Over the past several years, a convergence of industry trends has spurred demand for linear actuators with small form factor and higher power density. To meet the needs of power-hungry applications with limited component space, the Thomson Electrak MD was recently released.
An informative technical article from Thomson covers the factors leading to this higher power density trend as well as how to select an actuator for various applications that fall into this category. Featured in the article, the Electrak MD can handle up to 2 kN/450 lbf loads, while boasting onboard electronics and high environmental resistance.
For more information on the Thomson range or the Thomson Electrak MD and its capabilities, including improved controllability, efficiency and high duty cycle suitable for a wide range of industrial applications email sales@micromech.co.uk or call 01376 333333.
Disclaimer The use of this news article and images came with permission from Thomson.
How can you make your vertical form-fill-seal design stand out in a highly competitive marketplace?
Manufacturers have ambitious goals for Vertical Form-Fill-Seal machines. Uniting key benefits such as ease of use, flexibility, and value, Kollmorgen empowers machine builders to address the rigorous demands of an ever-changing market. In this web session, we’ll review how motion solutions can deliver better safety, performance, and efficiency to advance customer success.
In this webinar we’ll:
Review solutions for motion axes that align with core value drivers
As a Gold Partner, Micromech are able to supply and provide expertise on Kollmorgen products. Contact our sales team on 01376 333333 or sales@micromech.co.uk for price and delivery or technical assistance.
Disclaimer The use of this news article and images came with permission from Kollmorgen.
When space is of the essence, Wittenstein’s right-angled gearboxes are the ideal solution. These are available in different types of gearing such as worm, bevel and hypoid.
Split into three different product types, the HG+, SK+/SPK+, TK+/TPK+ of the alpha Advanced line gearboxes offer great flexibility when it comes to designing your application. Available with different output arrangements, such as single or dual hollow shaft, SP+ output geometry (shafted output), and TP+ output geometry (rotary output flange) mean that these gearboxes are used in a multitude of different applications.
On top of the output flexibility, Wittenstein’s hypoid gearboxes provide high dynamics, while offering superior torsional rigidity and very low backlash levels compared to the industry standard.
Product dependent, these units are available in ratio’s in-between 3 – 5500:1 with maximum output torques ranging from 20Nm – 40000Nm. Corrosion resistant and Food Grade variants are available, alongside coupling, shrink discs and rack and pinion to compliment the selection.
For more information regarding Wittenstein products and services please feel free to contact us on 01376 333333 or sales@micromech.co.uk to discuss application requirements.
Disclaimer The use of this news article and images came with permission from Wittenstein.
These Akribis direct drive linear stage products are well-suited for long-travel applications — including those in which conveyors may not satisfy the system’s needs. The DGL Series is one such linear stage that can carry high loads over a long travel distance. We can offer these and other direct drive linear stages with multiple motors and carriages, and there’s virtually no limit to potential stroke lengths.
For example, the DGL linear stage pictured here measures just over 6.8 meters long and includes seven individually controllable motors.
In another example of its long-travel capabilities, the DGL Series was recently implemented to achieve what we believe is a record-breaking stroke distance: approximately 262 feet. The customer implemented a DGL-260 to achieve a speed of 6.5 feet per second for the full travel distance — all while carrying a load over 440 pounds.
No matter the load or travel distance, there’s a DGL Series linear stage for your application. You can choose from four model numbers, depending on your force requirements, which can incorporate either our AUM Series ironless linear motor or an AJM or AKM Series iron core linear motor. The AUM linear motor is cogging free for tight velocity control and scanning applications, while our cost-friendly AJM and AKM iron core linear motors have higher acceleration capability for point-to-point motion. In addition, the DGL’s dual linear guides and feedback encoder deliver high performance and precise homing capabilities. Other features include:
An exceptional force-to-size ratio
A compact footprint
Competitive prices
High-Performance Stages With Long-Travel Implementations With proven long-travel implementations using multiple motors and carriages plus excellent force and load handling capabilities, our direct drive linear stages, such as the DGL Series, are attractive for many applications that require long travel with high speed and precision. Our engineers can work with you to select or customize the right linear motor stage to satisfy your long travel, high-precision requirements.
For more information on Akribis products and possibilities, contact Micromech on 01376 333333 or email sales@micromech.co.uk.
Disclaimer The use of this news article and images came with permission from Akribis.
A frameless motor is the active torque and speed producing part of a conventional motor, but without the shaft, bearings, housing or endbells. The frameless motor consists of only two parts: the rotor and stator. The rotor is usually the inner part, consisting of a rotating steel donut assembly with permanent magnets, that mounts directly onto your machine shaft. The stator is the outer part, with steel laminations and copper windings around the teeth to create the electromagnetic forces that mounts compactly within the body of your machine housing.
Why should I use frameless motors?
Frameless motors are generally designed into advanced machines that would benefit from one or more of the following:
Increased machine performance – No mechanical compliance (no backlash, no lost motion) – Higher system bandwidth – Improved machine efficiency
A more compact form factor – Smaller machine footprint – Highest torque per volume
Reduced maintenance – Fewer mechanical parts – No components subject to wear or maintenance
How do I size a frameless motor for my machine application?
Frameless motors are sized the same way that you might size a conventional, housed servo motor. The machine application is evaluated for the motion requirements for both torque and speed. A machine designed with a frameless motor will generally have higher efficiency due to the lack of gearing, belts and pulleys, or coupling elements in the mechanical drive train. This efficiency often simplifies frameless motor sizing. Knowing the actual machine or part duty cycle timing generally gets you the RMS torque and speed as well as the peak conditions needed to select a motor. There are online motion sizing tools available to help you properly calculate your motor sizing requirements.
There is also a frameless motor performance curve tool that allows machine designers to understand actual motor and drive performance, even at different bus voltages, available drive current, and ambient temperature limitations. This tool helps you optimize the choice of frameless motor winding based on actual machine requirements rather than choosing from a limited set of windings based on standard input bus voltage.
Which applications are best suited for frameless motors?
Frameless motors are broadly used across virtually all machine markets: robotics, medical, machine tool, packaging, printing, converting and general automation. Basically, anywhere the benefits of improved machine performance, compact form and reduced maintenance are valued.
How easy is it to install a frameless motor?
Most people assume that the installation of a frameless motor is a complex and daunting task. A quick review of this “how-to” installation video will help to dispel those concerns. Typically, frameless motor components can be installed in a basic machine housing design using slip-fit tolerancing and readily available industrial adhesives. The use of frameless motor part sets often leads to improved manufacturability and reduced machine setup times through the elimination of couplings, gearing and belt adjustments. Also, system tuning and commissioning time is reduced due to increased repeatability of the system mechanics.
Kollmorgen provides frameless motor solutions in 17 standard frame sizes (60 mm to 850 mm diameter, with torque up to 13,000 Nm), each with multiple stack lengths and winding options. These standard designs can provide your machine with an ideal-fit frameless motor solution optimized for your application.
About the Author Tom S. Wood, a 30+ year veteran in high performance motion control has integrated motion control solutions as a machine designer, servo customer, manufacturer’s representative, High-Tech distributor, and as a Kollmorgen Motion Control Product Specialist.
As a Gold Partner, Micromech are able to supply and provide expertise on Kollmorgen products. Contact our sales team on 01376 333333 or sales@micromech.co.uk for price and delivery or technical assistance.
Disclaimer The use of this news article and images came with permission from Kollmorgen.
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