera Motion are said to be the only encoders in their class to provide a resolution of up to 5 nm with all automatic gain control (AGC), interpolation, and signal processing carried out in the sensor head. Furthermore, wide alignment tolerances and patented PurePrecision™ optical technology make Optira’s […]