Engineers Guide 2012

designworldonline.
com November 2015
Motion
Systems
MC_CB_Cover_Options_Vs7.indd 1 11/6/15 11:40 AM

Precision
for Servomotors
Gearboxes
SureGear Precision
Servo Gearboxes
The SureGear series of high-precision servo gear reducers $674.00
(PGB070-05A1)
is an excellent choice for applications that require accuracy
and reliability at an exceptional value.
These planetary gearboxes, available in right-angle, inline,
Example
and now hub-style versions, have a thread-in mounting style, models
along with precision and torque capacity that is best in class. shown
NEW hub-style models are perfect for applications

requiring high-speed, high-precision indexing movement $398.00
Industry-standard mounting dimensions (PGA070-05A1)
Best-in-class backlash
Multiple gear ratios available (5, 10, 15, 25, 35, 50:1)
Uncaged needle roller bearings for high rigidity and torque
Maintenance free: no need to replace the grease for the $722.00
(PGD047-05A1)
life of the unit
At nominal speed, service life is 20,000 hours
Can be positioned in any orientation Mates easily to
SureServo motors
5-year warranty
Starting at: $398.00 (70mm Frame - PGA070-05A1)
Use SureGear with our practical

SureServo systems Research, price, buy at:
start under $1,000** The SureServo family of www.automationdirect.com/motion-control
brushless servo systems
from AutomationDirect
is fully digital and offers AutomationDirect Allen-Bradley
a rich set of features at Price/Part Number Price/Part Number
Servo Systems
dynamite prices.
Beginners to experienced Digital Servo Drive $488.00 $1,340.00
SVA-2040 2098-DSD-005
users can take advantage 100W Servo Motor $325.00 $558.00

of this easy-to-use family with connectorized Leads SVL-201 TLY-A130T-HK62AA
for as little as $986.00** Breakout Board Kit for $94.00 $263.00

(100W system). CN1 Control Interface ASD-BM-50A 2090-U3BK-D4401
** All components sold separately. 10 Motor

Feedback Cable
$49.50 $90.00
SVC-EFL-010 2090-CFBM6DF-CBAA03
Eight standard systems from 100 W to 3 kW
10 Motor $29.50 $101.00
Use with most AutomationDirect PLCs or any other host control Power Cable SVC-PFL-010 2090-CPBM6DF-16AA03
Drives feature on-board indexer and adaptive tuning modes Configuration Software FREE $82.00
SV-PRO* 2098-UWCPRG
Free set-up software
2 year warranty *SureServo Pro software is FREE when downloaded and is also available for $9.00 on a CD
Complete 1-axis 100W System $986.00 $2,434.00
All prices are U.S. list prices, AutomationDirect prices as of October 2015.
The Allen-Bradley 100W system consists of part numbers shown in table above with prices from
www.wernerelectric.com, www.rexelusa.com 5/25/2015.
Order Today, Ships Today!

* See our Web site for details and restrictions. Copyright 2014 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved. 1-800-633-0405 the #1 value in automation
AutomationDirect.indd 1 11/6/15 11:03 AM

HERO
BEI Sensors rotary encoders are well-sealed, shock and vibration

resistant and built with heavy duty bearings for unmatched
performance. Put a working class hero on the job and see what a
difference real reliability can make.
800-350-2727 beisensors.com
SENSORS FOR EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS
BEI Sensors.indd 1 11/6/15 11:04 AM

BOOK
.com
roltips
CASE
ncont
Aerospace:
motio
ION
Showcasing motion excellence

MOT
NASA engineers
and scientists
saw years of design work come
motors power next-generation
peristaltic pumps to circulate blood
without pulsations.
to fruition when the Mars rover Reconsider Curiosity. As details
Curiosity, a 2,000-lb feat of about its design (including some of
excellence, settled onto the red its bearings, actuators, and software)
planet in a gentle touchdown of continue to go public, we cover the
glory. technical details.
But it wasnt just the efforts For example, we now know
of NASA personnel that gave that tubular piezo stacks from Physik
humanity that momentand every Instrumente (PI) are on the rover
other win in the thousand-plus and still working perfectly, currently
days that Curiosity has successfully helping in the collection of soil
documented Mars terrain. Scores samples from the red planets Gale
of suppliers (among them many Crater. The solid-state actuators
LISA EITEL motion-component manufacturers) go on a Chemistry & Mineralogy
@DW_LisaEitel also saw their designs succeed. (CheMin) instrument to help scoop
In our inaugural edition of this Mars dirt into test chambers and
Design World Motion Casebook, we dump it out when tests are done.
profile applications that showcase this Conventional polymer-insulated
kind of engineering excellence. Read piezo actuators wouldve been too
through this Casebook, and youll sensitive to humidity and temperature
discover how smart bearings could extremes on Mars. But PIs ceramic
soon improve rail and wind-turbine encapsulation (cofiring that puts
This NASA Robonaut uses 26 Harmonic
Drive component sets in its arm, leg,
applications ... and how custom- piezo-elements in monolithic
head and torso joints. engineered conveyors and robots blocks) makes the actuators more
are leading warehouse durable. In fact, PI PICMA actuators
automation in packaging. with the same design now work
Youll also see how smart for nanopositioning systems in
This is the recovery of SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft off the coast of southern California
in early 2015 after a parachute-assisted splashdown. Thanks to durable components,
Dragon can repeatedly return supplies and experiments back to Earth.
2 DESIGN WORLD 11 2015 designworldonline.com
MC_Editorial_NOV_Vs3.indd 2 11/8/15 2:13 PM

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AEROSPACE SHOWCASES MOTION EXCELLENCE
MR encoders from maxon motor work in Curiositys

electromechanical joints. The magnetic sensors mount
on the drive shafts and help drives control motors.
After passing extensive NASA tests, PIs PICMA actuators got into Curiosity and still work DU metal-polymer bearings from GGB
in the sample-analysis system of the CheMin sample-collection instrument. (The tests Bearing Technology go into the spindle of
confirmed PICMA actuators deliver 96% of their original stroke after 100 billion cycles.) Curiositys soil-grinding drill, which the
rover uses in getting samples.
well. They used Adams multi-body dynamics software from

MSC to design Curiositys descent and landing. Simulating
of touchdown details helped them prevent flight hardware
from banging during breakaway of a Descent Rate Limiter
and bridle deployment.
Other aerospace projects exhibit motion-design
brilliance. Just turn to page 61 of this Casebook, where
we detail how encoders on a Sentinel-1A satellite support
inter-satellite laser communications. Or consider how the
European space probe Rosetta recently landed on the
comet Chury, and an array of dc motors from maxon motor
helped the craft do its job.
Even seemingly futuristic technologies in recent
Hollywood blockbuster The Martian already exist. The
movie dramatizes a Mars habitat that strongly resembles
the real Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) at
Starring in The Martian are Matt Damon ... and NASAs Johnson Space Center. HERA is a simulated deep-
emerging aerospace technologies. In fact, many
space habitat for ISS-bound astronauts. Its complete with
of the movies dramatized rover, camera, and
solar-panel actuating systems incorporating two stories of living quarters, hygiene module, workspaces
motion components already exist. Photo and airlock. Other technologies in the movie for water
courtesy Aidan Monaghan and Fox Films recovery, rovers, space farming, oxygen generation and
ion propulsion also exist.
semiconductor test and inspection, To be sure, aerospace applications are challenging,
super-resolution microscopy, and bio- so are subject to failures. An experimental NASA cubesat
nanotechnology. recently showed altitude-control issues; the SpaceX CRS-7
Even simpler power-transmission mission earlier this year (to resupply the ISS) failed after an
components on Curiosity demonstrate explosion originating from a liquid oxygen tank; defective
design merit. Consider the DU metal- pressure gauges recently delayed the launch of the
polymer bearings in Curiositys soil drill. European Space Agencys ExoMars 2016 mission.
GGB Bearing Technology made the Despite such challenges and in celebration of those
self-lubricating bearings to function in averted, may we let todays applications in aerospace and
Mars temperatures from -328 to +536 other motion industries bring us inspiration, and let us
F. Thats important because DU bearing welcome the technologies they kindle tomorrow.
segments function as the main drill-
spindle component. NASAs Curiosity rover took of itself with its robotic Mars Hand Lens
Curiosity engineers tapped motion- Imager camera arm on October 5, 2015 (its 1,126th in service). In the
industry resources on the software side as background is Mars Gale Crater. Image courtesy NASA
MC_Editorial_NOV_Vs3.indd 4 11/9/15 3:59 PM

WHEN SPEED MATTERS
THE MOST. And
More than 1,000 motion solutions to choose from, most with
same-day shipping option. Design your own, today!
Brushed and Brushless DC motors

Planetary and Worm gearboxes options
Integral All-in-One BLDC
Diameter from 30 to 75mm
Power from 10 to 450 Watts
Motor stall torque up to 400Ncm (580 oz.in)
Gearbox output torque up to 160Nm (120 ft.lb)
dunkermotor.com/express
Dunkermotor is a leading manufacturer of customized rotary and linear motion

solutions providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and
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Dunkermotor 8-15 new logo.indd 5 11/9/15 11:41 AM

M O T I O N CASEBOOK
motioncontroltips.com
P02 Aerospace showcases

Motion excellence
Actuators......................................................... 10 Human machine interface (HMI) hardware...... 76
Ballscrews.........................................................16 Human machine interface (HMI) software....... 78
Bearings..........................................................20 Leadscrews......................................................82
Brakes, clutches & torque limiters................... 24 Linear guides, rails, slides & ways...................84
Cable management......................................... 26 Motors AC....................................................90
Cabling............................................................30 Motors DC.................................................... 93
Chain............................................................... 32 Motors Integrated........................................ 97
Compression springs....................................... 34 Motors Linear...............................................98
Controllers Motion, servo & PLC.................. 35 Servomotors.................................................. 102
Conveyors.......................................................40 Stepper motors............................................. 106
Couplings........................................................ 42 Networks....................................................... 108
Drives AC......................................................48 Positioning stages & tables............................112
Drives DC..................................................... 52 Retaining rings...............................................114
Encoders......................................................... 56 Shaft collars Locking devices.......................116
Gears Speed reducers, Shocks & vibration-damping components.....118
gearboxes & servo gearing................ 62 Wave springs................................................. 122
Gearmotors .................................................... 72 2015 PTDA Summit recap:
Grippers.......................................................... 74 The industrys future....................................... 124
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Your Catalyst to Innovative
Motion Control Solutions
A single
single resource
resource for
for integrated
integratedmechanical,
mechanical,electronics,
electronics,drives
drivesand
and
software, with
software, with experienced
experiencedcustomer
customersupport
support forforthe development
the development
of simple-to-sophisticated
simple-to-sophisticatedautomation
automation systems.
systems.
CM
MY
CY
MY
At Catalyst Motion Group,

Group we are able to configure motion systems by utilizing our own component level supply. What this means for our clients is full
accountability for customized solutions while realizing the improved efficiencies of a reduced supplier count and receiving fully tested and delivered solutions.
We can provide you with the ultimate solution for almost any application, while managing scheduling demands, technical requirements and financial considerations.
We are able to accomplish this through coordinated utilization of our extensive engineering resources and vertically integrated manufacturing resources.
We put it all together customized motion systems that include stepper motors, brush and brushless DC motors, linear mechanics, drives, electronics and an
extensive array of peripheral system components. Our considerable and wide-ranging in-house manufacturing capabilities allow us full control of the the entire
entire process,
process,
from development of prototypes to delivery of fully tested production units.
And, with our engineering capability, if we don't have it ...we can develop it!
We have successfully developed and taken to production fully customized
motion solutions for a wide variety of advanced technologies including:
Medical devices for diagnostics, surgical procedures, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals
Laboratory and analytical instrumentation and equipment
Industrial automation including robotics and production line processing operations
CATALYST
CATALYST
We are innovative, flexible and most importantly a secure, reliable, and knowledgeable MO
M OTTI IOON NG RGORUOP U P
resource ready to respond to your most challenging motion control needs.
www.catalystmotiongroup.com
Call 1
Call 203725
1 203 725 3852
3852 1500 Meriden Road Waterbury, CT 06705 U.S.A.
AMETEK Catalyst 8-15 (New).indd 9 11/9/15 11:43 AM

BOOK
.com
roltips
CASE
ncont
Electric actuators:
motio
ION
Versatility in motion
MOT
E
lectric actuators range from syringe-sized units in medical applications with similar dynamics
applications to those that drive truck-sized industrial generally make use of similar actuators
presses. These ubiquitous muscles of precision motion those that pair motors with ballscrews;
usually incorporate an electric motor and rotary-to-linear device for incorporate brushless dc motors;
conversion of torque to linear force. use leadscrews; come in a rod style;
No matter the application, electric actuators deliver precision integrate belt-and-pulley setups; use
and repeatabilityindispensible for repeatedly moving loads to motors paired with planetary roller
a given location or locations. In some cases, theyre also more screws; or are fully integrated actuators
controllable than fluid-power options, giving engineers a viable way with built-in guides.
to shape the speed, force and acceleration of machine-axis moves. Note that electric actuators that work
Another benefit for applications that must deliver different closed-loop or with a micro-stepping
outputs over time is that many electric actuators are programmable, motor can match force and speed
so can adapt to changing conditions. Exceptions abound, but output commands best using feedback
to overcome most of the mechanical
limitations of rotary-to-linear devices.
Some application tips: No matter
the application, establish the designs
power draw. Determine if the machine
needs continuous or intermittent power
draw, as that will dictate actuator size
and type. Remember that overly large
electric actuators can be less responsive
than properly sized units.
On the other hand, appropriate
safety factors ensure that electric
Series SFP slide actuators run coolly. Plus, lighter loads
Series SE slide Series SD slide on the mechanical components can
extend life. Halving load on a leadscrew
can extend its life eightfold, for example.
Also account for the application
environment and any dirt, chemicals
and liquids that will contact the
actuator. O-rings and seals must be
made of materials that withstand the
applications suite of contaminants.
Finally, ensure that the electric actuator
can handle the applications side, radial
and axial loads.
In this conveyor setup, SFP, SD and SE slides

from PHD, Inc. route products off a conveyor line,
while optical sensing identifies routed pieces. Such
setups quickly and effectively separate product for
packaging and distribution.
MC_Electric-Actuators_NOV_Vs6.indd 10 11/6/15 5:06 PM

Whats Inside
Your Matters
Catalyst to Innovative
Motion Control Solutions The PITTMAN Difference
A single resource for integrated mechanical, electronics, drives and

software, with experienced customer support for the development
of simple-to-sophisticated automation systems.
C On the outside, this looks like an ordinary DC motor. In fact, this particular
M motor is not a standard off-the-shelf part, but designed exactly to a customers
Y specific technical requirements. PITTMAN provided an experienced team of
CM
engineers to work directly with the customer to design the perfect motor to
MY
meet a demanding motion application
CY
CMY
K
Special brush formulation for use in a very low humidity environment
Bearing system to handle higher than normal axial loads
Very tight balancing spec to minimize audible noise and vibration at high speeds
Unique magnet charge pattern to minimize cogging at low speeds
At Catalyst
Specially chosen surface-mount components inside the motor to meet
Motion Group
an aggressive EMC requirement
We are able to accomplish this through coordinated utilization of our extensive engineering resources and vertically integrated manufacturing resources.
We put it all together customized motion systems that include stepper motors, brush and brushless DC motors, linear mechanics, drives, electronics and an
When evaluating DC motor choices, its whats inside that matters.
extensive array of peripheral system components. Our considerable and wide-ranging in-house manufacturing capabilities allow us full control of the entire process,
from development of prototypes to delivery of fully tested production units.
And, with our engineering capability, if we don't have it ...we can develop it!
We have successfully developed and taken to production fully customized
motion solutions for a wide variety of advanced technologies including:
Medical devices for diagnostics, surgical procedures, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals
Laboratory and analytical instrumentation and equipment
Industrial automation including robotics and production line processing operations
CATALYST
24 -HR SHIPPING / E-COMMERCE MOTION GROUP
resource ready to respond to your most challenging motion control needs. www.PittmanMotors.com
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725 3852 +86 211500
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PITTMAN 8-15.indd 11 11/9/15 11:44 AM

ACTUATORS
BOOK
.com
roltips
CASE
ncont
motio
ION
MOT
Matching actuators to design demands

Electric actuators for automation applications must
deliver set levels of speed and force requirements.
Here, better feedback and controls can increase
responsiveness to overcome any mechanical limitations
while boosting output-motion accuracy. OEMs and end
users can pick from a vast array of actuators to get the
right level of accuracyfor everything from lumber-
This five-axis CNC foam-cutting gantry system processing machines to those medical applications that
was designed and built by a faculty and student need accuracy to a few micrometers. Electric-motor
project team at the University of California, Davis
actuators that use belts and acme screws for rotary-
Engineering. Its for the fabrication of aerostructures,
such as foam-core wings, and for the production of to-linear conversion of motion abound. That said, the
forms for composite layup. majority of general motion applications (including
positioning tables, workpiece-pivoting stations, robotic
The machine was built from standard configurations end effectors and machining axes) make use of
of Bishop-Wisecarver LoPro linear actuators
actuators that integrate ballscrews. With precision
featuring ballscrew drive mechanisms. The designers
configured the actuators in to an X-X-Y gantry using of down to micrometers, these satisfy designs that
T-slot aluminum framing members and aluminum need thrust to thousands of pounds-force or linear
brackets to create a work envelope of 1 x 2 x 0.7 m. positioning speeds to several feet per second.
The fourth and fifth axes are custom designed and Elsewhere, on injection-molding applications,
fabricated to accommodate the cutting spindle.
packaging machines, machine presses and other setups

More specifically, on the X axis, there are two that need high thrust, actuators that pair the electric
aluminum-beam-mounted LoPro actuators with Size- motor with a roller screw (sporting a nut loaded with
2 ballscrews and a basic wheel plate with lubricators roller bearings that work like planetary gears around
for 1,000 mm of travel. The Y Axis has one LoPro with the screw) is a newer and increasingly common option.
a Size-4 ballscrew for 2,000 mm of travel. The Z axis
Typical stroke is 2 m with acceleration to a few gs.
has a LoPro Size-2 ballscrew and travels 700 mm.

Complete Motion Solutions
Pneumatic, Electric & Hydraulic Actuators
PHD offers an extensive line of pneumatic actuators that are known for long life
and high quality. Over our 55 years of innovation, we have extended our product
offerings to include built-to-need components, price alternative components,
electric actuators, specialty workholding clamps, and motion control robots.
From single actuator solutions, to multi-unit systems, PHD and Yamaha Robotics
can provide complete solutions for practically any application requirement.
To order a catalog, visit

phdinc.com/dws1115 1-800-624-8511
PHD.indd 13 11/6/15 1:42 PM

ACTUATORS
BOOK
.com
Robot controller
roltips
CASE
ncont
7th-axis resolver or encoder feedback
enclosed within protective housing
motio
ION
Actuator
for welding
MOT
Welder controller
This is one example of how manufacturers often build actuators to specific requirementshere,
an actuator on a spot-welding robot used in automotive body-in-white spot welding applications.
These GSWA ServoWeld actuators from Tolomatic, one of a myriad of job-specific offerings from
the company, offer faster spot weld cycles and higher quality, more repeatable welds than pneumatic
robotic spot welding equipment. The lightweight actuators have an enclosed anti-rotate assembly and
are ideal for P (pinch), C, X, or Euro guns, offering superior performance and lower lifetime costs. A
hollow-core servomotor pairs with either a ball or roller screw to output efficient, repeatable high force,
lasting more than 10 million cycles and eliminating the need for couplings, adapters, belts and gears.
Common actuator types Benefits and potential limitations Typical uses
Actuators pairing motors High axial output force for given torque input (mechanical advantage) Industrial, transportation, aerospace and
with ballscrews Speed and stroke limits defense
Actuators with brushless dc None of the wear of brush motors; long life General-purpose applications; axes run at high
motors More costly initially and potentially complicated drive speed; appliances; factory automation
Actuators with leadscrews Simplicity and (in some versions) integration of guide function Ruggedized equipment; lower-cost consumer
(or Acme screws) Variable life due to sliding wear products; machine-tool transport
High force output (especially screw-driven types); hygienic Medical applications needing sealed motion
Rod-style actuators
Seals can increase cost components; sorting and food processing
Actuators with belt-and-pulley Extremely high speeds and long strokes; short design lead times Horizontal and vertical designs; small conveying
setups Limited precision without guides to large SCARA transport
Fully integrated actuators Simple installation Consumer products to medium-volume

(with built-in guides) Less design freedom industrial machines
Fast and accurate Ultra-high-precision applications in

Linear motors
More costly than alternatives semiconductor, medical and more
Motor paired with planetary Fast, accurate and precise Precision applications in aerospace and
roller screw More demanding installation requirements semiconductor

Want us to make you a hero?
Electric rod
actuators
Power and economy
Low-cost
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Replace
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Mounting exibility save the day (and simplify your machine design).
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IMA linear expert specification help through our online tools and customer support.
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Compact package Face your linear motion challenges with Tolomatic at your side.
Ball and roller screw Contact us to find out how easy it is to get the job done.
Forces up to 6,875 lbf (30 kN) Visit www.tolomatic.com or call 877-385-2234.
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electric-rod www.tolomatic.com/Heroic
www.tolomatic.com
Tolomatic.indd 15 11/6/15 1:44 PM

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Ballscrew applications:
motio
ION
From mainstream to extreme

