Baldor Electric Company launches a ready-engineered linear stepper X-Y positioning base that is capable of dramatically increasing productivity in a wide range of machinery applications. A novel honeycomb-structured composite material used on the base greatly reduces the cost of applying advanced linear motor technology ‚— to prices starting from $7000 – providing machinery builders with a highly competitive alternative to traditional solutions such as rotary motors and ballscrews or belts.
Designated the HoneyComb Series, Baldor’s new X-Y bases are available in a choice of seven standard sizes with square or rectangular working areas ranging from 375 x 375 to 750 x 1500 mm. This range supports a wide variety of applications in markets including design prototyping, semiconductor fabrication, electronics manufacturing and biomed sample handling.
The new X-Y bases offer very high levels of positioning performance. They are capable of move speeds of up to 1.5 metres/second at resolutions to 2.5 microns and with a repeatability of better than 2 microns. They also offer friction-free mechanics with zero-backlash and no wind-up ‚— for a major performance improvement over traditional mechanical transmission design technologies, as well as maintenance savings.
The base’s moving element, the forcer, floats on an air bearing and integrates two linear stepper motors mounted at right angles to each other to provide X and Y directional thrust. The forcer is available in six sizes and in two- or four-phase configurations, depending on the application’s force and resolution requirements. The maximum static holding force is up to 134 N.
Application versatility is enhanced by the base’s ability to have multiple forcers mounted on the same base with overlapping trajectories if required. A high level of attractive force (up to 1780 N) also means that the base can be applied vertically or face down if the application demands. The base’s composite honeycomb structure simplifies applications like this, as the weight of the positioning system is reduced dramatically, by up to 70% compared with previous Baldor models for instance. Complete base weights with platen and forcer start at less than 10 kg.
The bases are supplied ready to use. All the user needs to supply is power to the forcer, and an air supply to the bearing system.
Filed Under: Linear motion • slides, Motion control • motor controls
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