MOT
B
allscrews are a tried and true linear motion component.
They best suit applications needing light, smooth motion;
applications requiring precise positioning; and when heavy
loads must be moved. Examples include machine tools, assembly
devices, X-Y motion and robotics.
Ballscrews are usually classified according to factors such as
lead accuracy, axial play and preload, and life/load relationship.
Lead accuracy refers to the degree to which the shafts rotational
movements are translated into linear movement. With lead
accuracy and axial play determined by the manufacturing method
of the ballscrew shaft and the assembly of the nut, high lead
accuracy and zero axial play is generally associated with relatively
higher-cost, precision ground ballscrews, while lower lead accuracy
and some axial play is associated with lower-cost, rolled ballscrews.
Fabricated by rolling or other means, these ballscrew shafts yield a
less precise, but mechanically efficient and less expensive ballscrew.
When specifying a ballscrew, understanding the application Shown here is a Skyfire SVM-0 CNC milling
criteria that the component needs to satisfy is essential. There machine. It has linear rails from HIWIN for all
are several factors to consider and each one plays a role in the three axes of motion; the ballscrews that drive
the axes are P7 single or double-nut rolled or C3-
decision-making process. The most important factors to consider
class ground ballscrews.
when selecting a ballscrew are:
loadincluding the mass being moved and the forces involved
in the machines processes
orientationfor example, horizontal or vertical, which affects
the need for load-bearing support
speedvelocity and acceleration
travelthe stroke length
precisionincluding positional accuracy and requirements for
repeatability
environmentspecial considerations for rugged or unique
environments
duty cyclecycle rate
Recently, advances in manufacturing and materials have improved

ballscrew performance so machine designers today can get better
linear motion at lower cost. Some improvements include the fact
that the latest generation of ballscrews has more load density than
ever, giving designers higher capacity from a smaller package.
There is also a trend toward more miniaturization, as well as faster
MC_Ballscrews_NOV_Vs4.indd 16 11/9/15 3:46 PM

MAINTENANCE-
fREE OPERATION.
WORRy-fREE
DESIGN.
nsk k1TM lubricaTion uniT

Experience long-term, maintenance-free operation with NSK K1 Lubrication Units. These patented
units provide fresh, continuous oil flow onto the rail or shaft during operation, making them ideal for
environments where grease replenishment is undesirable or where grease is easily washed away.
Available on NSK linear guides, ball screws, Monocarrier actuators and Robot Modules, K1 Lubrication
Units prolong life for up to 5 years or 10,000 km operational distance.
1.800.255.4773 www.nskamericas.com
BALL BEARINGS | ROLLER BEARINGS | LINEAR MOTION PRODUCTS | TECHNICAL SERVICES
NPA-SL-020 Design
17 World ad_K1 Unit[250314]v1.indd 1 2014-03-25 3:14PM
PM
NSK 8-15.indd 11/6/15 1:46
BALLSCREWS
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motio
ION
MOT
ballscrews using both rolled and This in turn lets engineers use smaller
ground screw manufacturing methods. power supplies, which reduce size
In addition to higher load and weight, critical parameters when
capacities and miniaturization, there is attempting to break a land-speed
also a move toward more integration. record. Ballscrew-based actuators
For example, ballscrew-based linear also have better speed characteristics.
actuators are readily available as For the motorcycle, engineers
all-in-one packages. The benefit here modified the 0.979-in.-diameter
is that such integrated packages 85199 to withstand g forces during
Motion Systems Corp.s 1,000-lb-rated significantly reduce design time as acceleration and deceleration.
Model 85199 Ball Drive actuator is efficient well as time required for assembling So the actuator freewheels at
and takes less energy to move a given load.
a system and programming the stroke ends to eliminate limit
actuator itself. switches and prevention of over-
travel at stroke ends. Initiating
Actuator stabilizes worlds freewheeling and linear advance
stops is a ball cage within the nut
fastest motorcycle ID that hits stop pins at each travel
A recent example illustrates how end. Factory-installed top pins
ballscrew-based actuators play a key mount in the screw thread for the
role in stabilizing the worlds fastest specified stroke, which eliminates
motorcycle called the Top 1 ACK the need for limit switches. Screw,
Attack Streamliner. Since it broke the nut and ball cage are made of
motorcycle land-speed record in 2006, heat-treated alloy steel to resist
engineer Mike Akatiff and his design wear. These mechanical design
The Top 1 Ack Attack Streamliner
team have been working to make the elements keep the motorcycle
Motorcycle could become the first bike to
exceed 400 mph. Actuators are key to its Top 1 ACK Attack Streamliner surpass rider and others safe.
safe operation. 400 mph, setting a new motorcycle
land-speed record.
Training-wheel-type stabilizers
for starts and stops, as well as rear
stabilizing flaps for coast-down, are
critical safety features. To move
these safety components, Akatiff
and his team chose Motion Systems
1,000-lb-rated Model 85199 actuator.
Ballscrew-based actuators have better
efficiency than those with acme
screws, so they consume less energy
to move the same amount of load.
MC_Ballscrews_NOV_Vs4.indd 18 11/6/15 5:24 PM

StepSERVOTM combines the
best features of stepper
and servo systems.
Free
samples for
qualifying
OEMS
Applied-Motion.com/StepSERVO
StepSERVOTM Servo performance at step motor prices

Closed loop for faster response, ideal for
high throughput machines
50% more torque
Runs cooler, saves power, lasts longer
866-916-6379
www.Applied-Motion.com
Email: StepSERVO@applied-motion.com Search or shop online today.
Applied Motion 7-15.indd 19 11/6/15 1:47 PM

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Bearings abound in
motio
ION
myriad applications
MOT
B
earings are ubiquitous and Ball bearings use balls to provide a low-friction means of motion
essential components for between two bearing races. Ball bearings are usually inexpensive and, when
reducing friction between selected properly, require little maintenance. These characteristics, along
moving parts. Their primary function with limited heat generation make them one of the most common types of
is to give moving parts something to bearings. They are found in everything from skateboard wheels to turbine
roll on rather than slide over. Their engines in aerospace applications, medical equipment and home appliances.
secondary function is to transmit Roller bearings use rollers of varying shape (spherical, spherical thrust,
loads. Bearing loads are either radial cylindrical) instead of balls to transmit loads and reduce friction. Thanks to
(perpendicular to the shaft), axial this shape, roller bearings have greater surface contact than ball bearings,
(parallel) or a combination of the so handle larger loads without deforming. Their shape also allows for a
two. Depending on the type of moderate amount of thrust load because the weight is distributed across
loads expected and the likelihood cylinder line contacts instead of sphere point contacts.They are common
of extreme temperature, pressure in conveyor belt rollers, turbine engines, transmissions and gearboxes, as
and contaminant exposure, there well as the mining, food and beverage, pulp and paper, waste-water and
are different bearings specialized for marine industries.
certain applications. A needle roller bearing is a roller bearing with rollers whose length is
Consider the bearings and at least four times their diameter. The large surface area of a needle roller
slewing rings in wind turbines. These bearing allows them to accommodate high
can reach 2 m in diameter and must, radial loads in a limited ammount of
in some cases, bear hundreds of tons. space. Needle bearings often go in
At the opposite end of the size compressors, rocker-arm pivots,
spectrum (but only slightly less pumps, transmissions and other
demanding) are bearings for automotive designs.
medical applications. These
often take the form of compact
equipment necessitating
bearings of just a couple
millimeters in diameter, with
rollers that are smaller. Some
going into equipment subject
to washdown have treated
steel subcomponents; others
for disposable or quiet designs are
made of plastic. Likewise, industrial
machines that are particularly hot, fast,
or starved of lubrication under normal
design conditions benefit from the use Some applications excel with custom bearing designs. Shown here is the bearing in a blade
of hybrid bearings, which are those pitch control on a wind turbine. Designed by Plymouth Machine Integration, it includes two
that use steel raceways and rollers or concentric bearing rings fitted with one-way sprag clutches oriented in opposite directions. Small
relative oscillatory motions of the inner race alternately lock and unlock the two clutches, in
balls made from ceramic. No matter
opposite phase. The middle (common) race is advanced in a single direction by an angle equal
the design, each bearing type satisfies to the amplitude of the oscillatory motion. The average motion within each bearing is non-zero,
specific parameters. promoting movement of the lubricant within the rolling elements.
MC_Bearings_NOV_Vs4.indd 20 11/6/15 5:31 PM

Robolink D
Low cost, lightweight,
modular robotic
system
Affordable, lightweight, and modular in

design, with motorized self-lubricating
slewing ring joint technology. For robotics
manufacturers, automation engineers,
and a multitude of applications.
igus(Bearings).indd 21 11/6/15 1:51 PM

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ncont Timken pinion bearings were selected for the opener hubs on this P51C Mustang
opener because of their ability to handle extreme radial and axial loading. Common
double Timken pinion bearings are rated at 3,300 lb. Image courtesy of Timken
motio
ION
The drive shaft of a rear-wheel drive vehicle typically has at least

eight needle bearings (four in each U joint) and often more if it is
particularly long, or operates on steep slopes. They are also found
MOT
in construction and agricultural equipment, two-cycle engines,

outboard engines and paper moving equipment.
Thrust ball bearings go in applications with mostly axial loads
and can handle shaft misalignment. These bearings also excel in
high-speed applications in aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas
industries. Thrust ball bearings are also often found in machine tool
tables, fluid control valves and spindles.
Thrust roller bearings transmit load from one raceway to
the other to accommodate radial loads. Bearings like these also
have a self-aligning capability that makes them immune to shaft
deflection and alignment errors. Typical applications include:
crane hooks, pulverizers, cone crushers and other heavy-load,
medium-speed applications.
Tapered roller bearings have tapered inner and outer ring
raceways with tapered rollers between them. The rollers are angled
so their surfaces converge at the bearings axis. These bearings are
unique in that, unlike most bearings that can handle either axial
Split roller bearings, like this one from Revolvo SRB,
or radial loads, they can handle large amounts of load in both are completely split to the shaft. This design feature
directions. Common applications include helicopter transmissions, makes installation easier and is an alternative to solid
fuel pumps and agricultural uses. bearing replacement.
The principle difference between plain bearings and roller
bearings is that plain bearings do not have any rolling elements.
Plain bearings are usually compact, lower-cost bearings that are
relatively simple in design. They can be found in many applications,
but automotive and construction are some of the most common.
Plain bearings are used in steering cylinders, front and rear struts,
dump cylinders and on hydraulic excavators.
Intelligent bearing technology

trialed in railway and wind energy sectors
SKF is now using a bearing health-management technology
called Insight in several industry applications. The design puts
a self-powered intelligent wireless sensor in a bearing to get
condition-monitoring data through the Internet. In fact, the
setup is already undergoing trials in challenging wind-turbine
and railway applications.
It goes beyond current sensorised bearing technology
by integrating more sensors and ... self-powering and
wireless technology, said Ronnie Spolidoro, business
development manager, SKF Insight. These bearings
connect to the Cloud, giving customers access to a range of
diagnostic and support services.
SKF Insight monitors dynamic parameters such as temperature,
lubrication condition, vibration and load, and informs operators
when conditions are abnormal or threatening. When launched at
Hannover 2013, SKF Insight was a just a concept for maintenance
engineers to track bearing health. But now its a functioning

BEARINGS
In this image we see True-Tech technicians installing After a bearing failure in the rotating element of this
low-speed gear, shaft and bearing assembly into a sludge thickener tank, engineers chose this custom cross
lower housing bearing bore in a Valmet/Bonus Model roller slewing ring from Revolvo. This bearing is over Here, a True-Tech technician installs a high-speed
SL3H-500 wind turbine gearbox. Image courtesy of 1,800 mm in diameter and is designed for long term pinion/bearing assembly in Valmet/Bonus Model
True-Tech Industries Co. reliability in harsh conditions. SL3H-500 wind turbine gearbox.
solution running in customer pilots to One promising application for vibration, temperature and lubrication
supply data directly to diagnostic centers SKF Insight is wind-turbine monitoring. even as a retrofit to enhance operational
for condition monitoring using SKF Sometimes changing a turbines main potential of thousands of turbines already
aptitude. From here, dashboards and bearing is so expensive that it negates in operation worldwide.
reports go to plant operators, machine the turbines overall viability. Here, Insight The company is developing a similar
manufacturers, SKF and anyone else could monitor loads and lubrication solution in the railway sector for wheel-end
authorized online. Users can even access conditions in service, giving plenty of time bearingscritical components usually
the data on mobile devices. to prevent damaging conditions. changed at set intervals, regardless of
Now using dynamic bearing data In fact, SKF is already helping a wind condition. Here, Insight could soon let
provided by SKF Insight, bearing health turbine customer develop such a system operators change the bearings based on
management will let operators see how to measure dynamic bearing information real conditions.
actual conditions are affecting bearing in the true operating state, then wirelessly
health and spur corrective action communicate it to monitoring centers
automatic lubricant application or shifting and maintenance crews. Ultimately, the
speed, for example. system will monitor bearing speed,
designworldonline.com 11 2015 DESIGN WORLD 23

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Brakes, clutches and

motio
ION
torque limiters in motion

MOT
B
rakes, clutches and torque limiters serve similar In most cases, its best to size brakes and clutches
functions in packaging machinery, medical to the motor torque of the machine axis. But especially
equipment, industrial hoists and installations. for axes where the brake must stop a vertical load,
Essentially, brakes stop and hold loads while clutches and engineers should account for the fact that motors
torque limiters disengage and engage power-transmission can temporarily draw added current to output more
outputs to transfer torque from an input. Torque limiters than their rated torque. Helpful resources include
usually modulate power transmission to protect mechanical published performance curves from brake and clutch
equipment from overload. manufacturers. These list dynamic torque ratings for
When selecting brakes, clutches and torque limiters various operating speeds to help engineers match
for a given application, engineers must pick between brakes and clutches to peak motor-output torque.
mechanical, electric, fluidic or self-actuation. Electric brakes Beyond these general guidelines, fast, hot and other
are easy to control and cycle, even to a couple thousand extreme applications require extra evaluation. Some tips:
cycles per minute. In contrast, common air-actuated Spring-set brakes benefit motion designs that slow
brakes and clutches run coolly and maintain hold with loads with the motor before the brake engages; theyre
minimal power. Friction brakes with disc, drum and cone also suitable as holding mechanisms.
morphologies work well as emergency brakes because of Machinery that runs beyond a few hundred cycles per
their failsafe holdingessential on conveyors, escalators, minute may require brakes and clutches that are larger
airport-baggage handlers, elevators and other safety- than performance curves indicate.
critical designs. Industrial designs that operate in hot environments
The size and type of brake most suitable for a given may benefit from friction brakes with specialty friction-
design depend on whether the machine needs emergency surface geometries and materials (such as phenolic
stops or softer stops that sacrifice brakes to protect loads resin or ceramic). Motion applications that dont get
from shock. Then, other application criteria (including a lot of maintenance also benefit from the longer life
the machine envelope, thermal capacity, cycle rates, and these friction materials get.
inspection and repair schedules) dictate the final selection. Brakes that use permanent magnets for operation
In other machines, its more important that brakes prevent automatically adjust for wear, so they excel in industrial
shifting loads and misalignment. machines subject to slow but steady on-and-off cycling.
Here, a ROBA guidestop on a carriage

clamps directly to a profiled rail.
MC_BrakesClutches_NOV_Vs5.indd 24 11/6/15 5:39 PM

BRAKES, CLUTCHES & TORQUE LIMITERS
One brake example:

Safety for linear motion
In machine tools and machining centers, rail brakes can
boost safety while improving accuracy and performance.
Consider how suspended loads present a hazard in
machines and systems, especially if people are below.
During falls or crashes, the design must stop the load as
Backlash-free safety brakes (as this ROBA-guidestop from Mayr quickly as possible to protect people and the machine.
Corp.) maximize functional safety while boosting the rigidity of an So, some safety brakes (in the form of clamping units
NC axis and overall machine performance. that engage profiled rail guides) brake movements safely
and quickly by rigidly clamping
the axes while running. Case
in point: Backlash-free ROBA-
guidestop profiled rail brakes
from Mayr Corp. now come in
eight sizes for nominal holding
forces from 5 to 34 kN. The
designs are dimensioned for four
rail sizes made by established
linear guide manufacturers. A
short constructional design and the
integrated switching-condition monitoring
use a contactless proximity switch.
The guidestop brakes mount directly to masses,
which is especially useful for gravity-loaded axes that
pose a risk to nearby workers. Drive elements between
the motor and moving mass (spindles and nuts, shaft
couplings or gearboxes) dont affect overall machine safety
as in motor brakes that rely on drive elements to transmit
braking torque to the load. Another drawback of the motor-
brake setup (not to mention pole brakes or band brakes) is
that everything between the brake and carriage degrades
rigidity. ROBA-guidestop safety brakes avoid this issue.
The ROBA-guidestop safety brakes work as fail-safes,
as they close when de-energized. Tensioned cup springs
press brake shoes onto the profiled rails middle (to clamp
it). Then hydraulics release the ROBA-guidestop with
nominal pressure of 70 barlow compared to the holding
force. The brake mechanism is for relatively long stroke
paths, so compensates for profiled rails manufacturing
tolerances without losing braking force. Two brake circuits
work independently to either double holding forces or
provide redundancy.
The backlash-free clamping of guidestops directly
onto profiled rails also boosts the rigidity of the NC axis
(for more accuracy) and minimizes vibrations (for better
workpiece surface quality). Whats more, when the axis is at
a standstill during machining, the ROBA-guidestop brake
takes over the load, so the drive motor switches off and
Mayrs safety brake applies stopping force directly to moving
vertical-axis masses. This makes for safer operationwith the
disconnects from the controls. This eliminates the control
right controls, minimizing the hazard risk to people, according to movements and relieves the ballscrew spindle; the closed
safety standard DIN EN ISO 13849-1. brake absorbs axial forces.
MC_BrakesClutches_NOV_Vs5.indd 25 11/6/15 5:39 PM

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Cable and hose carriers in use

motio
ION
MOT
C
able and hose carriers may be installed as a manufacturer from a customers supplier and installed
component on new or existing equipment, but before shipping. The end result is a drop-in assembly,
it is often possible to simplify and expedite their ready for quick installation when it arrives.
installation with a complete turnkey assembly from the A turnkey engineered carrier assembly may
manufacturer. Such an assembly may incorporate other integrate a range of other system components to meet
system components that include the hoses or cables, specific application requirements. Some examples
fittings, manifolds and special brackets, which add include special mounting brackets to allow drop-in
value by simplifying installation and minimizing errors. replacement, as well as manifolds, junction boxes,
Instead of having to install the cables or tow-arm assemblies, guidance and support systems,
hoses into a carrier on-site, the end user often can safety mechanisms, shrouds and enclosures, or other
obtain preloaded carrier assemblies or complete associated components.
harnesses with connectors and fittings from the
carrier manufacturer for plug-and-play installation. Nylatrac NP Series cable carriers are installed on a gantry crane
Cables, hoses and fittings can either be furnished designed to offload product to an automated cart-shuttling system.
to specifications or drop-shipped to the carrier Photo courtesy of Dynatect Manufacturing
MC_CableMgmt_NOV_Vs5.indd 26 11/6/15 5:42 PM

Move cables, hoses,
and more with ease
Rol E-Chain
All media in one chain & from one source: power, hoses, data, and
more. Corrosion-free and resistant against chemicals and other
liquid media. Long travels up to 2,700 ft. and speeds up to 20 ft./s
possible with up to 57% lower required drive force. Light and modular.
igus(Cables).indd 27 11/6/15 1:52 PM

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Dynatect Manufacturing supplied Gortrac steel-nested cable carriers for
CASE
ncont this Universal 360 Vertical Drill Rig developed by Robbins HDD, one of
the first companies to pioneer this type of equipment.
motio
ION
MOT
heavy-duty, fiber-reinforced nylon. The

self-aligning brackets were designed to
accommodate lateral misalignment up to
2 in. over more than 300 ft of travel to
reduce stress on the carrier.
This Nylatrac carrier system from the Gortrac This value-added system from the Gortrac Division of
When its necessary to provide
Division of Dynatect Manufacturing is preloaded Dynatect Manufacturing for a military dynamometer
on reels for easier shipping, handling, storage and includes multiple cable and hose carriers and a optimum cable separation and ensure
quick installation. structural support. that cables ride on the neutral axis of
the carrier, machined bars with a series
of holes through which the cables pass
Cable and hose carrier applications can be added to a carrier design. This
For a military application on a dynamometer carrying cables and hoses, the helps reduce stress on the cables and
manufacturer furnished a structural support system on which multiple carriers extend their life.
ride. The metal Gortrac carriers, which hold a total of 10 cables and hoses, are A hose carrier for a Las Vegas water
approximately 40 ft long. As a result, the end user was able to simply bolt the show was supplied with a stainless-steel
system in place instead of building the support system. water manifold, as well as hoses and
Cable carriers made for an offshore oil rig were shipped on storage PVC guides, so it could be installed as a
reels so they were easier to ship, handle, store and install. In this case, cables complete system. The large Nylatrac carrier
specified by the customer were included, and brackets also were included for handles four 5-in. diameter hoses and is
easy assembly. The Nylatrac carriers for this application were 54 ft long and 48 ft long. Cable or hose carriers with long
carried eight cables. travel requirements can be supplied with
For a pontoon bridge at the Hood Canal on Puget Sound, the supplier a carriage system equipped with rollers to
of the Nylatrac carrier system designed and manufactured a stainless-steel support the carrier and allow it to extend
support and guide tray system for the carrier. Other value-added components smoothly beyond its self-supported travel
included the cables, clamps, auto-alignment brackets and fixed-end mounting limits. End brackets, clamps and other
structure. Stainless steel was used for the support and tray system to resist components also can be furnished to
corrosion in the salt air environment. The cable carrier was constructed of a provide a complete bolt-in-place system.
MC_CableMgmt_NOV_Vs5.indd 28 11/6/15 5:42 PM

CABLE MANAGEMENT
CUSTOM BALL SCREWS

DESIGNED IN REAL TIME

Dynatect precision-ground ball screws can be
quickly designed to your exact specifications
with our automated CAD system.
A manufacturer also may be able to High precision, up to ANSI class 2/JIN Class 1 spec. Manufactured from your specifications, or
incorporate other items into a turnkey Virtually any length (longest to date: 54 feet) print, or sample unit
package customized for the application.
Screw diameters from 1/2" to 6" When required, CAD models delivered
These may include such diverse products quickly
as protective expanding/telescoping Designed to minimize backlash and eliminate
covers, roll-up doors, slip clutches deadband Full repair, analysis and replacement services
and motors, and ball- or leadscrews.
We take into account: load, speed and accuracy, Economical whirled ball screws available for
Discussion with the manufacturers
for optimal performance and long life non-precision applications
application engineers may open up new
possibilities for saving time and reducing VISIT US ONLINE OR CONTACT US FOR OUR FULL-LINE CATALOG. sales@dynatect.com / 262-786-1500
costs by combining multiple components
into complete turnkey assemblies.
Along with turnkey solutions, the
carrier manufacturer also may be able to
help minimize inventory requirements
for OEM users by customizing a Kanban
or JIT program. Another possibility is a VISIT US AT DYNATECT.COM FOR MORE CUSTOM-ENGINEERED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
vendor-managed inventory and tool crib
replenishment program that integrates GORTITE PROTECTIVE COVERINGS GORTRAC CABLE/HOSE CARRIERS POLYCLUTCH
directly into the manufacturing process. Customized bellows; steel covers, Metal, plastic & hybrid; Continuous mechanical and
roll-up covers and doors; open- and enclosed-styles; pneumatic slip clutches
Thank you to Mark Cunningham, Sales walk-on covers; way wipers modular and custom designs
Manager at the Gortrac Division and
Mark Zanolla, Engineering Manager
at the Gortrac Division of Dynatect
Manufacturing for this information.
(800) 298-2066 / dynatect.com

11 2015 DESIGN WORLD 29
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Cables in motion:
motio
ION
Common applications
MOT
M
ore than any other component, cables as those on robots, must have high tensile strength
come in customized versions to satisfy and abrasion and flammability resistance. These are
specific application requirements. The most often manufactured of polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
number of conductors and strands to transmit chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), polyurethane (PUR)
power to motors and feedback to and from and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).
sensors and controllers are just a couple cable On the other hand, cables used in medical
features designers match to designs. applications must be biocompatible. The most
Usually requiring UL listing, cables in motion- common material used in cables for medical
control applications must be able to handle tight equipment is silicone, as it is durable and can be
bending radii, abrasion, flexing and possibly even easily sterilized, disinfected and cleaned without
torsional movements. Some must also isolate the disintegrating. Other medical-grade materials
effects of strands conducting power. In VFD cables, include thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic
for instance, a symmetrical ground design with polyurethanes and PVC. Still other cables are
three grounds and three power conductors offers a manufactured with anti-microbial jacket materials to
small outer diameter and less EMI. However, a four- prevent bacterial growth.
conductor design with three power conductors and As mentioned, shielding and insulation are also
one ground is better for continuous flex applications. application-specific. Shielding protects the cables
The latter are common in machine tools, assembly from outside electromagnetic interference, but also
lines and industrial-production applications. protects users and machines from voltage spikes
Jacket material must also be compatible with the and other internal interferences. For cables that
application. The cable jacket protects conductors and will be inside cabinets or machines, or those
insulation and may also provide a level of shielding. with light to medium loads, unshielded
For example, cables used in harsh environments, designs may be used, as they usually are
such as on mobile machinery and machine tools, smaller and offer a tighter bend radius.
require special jacketing to withstand chemicals such But cables installed on machines
as cutting fluids and oils and abrasion. Cables used in that are in motion require shielding,
these tough environments or in welding applications especially when they connect to a
may also require a flame-retardant jacket or low- motor or drive enclosure.
smoke, zero-Halogen design.
Cables used in flexing and
rotating applications, such
Cables used on robotic arms, left, must have

high tensile strength, abrasion and flammability
resistance. At right, cables are tested for abrasion
resistance, a critical feature required of any
industrial motion cable. Photos courtesy of igus
MC_Cabling_NOV_Vs6.indd 30 11/6/15 5:44 PM

CABLING
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Chains for every environment

motio
ION
MOT
W
ith recent advances in precision, designers can use chains in chain, curved-attachment chain and
more applications than ever, including remote installations plastic-sleeve chain. The attachments
thanks to lubrication technology. accommodate special fixtures or blocks
Chains are versatile and reliable components used primarily to transmit for specific conveyor functions.
power in machinery or convey products. Roller chains are mainly used with Accumulating conveyors are one
drives. But they can also be found in applications with harsh environments subtype of conveyor chain that suit
that subject chain to weather, water or chemicals, where other options would applications that need more control
fail. Most drive applications use an ASME/ANSI roller chain wrapped around over product flow, such as packaging
a driver sprocket that is connected directly to the motor or reducer. This or assembly.
sprocket is usually connected to a machines conveyor head-shaft. Self-lubricating chains excel in
Conveyor chains are used in applications that require moving product harsh environments or where regular
horizontally, vertically or around curved radii. Most common conveyor maintenance is difficult. They are useful in
chains are ASME-style (ANSI-style) attachment chains. Types include applications in food and beverage, paper
single-pitch attachment chain, double-pitch attachment chain, hollow-pin product or wood-processing industries
where traditional lubrication presents too
much of a contamination or clogging risk.
Chains are also available with
specialty coatings for rugged
environments. Stainless steel is a good
choice in applications exposed to
corrosion, but because this material
cannot be hardened in the same
manner as carbon steel, it doesnt have
the same load carrying capacity. Nickel-
plated chains are another alternative,
providing some protection for mildly
corrosive environments.
Factors that can limit chain life are
corrosion, wear and fatigue. If a chain
application requires long life without
contamination, pick chain with self-
lubricating subcomponents. If the roller
chain application requires high precision,
pick chain with precision roller bearings
at each link connection.
Shown here is a mobile chain application, a

trencher from Shelton Sportsturf Drainage. Its
digging chain runs off the tractor power takeoff;
twin augers flanking the chain move dirt away.
Called the Shelton CT150, the vehicle uses laser-
guided grading to evenly install drainage pipes.
Hydraulics control trench depth; a pipe layer
lifts out of the ground for easy starts.
MC_Chain_NOV_Vs4.indd 32 11/6/15 3:53 PM

AN UNBEATABLE PACKAGE:
QUALITY, DEPENDABILITY, & ENGINEERING SUPPORT.
Crafted to excel in the toughest environments, including high-speed, wash down, vacuum sealing, high-temperature, food grade
and many more. From standard chains to highly customized solutions, Tsubaki has the right chain for your packaging industry
application. We understand the importance of your lines uptime so save time and money by trusting in Tsubaki. And dont forget
Tsubakis full line-up of complementary products. Bundling options provide the flexibility to ensure optimum quality along your
entire production line. At Tsubaki, weve got you covered.
ROLLER CHAINS ENGINEERING CLASS CHAINS BACKSTOPS SPROCKETS CABLE & HOSE CARRIERS POWER TRANSMISSION PRODUCTS
ROLLER CHAINS ENGINEERING CLASS CHAINS CAM CLUTCHES SPROCKETS CABLE & HOSE CARRIERS PT COMPONENTS
Total Package
USTSUBAKI.COM
2015 U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC All Rights Reserved.
US Tsubaki.indd 33 11/10/15 2:19 PM

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Compression springs in motion

motio
ION
MOT
C
ompression springs are typically used to resist dampers. In electric-distribution applications, they are
linear compressing forces (such as a push force) indispensible for the function of contact switches and
where space is limited, where uniform bearing other electromechanical components. Medical uses for
pressures are required, or to reduce buckling. Thus, they compression springs also aboundin simple mechanical
are ubiquitous motion components. In the automotive equipment, such as beds, to those in advanced actuators
industry, they are common in seats, pedals, transmission for precision medical devices. In consumer devices, they
springs and windshield wipers. Building automation uses are found in major appliances, lawn mowers, cell phones
compression springs for industrial doors, fasteners and and so on.
This application example from Jacquemet Group shows compression

springs in an engine.
Shown here is a compression spring inside

the ball of a Dyson vacuum cleaner. The
spring helps a flexible changeover valve-hose
assembly engage with the floor-vacuuming
mechanism or the wand, depending on how Compression springs are also common in shocks and runaway bumpers
the user moves the handle. on high-speed trains. Image courtesy Jacquemet Group
MC_Compression_Springs_NOV_Vs4.indd 34 11/6/15 4:02 PM

M O T ntroltips.com
motio
nco
I ON C
Controllers in motion:
ASEB
Applications advance
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M
otion controllers range from single-axis smarts MML elevation axis. In short, digital signal processing
to programmable automation controllers (PACs) and advanced algorithms enable synchronous control
that synchronize hundreds of axes and plant IT. of twin actuators that raise and lower the MMLs pallet.
These brains of precision motion are at the heart of todays These platforms are critically important to national
motion-system innovation. But controls are increasingly defense, said Craig Von Ilten, business-development VP
advanced in mobile applications as well. for the defense industry at Trust Automation.
Consider just one example: Trust Automation Inc.,
known for standard and custom motion and motor
Food and beverage example:
controls, is helping design and develop a multi-mission
launcher (MML) for a U.S. Army Indirect Fire Protection Controllers make it simple
Capability program. The Development and Engineering Consider another example: Opelkas new continuous
Center of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research is pastry fryer is more versatile and easier to clean and service
leading the project. than its predecessor. Called the MagicBaker CleanFlex,
The design is a truck-based system thats fixed it uses B&R automation components for a modular
or semi-fixed. It holds 15 launch tubes that can architectureso end users can use the machine without
fire simultaneously at threats, for 360 protection programming, even after a shutdown to replace parts.
against unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, artillery, PowerLink allows line or star topology on the
mortars and rockets. Trust Automation is developing equipment, and users can remove networked components
elevation controllers for the MML to give them precise without disconnecting the power or worrying about
positioning. The controller interfaces with heavy-duty disrupting bus communication. Central data storage
electro-mechanical actuators for motion control to the speeds up commissioning.
This gabletop case packer is one version of

a line of stainless-steel case packers from
Schneider Packaging Equipment that
allows for sanitation washdown. Theres
even an additional sleeve around open
spaces in the support frame between the
bolts and frame interior.
The extra sleeve makes a more hygienic

environment by preventing contamination
from microbiotic organisms inside the
frame itself, said Pete Squires, VP of
Schneider Packaging.

Quick changeovers let the machine go
from two-pack convenience cases to three,
four, six and eight-pack cases. Similar
Schneider machines accommodate
half-pint, pint, quart and gallon sizes. A
complete end-of-line automation solution
is easy thanks to simple integration
with accumulator sand loaders for
gabletop cartons, carton lane-dividing
and transport conveyors, and robotic
palletizers. Standard features include
touchscreen operation and Allen Bradley
Logix controls.
MC_controllers_NOV_Vs5.indd 35 11/6/15 6:01 PM

CONTROLLERS
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Data coding, motion control,

motio
Opelkas new continuous pastry fryer, the

ION
MagicBaker CleanFlex, uses a B&R controller. PLC tasks and HMI functions are all
on a single CompactFlash card in
the controller. When the equipment
MOT
restarts after maintenance, the

controller automatically copies the
software (including changes) to related
B&R components. More specifically,
Opelka leverages integrated PLC/HMI
functionality from the B&R Power Panel
500, which has a 10.4-in. touch screen,
X20 I/O and ACOPOSmulti drives.
The fryers versatility arises from the
new control architecture, which allows
changes through the HMI panel to
accommodate different configurations
for different bakers, said Stefan Weng
of Opelka. ACOPOSmulti servodrives
replaced pneumatic drives on the
previous version to eliminate design
and operation constraints. Here, a key
advantage over pneumatics is that
controls can implement new paths
during operation at the push of a
button without major modifications.
So now, pastries go through
Here, a ROBA-guidestop on a carriage
the machine more gently and with
clamps directly to a profiled rail.
greater precision. That in turn means
that users can customize the machine
for different pastry types ... simply by
picking recipes on the HMI. So the
machine can now float or tip pastries
into the oil bath.
The new machines drives are
synchronized electrically, which means
the oil bath can extend as needed
without making the engineers modify
the power-transmission system.
Theres also a Power Panel 500 in a
control cabinet within the machine
body. The drives for other machine
modules (including one for loading
separate raw-dough forms into rows
and another at the end of the line that
injects jelly into the pastries) are in
distributed control cabinets.
All of the automated functions on the new

MagicBaker CleanFlex from Opelka use B&R
technology, and Opelka set up the PLC and
HMI in B&Rs Automation Studio software.
Seamless integration makes programming,
diagnostics and maintenance more efficient.

What if you never had to worry
about servo tuning?
You wouldnt believe the things we do.

Mitsubishi Electrics One-Touch Auto-tuning for the MR-J4 Series Servo System
ensures every servo in a machine is always perfectly tuned from commissioning
to end-of-life. Maintain peak performance and accuracy and reduce downtime,
even as equipment wears. That is the beauty of One-Touch Auto-tuning:
oneclick,one time.
No tweaking, no maintenance, just the sweet sound of productivity.
us.MitsubishiElectric.com/fa/en
Mitsubishi.indd 37 11/6/15 1:53 PM

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Space is limited in the distributed cabinets, so the PLCs control San Fran hangar doors
motio
ION
compactness of the ACOPOSmulti and X20 modules was Door motors, controls and gear drives of the
key, said Weng. A two-axis variant of the ACOPOSmulti Superbay Maintenance Hangar at the San Francisco
was the biggest space saver of all. Opelka saved even International Airport needed a retrofit. Previous
MOT
more cabinet space by replacing dedicated power controls were built in 1969 with relays, contactors,
supplies with 24-V modules from the X20 system. The X20 timers, antiquated power tracks and miles of wiring
system also provided digital and analog I/O slices, as well requiring continuous maintenance. The massive
as PT100 input terminals for PID temperature control. hangar has two 130-x-90-ft doors, weighing 74,000
The X20 modules also control stepper motors that lb, on either side. Each door consists of an inner
move pushers and other small machine axes. The X20s and outer panel for a total of eight independently
three-part construction has a terminal block, electronics functioning doors. The door sections mounted on
module and bus module. This simplifies installation and rails offset so that adjacent doors can open and close
allows electronic-module replacements without the hassle without interfering with neighboring ones.
of rewiring, said Weng. MicroSmart Pentra PLCs from IDEC now control
X20 modules and drives communicate with each and monitor the doors, letting airplanes as large as a
other and the central controller through PowerLink. 747-400s in and out of the hangar. Engineers from San
Another improvement is that the user can configure Francisco International Airports Design and Construction
components without needing to connect each to a PC first. Dept. used IDEC PLC programming and PLCs for their
To prepare the components for bus communication, the simplicity and expandability. Twin drives power the doors
engineer just sets their node numbers with DIP switches halves. A VFD drives each motor door, in turn capable of
before install. moving the entire door (though airport engineers made
During operation, PowerLink and the electronic each drive redundant).
drives also make decoupling machine modules easier. An IDEC MicroSmart Pentra PLC connects to each
The user simply disconnects the power and PowerLink doors two VFDs through Modbus, and communicates
cables, both of which handle repeated plugging and in ASCII through an RS485 connection. The PLC also has
unplugging much better than compressed air hoses. inputs for switches and sensors for preventing operation
Then machine modules can go to a washdown room when people or objects are in the way. From the IDEC
for cleaning. HG4Gs HMI, operators open and close the doors.
In this defense application, controllers

from Trust Automation synchronize
actuators that position a multi-mission
launcher (MML). The design is part of an
Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC)
program led by the U.S. Army.
An IDEC Pentra PLC controls two VFD drives that open and close a hangar door. The hangar has
eight doors, each with its own PLC controller.

CONTROLLERS
IDEC PLCs control 37-ton The eight centralized PLCs controlling the The hangar engineers used Automation
hangar doors to let airplanes in eight doors simplify operation; soon a master Organizer to program touch-screen controls,
and out of the hangar.
PLC could control all the doors and command status and troubleshooting displays, alarms,
the PLCs as slaves. Wireless connection feedback processing and drive operating hours
will soon provide fire control. In the current for maintenance purposes.
design, anytime a door stops, its PLC analyzes Simulation with the IDEC system let the
the problem and displays a troubleshooting engineers start and fine-tune the first doors
protocol on the HMI. operation in less than a day (with the others
The IDEC MicroSmart Pentra PLC has in operation within a few hours). It also let
floating-point math functions, supports 32- the engineers add interlocking man-doors to
bit processing, Modbus master and slave the giant hangar doorsstandard doors are
capabilities, up to 512 digital I/O and 56 analog embedded in the hangar doors for aircraft
I/O. The PLC also connects to the Internet (to mechanics to enter and leave the hangar. Then
allow for mobile access). IDEC Automation the engineers programmed the PLC and HMI to
Organizer software comes in WindLDR for interlock these man-doors with the larger hangar
programming in ladder logic and function blocks doors. If any man-doors are open, the HMI
(and online editing and simulation) or WindO/I- indicates that and prevents operation.
NV2 for programming HMIs. WindO/I-NV2 has
tools for programming HMIs with a 5,000-symbol
library (to save design time).

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Conveyors:
ncont
motio
ION
A variety of uses
MOT
Collectors buy and sell coin proof sets to enjoy the currencies precise level of detail
and overall presentation in durable packaging. Heres a robot and Dorner conveyor
that help automate the exacting packaging process.
R
anging from discrete product transport to bulk-material carriage,
conveyor functions are as varied as the places in which they work.
Engineers make conveyors meet specific applications by tailoring
about a dozen conveyor design elements: belt or chain size, morphology and
material; bases and support frames; controller, drive, and motor or motors;
mode of belt or chain engagement with the drive; encoder, vision, and switch
feedback; tracks, bumpers, and gates; and HMIs and plant-level IT integration.
Consider the warehouse-automation industry. Sorting and tracking tasks
are paramount, but speed is often critical. Such applications need conveyors
with servomotor functionality integrated with inspection stations fitted with
machine vision. Or consider pharmaceutical manufacturing. Its grown to a
trillion-dollar industry, even while standards such as the FDAs Current Good
Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations are more stringent than ever. Here,
conveyors must have all the functions of those for warehouse-automation, plus
need to be stainless and aluminum, posing no risk of contamination, while
quickly and cleanly transporting expensive pharmaceutical products to and
from stations for bottle filling, pill compressing, sorting and inspection.
In the same way, the manufacture of medical devices must adhere to FDA
regulations that dictate equipment-sterilization schedules and methods. Here,
only conveyors withstanding regular harsh cleaning last.
MC_conveyors_NOV_Vs5.indd 40 11/6/15 6:06 PM

CONVEYORS
2200 and 3200 Series belt conveyors from Dorner work in lightweight
to heavyweight industrial applications like this one with Farason
because theyre low profile and can slowly move with precision. The
conveyors also work with robotics and indexing applications, as they
are easily programmable to operate drive and control options and
integrate into larger systems. Packaging application:
Conveyors support coordinated robot tasks
Mounting coin proof sets into hobbyist commemorative
cases sounds easy, but its challenging when the application
calls for precisely placing several thousand coins on
moving inserts every day. This was a challenge engineers at
Farason Corp. recently solved with conveyors from Dorner
Manufacturing and vision-guided robots.
Farason designs and builds custom machinery
for assembly, manufacturing and packaging processes
(mostly in cosmetics, food and confections, medical,
pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries).
For the coin-setting application, a system picks and
orients coins in case inserts, then encloses the inserts with
top and bottom lenses, said Joe Hurley, president, Farason.
The automated system uses 13 vision-guided robots
and 22 Dorner conveyors purchased from Stokes Material
Handling Systems. First coins enter the machine in trays
for indexing. Six Dorner 2200 Series conveyors feed stacks
of trays containing the different coins to unloading robots.
These robots remove rows of coins from their respective trays
and place them onto one of six servo-driven Dorner timing-
belt conveyors. Each 2-in.-wide conveyor indexes coins
downstream to where a camera logs the coins rotational
orientation. A placing robot tends each conveyor and takes
coins and places them (properly oriented) into coin wells.
After depleting a tray, these robots then put empties on a
Dorner 2200 Series conveyor for transfer out of the machine.
Upstream robots pick coin inserts from a stack, present
them to a camera (which checks for smudges, scratches and
other imperfections) and then place them onto a 10-in.-wide
Dorner 3200 Series conveyor. This conveyor transfers the coin
inserts past six coin-placing robots.
Next, a flipper robot puts completed coin inserts into
a device that overturns the inserts 180 for downstream
assembly. Top and bottom cameras inspect the insert
to ensure all coins are present and properly orientated.
Inserts that pass inspection go to a robot that picks
top lenses from a stack, presents them to the camera
for inspection, and then places them down onto a
Dorner 3200 Series conveyor. The flipper robot puts
the inserts into the top lenses; then the conveyor takes
the partial assemblies to a station where (after another
inspection) a robot presses the cases bottom lenses in
place. Then the conveyor takes the final packages to
a trolley-loading robot that gathers them in three-up
operation for shipment preparation.
All other Farason-built coin-picking systems use
This is a conveyor that simplifies self-stacking. Called the DirectDrive Self-Stacker Dorner conveyors. This latest design took about
System from Intralox, it uses a lightweight, hygienic, modular, plastic solution to a year from initial specification to delivery and
save floor space, allow horizontal airflow and minimize destacking.
commissioning in April.
MC_conveyors_NOV_Vs5.indd 41 11/6/15 6:06 PM

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Different coupling styles require

motio
ION
different applications
MOT
C
ouplings are simple yet
precisely engineered devices
that connect shafts to
transmit torque and compensate for
misalignments. But many variations of
coupling designs exist to complement
machine dynamics and meet specific
application criteria.
Couplings are either torsionally
rigid or flexible. Flexible couplings
compensate for misalignments,
while rigid designs handle drive
components already in alignment.
Temperature, misalignment
potential, mechanical resonance
and several other factors make
some couplings better than others
for given applications. Here are just
a few different coupling types and
the applications where theyre most
common.
Rigid couplings are torsionally
stiff and used when shafts are already
in alignment. These couplings have
two drawbacks: They fail if parallel
shaft misalignment exceeds one
thousandth of an inch, and they are
susceptible to vibration and cannot
run at high speeds.
Clamp or compression
couplings provide high torsional
strength. Their two-piece design
Zero-Max offset couplings like those in this high-speed slitting
lets engineers easily remove these line can handle shaft displacements of 0.156 to 17.29 in.
couplings for maintenance. Rigid
couplings go in servo systems maintaining positional control. Many designs need a shaft to start and stop
that require high torque capacity, multiple times per second, a dynamic requirement that necessitates a torsionally
moderate speed and low cost. stiff coupling to reduce settling time between cycles. Regardless, flexible
Some engineers see flexible couplings frequently win out because of their torque capacity. Flexible couplings
couplings as the most compliant damp vibrations in both continuous-motion and intermittent applications.
components in mechanical Flexible bellows couplings are common in motion applications that need
motion systems. This attribute precision control and misalignment compensation. There are three components:
makes torsional stiffness critical in a metal bellows and two hubs. One hub connects to the driving element; the
MC_Couplings_NOV_Vs4.indd 42 11/6/15 6:20 PM

Helical.indd 43 11/6/15 1:55 PM
COUPLINGS
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ION
MOT
In this diagram we see the space reduction

after the installation of the Zero-Max coupling.
Schmidt offset couplings from Zero-Max,

like the one used in this coating system,
compensate for radial misalignments while
transmitting torque and constant angular
velocity misalignments. They handle
torque capacities up to 459,000 in-lb.
other hub connects to the driven element. The bellows versatile and offer long life, even in designs that exhibit
connects the two hubs. The bellows element of this significant misalignment. Their three-piece designtwo
coupling compensates for all three types of misalignment. hubs and a torque-transmitting centermakes them easy
Because of this design, metal bellows couplings are to install and disassemble.
suitable for most applications. Bellows couplings are found Oldham couplings are manufactured in a variety of
in CNC machines, robotics and encoders. materials to satisfy different application demandsthe
Jaw couplings have two metal hubs that need for zero backlash or vibration reduction, for example.
engage through a spider insert made of elastomer They address parallel misalignment and limit axial motion.
customizable to meet specific design needs. Because Disc couplings work with servomotor and
theyre less stiff than other couplings, flexible-jaw demanding applications because they transmit high
couplings work best in constant motion applications torque, operate at high or changing speeds and handle
including those in oil and gas, water and waste misalignments. Disc couplings are often selected for
management, construction and aerospace. automotive, construction and aerospace applications.
Engineers use Oldham as an alternative to straight No matter the material or subtype, the one-piece
jaw couplings on general industrial equipment such design of beam couplings makes them easy to maintain.
as pumps, valves, gearboxes and conveyors. They are The couplings are also zero backlash with spiral cuts to

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transmit torque over spaces with

motio
ION
significant angular, parallel or axial

misalignment. Beam couplings are
often selected in motion control
MOT
applications for robotics, for attaching

servomotors to leadscrews and
attaching shafts to encoders.
Offset couplings require less
space when connecting offset
shafts in large systems. With these
couplings designers can create
smaller and more efficient machines.
Engineers can mount the offset
couplings to shaft hubs or directly
to existing machine flanges. They
are available for shaft displacements
of 0.156 to 17.29 in. and torque
capacities to 50 to 460,000 in.-lb.
Design configurations abound.
One option is to comb couplings
with zero-maintenance bearings to
boost uptimes and eliminate the
need for lubrication. Such sealed
bearings dont have lube fittings, so
make for a streamlined coupling
setupone that sheds contaminants
and lets the couplings work in tight
spaces and challenging environments.
Offset couplings work in
embossing systems, presses,
paper industry equipment and
pharmaceutical machinery.
In this multi roll press, Zero-Max offset couplings help keep out
contaminants and foreign matter, letting the couplings work in tight
spaces and in less than ideal operating environments.

COUPLINGS
THE SURVIVOR
FOR EXTREME DUTY POWER TRANSMISSION:
OUR ZERO MAINTENANCE DISC PACK COUPLINGS.
11 2015 DESIGN WORLD 47 RW-AMERICA.COM THE COUPLING.

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Common
motio
ION
applications
MOT
for ac drives
A
ll ac drives (including those
known as variable frequency
drives or VFDs) must satisfy
specific application demands. The
most common of these ac drives differ
from those typical for precision motion
control found in robotics, semiconductor
fabrication, certain types of machining,
and medical instruments to output motion
to sub-mm to m and even nm scales.
Thats because common servo systems
use feedback and an array of dc drives to
control motor-driven axes, but the most
common ac drives control induction and ac
synchronous motors.
Common applications include
conveyor applications; lift and hoist
machinery; grinding, fan, pump and
compressor operations; and large
machinery installations.
The most common ac drives run
applications that need speed control ...
everything from basic functions to VFDs
paired with (as mentioned) induction
motors or synchronous permanent-magnet
types. Such ac drives first convert ac to
dc and then use switching techniques
to vary voltage and frequency to the
motor. Constant-voltage VFDs (which
use pulse width modulation or PWM) are
most common; these feed a train of dc
pulses with different widths into the motor
windings with a shaped current waveform.
Machine builders often use VFDs
to boost energy. Controlling current
drawn by the motor can reduce energy
bills because it prevents the motor from
constantly running at full load. But VFDs
help boost efficiency in other ways, too.
With three-phase motors, they outperform This is a converting line built in-house by Sealed Air to
single-phase induction motors (common in produce bubble wrap with paper wrap for Amazon shipping.
industrial washers and similar applications). It uses VFDs for speed control.
MC_Drives-AC_NOV_Vs5.indd 48 11/9/15 3:48 PM

CELEBRATING
100 YEARS
Thank you to our customers, associates and
partners for 10 decades of success.
Celebrating 100 years of proven performance,

Yaskawa is the worlds largest manufacturer of
ac drives, motion control, and robotics.
YA S K A W A A M E R I C A , I N C .
DRIVES & MOTION DIVISION
1 - 8 0 0 - YA S K A W A | YA S K A W A . C O M
For more info:

http://Ez.com/yai834 2015 Yaskawa America Inc.
Yaskawa.indd 49 11/6/15 1:57 PM

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motio
ION
In a similar way, VFD setups also

outperform pairings of triac control with
MOT
universal motors.
Some applications (including vertical
arrangements and those with frequent
stopping and starting) benefit from
regenerative braking possible with VFDs.
Here, the drives solid-state components
(that control motor voltage) channel
energy back into the ac mains or braking
resistor. That boosts design efficiency
and lets machinery axes slow down faster
than they would if left to coast down.
Induction-motor-based motion
designs that incorporate VFDs also
avoid high in-rush current at startup.
Thats because VFDs make it so the
motors input starts with low voltage
and frequency. Theres also less
mechanical wear, as eliminating startup
in-rush currents prevents excessive
torque and renders throttles, dampers
and louvers unnecessary.
No matter the application, all
ac drives must meet key parameters,
including the power-supply
configuration and input voltage
(and whether input is 60 or 50 Hz).
Compatibility with the motors voltage,
current rating and horsepower, as well
as what speed control the application
needs (closed-loop vector, open-
loop vector or volts/Hz), are other
considerations. Note that VFDs can
introduce harmonic distortion, which
degrades power quality and machine
performance. However, some new
VFDs address this issue.
Besides that, many common ac-
drive applications benefit from ac drives
that deliver safety features (brake controls
and stops, for example) and acceleration
or speed monitoring and limiting.
One last application parameter
is that ac drives must, in some cases,
withstand exposure to dust, extreme
This is a new line built with drives (including VFDs for speed control),
temperature and humidity. Here, drives
motors, and an operational HMI from Siemens. Sealed Air engineered it with
automation partner Axis Inc. with rated enclosures (NEMA 1 or
NEMA 12 ventilated, for example)
simplify selection.

DRIVES AC
The drives cabinet is 50% smaller than previous

setups thanks to compact Sinamics drives and
Simotion motion controllers.
screens for design and subsequent runout

on the devices used, said Pitera.
I fought the idea of a whole new
engineering platform, Kimble said. It was
so different from our previous protocols
and even previous generations of Siemens
products wed used on successful Sealed
Air lines. But Joe showed us the demo
and how the TIA Portal pulls everything
together and runs the HMI from one
touchscreen with tagging, interconnects,
an option-screen library and access
tracking to all cable runs in the line.
Kimble anticipated pushback. So,
Pitera spent a day each week for several
months at Sealed Air showing engineers
multiple functionshow to copy and paste
values for the entire temperature zone of
the line, for example.
Implementing Sinamics S120 ac drives
Drive-motor-control boosts production by 50% and Simotion motion controllers with
Sealed Airs Saddle Brook, N.J., facility was both an OEM converting-line Sinamics V20 plus using the integration
builder and equipment end user. Recently, it migrated its converting lines features of the TIA Portal from Siemens
from an older control, motor-and-drive arrangement to boost line production. helped Sealed Air increase line speed
There was some resistance from our team, but we worked with our automation by 50% (from 120 to 180 packages per
partner Axis Inc. who showed us a better way, said Tom Kimble, director of minute) and shrunk the control-cabinet
specialty equipment. Axis is a local industrial automation specialist. footprint by 50%.
On this project, the challenge was to boost production of Jiffy-Lite paper- The new design controls 13 axes
sleeve (laminated bubble wrap mailers for an online retailer) from 120 to 180 of servo motion with three simple VFDs
bags per minute. The aim to increase output demanded more horsepower for speed control; 16 heater zones with
and better controls and drives. Axes had to run faster, yet with more accuracy solid-state control and automation through
and a smaller machine footprint to address material-handling and plant-space the HMI; integration of 32 analog and 64
challenges, said Joe Pitera, motion products manager of Axis Inc. digital signals; and circuit control, safety
Several previous converting lines featured a reliable motor, drive and devices and terminal blocks.
motion control package, but the new line had to perform at levels not possible Building the design (including
with old hardware and software. blocks) took less than six months. In fact,
Ultimately, Axis recommended motors, drives and integrated this system follows a recent build of a
motion controllers in a cabinet 50% smaller than the previous design. co-extrusion line at a Sealed Air facility in
Siemens TIA Portal programming and commissioning software simplified Chicago, which uses Siemens products
controller integration. for 43 axes of motion, 91 zones of
With the TIA Portal, we brought them a totally new concept in the heating, hundreds of I/O points and an
engineering and start-up of their equipment, complete with an HMI with HMI and controller.

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DC drives excel in an
motio
ION
array of applications
MOT
T
he array of machines that incorporate ac motors and permanent magnets on the rotor; rotor-position
and drives makes them the industry standard, feedback from an encoder or Hall-effect sensor feeds
but dc-drives are widely used for good reason. speed information back to a controller for facilitating
Many applications benefit from dc drives and the adjustment of electronic commutation on the fly.
distinct characteristics they offerincluding simple So, dc drives offer distinct advantages, including
speed control, cost-effective integration and long life. those mentioned ... as well as wide speed ranges,
Common dc-drive applications include the good speed regulation, and starting and accelerating
movement of axes on wire-drawing machinery, torques that exceed rated toque by 400% or more.
hoists and elevators, paper-web handing, magnetic Matching a dc drive to a given application
grabbers, extruding applications, spindle drives, and ultimately depends on the applications starting
material handling. torque; input power factor; need for dynamic braking;
Traditional machine setups that use dc drives paired speed regulation, range, and need for high speed;
with brush motors for speed control incorporate a silicon and conduciveness to energy regeneration for
controller rectifier (SCR) for power conversion. This boosting design efficiency.
SCR, or thyristor, converts ac power input to adjustable-
voltage output that goes to the motor armature. SCRs
provide controllable power output by phase-angle
control, named for how the firing angle synchronizes
with the ac sources phase rotation.
When dc drives pair with
brushless (electronically
commutated) dc motors, they
offer an alternative to
conventional dc drives
and ac inverters, marketed
as dc-drive replacements.
Brushless dc motors have
windings on the stator
Engineers at the Terminal de Contenedores de Yucatn (TCY) in Progreso,

Mexico, used advanced dc drives from Emerson Control Techniques in
America to modernize the control system on an aging ship-to-shore crane.
The hoist has a 373-kW motor rated at 50 tons to move 45 m/min, and it
uses a 120-A Mentor MP dc drive. A 55-kW trolley (which moves 120 m/
min) and the 55-kW boom (moving to 6 m/min) share a 210-A Mentor MP
that switches between them. Four 105-A Mentor MP dc drives serve eight
14-kW gantry motors.
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motio
ION
MOT
This iPCBRM100 is Air-Vacs solder-rework machine that removes defective parts from
circuit boards after the initial build. In the machine (inset)is AllMotions 1.6 x 1.6 in.
EZSV17 controller plus drive that works with brushed or brushless dc motors.

DRIVES DC
Motion controller + drive

improves PCB repairs control. Target rework position can
Air-Vac, a manufacturer of flexible be taught on the fly or stored in the
machines for printed circuit program. After alignment, the board
board (PCB) rework, adheres moves into the oven for focused-
to the International Electronics convective heating to about 150 C.
Manufacturing Initiative 2013 Then it returns to taught alignment and
Technology Roadmap mandating lead- lowers to 15 mm above the flowing
free rework of plated-through-hole solder. Finally, an additional nozzle
(PTH) components on large assemblies. comes to 5 mm above the part. The
The companys PCBRM100 machine part is heated to 217 C and lowered
removes and replaces through-hole into the solder for removal.
components on 26 x 26 in. boards. Once inside the solder flow,
It uses an EZSV17 motion either a vacuum comes on and the
controller and drive from AllMotion, a upper nozzle removes the loosened
controller needing little to no tuning component or the operator manually
when pairing with most miniature takes the part out. Next, the board
(2-in. diameter or smaller) motors. The moves to 25 mm above the solder
controller also speeds implementation flow for solder removal with a
of brushless dc motors or brushed dc scavenger nozzle. With a joystick
motors in automation. control, an operator moves the nozzle
The motion system for the over the board barrels to remove any
PCBRM100 also has linear encoders leftover solder. (Or during automated
and rotary motors switched back and execution, the machine can perform
forth between being belt driven and the removal.) Then the board returns
running as direct drives. Linear motors to the unload position for removal.
would have been too expensive for The board can now accept a new
such a large system. component and the machine can help
Features include 485 here, too (this time, to solder in the
communications at 115,200 baud to new component).
quicken operations; software flexibility Machine accuracy is 0.001 in. The
to let the machine send commands PCBRM100 is an open machine, so
and get them instantly executed; and low speed isnt a problem. A joystick
direct-drive joystick control. Additional gives operators an accurate and
controller features are a single four- easy-to-use machine interface. The
wire bus that can link up to 16 stepper machines software is also user-friendly.
or servomotors; a 2-A motor drive; 20 Originally, the engineer
to 40-V input, RS232, RS485, or USB programming the machine had to
based communications; on-board perform most of the work needed for
EEPROM for user program storage; operation ... including setup of board
and stand-alone operation. and part thicknesses and locations
The PCBRM100 is totally automatic. and other data based on the particular
The EZSV17 controller runs the carrier board being serviced. But now, after
along X and Y axes using linear- initial setup for a particular component,
encoder feedback. It moves to a taught parameters easily copy and paste in
position where a downward-scanning the software for similar parts or boards.
digital camera with zoom lens presents The 120-x-52-x-77-in. machine has
images to the operator, superimposing a solder-pot capacity of 90 lb, the top
the image of the solder stack over the and bottom preheater sizes are 28 x
board top. Then the operator can align 28 in., with a clearance of 3 in. on the
the part using an X-Y joystick-based top and bottom.

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Customized encoders
motio
ION
satisfy design objectives

MOT
A
bsolute and incremental, rotary and linear, optical rotary encodersthose that can run and reliably track
and magnetic, TTL compatible, multiturn, and speed and position even to 40,000 rpm.
application-specific integrated-circuit (ASIC) Scale is also relevant. Miniature applications (especially
magnetic encoders: These are all encoder subtypes to suit in medical designs) benefit from reflective encoders with
specific design objectives. built-in interpolation for high-resolution measurement on
Rotary encoders go into industrial applications that miniature motors (in many cases, closed-loop steppers)
range from from speed monitoring on conveyor systems that drive axes on consumer products such as printers.
to position control on automated machine axes. When In contrast, some applications depend on rugged and
encoders provide position feedback, its common to rated encoders (with oversized bearings, specialty seals,
specify encoder resolution exceeding what the application metal and not glass or plastic read disks, and reinforced
requires as a way to address partial count uncertainty housings) to last. Industrial-rated encoders work in interior
shared by all digital measurement systems. Where EMI is elevators, automated process machinery and robot joints.
an issue, optical encoders excel. In contrast, applications that expose encoders to liquid
Especially in heavy industrial equipment and metal submersion, washdown, contaminants, shock and vibration
stamping, wind turbine, printing, and steel processing, its or EMI noise necessitate still more rugged versions. These
common to see machinery that necessitates high-speed applications include designs for off-road equipment,
A Renishaw encoder works on the Optical Communications Payload (OCP)

of the European Space Agency Sentinel-1A satellite. Its reference marks
let a laser-communication terminal track the absolute position of a coarse
pointing assembly with minimal rotation.
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ENCODERS
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ION
MOT
This Model TR1 TruTrac from Encoder Products Co. (EPC) is an integrated
design with an encoder, measuring wheel and torsion arm. It provides
linear-measurement feedback for New Tech Machinerys mobile steel-roll
form-and-cut machine.
cranes, wind turbines, food-and-beverage machinery one end of the machine and gets one of 15 different
and some medical devices. Usually, its either the failure profiles. Then the machine automatically cuts the metal
of the encoders bearing (in the case of rotary setups) or to length. A rotary encoder tells the controller how
contamination and signal loss that causes encoder failure. much material has fed through, which activates the shear
For example, ingress of dust from wood processing or mechanism at the right time.
steam from food-application cleaning cycles can quickly NTM needed an incremental encoder to provide
render encoders useless if they breach the housing. accurate linear measurement and withstand the rigors
In applications where the design must track position of outdoor operation. The encoder had to be small and
along a linear axis, linear encoders are often the most (to get feedback directly from the metal surface) sport
suitable choice. These track location without intermediate a measuring wheel. After testing and evaluation, NTM
mechanical components, even registering errors from picked a Model TR1 TruTrac from Encoder Products Co.
rotary-to-linear linkages, so help controls correct for (EPC) and bought it from a local distributor.
machine errors. One industry that makes copious use of The compact TR1 encoder has an integrated
linear encoders is the machine-tool industry ... especially measuring wheel and spring-loaded torsion arm. It
for the manufacture of aerospace parts that necessitates operates in any orientation; its fully configurable with
precision milling and finishing. up to 10,000 CPR resolution; and it accommodates
line speed to 3,000 ft per min. On the SSQ, constant
Encoders at work in metal cutting spring tension keeps the measuring wheel in contact
New Tech Machinery (NTM) makes a portable SSQ with the metal, and the pivot arm accommodates
Multipro roof-panel machine for metal roofing any panel movement. To date there have been no
contractors, installers and fabricators. Users can take the TR1 failures on any SSQs; NTM recently released a
machine to jobsites and quickly cut metal roofing panels simplified (less costly) roofing machine and it also
to any length. It works like this: A metal coil feeds into uses a Model TR1 TruTrac.

Encoder solutions for
a world in motion
Advanced Opto-ASIC circuitry and intelligently
designed, robust mechanical packaging combine to
deliver reliable, high-performance rotary motion
feedback. Made in the USA, and backed by an
industry-best three year warranty, fast delivery
and global support, Encoder Products Company
rotary encoders work when it counts
which is all the time.
1-800-366-5412
www.encoder.com
Encoder.indd 59 11/9/15 1:41 PM

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motio
ION
MOT
An ElectroPuls component-fatigue test machine from Instron uses a

linear synchronous motor, so needs good velocity feedback (due to
the challenge of driving linear motors with lower inherent damping
than traditional rotary designs). LVDT technology was insufficient.
So instead, the machine uses Renishaws RESOLUTE encoder with
linear resolution of 1 nm and speeds exceeding 20 m/sec.

ENCODERS
Encoders at work in space

Now, Renishaw encoder technology works The resulting encoder withstands
on the optical-communications payload bombardment by solar and cosmic
of the European Space Agency Sentinel- radiation as well as high mechanical loads
1A satellite to support inter-satellite laser during rocket launch. Radiation hardening
communications. and robust optical detection let the
The optical-communications payload encoder qualify for 15 years of service in a
allows communication between low- geostationary Earth orbit.
Earth-orbit and geostationary-Earth orbit Inside, the encoder has a stainless-
craft through twin laser-communication steel ring with ablated graduations on
terminals (LCTs)essentially telescopes the periphery and a custom readhead.
with coherent receiver and transmitter INTRAC reference marks on the
hardware from space-telecommunications incremental channel are arranged so
company Tesat-Spacecom. The rotary the distance between any two marks is
encoders help track the position of the unique. That means even small rotations
LCTs coarse pointing assemblies.They go let the encoder get absolute position.
on both of the assemblies rotary axes Theres also no contact between the
(and will integrate into LCTs of future rotary ring and static readhead, which
space platforms, including Sentinels and eliminates friction ... in turn preventing
European Data Relay Satellites EDRS-A hysteresis error, wear and need for
and EDRS-C. lubrication. The system gets resolution
Space is a harsh environment, but better than 0.5 rad, with a short-range
aerospace components must be reliable, error of less than 0.5 rad and long-
because repair in orbit is economically range error of less than 5 rad.
unfeasible. That complicates selection
of qualified technologyso the LCTs
core encoder technology borrowed from
Renishaws TONiC encoder range but
development went through collaboration
with Tesat.
Left: Duff Norton uses Encoder Products Co. (EPC) encoders on heavy railcar jacks to track the position of
gearmotor-driven screw jacks that let a controller perfectly synchronize multiple jacks and lift 80-ton railcars
without tilting.
Right: EPC customized a Model 15T through-bore encoder for In-Line Labeling Equipments Paradigm
machinein this case, on an axis to orient bottles before label application.

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Gears in motion:
motio
ION
Choosing the right gear

MOT
for the right application
M
otion applications for gearing are as varied as the motors with which
these power-transmission devices pair. Just consider how designs
ranging from amusement rides to consumer-grade beard trimmers
make use of spur gears. These mostly roll through meshing, so can be 98%
or more efficient per reduction, though with tooth sliding. They can be noisy,
too, because of initial tooth-to-tooth contact along the whole tooth width,
causing audible shock loads.
In contrast, helical reducers excel in applications that need higher
horsepower and efficiency, even if theyre more costly initially. Conveyor drives,
textile-manufacturing machinery, rolling mills and elevators are some examples.
Thats because helical gear teeth engage gradually over their tooth faces for
smooth operation and higher load capacity. Here, the machine
setup must include a frame to resolve thrust loads that originate
from the gears.
Non-parallel and right-angle gearsets often go into designs for
material handling, aerospace and defense, packaging equipment
and food-processing machinery.
Industrial robots from KUKA use a new KL 100 linear robot-transfer

unit (RTU). This track helps to boost speed and manufacturing
quality, even in tight spaces. Engineers used Graessner USAs Gearfox
software to develop and optimize its drivetrain.
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MOT

GEARS SPEED REDUCERS, GEARBOXES & SERVO GEARING
According to engineers at MICROMO

(FAULHABER Group), in robot-guided surgery,
even a millimeter of error can drastically affect
patient outcome. In some cases, using zero-
backlash actuators with encoder-equipped
gearheads at the robot end effectors lets surgeons
position their equipment with absolute accuracy.

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This is a Sawyer Hero collaborative robot.
Harmonic Drive component sets go in all of
CASE
motio
ncont Sawyers rotary joints.
ION
MOT
Input and output shafts protrude in different

directions; gear teeth are worm, hypoid, bevel
(straight, spiral or zerol), skew or crossed-axis helical.
Common bevel gearsets go into an array of material-
handling and packaging equipment. Hypoid gears (useful for high-
toque applications) are like spiral-bevel gearsets, but output and input
shaft axes dont intersect, which simplifies the integration of supports.
Common in aerospace, zerol gearsets have curved teeth that align with
the shaft to minimize thrust loads.
Gear reducers or speed reducers work with an array of motors.
These are gears or sets that alter the torque of a motorusually as an
increase proportional to rpm reduction.
Especially common in material-handling setups, shaft-mounted gear
reducers come in truly shaft-mounted designs that use special couplings
to address reactionary torque. Other shaft-mounted reducers actually
mount to the machine housing (especially in machine setups with
surrounding enclosures) so the input shaft doesnt support the reducer.
According to the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA),
the term speed reducer applies to those with pitch-line velocities not
exceeding 5,000 fpm or pinion speeds not exceeding 3,600 rpm.
Consider worm-gear reducers. These typically go into low- to
moderate-horsepower applications (largely because they have high
ratios and high output torque, but are compact and cost effective). Most
worm gears are cylindrical with teeth of consistent size; some worm-
based reducers have double-enveloping tooth geometry (in which pitch
diameter goes from deep to short and back) to boost teeth engagement.
Metal cutting and forming machinery, construction equipment, and
packaging machinery all benefit from the low backlash of this gearing
Tile and carpet-cleaning machines from Rotovac are self-propelled type. To illustrate, printing-press rolls hold tight print registration at high
with high-torque dc motors that move scrubbers to 200 rpm. speeds thanks to the ability of double-enveloping worm gearing to
The original had motor-armature shaft failures. So in a redesign, resist shock and withstand extreme acceleration. The low inertia of this
Groschopp changed the armature shafts steel and specified
gearing also lets presses start and stop more quickly than those with
heat-treating. Groschopp also improved the gearbox and gave it a
hardened shaft and synthetic oil. Better controls now feed cleaner
multi-stage gearing.
dc power to the motor to boost efficiency and prevent overheating Gearheads, much like gear reducers, are useful where applications
as well. The revised cleaner delivers more torque and performance. call for high torque at low speed. They reduce a loads reflected

inertia, so ease the acceleration of big loads ...

which in some cases, even lets machines run
off smaller motors. Gearheads range from basic
GEARS
Now available factory direct
spur gearheads to complex planetary gearheads
and harmonic gearheads, all exceling in select
applications.
The latter (also called strain-wave gearing) is
for special speed-reduction applications. More
specifically, this gearing is indispensible in robot-
arm articulation, medical equipment and offshore
drilling. (Strain-wave gearing sets are called
Harmonic Drives, a registered trademark term of
Harmonic Drive Systems.) Strain-wave gearing
helps designs with zero backlash and high-torque
operation from a small package.
Much machinery integrates servogears into
application-specific electromechanical arrangements,
and several of these arrangements are common
enough to have their own labels.
Gearmotors (most useful in machines that move
heavy loads) include a gear reducer integrated with
an ac or dc electric motor. Gearboxes are contained
gear trains; planetary gears are a common form.
Planetary gears are particularly common in servo
systems. Usually, the planet gears mount on a
movable arm that rotates relative to a sun gear. In
most applications, an outer annulus meshes with
the planet gears.
In fact, planetary gearsets offer applications
several advantages over other gearsetsmultiple
kinematic combinations, power density, big
reductions from volume compact setup and pure
torsional reactions. Planetary gearboxes also
boost overall design efficiency. Losses never
exceed 3% per stage, so transmit most energy for
productive motion output. Planetary gearboxes
distribute load efficiently as well.
In applications driven by servo systems,
gearboxes also reduce settling time (which is a
problem when load inertia is high compared to 259 Elm Place, Mineola, NY 11501
Phone: 516.248.3850 | Fax: 516.248.4385
motor inertia). Email: info@khkgears.us
MC_Gearing_NOV_Vs6.indd 67 KHK-USA_5.125x8.375.indd 1 11/8/15

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The ReWalk portable support is a battery-powered frame
to help paraplegics move. It has motion sensors, a central
CASE
ncont controller, and integrated drive motors at the joints. The
design uses MS Graessner precision bevel gears.
motio
ION
MOT

There are
7 days
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We only
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48 HOUR
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Groschopp, Inc. 712.722.4135 Phone
C US
420 15th Street NE 800.829.4135 Toll-Free COMPLIANT
Sioux Center, IA 51250-2100 USA 712.722.1445 FAX ISO 9001:2008 REGISTERED

www.groschopp.com sales@groschopp.com Email Designed & Manufactured in the USA
Groschopp.indd 69 11/6/15 2:00 PM

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ION
MOT
This KHK USA ratcheting set shows how

some rack-and-pinion gearing works in
miniature designs.
Gear-selection tool helps the software to identify and analyze needs, including definition of product
robot-maker KUKA the next smaller and next bigger requirements and variations in the
Consider one specific application. gearbox variants possibly viable application itself. Then it analyzes
Now, KUKAs KR AGILUS industrial for the application. In the end, they different gear-design permutations
robot uses a new KL 100 linear robot- picked a DynaGear set. and culminates with iterative
transfer unit (RTU). This track helps The internet-based software gearbox optimization. Factors that
to boost speed and manufacturing gave KUKA engineers assurance that Gearfox uses in calculations and
quality, even in tight spaces. Core to the DynaGear gearbox would fulfill permutation simulations include
the development and optimization all design requirements (dynamics, application speeds and torques,
of the drivetrain was Graessner USAs durability and thermal stability) before bearing durability, gearing forces
Gearfox software. physical testing. and efficiencies, moments of inertia,
In short, KUKA needed an No matter the application, axial and radial forces, square, cubic,
efficient, extremely compact gearbox MS-Graessner Gearfox software quartic and quintic motion cycles, and
for its KUKA KL 100 RTU. So, helps designers consider each the profiles of an array of servomotors.
company engineers used Gearfox design task as a challenge with The software also uses profiles of
to incorporate relevant operating multiple viable solutions. These seven predefined application types
conditions. The software even helped include variations with different drive and five predefined gear types in its
the engineers simulate the gearbox elements, including gearboxes. First, calculations.
thermal balance. Engineers also used the software profiles the application

Your Custom Gearbox Solutions
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CGI Motion standard products are designed with customization in mind. We understand most off-the-shelf products or a complete
in-house design may not fit your application, so our standard products are designed for functional flexibility. Our team of experts will
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copyright2015 cgi inc. all rights reserved. 0804stdp

800.568.GEAR (4327) www.cgimotion.com
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Gearing up for the medical market

motio
ION
MOT
G
earmotors are most common in applications from end users. For instance, end users have an increased
that need a lot of force to move heavy expectation for more integrated designs. Meanwhile, other
objects. Most industrial gearmotors companies are reporting that the design requests theyre
incorporate fixed-speed ac motors. However, some receiving are becoming more complex, requiring more
gearmotors use dc motors, which are common in customization and creative thinking.
automotive applications in adjustable side-view mirrors
and automatic seat adjustments.
Though its possible to combine many different
Dual output gearmotor delivers
motors and gearsets, not just any one will work for quiet, synchronized motion
every application because certain combinations are One such challenging application comes from the medical
more efficient and cost-effective than others. This is industry. Specifically, tables for surgical procedures that have
why knowing the application and getting an accurate extremely accurate positioning demands.
estimation of its required torque and operating Highly specialized surgical procedures, such as those
speeds is the foundation for successfully integrating a focusing on spinal, joint replacement and orthopedic
gearmotor into a system. trauma, require automated operating room tables that can
Typically, gearmotors outperform other motor- be positioned with extreme accuracy. This is best achieved
gear combinations. More importantly, gearmotors using a compact gearmotor with a high torque output
simplify design implementation because they save intermittent duty loads up to 500 lband quiet operation.
engineers from integrating motors with gears, which Recently, Groschopp partnered with one of the worlds
in turn reduces engineering costs. If the application leading designers and manufacturers of medical products to
requirements are known, engineers can order the right build the best solution for their surgical tables.
gearmotor from a supplier directly. This particular table had two hinged arms that
Whats more, if a gearmotor is sized properly, needed to be driven simultaneously so the alignment and
having the right combination of motor and gearing movement would be synchronized. Rather than following
can prolong design life and boost overall design the traditional method of link chains, belts and pulleys,
which have greater margins of operation error, Groschopp
thought that a single motor with two outputs would provide
greater accuracy and be more cost effective. Due
to the intermittent operation, Groschopps design
engineers were able to meet the 24-V power
supply specification. The high efficiency of
the planetary reducers made it possible to
achieve the needed torque while staying below the
20 A current limit. Because the same motor drives both
outputs, there is both mechanical and electrical linkage,
allowing for a more common control scheme.
efficiency. Gearmotors can also Once the dual planetary dc gearmotor was approved,
eliminate the need for couplings and potential Groschopps team went into extensive prototyping and
This dual output planetary alignment problems that come with those testing to reduce noise through various techniques and
gearmotor was custom- components. Such problems are common when a product customizations. The motor, gearbox and gearmotor
built by Groschopp for design includes the connection of a separate motor assembly each contributed to the gearmotors noise. By
an application involving
and gear reducerwhich in turn increases the analyzing and addressing each component individually, they
a surgical table with two
hinged arms that needed
potential for misalignment and bearing failure. were able to minimize the overall noise. Also, using a special
synchronized alignment As applications for gearmotors expand, speed reducer component configuration and alignment
and movement. manufacturers are seeing a change in expectations further minimized noise.
MC_Gearmotors_NOV_Vs4.indd 72 11/6/15 6:32 PM

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Grippers: Where they work

motio
ION
MOT
I
n robotics and material handling, end effectors Ultimately, its the size, force and shape of the parts in
are tools or devices connected to the end of an application that the machine must grip that dictate the
a robot arm. End effectors can include cutting most suitable gripper style. In todays industrial applications,
tools and drills, welding tools, brushes, screwdrivers, gripper designs are increasingly diverse. Other grippers that
vacuum cups and grippers. dont fall into neat categories include single-jaw grippers,
Grippers are devices often used in robotic bladder grippers that inflate against part ODs and IDs, and
systems to pick up or place an object on an assembly magnetic grippers.
line, conveyor system or other automated system. Typically, three choices of power are available, the most
Fingered tooling or jaws are attached to grippers to common being pneumatic power and the least common
grip or hold the object. being hydraulic designs. Traditional pneumatic grippers still
Grippers come in a variety of styles and powered dominate industrial-assembly and robotic applications. Thats
designs. Three common types are parallel, three- because pneumatic grippers are reliable, come in myriad
finger and angled designs. The most common sizes and grip quickly.
are parallel designs with two fingers that close on
a workpiece to grip it or open it out by creating Shown here are PB swing-arm and PEC arm over-clamps from PHD,
pressure on the inside. Three-finger designs hold the Inc. working to hold ATV frame components together in a robotic-
welding application.
workpiece in the center, and have three fingers offset
by 120. Finally, angled designs feature jaws that work
at a variety of different angle openings.
MC_Grippers_NOV_Vs5.indd 74 11/7/15 9:37 AM

GRIPPERS
Electromechanical designs are

another common option. These
grippers use ballscrews, belts or
racks and pinions to connect to
the jaw or finger that is touching or
gripping the part. They are driven
by a motor for tasks like loading and
unloading machines to assembly
lines. They can grip small parts, like
an IC chip, up to large pieces, such
as a railroad wheel assembly greater
than 3,000 lb. They are also ideal
when tight precision is needed or
when lifting larger, heavier items.
Normally, electromechanical
grippers are made of aluminum
and steel components, but some
designs can be manufactured from
composites like carbon fiber and
other plastics.
Traditionally, one of the
biggest drivers of industrial
gripper innovation has been
the automotive industry. Auto
companies use grippers in various
stages of the manufacturing
process to manipulate parts and
panels for everything from painting
to final assembly.
Besides the automotive
industry, another industry spurring
changes in robotic gripper design
is electronics, especially consumer
applications. Thats because
manufacturers must adapt quickly,
with product lifecycles shorter than
ever. For non-industrial applications,
a growing area of specialized
devices are prosthetic grippers.
These grippers are by far the most
sophisticated, with designs aiming
to replicate the movement and
functionality of a human hand.
Here, a sensor-feedback flange from

KEBA Corp. (called the Active Contact
Flange) helps a robot arm buff an auto
body with enough precision to ready the
surface for a smooth coat of paint. Such
end-effector fixtures are increasingly
common on six-axis robot arms.
MC_Grippers_NOV_Vs5.indd 75 11/7/15 9:37 AM

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HMI hardware and PLCs

motio
ION
together in motion
MOT
H
MI (human-machine interface) PLC/HMI combo helps streamline machine testing
technology has seen significant When flammable gasoline is in play, no container failures are acceptable.
changes in recent years, with Now, one manufacturer tests its gas-pump hoses with equipment
increasingly affordable multi-touch screens, sporting advanced PLCs.
a shift from resistive displays to projected- Vapor Systems Technologies makes breakaways, whip hoses, gas
capacitive displays, and displacement of nozzles and other gas-dispenser hardware. The manufacturer wanted to
proprietary design platforms by web-based test its nozzles to 1,000,000 cycles, the equivalent of about 17 years of
HTML5 platforms. normal operating service. But the testing equipment Vapor Systems was
The spread of capacitive displays has using couldnt test for that long and could only test one nozzle at a time.
expanded HMI use in industries needing It was extremely slow, and very un-reliable, said Patrick Elam
bezel-free designs. This is because they of Vapor Systems. We would only run it during business hours for
help machinery meet cleanliness and fear of breaking down. The old tester was also big, bulky and difficult
sterility requirements, such as those in food to move. I wanted a new tester to be smaller and more compact, so
and beverage processing and medical if the sales department wanted to take it with them to a petroleum
equipment, for instance. Whats more, HMIs show, they could.
with capacitive displays have multi-touch
The compact all-in-one design
capabilities that make industrial displays feel
of the Vision350 allowed Vapor
more like personal mobile devices, helping System Technologies to reduce
machine builders leverage the familiarity the size of their tester; the
many users already have with such interfaces. controller, HMI and I/O are
The consumer mobile-device market is all incorporated into the new
portable design.
improving HMIs for industrial applications.
With smartphones and tablets having The old tester also used
wireless communications capabilities, large 120 Vac to operate. It would
and bright displays and portable processing burn up relays, sensors and
power, these devices themselves can blow fuses regularly. We
function as HMIs. were always afraid to let it
Another reality of modern manufacturing run past business hours because if it failed
is the need to swiftly upgrade machines under load, it could burn up a pump.
or changeover from one manufacturing The test setup Vapor Systems uses
operation to another. Modular hardware now has a Unitronics V350-35-TR20 PLC,
which runs on 24 Vdc, and is reliable and
The Unitronics Vision350 PLC + HMI mounts on a
Vapor Systems Technologies nozzle tester.
safe. The palm-size PLC simplified the
testing design by consolidating several
meets this challenge by letting users make functions. Its 3.5-in. color-TFT touchscreen clearly displays images and
on-the-fly changes to machine operations to fonts; its onboard and expansion modules support 512 I/Os. Users can
keep up with varied production requirements. set up and label two keys on the PLC to suit the application. The all-in-
Other high-tech industries, such one design of the Vision350 let Vapor System Technologies reduce the
as pharmaceutical and medical, often tester size by incorporating the controller, HMI and I/O.
incorporate the latest HMI designs to Once programing was complete, the Vapor Systems team ran the
differentiate them in the marketplace. These new tester for more than two months straight with zero failures and
OEMs push for more complex features like zero damage to any of the electronic components. The 1-MB Ladder
multi-touch panels. code application memory (plus 3 MB for images and 512 K for fonts)
MC_HMI_Hardware_NOV_Vs5.indd 76 11/7/15 6:01 PM

HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI) HARDWARE
Running on 24-Vdc power, the

Vision350 safely operates 24 hours a day
without blowing a fuse.
The new tester has space to test multiple

nozzles at one. Vapor Systems previous setup
only accommodated one nozzle at a time.
Even better than expected.

helped the Vision350 run these complex
control and automation tasks. Within
three months Vapor Systems hit its
1,000,000-cycle mark.
The amount of money we saved
from R&D time and not having to replace
burned up components regularly justified Dont you love it when youre surprised
the cost of the V350-35-TR20, Elam in a good way?
said. Plus by reaching our 1,000,000 cycle
target, we exceeded our qualification test Maple Systems 12 Graphic HMIs often
and put the finished product out in the have that effect. Features include:
market faster.
Bright 16.2 million color display
1024 x 768 pixel high-resolution TFT
1 GHz, 32-Bit RISC CPU
256MB Flash memory, 256MB RAM
Only $1290
Quantity discounts available
Less expensive, more memory, faster

processors, and brighter displays
12.1 HMI5121XL
compared to the competition.
Maple Systems Be surprised today.

Using a Unitronics PLC + HMI in their test
setup lets Vapor System Technologies run
tests without stoppages or delays.
Your Industrial Control Solution | maplesystems.com | 425.745.3229
MC_HMI_Hardware_NOV_Vs5.indd 77 11/9/15 11:59 AM

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HMI software simplifies

motio
ION
motion applications
MOT
EHTs MultiCut series of power squaring shears, featuring an

ECS touch screen controller, is designed for one-off and series
production of parts of all sizes.
H
uman machine interface (HMI) software gives systems allow operators to view diagrams, digital photos and
machine operators a way to interact with detailed system schematics. For motion control applications,
and manage a system. This interaction is the visual GUI can range from simple text displays to color
through a graphical user interface (GUI), which facilitates monitors with touchscreen controls. HMI display screens
information exchange and communication between two come in standard, advanced, compact and high-performance
types of HMIs: a supervisory level and a machine level. versions. The latter can be customized based on the
Generally, HMI software is designed for either machine operators requirements. The standard version is normally
level or supervisory level, with applications suitable for used on low-cost systems that are not task-intensive.
both types. These software applications are expensive More sophisticated HMI software is structured around
at the outset, but can lower long-term costs and reduce mobile, portable platforms such as the Microsoft Windows
redundancies in the long run. CE platform, a scalable version of the Windows operating
Choosing the right HMI software for an application system for handheld devices. This presents a cost-saving
starts with an analysis of product specifications and features. value as the operating systems are distributed on machine-
The key considerations can include the system architecture, level embedded HMI, solid-state open HMI machines,
performance requirements, integration and cost of distributed HMI servers and portable HMI devices. Also,
procurement and operations. some applications, such as pharmaceutical and medical
The HMI system typically presents the information to machinery, use the latest HMI features to differentiate
the operator through some sort of GUI. More advanced HMI themselves from competitive offerings.
MC_HMI-Software_NOV_Vs5.indd 78 11/7/15 10:09 AM

HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI) SOFTWARE
Red Lions industrial Graphite HMIs feature

a resistive analog touchscreen display
that can be operated with gloves in harsh
manufacturing environments. Thanks to
accommodating hardware and software, the
HMIs also seamlessly connect, monitor and
control multi-vendor processes with more
than 300 industrial protocols.

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HMI software improves sharing

motio
ION
machine design Its just as easy to get our machines back up and
EHT, a manufacturer of sheet-metal forming and cutting running after a component failure, added Alexander Eirich,
MOT
technology, recently transitioned from a disjointed who developed the new EHT controller. Replace the
patchwork system with a conventional controller to a defective part, insert the CF card and set the POWERLINK
fully integrated controller solution from B&R Automation. addressthen switch it on and youre done.
EHT was also able to step up the shears performance Yet the time saved during commissioning and
while simultaneously reducing the cost of producing both maintenance doesnt fully explain EHTs substantial
standard and specialty machines. reduction in costs compared to its previous control
EHT developed the software for the new ECS-Touch solution. The greatly simplified architecture played an
controller used in its VarioCut and MultiCut series of important role as well, as Eirich explained: Since were
power squaring shears entirely in Automation Studio. The able to control our hydraulic proportional valves with an
openness of the engineering environment is essential for X20 motor module that we were already using for I/O,
the company, giving it unlimited access to make software weve been able to do away with the separate upstream
adjustments on their own at any time. The full integration modules. The X20 module allows for more precise ramp
and centralized data management have allowed EHT settings, and in turn more dynamic hydraulic movements,
to reduce development and commissioning times and so EHT was able to increase the cut count as well. The
minimize customer downtime. motor module also functions as a counter card for the
Since switching to B&R, we need considerably shears motorized back-gauge.
less time to commission our systems, said EHTs sales The simplification was even more pronounced with
manager, Holger Ebin. What used to take us three days is the VarioCut series. Like the MultiCut series, these high-
now done in two hours. precision swing beam shears are available in a range of
With the control and HMI software as well as all varieties with a host of options. What sets them apart
motion control parameters stored on a CompactFlash card, is that EHT customizes them to user specifications and
inserting the card in the slot on the controller starts up the optionally integrates them into the production line. Due
machine. The B&R system then automatically copies the to the rigidly limited functionality of the old standard
software to the respective automation components and controller, the additional tasks that arose through
configures them. All thats left to do is home the machine, customization and integration had to be handled by a
and its ready to go. second, higher-level controller.

HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI) SOFTWARE
With B&Rs Power Panel 520, a single EHTs new ECS-Touch controller
controller handles the automation of the is based on a Power Panel
520 from B&R. In addition to
entire line. With its 10.4-in. screen, the
controlling all of the machines
controller has plenty of resources left over processes, it also serves as an HMI
to serve as an HMI operator panel. platform and operator interface.
All of the machines software,
including the HMI application, was created
using Automation Studio. The open
environment lets EHT maintain, adapt and
expand the software without any outside
assistance. B&R delivered the basic
framework, shortening the development
phase and freeing up EHTs programmers
to implement new functions. The libraries
provided in Automation Studio inspired
Eirich to integrate a function that allows
machine operators to generate analytical
data and save it on a flash drive. Were
then able to use this datawhich they
can send us directly by FTPto provide
them with an updated software image that
preserves all of the operators settings,
explained Eirich. Machine updates are
completed in no time and with minimal
impact on production.
The new control solution also
minimizes downtime in the event of
an error. Before we switched to B&R
technology, the task of troubleshooting
alone was problematic, said Ebin. Now
we have a complete and homogeneous
automation solution that also allows
remote VNC accessso we can quickly
identify and correct errors without ever
setting foot on site.
In a hotly contested market like
sheet metal cutting, where profit
margins are extremely thin, this is a
significant cost advantage.
EHTs MultiCut series of power squaring

shears has an extensive selection of
sophisticated options that make it especially
efficient and ergonomic to use.

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Applications for leadscrews

motio
ION
expand into new markets

MOT
W
hen it comes to translating rotary motion Choosing the right leadscrew for a linear motion
to linear motion, one of the most common application involves several considerations including screw
methods is to use a leadscrew. A leadscrew, pitch and lead, thrust, speed, accuracy and repeatability.
also known as a power screw, is a threaded rod or bar that The two most important factors in determining the
translates rotational motion into linear motion. Leadscrews performance of a leadscrew are the screw pitch and lead.
generate sliding rather than rolling friction between a The pitch is the linear distance between the threads, while
nut and the screw. Consequently, higher friction means a the lead is the linear distance the nut travels. Speed is
lower overall efficiency. And efficiency, when talking about another critical parameter. Leadscrews have a critical
leadscrews, is simply the ability to convert torque to thrust velocity, which is the rotational velocity limit of the screw.
while minimizing mechanical losses. Reaching this limit induces vibrations in the leadscrew.
Leadscrews are common in many motion designs, Accuracy and repeatability are also important factors
driving axes on machines big and small. They usually to consider. The accuracy of a leadscrew is a measure of
sport higher ratings than comparable ballscrews how close to a desired end point the assembly can move
thanks to more contact between the nut and a load to within a given tolerance. The accuracy of the
screw load surfaces. Recently, innovations leadscrew will mostly determine the systems accuracy. On
in materials and helix geometry address the other hand, repeatability is a measure of how well a
old issues associated with leadscrew friction, leadscrew assembly can repeatedly move a load to the
bringing it down to better than 0.10 in some same position.
cases; making them a good fit for fast and When it comes to the kinds of leadscrews engineers
dynamic applications. In fact, theres also are specifying in their designs, there are more integrated
been an uptick in leadscrew use or pre-engineered systems being used. Choosing these
in machines for 3D printing, types of systems can reduce engineering costs as well as
manufacturing and medical design time.
applications. Miniature or micro leadscrews and nuts are also
Industries across seeing an uptick in demand, especially in medical
the board are adopting applications. For instance, a line of micro leadscrews with
new leadscrew diameters of 2 mm from Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions
components and linear features customized leadscrew nut materials for specialized
systems. Designers of medical applications.
kiosk and automated retail Specifically, the company has years of experience
applications, for instance, working with medical device manufacturers developing
are looking for ways insulin and drug delivery pumps. Now, companies can
to simplify machines, use Haydon Kerks custom thread rolling, in-house plastic
reduce design weight injection molding and tooling departments to develop
and simplify assembly and customized solutions to meet the challenges involved with
maintenance. In a similar way, engineering the next generation of insulin patch pumps
both additive manufacturing and other personal drug delivery systems.
(3D printing) and traditional subtractive Using Kerkite engineered polymers or customer
processes (plasma cutter, laser and waterjet specified materials (including PEEK), Haydon Kerk
manufacturing) are driving new leadscrew uses. The can help design and manufacture a leadscrew nut
same holds true for factory automation. that delivers smooth, efficient rotary to linear motion
conversion. Using Kerkote TFE coating can effectively
SIMO Series linear actuators from PBC Linear use leadscrews with Constant Force
reduce the amount of torque required to actuate the
Technology, which applies a uniform pressure to the nut at all stages of a motion
profile and throughout its life. The nuts are self-lubricating, maintenance free and, for
plunger. This can lead to longer battery life and a
most applications, do not require any external lubrication. possible reduction in motor size.
MC_Leadscrews_NOV_Vs4.indd 82 11/9/15 3:49 PM

Lets solve this.
Together.
Having a linear automation issue? Not sure what product to
select for your application? Youre not alone.
Just pick up the phone and well connect you with some of
the most seasoned application engineers in the industry.
They can help you design a motion solution.
Its how weve been doing business for more than 45 yearsand
why were the go-to partner for engineered linear motion systems
in aerospace, medical, automotive and other industries.
together.nookinfo.com 8003217800 Nook Industries, Cleveland, OH USA
NOO-027_DW_2.indd 1 4/30/15 11:09 AM

NOOK.indd 83 11/6/15 2:02 PM
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Linear guide rail and slide

motio
ION
applications on target
MOT
L
inear guide systems can include guide rails, slides and ways. They can surfacesdefined as having a
also be categorized into a few basic types including profile rails, drawer flatness error of over 150 m/m.
slides, linear bearings, guide wheels and plain bearings. A typical For cleanroom and food
arrangement includes a rail or shaft, and carriages and runner blocks. They can processing applications, where
also be distinguished by the method of contact, either sliding or rolling. low contamination is a necessary
A major function of rolling guides is to reduce friction in machines. requirement, linear guide systems
Theyre used in various applications ranging from advanced semiconductor that are rolling-element based are
manufacturing devices to large machine tools and construction equipment. generally not a good choice because
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment or inspection apparatus that of the lubrication requirements.
requires high precision positioning is a good application for linear guides. In the Likewise with plain bearing systems.
case of a machine tool for cutting, linear guides are used instead of sliding- For applications demanding
contact linear-motion bearings to cope with temperature rise and durability extremely high precision and
issues associated with ever-increasing feed speeds. accuracy, so-called fluid-floated
The classic application for profile rails is in the machine tool industry where bearing systems offer the highest
load capacity, stiffness and accuracy are paramount. In medical equipment such levels of accuracy and precision.
as CAT scan, MRI and x-ray machines, square rails are more common. Usually these are hydrostatic or
On the other hand, round rails can offer several advantages, one of aerostatic bearings, meaning
which is the ability to run smoothly when mounted to less than perfect that a high-pressure fluid serves
as the bearing between the
rail and carriage. Generally
more expensive and harder to
manufacture, they nonetheless
provide some of the highest levels
of precision and accuracy.
The switching station for the rail system at

NASAs indoor radar range is shown here.
Targets atop track sections are moved on
and off the turntable, which aligns track
sections with the 110-ft-long track that
brings them into the radar range.
MC_Linear_Guides_NOV_Vs7.indd 84 11/7/15 10:37 AM

When Precision Linear Motion is required,
Medical Equipment Designers Choose
Del-Tron!
Introducing
Del-Trons Non-Magnetic Ball Slides. Other
Precision Linear Motion
Products
Del-Trons new product line of Non-Magnetic ball slides provides the ideal solution
for applications where magnetic interference cannot be tolerated. These lightweight
Non-Magnetic ball slides are the perfect solution for medical, semiconductor, military
and laser applications, just to name a few. Manufactured in the USA, these Ball Slides
are constructed using silicon nitride ceramic ball bearings, titanium shafts, aluminum Linear Slides
Ball & Crossed Roller
carriages, bases, and end caps, along with brass fasteners, making them the perfect
solution for your Non-Magnetic linear motion slide requirement.
Precision Linear Motion Required. Del-Tron Preferred.

DL Linear Actuators
Available in 7 profile sizes with travels ranging from .5 to 12 of travel. Lead Screw/Ball Screw Driven
Mounting surfaces provide straight line accuracy to .0005/of travel and
positional repeatability of .0002.
Factory preload minimizes side play and provides low friction.
Self-cleaning ball bearing design offers long life and requires no lubrication.
Metric ball slides are also available. Micrometer Positioning Stages
Micrometer Driven Ball &
Crossed Roller Stages
Order Today! 800.245.5013 Designed & built

Solid Models Available for all Del-Tron Model Numbers in the U.S.A. www. b u yd e l t ro n .co m
Del-Tron.indd 85 11/6/15 2:04 PM

LINEAR GUIDES, RAILS, SLIDES & WAYS
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motio
ION
MOT
NB TOPBALL slide units include a clear anodized,

corrosion-resistant aluminum block and a TOPBALL
self-aligning slide bushing. The closed and adjustable
clearance styles incorporate machined snap ring grooves
with standard retaining rings for slide bush retention.
Important considerations for choosing The indoor range measures RCS, or radar cross section,
a linear-motion rolling guide include the and antenna measurement range. RCS is a strong function of
loading (both static as well as applied), the orientation of the radar and target. So orienting the target
the stroke and speed, as well as the positioning it accurately within the radar rangeis crucial to the
desired precision and accuracy and the whole measurement process. ADCs most critical requirement
required life. Pre-loading may also be was to build a transportation system into and out of the radar
required depending on the application range that provided absolutely accurate positioning.
requirements. Lubrication is another To bring targets in and out of the radar range, they proposed
important consideration, as is any method building railroad tracks approximately 110 ft long that would be all
to minimize contamination of the linear metal welded. Two rails would be positioned about 4 ft apart and
guide system from environmental factors would traverse the distance to and through the indoor radar range.
such as dust and other contaminants using Because NASA wanted to put multiple targets inside the
bellows or special seals. radar range without having to get a forklift to bring them in and
out, ADC developed the design of a switching station outside
Linear rails help guide targets the perimeter of the range.
The switching station would actually be a turntable similar to
at NASA radar range switching stations for railroad trains. Targets atop track sections
Recently, NASA wanted to refurbish and could be moved on and off the turntable, which would then turn
upgrade an old indoor radar range by to align that track section with the 110-ft-long track that would
clearing it out and replacing it with newer, bring them into the radar range.
better-designed equipment. When ADC The Experimental Test Range rail system begins in the model
USA received the request for a quote from prep area of the facility and ends 10 ft past the center of the test
NASA, the requirement was to design, chamber. The total length of the rail system is 112 ft with laser
build and install the major components for position encoding for the final section of the rail system. Linear
a 40 x 40 x 40 ft indoor radar range. guide rails are used to support the carriages and each carriage
What NASA wanted was to put is positioned with a rack and pinion drive. Rails mount to steel
multiple targets inside the radar range weldments that are supported with 8-in. diameter feet, and the
without having to get a forklift to bring them capacity of the rail system is 7,300 lb.
in and out, said Eric Van Every, director of The design includes a place to dock positioning
operations for ADC USA. Not only things components when they are not in use. Curved linear guide
such as an airplane but really anything that is rails support the switching station so that the platform can be
detected by radar. rotated manually. Hardened tapered pins align the switching

CUSTOM ENGINEERED
SPINDLES & SLIDES
DESIGNED & MANUFACTURED
TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS
www.setco.com/design
Let Us Help You
1-800-543-0470
Setco_MC_8/15.indd 87 11/6/15 2:05 PM

LINEAR GUIDES, RAILS, SLIDES & WAYS
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station with mating rail segments. the railroad tracks the target is, we was unexpected. But, when I got
motio
ION
NB Corporation of America use a WayCon, LLD-150-Profibus into it, even talking to NB and talking
machined the custom rails. They laser encoder. Its accurate to 0.05 to other vendors, no one has done
are case hardened steel shafts that in., which is approximately 1.27 something like that beforenot with
MOT
have tapered ends to improve mm. Thats the accuracy over the this capacity and this accuracy. So,
transfer across the switching approximately 110 ft. that was all new ground.
station platform; the rail diameter The slide units are the NB ADC will also be assembling
is 2 in. The rails are supported TOPBALL series, which include a the radar range for NASA. Theyll
by NB shaft supports, which are clear anodized, corrosion-resistant travel with it from their facility
precision-machined aluminum aluminum block and a TOPBALL in Lansing, New York, down to
extrusions available with or self-aligning slide bushing. Closed NASA Langley Research Center in
without pre-drilled mounting holes. and adjustable clearance styles Hampden, Virginia.
Spacing between sections is equal incorporate machined snap ring
to the pitch of the rack so that grooves in combination with standard Special thanks to Larry Hansen
transfer is completely motorized. retaining rings for slide bush retention. at NB Corp. of America
ADC was particularly concerned Their open style incorporates bottom
about the positioning accuracy plates and mounting screws to retain
requirements. They tested several bushings in the proper position.
vendors linear guides and blocks Van Every added that the most
that would carry the target challenging part of the project
platforms. Van Every said, Speed was the engineering, especially
was not as important as accuracy. mechanically engineering it to
We have more than 4,000 lb thats handle the load and meet the NASA
going to be moved on these rails. It requirements. In particular, the one
had to have laser encoded tracking thing that had never been built this
accuracy. To find out where down way is that switching station. That
This is a Cartesian robot built of linear slides and actuators from PHD, Inc.
More specifically, it uses Series ESFX electric linear-actuator slides for high
speed and load carrying in a saddle geometry. Particularly common in the
packaging industry, such setups are increasingly modular.

Mechatronics Enabled
Bring mechanical design & electronic motion control

together with an optimized solution from PBC Linear.
PBC Linears full range of

linear slides and actuators
are easily integrated for a complete
mechatronics solution.
See all Mechatronics Enabled motion

systems at www.pbclinear.com.
Solutions are just a click away!
1-800-962-8979 www.pbclinear.com 6402 Rockton Road, Roscoe, IL 61073 USA
PBC_Linear_MC_11/15.indd 89 11/6/15 2:06 PM

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AC motors aid in
motio
ION
bottling production
MOT
E
lectric motors can be either dc or ac. Ac motors, especially induction
motors, are common in many industrial applications, heating and
ventilation systems, and refrigeration, as well as many household
appliances. Their speed can be varied and controlled fairly easily and they are
more reliable and require less maintenance compared with brush dc motors.
There are some basic guidelines for selecting the right ac motor
for an application. Important parameters include knowing the
operating speed, load torque and inertia of the system based
on the motion requirements. There are many online calculators
that can help determine the right motor based on these specific
application parameters. Other important factors to consider may
include the available input voltage, required functions, features
and user preferences.
Aside from well-established industrial applications, medical
equipment is driving new demand for ac motors that are smaller,
lighter, more powerful and efficient and generate less noise.
Regardless of application, however, designs incorporating ac motors
are seeking smaller footprints to continue to decrease sizes of
machines and systems as well as better efficiencies that can improve
manufacturing production rates.
Together with improved drives and motion controllers,
complete integrated systems with drives, controllers, motors and
HMIs can simplify designs and improve production throughput on
manufacturing or packaging lines as well as simplify overall operation.
Case in point; Nicolas Feuillatte, a globally recognized Champagne
producer, improved its bottling line by going with an upgraded
system from Emerson.
A Unidrive M700 drive is paired with a geared servomotor with

reduced backlash. The combination uses real-time Ethernet and
an integrated PLC to control movement sequences.
MC_AC-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 90 11/7/15 10:52 AM

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MY
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CMY
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MOTORS AC
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motio
ION
MOT
The bottling line at Champagne producer Nicolas Feuillatte

can run at a rate of 4,000 to 6,000 bottles per hour.
The Centre Vinicole - Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte overall complexity of the system. It consists of a
(CV-CNF) is the leading Champagne producers union. It Control Techniques Unidrive M700 variable speed drive,
comprises 80 cooperatives and represents over 5,000 connected to the automatic controller and combined with
wine-growers. Its facility in Chouilly, in the Marne region, a Leroy-Somer DYNABLOC Pjn1102 low-backlash servo-
is one of the most automated plants of its type, with a gear. This offers high overload tolerance, high torsion
workforce of 235 people, half of whom are involved in strength and great accuracy. Emersons MCi200 machine
production. The company output reaches 23 million control option module has been added to Unidrive
bottles a year, making it one of the worlds leading M to manage positioning. The Unidrive M700 drive is
Champagne producers. especially suited to this type of application, with a cycle
Frdric Lopez, automation manager CV-CNF, time of 250 sec, synchronised communications through
said: We needed to replace a series of drive systems real-time Ethernet, and an integrated PLC for controlling
in a gradual process we also wanted to establish a movement sequences.
partnership with a company able to deliver the level of The entire application is simple to program using
service we needed. This is why we selected Emerson. Engineering Control Studio. The system uses Unidrive
The first step was to replace one conveyor drive Ms embedded Advanced Motion Controller. In the
system. It sits at the start of the line to position the empty final configuration, 15 different configurations have
bottles accurately before cleaning and filling. The bottles been defined to suit the various bottle shapes. Each
are loaded onto the conveyor from 1,200 x 1,200 pallets, cycle has a coarse pitch with a specific movement
and then lifted in rows of 4 to 12 (depending on their size) profile (position, speed, acceleration and deceleration),
onto a perpendicular conveyor. a fine pitch with a second movement profile (position,
This line runs at a rate of 4,000 to 6,000 bottles an speed, acceleration and deceleration) and the number
hour and has to offer maximum availability in operation. of short pitches to be carried out.
Emerson designed the most appropriate solution for us as The required configuration is selected using logic
well as to program the variable-speed drives, said Lopez. inputs, which automatically starts the chosen cycle. The
The existing drive system consisted of an automatic coarse pitch is performed, then the fine pitches are
controller, an alignment controller, a variable speed chained together while the path is free. Signals for end of
drive and a motor. The solution from Emerson removes long movement and cycle completed are sent by the
the need for the alignment controller, reducing the drives logic outputs to the clients system.
MC_AC-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 92 11/7/15 10:52 AM

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DC motors:
ASEB
Modern applications
OOK
D
c motors are the oldest style In one specific application for the U.S. Air Force, Boston
of motor and among the most Engineering will work to enhance UAV capabilities and reduce drone
common still in use today. noise. Essentially, the company is bridging a market gap between
The two major types of dc motors are commercial motor control products that dont meet the U.S. Air Forces
brush and brushless. Even with the known rigorous UAV requirements and the technical expertise required for
drawback of brush motors exhibiting wear at custom embedded control systems.
their brush-and-commutator interface, they In the UAV project, Boston Engineering will build an embedded
are still widely used because of their high motor-control platform to accelerate U.S. Air Force UAV research and
peak torques and the fact that they can be development initiatives. Embedded motor controllers underpin critical
controlled by simple speed controllers. Plus, UAV operations including drone propulsion and sensors for applications
they are often less costly than other options, including surveillance. The company received the Phase I award from
especially in large volumes. the U.S. Air Forces Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small
They also have a linear torque-speed Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.
relationship, which makes them easier to Were providing a motor-control framework to accelerate next-
control. These characteristics make them generation UAV development without the need to have extensive
suitable for applications in consumer embedded control-systems experience, said Guy Fichera, director of
appliances, personal home goods and toys, the Industrial and Commercial practice at Boston Engineering.
and automotive designs. Complementing the motion control and product-development
In fact, permanent-magnet brush dc consulting is the companys FlexMC Motor Control Development
motors are the most common electric motor Platform, a rapid-development system for any motor control. Global
in passenger vehicles where theyre used for FlexMC Kit adoption includes Analog Devices, which has selected
driving windshield wipers, power windows and Boston Engineering as its exclusive motor control design partner in
power seat positioners. North America and Europe. The FlexMC Kit combines hardware and
On the other hand, wound-field dc software with out-of-the-box functionality for a brushless dc motor with
motors are common in household appliances a hall sensor, encoder or sensorless feedback.
such as vacuum cleaners, cordless power tools
and food mixers. The only drawbacks are that Turntable applications need precision control of the
they produce more audible noise and exhibit tone arm for quality sound. The DCX motor from
wear (at the brushes) so dont work well in maxon, together with a spur gearhead, offers a 76:1
applications with high duty cycles. ratio for positioning.
In general though, many industry trends

are pushing dc motors to be lighter, more
powerful and portable. So, for example, more
and more miniature applications are using
dc motors. Because of the need for power
and precision in a small package, miniature
dc motors are finding their way into medical
applications such as remote surgical robots.
A number of different applications are
spurring changes in the design of dc motors
for example, drones and unmanned aircraft.
MC_DC-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 93 11/7/15 10:58 AM

maxon motor control
Maintaining control has never been easier.
If decentralized drive intelligence is called for, maxon motor control provides maxon motor is the worlds leading supplier of high-precision drives and
the answer: All speed and positioning controllers are designed to match systems of up to 500 watts power output. maxon motor stands for customer
with brushed and brushless DC motors up to 700 watts power. The EPOS2 specific solutions, high quality, innovation, competitive prices and a world-
positioning controller enables you to connect quickly through the CANopen wide distribution network. See what we can do for you:
network and, using the Interpolated Position Mode, to synchronously run a www.maxonmotorusa.com
preset path specified by interpolating points in real time.
maxon motors.indd 94 11/7/15 10:59 AM

MOTORS DC
Ironless dc motors help audio application spins at 1,260.4 rpm, it spins the platter at 45.0000
A fair number of audiophiles agree that music sounds rpm. This motor, while in operation, draws about
better on vinyl, but motor noise, speed control and tone- 0.03 A, and speed is accurate to 0.001 rpm. The
arm tracking can degrade even turntable performance. DCX motor uses rare-earth magnets to maximize
These were the concerns of Expressimo Audio when they the torque. Efficiency is 86% depending on the
began the design process for their latest audio turntables. winding. All in all, the motor gave the design team
Now, their latest turntable incorporates two motors a component that weighed less than 4 oz. with zero
from maxon precision motors. One motor spins the cogging and operation from -20 to 100 C.
turntable while the other raises and lowers the tone arm. The second motor, an A-max 16, is used inside
The audio company needed a motor that was quiet and the remote control movement system for the variable
wouldnt cog at low speeds, as the tone arm must move tone arm operation. The VTA moves at 0.001 in. at a
smoothly and accurately or it distorts the sound. time, with full indication through a precision indicator.
Ironless dc motors were the perfect fit, thanks to Different versions of the motor use metal or graphite
their lightweight design with good acceleration, quick brushes and single or double shafts, while power
reaction time, quiet performance and acceptable ranges from 4 to 11 W. Maximum continuous torque is
thermal dissipation, all properties desirable in a turntable up to 19.8 mNm, and the motors weigh about 100 g.
application. For the tone arm motion, a spur gearhead A word of caution about ironless motors and heat.
was attached to the motor for a 76:1 ratio for precision While not a concern in turntables, ironless motors
positioning. The turntable application requires two tend to overheat if maximum load is exceeded for an
precision speeds33.3300 and 45.0000 rpm. The motor extended period of time. With no metal core to handle
pulley is only 0.400 in. in diameter and spins at 940.5 the heat, adhesives holding the rotor windings together
rpm, spinning the 12-in. diameter platter that weighs can become damaged. Cored motors are still the
about 30 lb at a speed of 33.3300 rpm. When the motor better choice if an application has overload concerns.
Shown here are the motion components from maxon and the
machined turntable components by Expressimo Audio.
MC_DC-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 95 11/7/15 10:58 AM

MICROMO.indd 96 11/7/15 11:00 AM
M O T ntroltips.com
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Typical applications for
ASEB
integrated motors
OOK
M
ore applications than ever include integrated
motors. Also called smart motors, these setups
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 and drive or a motor and controller.
Other add-ons can include feedback (such as that from
encoders), power supplies, cabling, and communication
ports. For the latter, common communication options include
serial communication links such as RS232 or RS485 and
advanced network topologies for complex motion control
tasksCANopen, DeviceNet or Ethernet protocols. Burchfield Automation makes pan-and-tilt camera positioners that mount
to ATVs. They must stay steady even on bumpy rides, so the company
The pre-engineered nature of smart motors lets
uses Moog Animatics SmartMotors and its phase-offset function to damp
application engineers more easily design motor-based vibration. Phase offset makes a differential velocity between the external
motion control. Fewer parts also means these motors boost gyroscopic measurement of the pan-and-tilt and the motors internal
reliability and minimize cabling, wiring and overall design encoder. That way, servo controls can use gyroscopic position-sensor
cost. Most integrated motors also program easily and quickly, measurements for corrections ... and keep the camera steady, even over
rough terrain. Application image courtesy Burchfield Automation
which cuts development time.
For machine builders, integrated motors help reduce
machine size and complexity. Thats because the motors
significantly reduce the amount of needed space for a
machine by consolidating components and (in some cases)
nix enclosures. Integrated motors can also eliminate external
controllers such as PLCs.
Applications using integrated motors have only
proliferated with the increased use of decentralized motion-
control architectures. As an alternative to centralized motion
control, decentralized architectures distribute motion
control to individual motion axes (in this case, to individual
integrated motors), which eliminates the need for a central
controller. This means that individual motors can execute the
Integrated motors work in medical applications. Here, a Lexium MDrive
control closer to the actual axis of motion or load, thereby series 23 motor from Schneider Electric powers a Watson-Marlow 313
taking the computational burden off a central controller and peristaltic pump (depicted with a red cover) to circulate blood in heart-lung
distributing it to individual integrated motors. machines and during bypass surgery. One peristaltic-pump challenge is that
When selecting a smart motor for an application, note the pumps can cause pulsations as internal rollers move on and off pressure
shoes. To address this issue, the Lexium MDrive starts each dispensing
that the most important step is determining the designs load
cycle with a roller in a preset starting position. Controls use external
characteristics. Here, properly calculating the load torque valves to make the pump dispense fluid volumes from multiple and partial
is paramount. Also keep actual operating conditions below revolutions. The Lexium MDrive controls these valves so the rollers start at
published limits of the motor to extend motor operation. the same position for all dispensing and non-dispensing cycles.
MC_Integrated-Motors_NOV_Vs4.indd 97 11/7/15 11:32 AM

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Applications that benefit

motio
ION
from linear motors

MOT
M
ore than half of all linear motors go into Multi-axis stages that use linear motors on each axis
applications for machine tools or the are more compact than traditional setups, so fit into smaller
manufacture and assembly of semiconductor spaces. Their lower component count also boosts reliability.
components and electronics. Its no wonder: Linear motors Here, the motors connect to regular drives, and (in servo
are the precise but generally costly option to which other operation) a motion controller closes the position loop.
linear devices are compared. In fact, applications for these Linear stepper motors deliver speeds to
relatively new motion components also include those that 70 in./sec, suitable for relatively quick-acting pick-and-
need fast and precise positioning, or slow and extremely place and inspection machines. Other applications include
steady axis traversing. part-transfer stations. Some manufacturers sell twin linear
Depending on the type, linear motor speeds range steppers with a common forcer to form X-Y stages. These
from a few inches to thousands of inches per second. stages mount in any orientation and have high stiffness and
Theyre capable of unlimited strokes and (with an encoder) flatness to a few nanometers for every hundred millimeters
accuracy to 1 m/100 mm. For this reason, a variety of to output accurate moves.
medical, inspection and material-handling applications use Some cost-sensitive applications benefit from hybrid
linear motors to boost throughput. linear motors, as they have inexpensive ferromagnetic
Unlike rotary motors (which need mechanical rotary- platens. Much like linear stepper motors, they vary
to-linear devices to get straight strokes) linear motors magnetic saturation from the platen to shape opposition to
are direct drive. So, they avoid the gradual wear of magnetic flow; feedback plus a PID loop with positioning
traditional rack-and-pinion sets. Linear motors also avoid control helps the motor output servo-grade performance.
the drawbacks of rotary motors with belts and pulleys The only catch is that hybrid motors have limited output
for translation ... more specifically, limited thrust because and exhibit cogging from coupling between the forcer and
of tensile-strength limits; lengthy settling times; belt platen. Two solutions here are phase-teeth offset or driving
stretching, backlash and mechanical windup; and typical to get partial saturation of platen teeth and sections of
speed limits of 15 ft/sec or so. In the same way, linear forcer teeth. Some hybrid motors also use external cooling
motors avoid lead- and ballscrew efficiencies (of 50 and to boost output during continuous operation.
90%, respectively), as well as whip and vibration. They Linear ac induction motors that run to
dont force engineers to sacrifice speed (with higher 2,000 in./sec work for people movers, roller coasters and
pitches) for lower resolution, either. large aerospace applications. General-purpose types
KUKAs PULSE system, which boosts design flexibility and adapts to different
assembly plants, uses linear motors. Were sure PULSE will become a preferred
technology in plant retoolings, said Kevin J. Laurence, the design-concepts
developer and advanced engineering manager at KUKA Systems North America.
MC_Linear-Motors_NOV_Vs4.indd 98 11/7/15 11:47 AM

MOTORS LINEAR
can move a few inches to 150 ft/sec or recently began selling PULSE carrier
faster. Cylindrical linear motors have conveyance systems for automotive
steel rods and a moving coil or rods filled car-body assembly lines. The design
with stacked magnets, so work in myriad from KUKA in the U.S. uses linear
machines that need quick and accurate synchronous motors from MagneMotion
strokes. In a similar way, ironless-core (or to move body sections through robotic
air-core) linear motors output up to 3,000 workstations of assembly lines as other
N and speeds exceeding 230 in./sec. machinery does joining.
These capabilities make this linear-motor PULSE setups are flexible and 30%
subtype indispensable in long-stroke pick- faster than conventional friction-based
and-place applications, flying-shear setups, transfer systems. That lets plants get
and laser and waterjet cutting. more use out of process equipment (and
Linear ac synchronous motors can reduce production-line footprint). With
These robots (in a KUKA PULSE line) use linear
motors to move large automobile parts. KUKA
output 7,000 N or more. Some use water- solid-state linear motors, the PULSE
Systems began developing PULSE for an R&D cooling to boost force outputenough lines have fewer components (sensors,
project in 2009. It went into laboratory testing in to let the motors drive large baggage connectors and cables) that wear and
2013 and is now commercially available. handling and amusement-ride axes. Iron- fail. Quick-stop axes boost safety. One
core motors are also suitable for select PULSE line handles up to four models
machine tool and robotics applications. and adding functions to handle a
Just consider one specific robotics second model is cheaper than with a
use: KUKA Systems North America conventional transfer system.
F guide 7-13-15.pdf 1 7/13/2015 2:02:17 PM
Introducing
LinMots new
C
M
F GUIDE
High Performance & Low Maintenance
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
Semi gantry shown with 48, 37, & 23 series linear motors
and
linmot.com linmotusa.com
262-743-2555

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Film wrapper uses direct-drive motors in a folded or wrapped package with rapid changeovers.
motio
ION
Getting consistent packaging despite constant product Such tasks take reconfiguration or even machine
variations is a challenge. Alpenland Maschinenbau replacement before product changeover.
(ALPMA) aimed to overcome it with its new MultiSAN For the MultiSAN, the ALPMA design team used direct-
MOT
film-wrapping machine, which packages round and drive technology with a virtual master shaft and electronic
rectangular soft cheeses, karospar-wrapped cheeses, cams to completely replace mechanical versions.
and cheeses shaped in cylinders and half moons. The envelope folds under the cheese; the machine
Some cheese makers today only make a few makes them with four LinMot linear motors horizontally
cheeses, but change production every few hours to mounted ... each driving a shutter blade through a
produce custom orders by the truckload, said Helmut linkage. Once the machine wraps the cheese in film
Eitermoser, MultiSAN designer. The reasons for smaller and fixes it in place on a round plate with a gripper, the
batches are like those in other industries: shorter product shutters press the protruding film together on the bottom
life cycles, customer-specific product requirements and of the product in rapid succession. That makes the fold
more product variety. pattern. Another linear motor pushes the cheese off the
Until now, cheese makers used packaging machines round plate and onto a conveyor.
in which a mechanical master shaft studded with cam For this application, the design team initially suspected
drives the synchronous motion of individual mechanisms. that only linear motors would have the required power
These cam machines work for packaging just one density. Tests showed that rotary servomotors are unsuited
product type, because theyre precise, cost-effective for this task because they take up too much space, said
and durable, said Eitermoser. These can even package Eitermoser. Instead, he chose PS01-23x160H-HP-R motors
similar shapesround and half-moonand different for the MultiSan. The motors have 23-mm (stator) diameters
sizes. But this takes compromise, as the packages for not including the plug connection on the endbut can still
each product version are suboptimal. Its impossible for output peak force to 130 N when coupled with an E1130-
cam-based machines to wrap several different products DP-HC controller. Matching sliders come in versions for
With the help of direct-drive motors, the

MultiSAN can mechanically decouple so
sensitive components can fold back and out of
the foam cleaning area.

MOTORS LINEAR
ALPMAs MultiSAN film wrapping machine can

process myriad products with no changeover
(thanks to LinMot linear motors).
strokes from 20 to 780 mm. The version in to function as a heat sink for the linear
the MultiSAN has a 120-mm stroke. motors as well. These machine features
The space-saving form factor of help get product with consistent and
the linear motor also lets the new repeatable packaging.
design take up the same floor space Weve also leveraged the linear
as comparable mechanical-cam-based motors sensitivity and direct reactions to
versions ... and cycle times of the two give operators a way to address product-
machine types are the same. consistency variations, said Eitermoser.
But differences abound. To create a So, onsite parties can set their own
modular construction, the ALPMA design parameters for various consistencies,
team combined the mechanical unit with and the machine operator can adapt
shutter drives for a subsystem working machine settings to product changes
several machine functions. It is designed with a push of a button.
Heres a custom twin carriage linear motor, the TCLM from Mechatronic Techniques. The relatively low-
cost linear motor uses two Yaskawa coils and a Yaskawa linear magnet track. The motor also has two THK
SHS linear guides, Yaskawa SGLFW-35A iron core coils and a SIKO analog (SIN/COS) linear encoder.
Travel lengths abound, but start at 300-mm stroke. Connectors are standard; potted in the carriage base for
protection are all the servo and power cables.

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Servomotors:
motio
ION
Small size, big impact

MOT
I
ncreasing globalization and industrialization are spurring high-capacity
manufacturing with even less tolerance for errors than ever before. These
applications are leveraging servomotors and drives in their quest to achieve
better efficiency with automation. This is because servomotors are one of the most
commonly used motors for precision positioning and load-responsive motion.
Servomotors power applications in a wide range of industries, though are
most suited for controlling the movement of machines in packaging, textile
production, semiconductor manufacturing, as well as medical equipment and
food and beverage production. Other common applications include robotics,
positioning systems and tracking systems for solar panels. Here and elsewhere,
servomotor technology can help boost accuracy and output.
Selecting the right servomotor for an application involves three important
parameters: load, speed and torque.
Not only must acceleration, deceleration and running torque be taken into
account, but also the ability of the servomotor to tightly control the loads speed,
position or torque. This means the peak torque measurements must be calculated,
usually during acceleration or deceleration, along with the running/normal torque.
Also, the inertia of the system (the loads resistance to change in speed) must be
calculated to ensure that the motor/drive system will be able to control the load.
A motors continuous torque is its ability to produce the rated torque and
speed without overheating. Intermittent torque indicates how much torque a
motor can produce in a short period of time based on current limits of the drive
and motor. The intermittent (or peak) torque of a motor can be much higher than
its rated torque, and servo systems are usually designed to operate within that
peak torque range when accelerating or decelerating the load.
Small size makes big difference for

micro-machining innovator
Microlution builds equipment that can create machined components of an
exceptionally small size at extremely high levels of precision. Tiny parts are cut,
milled, drilled and turned on equipment that achieves a positional accuracy of
0.00004 in. (1 micron). Precisely controlled high-speed spindles operating at more
than 50,000 rpm offer high volume production of intricate micro components for
end users in the automotive, medical, aerospace and consumer products industries.
Near-microscopic output isnt the only size advantage the company offers.
Todays manufacturers are increasingly concerned over the scarcity of space
on the production floor. Microlution responds with machines that pack an
abundance of high-precision capability into a footprint as small as 2 ft wide, and
a height of less than 5 ft.
Company founders Anthony Honegger and Andy Phillip have had to search
for components that deliver exceptionally precise and highly consistent movement,
with a form factor that fits within a fraction of the space occupied by standard
industry products.
MC_Servo-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 102 11/7/15 12:33 PM

SERVOMOTORS
Yaskawas direct-drive servomotor, 2 in.

high and 5.3 in. in diameter, delivers 4 Nm
of torque in the small footprint necessary for
Microlutions micro machining application.

Multi-Axis
Communications
Just Got Simpler.
1 READY. Use our free SMI
software to auto detect
motors.
2 SET. Set CAN addresses

and baud rate.
3 GO. Send commands; Microlution built a custom rotary

table with a Yaskawa SGMCV-04
start talking. direct-drive servomotor that would
fit in the available space yet provide
the torque to rotate parts for high-
Same for 2 or 120 motors. throughput machining.
Thats all there is. Simple!
Development of rotary tables has been space in a Microlution machine, yet provide
a particular challenge. The solution we the torque required to rotate parts for a
need doesnt exist from existing CNC rotary high-throughput machining process. An
Learn how our easily deployable table builders, Honegger said. Gear- extensive search uncovered the Yaskawa
driven solutions are fairly compact, but they SGMCV-04, a direct-drive servo with a
programming language gets dont offer the performance we need. There height of only 53 mm (2 in.) and a diameter
your machine to market faster is also the issue of backlash with mechanical of 135 mm (5.3 in.). Even though the
at animatics.com/comm tables. Direct-drive servo tables have the size is a fraction of the footprint required
precision and the speed, but they are far for comparable direct-drive servos, the
too large. Some of them are as big as our SGMCV-04 has a torque output of 4 Nm
When Performance Really Matters
entire machine. and a power output of 126 W. This level
After a thorough investigation, the of performance proved to be enough for
Microlution team decided it would be Microlutions fine cutting applications.
wisest to design and build a rotary table on The direct-drive motors rotor couples
their own. Success demanded a direct-drive directly to the chuck, eliminating gears
servomotor that would fit in the available and other mechanical transmissions
+1 408 965 3320 | sales@animatics.com


SERVOMOTORS
An interior view of a Microlution machining

center shows the custom rotary table and the user
interface and control center.
The native precision of the Yaskawa

direct-drive servo was further reinforced by
augmenting the servos existing bearing
with a cross roller bearing at the top of the
enclosure, adding rigidity and minimizing
the possibility of off-axis motion during
the indexing process. The Microlution
engineering team also chose to
implement linear servos to control some
of the machines other axes. By moving
from mechanical transmission components
like ballscrews, belt drives and mechanical
gearing toward a completely servo-
controlled mechanism, a Microlution
machine eliminates the mechanical
compliance issues that diminish system
speed and accuracy.
As a bonus, the Yaskawa direct drive
and yielding a big improvement in meets Microlutions need to comply
accuracy and responsiveness. Eliminating with the safety standards of customers
mechanical compliance enables accurate worldwide. The Safe Limited Speed
and immediate response to position, function built into the Yaskawa servos
velocity and acceleration demands. An amplifier helps the machines meet CE
improvement of fractions of a second safety standards for delivery into the
could give you a 10% increase in tact EU. Having both the STO to turn the
time, Honegger said. At these rates, unit off and the safety limited speed
the benefits of direct-drive technology was a big advantage for us, Honegger
become obvious pretty quickly. He said. Having that capability built into the
also noted that a direct-drive rotor table amp meant we didnt need to develop
removes the mechanical backlash that a solution on our own. We were CE
leads to poor positioning of the part being compliant right out of the box, which
machined. When youre machining parts saved us a lot of time.
that are smaller than a fingernail, even The new rotary table design is now a
a small lack of compliance can be a big standard part of Microlutions high-volume
issue, he added. machines. It also holds the potential to be
The tables mechanism needed to a successful retrofit for existing Microlution
be well protected from chips, dust and products now in place. The time savings
cutting fluids to function reliably. The is significant. Customers can probably
engineers at Microlutions chose to gain a big improvement in speed and a
encase the Yaskawa servo in a sealed 10% improvement in throughput, said
enclosure, with a liquid-cooled bottom Honegger. At another company where
plate to maintain the proper operating we have four machines, weve estimated
temperature. In our applications, that a retrofit could increase throughput
temperature control is critical, said by 20%.
Honegger. With precision like this, a
degree of temperature variation here or Special thanks to Jeff Watter,
there could ruin our accuracy. Yaskawa America

QUIET
The Quietest
Brush Motor Stepper motors
on the Market
toughen up
O
ne of the most common motors used in motion applications
is the stepper motor. Theyre used mostly in positioning
applications and have the advantage of being able to be
accurately controlled, down to fractions of a degree without the use
of feedback devices such as encoders or resolvers. They operate in
open-loop (not closed-loop), without the need for tuning parameters
as in closed-loop systems. Stepper motors are also relatively
inexpensive. And because speed is proportional to the frequency of
the input pulses, they can attain a wide range of speeds.
However, while stepper motors are capable of producing
high torque at low speeds, they generally are well suited for lower
power applications not for applications requiring lots of torque
to move heavier loads. They are best for applications requiring
60 dBA Office Environment the control of rotation angle, speed and position. Some other
drawbacks are that not properly controlling the motor can produce
undesired resonance in the system. Also, stepper motors are
50 dBA Rain
generally not easy to operate at extremely high speeds. And as the
motor speed increases, torque decreases.
40 dBA Artificial Respirator Applications for stepper motors are diverse. However, most
uses take advantage of their superior positioning capabilities. For
example, in optical systems and electronics assembly, accurate
30 dBA Whispered Conversation positioning is critical for maintaining high production standards.
Whats more, using hollow-shaft stepper motors lets machine The AllMotion
designers route wires and cables through the center of the shaft, StepperStick is a compact,
20 dBA Sound Isolation Booth which in turn saves valuable space and can reduce cable fatigue. easy to program stepper
Other applications include surgical robots, some pick-and-place motor controller and
driver that operates from a
gantry systems as well as solar cell positioning and 3D printing.
USB port.
Up to 24,000 Hour Service Life
High-Efficiency
IP65 Protection Standard
with up to IP69K Available
Download a 24-page brochure

with specifications, drawings,
and performance curves at
www.crouzet.com
For additional information

800.877.5311
dcmind@crouzet.com
MC_Stepper-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 106 11/7/15 6:03 PM

STEPPER MOTORS
SMART
Intelligent
Motion Control
The MPPV has a linear travel of 0.005 in. per step for high-flow resolution and a sealing-force of up to 16 lb
of thrust at 100 steps/sec. Standard sized pinch valves accommodate 18-, 14-, 38- and 12-in. tubes.
Stepper motors have long been Brad Thompson, Resloution Air owner and
common in biomedical applications as chief engineer on the project. The StepperStick
well. However, with the rise of integrated eliminated the complexity of the control system
motors with industrial strength connectors by simplifying the wiring, the power supply
and hefty IP ratings and the ability to requirements and the programming needed for
easily connect to common fieldbuses, they evaluation. In under ten minutes, our customer
are becoming more prevalent in harsher can be evaluating the MPPV, compared to the Integrated Speed
industrial applications such as packaging days it would take if the control system was built
and food and beverage. from scratcheven more time if the company
and/or Motion Control
A recent unique application involves a doesnt employ control engineers specifically.
flow-control valve. The StepperStick uses a wiring harness that Intuitive Software Interface
connects to the stepper motor mounted on
for Plug and Play Startup
Stepper actuator drives mini the MPPV. The device then plugs into the USB
port of a computer to provide communications
proportional pinch valve with Allmotions Windows-based programming Compact Size
Resolution Air in Cincinnati recently language. The computer also provides the power
came out with a new line of miniature needed for both the controller and stepper motor.
proportional pinch valves (MPPVs). The The controller supplies up to 0.5 A of current to
Easy Installation
valves are designed to deliver tight the stepper motor. The device also has a current
specifications for high-resolution flow adjustment, which allows users to reduce the Easy Selection of 64,000
control for integration into portable current output to match the valves requirements
and handheld equipment in a variety of (0.385 W). Plus, the MPPV only requires power to
Proportional Positions for
industries, including bio-chemical, food adjust position, not maintain position, resulting in any Application
and beverage, and healthcare. The power savings.
valves are used to pinch a fluid-filled, low Housed in a USB stick measuring only 2 x 1 x
durometer tube with varying amounts of 0.5-in. thick, the StepperStick works on any stepper Download a 20-page brochure
pressure to regulate the flow of the fluid motor that is 1.7 in. (size 17) or smaller. Commands with specifications, drawings,
(liquid or gas) through the tube. It uses for the controller are sent through ASCII text from and performance curves at
a stepper linear actuator (stepper motor any serial terminal program or from AllMotions www.crouzet.com
and leadscrew) and a custom piston in a EZCommander application.
miniature aluminum valve body. The MPPV features linear travel of 0.005 in.
During the evaluation process, the per step for high-flow resolution, as well as high
company used a stepper controller from
For additional information
sealing force of up to 16 lb of thrust at 100 steps/
AllMotion. Our extensive research sec. The valve also features a locking leadscrew. 800.877.5311
for the right component led us to the Standard sized pinch valves accommodate 18-, 14-, dcmind@crouzet.com
discovery of the StepperStick controller, 3
8- and 12-in. tubes.
manufactured by AllMotion, said
MC_Stepper-Motors_NOV_Vs3.indd 107 11/7/15 12:51 PM

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CASE
ncont
Networks in motion promise

motio
ION
greater efficiency
MOT
V
arious versions of Ethernet are common in controls, delivers the needed efficiency. With access
motors, drives and controls such as PLCs. The to more process data, it might be possible for
applications are everywhere, from simple pick engineers to use analyzed information to develop
and place assembly all the way to a lights-out facility. even more efficient operations.
And they will continue to gain in importance In the area of hydraulic-based motion control,
thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). The gathering the industry has found that it is simpler and more
of data is the new application for networks in motion, precise to synchronize multiple hydraulic actuators
courtesy of all the smart chips going into virtually every using a communication protocol like Sercos than by
motion component. conventional means.
The hope is that all of the new and analyzed Applications such as injection molding or metal
data will help improve motion. Many motion forming presses use networks as the nervous system
applications require tight coordination between for centralized multiple input/multiple output (MIMO)
axes to maximize quality and throughput. The control systems.
manufacture of flat-panel displays and batteries, for The IoT makes it possible to collect and integrate
example, is increasingly complex as the demand for much more information than ever before. The question
lower prices requires increased efficiency at every is, what will that lead to going forward? Its still early to
step. Coordinated motion, courtesy of networks and predict, but there are many exciting opportunities.
MC_Networks_NOV_Vs4.indd 108 11/7/15 12:57 PM

EtherCAT Terminals Bus Terminals EtherCAT Box
(IP 20) (IP 20) (IP 67)
Servomotor 50 V, 4 A W
50 V, 4 A, OCT W
Stepper motor 24 V, 1.5 A W W
50 V, 5 A W W W
DC motor 24 V, 1 A W W
50 V, 3.5 A W W
50 V, 5 A W
EK10__USA_Canada.indd 6 23.02.15 14:42

Beckoff.indd 109 11/9/15 12:03 PM
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Networked drives ensure smooth

motio
tunnel construction
ION
Even in a tunnel building application, networks play a

critical role. The Long Island Railroad tunnel project in
MOT
New York City, for example, uses conveyors to remove

debris churned by the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs).
Without tight coordination among the conveyor motors,
the conveyor belts can break or the conveyor carts
can jump the track or flip. If a motor stops, it creates
an overload and imbalance on the other motors. Thus,
communication plays a key role in motor coordination.
The project requires using TBMs to hollow out
multiple tunnels 200 ft below the surface. All totaled,
12.4 km of rock must be bored and all of the associated
debris must be removed. The conveyor system includes
every type of commonly recognized conveyor
including belt conveyors, TBM conveyors, transfer
conveyors, a serpentine conveyor to continuously
extend the conveyor to follow the boring machine, an
extensible crown-mounted conveyor, a pocket belt
vertical conveyor, two cascading overland conveyors,
and one radial stacker.
Variable frequency drives (VFDs), from Mitsubishi
Electric, control the conveyor motors. The VFDs use
CC-Link to communicate to the motors to control
the various conveyor systems under a load-sharing
scheme. In past systems, other communication
networks were tried, but due to the required length
of the tunnel boring operation as well as the harsh
environmental conditions, those other networks could
not meet the stringent requirements of the job and the
communication system failed regularly.
The communication system consists of three
interconnected CC-Link networks working in
conjunction. These networks control more than
70 stations, including the conveyors, pumps, fans
and EECS, as well as HMI inputs and outputs to
control other various functions within the tunnel
construction system.
Communication key to fast

produce processing
How many applications involve equipment and systems
from multiple vendors? Quite a few. Communication
can play a key role, connecting all of these disparate
systems together into a coordinated whole. For
one produce processor, communication was critical.
Communication ensures coordinated motion for a produce

processor. CC-Link was chosen for its ability to work equipment
from a number of different vendors, including 31 VFDs.

NETWORKS
The rail-mounted Tunnel Boring Machine
In addition to more than 100 drives Improving cycle time in injection molding
operating various conveyors and other To fully realize the promise of IoT, disparate systems need to securely
machines, a number of ultra-sonic welders connect, interoperate and communicate. Many manufacturing facilities
were used in the facility. This equipment still have islands of automation, points where there is little to no
created an operating environment that communication between components and equipment. Often, the
was electrically noisy and not friendly communication system and the control work together to ensure
to high-speed communications. The smooth operation.
selection of CC-Link as the network made Husky Injection Molding Systems makes equipment that is used to
it easier to operate equipment from many manufacture a range of plastic products, including bottles and closures
different manufacturers for coordinated for beverages and parts for the medical industry. A major trend in the
control, as well as handle an electrically industry is reducing raw material costs, while ensuring quality.
noisy environment. Working with Husky, Beckhoff developed an IPC that serves as
Locally grown lettuce is shipped to a multitasking centralized controller running all PLC, motion control
the produce facility where it is separated and measurement communication to auxiliary devices and the HMI
and sorted using incline conveyors. The software. By using one IPC processor to run PLC tasks and another to
belt in the sorter moves at 600 ft/min. run the HMI software, Husky decreased scan times while improving
Then, the lettuce is washed and dried. overall quality by establishing real-time control and repeatability of
Two lines are used to handle the every axis of motion.
produce volume. Each system is controlled The system improved productivity and cycle time from 3 to
through CC-Link, using a Mitsubishi 12%, depending on the application. Automation technology, such as
Q-Series PLC Rack and a CC-Link Master consolidating workloads to strike the best balance between quality
station, all communicating with 35 CC-Link and efficient use of plastic resources, is a major reason companies
slave stations. These stations consist of 31 choose Husky. The HyPET HPP5 system built on Beckhoff IPCs
VFDsincluding three spare VFDs, and equipped with Intel Core i7 processors is perfectly positioned to
four Wago Remote I/O blocks. extend this trend.

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Positioning stages go custom

motio
ION
MOT
P
ositioning stages currently lead the general move to integrated designs motion tasks. That helps them deliver
in all kinds of applications. Just consider the way challenging fiber- on dynamic parameters at lower cost
optic, test-and-measurement and semiconductor applications, such and without the hassle of reformatting
as assembly and wet-bench setups, use precision stages (and their integrated or retrofitting stock setups. Enabling
mechatronics) as systems to improve throughput and product quality. Custom this newer approach are proliferating
setups rule: For example, the manufacture of flat-panel displays has spurred software tools that let OEMs and
ever-larger motion-stage formats with linear-motor actuation and air-bearing end users manipulate initial design
load carrying. Elsewhere, belt-driven stages satisfy the need for long strokes, iterations within virtual environments
but avoid ballscrew support challenges and the cost of linear motors. that have accurate models of real-
Another growing industry using positioning stages is additive world stage components.
manufacturing. Here, ever-improving materials and layup techniques Assembly is different. Here,
demand new stages at all performance levels. Many basic maker-level semi-custom Cartesian stages excel
machines use stages with synchronous belt-driven axes. More demanding for pick-and-place and inspection
applications (from researching and prototyping to medical and small- via machine vision. More typical in
batch manufacturing) commonly use positioning stages with motor-driven these setups are traditional rotary
ballscrews to coordinate motion. motors paired with rotary-to-linear
Still other medical and life-research applications make use of ultra-precision devices (ballscrews, for example)
stages that deliver performance motion profiles impossible a decade ago. Here, and controllers that compensate for
piezomotors, miniature linear supports and coarse-and-fine tandem actuators system dynamics to get accuracy to a
are increasingly common options. few micrometers or better.
The packaging industry tends toward pre-engineered positioning stages, as Automotive applications vary
this industry often forces integrators to satisfy design schedules that bar design widely. For example, the large scale
and set up of multi-axis functions in house. of sheet metal and body-assembly
Likewise, the machine-tool industry is making more use of custom-built tasks present unique challenges
positioning stagesin laser-cutting and similar machines, for example. These that, in some cases, only overhead
and the stages for CNC applications are increasingly customized to specific stages (or those with rack-and-pinion
sets) satisfy. At the opposite end
of the spectrum, stages that carry
inspection instrumentation to detect
part features on a nanometer scale
often take the form of direct-drive
axis assemblies driven by a precision
controller that even corrects for
environmental fluctuations.
Heres a large stage application. ATI

Industrial Automations Rail Tool Changers
allow for quick and reliable swapping of
press transfer tooling. ATI designed custom
Tool Changers for Gdel transfer lines to
withstand the high speed, high-inertia-
loading environment of the process. This
coupler upgrade mitigates problems that
make other exchangeable rails get stuck
between die changes. With numerous
production runs and die changes every
day by the end user, this is a significant
productivity booster.
MC_Stages_NOV_Vs5.indd 112 11/9/15 11:36 AM

Aerotech Cartesian Robots
Maximize Your Application Throughput
CCS130DR -
From 600 to 1000 rpm
(66% increase)
Get our free brochure
Cartesian Robots at
www.aerotech.com/
resources/brochures.aspx
Aerotech supplies Cartesian robots for Applications

many of the worlds largest manufacturers.
Component Assembly Laser Cutting and Welding
These systems are carefully engineered to
provide superior performance in a variety Component Inspection Laser Micromachining
of applications. With our extensive line of Device Assembly PCB Marking
products, Aerotech can deliver the ideal Dispensing Photovoltaic
gantry customized to meet your unique Manufacturing
application requirements. Flat-Panel Inspection
Flat-Panel Processing Printed Electronics
Benefits Profiling
Fuel-Cell Manufacturing
Minimal Tracking Error Robocasting
High-Speed Component
Flexible and Configurable Options Pick and Place Stencil Cutting
Lowest Cost of Ownership
Linear-Motor-Driven for High Dynamics
Ph: 412-963-7470
Dedicated to the
Email: sales@aerotech.com
Science of Motion
www.aerotech.com
AF1114D-PMG
AF1114D-PMG-Cartesian-Robots-9x10_875.indd 1 9/30/2015 11:39:59 AM

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Retaining rings
motio
ION
a motion mainstay
MOT
M
achine assemblies and subassemblies make copious use of
retaining rings in everything from electric motors and gear
retainers to solenoids to aircraft to door handles and sports
equipment. These fasteners hold together components on a shaft or in a
housing when installed in a groove. In fact, the automotive industry may
make the most use of retaining rings, especially for assemblies in air bags,
timing-belt pulleys, radiator hoses, turbo chargers, door locks, carburetor
assemblies, drive shafts, and brakes.
Used in an array of oil-and-gas and other industrial designs,
tapered-section rings have decreasing thickness from center to ends.
This assembly shows a single-turn wave spring
They mount axially or radially, and the taper keeps full contact with the from Rotor Clip helping to retain a bearing on
installation groove. a shaft. The ring can be a replacement that fits
Common in assemblies for lawn mowers, hand and power tools, into a preexisting groove.
agricultural machinery, electronics, and even nuclear equipment,
constant-section retaining rings have a constant width around the ring
circumference. When installed, these rings dont maintain uniform contact
with the entire component. They take on an elliptical shape and make
toys, pumps, couplings, valves,
contact with the groove at three points. Spiral retaining rings go into
hydraulic equipment, and photography
housings or on shafts with full contact with the groove or
equipment. They dont have protruding
component. Their grooves are shallow, so
ears to interfere with mating
they have less load bearing capability.
components; they also eliminate the
So, spiral rings often go into
need for machining and threading.
applications that prioritize
Spiral retaining rings dont need special
full contact with the
tools for removal and come standard
retained component or
with removal notches for extraction.
lower axial profile.
When selecting a retaining ring for
Spiral rings
an application, factors that dictate which
find use in torque
is most suitable include application
converters, speed
environment (temperature and thrust),
reducers, lamp
critical dimensions (including the
assemblies, clutches,
assemblys housing or shaft diameter)
hinge pins, home
and the installation grooves dimensions.
appliances, robotic
Note that maximum thrust is a particularly
critical application parameter, as it
dictates whether theres risk of groove
Spiral retaining rings (as this one
deformation or ring shear. Another note:
from Smalley Steel Ring Co. in
an assembly) dont need special
Applications in corrosive environments
tools for removal. Notches make may also need retaining rings made of
extraction easier. specialty material.
MC_Retaining-Rings_NOV_Vs3.indd 114 11/9/15 12:08 PM

IS EDGEWINDING
THE NEXT BIG THING?
Ask Smalley. Edgewinding is our precision
forming operation that offers unique
advantages. Unlike the conventional stamping
process, Smalley edgewinding delivers
maximum strength, effectively eliminates
material waste, and offers No Tooling Charges
to make prototyping or custom designs easier
and affordable.
Our experienced engineers can show you

how edgewinding gives our wave springs,
Spirolox retaining rings and constant
section rings a real performance edge. Its a
combination of manufacturing innovation and
technical expertise that only Smalley delivers.
Spirolox Stamped Ring

Retaining Ring
The edgewinding process coils pre-

tempered flat wire on edge to give Smalley
products strength and stability far superior
to stamped retaining rings.
Visit smalley.com for your

no-charge test samples.
THE ENGINEERS CHOICE
38139_Smalley_BrandAd_DesignWorld_r2.indd 3 7/1/15 4:02

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Shaft-collars: Where they work

motio
ION
MOT
Some Ruland shaft collars (as the one shown here) attach
encoders to shafts. Clamp-style collars need precise face-to-bore
mating to meet the demands of medical equipment. Ruland
makes their clamp shaft collars with smooth or threaded bores
from 3 to 150 mm.
S
haft collars are part of nearly all types of clamping collars (with distinct benefits over setscrew
moving machineryincluding designs designs) have been around for some time. Yet,
for mechanical, medical, aerospace, setscrew shaft collars are still common in todays
automotive and industrial industries. In electric- applications that dont need post-installation
motor-driven designs, theyre most common at the adjustments and where cost is a concern.
gearbox and motor assemblies. Shaft collars satisfy
three basic functions: CLAMP-STYLE SHAFT COLLARS
set shaft position Clamp-style collars use compressive forces to secure
space components on shafts components to shafts without marring them like
limit shaft movement setscrews. These collars distribute clamping force
uniformly around the shaft (and not at one point) so
As such, they commonly work as mechanical stops users can easily adjust them without damaging the
on actuators and cylinders, as locating components shaft. Clamp-style shaft collars are either one-piece
for gearboxes and motors, and for keeping sprockets or two-piece collars; the two-piece collar most evenly
and bearings on shafts. Some shaft-collar variations distributes force and creates the strongest hold.
are more suitable for given applications than others. While these types of collars are found in nearly any
Setscrew shaft collars are low cost and install industry where power transmissions are present, they
easily, so are quite common despite the fact that are increasing in medical applications.
MC_LockingDevices_NOV_Vs4.indd 116 11/7/15 1:06 PM

SHAFT COLLARS LOCKING DEVICES
Some Ruland collars function as mechanical stops
Clamp-style shaft collars

for medical equipment power than one-piece designs and install in corrosion and satisfy regulatory standards; the
Clamp-style shaft collars work as guides, place. In fact, machine integrators can add stainless hardware undergoes surface treatment
spacers, and stops on medical equipment, these collars to a design at any point in the to prevent galling. Other clamp-style shaft
but only collars with tightly controlled manufacturing process. collars come in steel with a black oxide or zinc
face-to-bore perpendicularity (with a Some shaft collars use fastening hardware finish, aluminum, titanium, and engineered
TIR of less than or equal to 0.05 mm) that tests beyond industry standards for plastic. Black-oxide on steel resists corrosion
satisfy the design requirements in these maximum torque capabilities and holding and smoothens screw installation to boost the
critical designsespecially where the power. For example, some stainless-steel transfer of screw clamping forces to the collar-
collar functions as a load-bearing face or shaft collars sport hardware that can also resist shaft interface while preventing stick-slip.
aligns critical motion components such
In this image we see a hygienic clamping assembly from Ruland on a mozzarella production machine. The collar is located
as bearings or gears. Clamp-style shaft
on the outside of the machine and holds the shaft in place in the event of failure. This component is made of a 303 stainless
collars distribute compressive forces steel shaft collar and other FDA compliant materials. It has none of the surface irregularities, like saw cuts and screw pockets
evenly around the shaft for strong hold. that allow bacterial contamination in other types of shaft collars. This uniform surface allows for easy clean-up around the
Two-piece collars have more holding moving parts of the machine. The collar is also IP69K rated for dust and water up to 176F/80C with 10 MPa of pressure.
MC_LockingDevices_NOV_Vs4.indd 117 11/7/15 1:06 PM

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Shock and vibration-damping

motio
ION
components at work
MOT
S
hock and vibration-damping components are as shock absorbers protect the bottles neck and opening
varied as the designs in which they work. That against stress fracture during manufacturing, even in
ranges from heavy-duty machine tools to delicate hot and dirty environments. The shock absorbers in this
designs that assemble semiconductor components. application sport reinforced bodies to withstand more
Addressing these oscillations lets machines run faster, energy per second as well as Teflon-coated piston rings
for more throughput and higher-quality (more accurate) and piston rod seals formulated to withstand heat.
moves. For example, the automotive manufacturing and Shocks and vibration dampers excel in designs
packaging industries make copious use of mid-bore and that are engineered to avoid the structures natural
smaller-bore hydraulic dampers. frequencies during operation. Adding mass with heavy
Consider how bottle-blowing machine builders use bases or mounting machines into steel or concrete
adjustable shock absorbers instead of rubber bumpers or flooring is one approach. In applications where this is
springs to increase glass and plastic bottle production. The not possible or sufficient, vibration-isolating components
Outside the enormous mouth of NASAs giant thermal vacuum chamber at

Johnson Space Center in Houston, engineers and technicians prepare to test
the James Webb Space Telescope. Minus K Technology supplied five negative-
stiffness vibration isolators to keep the test setup properly positioned.
MC_Shocks_NOV_Vs6.indd 118 11/9/15 11:00 AM

ITT Enidine.indd 119 11/7/15 1:25 PM
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motio
ION
MOT
With a shock and vibration isolation system that includes highly

tuned dampers from ITTs Control Technologies, this design
absorbs impact energy several times greater than past designs.
and other passive dampers can One such design is a negative- changes from free-flowing to semi-
absorb or attenuate vibrations. Here, stiffness mechanism from Minus K, solid under an electromagnetic field.
the components bear the whole which adjusts horizontal and vertical Particularly useful in automotive
machine weight to shift excitation resonant frequencies separately. applications that must accommodate
off the natural frequency. As a Such technology is particularly useful changing road and driving conditions,
general rule of thumb, isolators in aerospace and semiconductor magneto-rheologic components can
should shift a designs natural applications with nanometer-level and replace traditional hydraulic fluid in
frequency so its no more than one- better accuracy demands. shock absorbers.
third of the excitation frequency. Mechanical subcomponents No matter the subtype, shocks
One caveat is that overly compliant in the form of wave springs and and vibration-damping components
isolators can actually increase the compliant couplings are still other have a reputation for being a
magnitude of motion. One solution options to isolate vibrations, in commodity component. In fact, these
where this is an issue is hydraulic everything from precision electric- devices are highly engineered and
or magneto-rheological setups that motor-driven machinery to those that customized to very specific loads,
damp at system natural frequency run off internal-combustion setups. impacts and machine geometries, and
but isolate like undamped designs. As mentioned, one semi-active affect overall equipment performance.
In contrast, active vibration product to damp vibrations is
controls use actuators and sensors magneto-rheologic fluid from Lord
to counteract vibrations with motion Corp., a blend of magnetic powder
having an out-of-phase frequency. in oil, water or glycol that reversibly
MC_Shocks_NOV_Vs6.indd 120 11/9/15 11:00 AM

SHOCKS & VIBRATION-DAMPING COMPONENTS
The next
generation
Isolation system manages
of industrial
cargo kinetic energy gas springs.
Norwegian oil company Statoils Gudrun environmental conditions) and space
Platform operates in the North Seas limitations. While offshore rig builders Engineered for
Gudrun field. The platform operates know how to to stabilize cranes, engineers smooth operation
cranes for around-the-clock cargo saw challenges in designing a dampening
handling. As crane operators hoist system for its cargo barrier.
and longer life.
supplies from ships to the platform, So, the two companies engineered
containers (some weighing as much as a shock and vibration isolation system
8,000 kg) can move toward the Gudron that includes highly tuned dampers that Our new gas spring family, NEWTONLINE,
Platform at 3 m/sec. absorb the cargos kinetic energy. Because was engineered from the ground up.
Moving equipment from a supply of the design, the barrier system handles We used an innovative bushing design
ship onto an offshore platform in difficult impact energy several times higher than and new technology for the piston
and valve to greatly improve
conditions requires a highly engineered traditional designs. The companies
performance.
system of shocks and dampers, said completed the shock and isolation design
Tomm Kuran, sales manager for work in 2013, and the Gudrun Platform is
pneumatics at Servi Hydranor AS, a now in operation.
Norwegian distributor of hydraulic and
hydraulic-related products. The Gudruns
crane operators move food and heavy,
expensive equipment for drilling. If an Linear modules must endure high speeds and
operator mishandles a container, people loads in automation, handling, and pick-and-
can be hurt or equipment destroyed. place operations, so safety dampers can be used Longer life
A mishandled container can also to provide reliable insurance against impact Smoother operation
damage. This long-stroke Omega module from Reduced breakaway forces
halt drilling operations, said Peter
Bosch Rexroth uses safety dampers from ACE Broader range of applications
Bauer, managing director for ITT Control Controls in its end positions. ACEs SCS33
Technologies EMEA. Flexible barriers to SCS64 safety dampers provide true linear Whether you need an off-the-shelf or custom
have been used for approximately 10 deceleration while protecting the Z-axis against solution, the ACE Application Engineers can save
years on offshore platforms in the North uncontrolled motion. ACE safety dampers are you time and help you size the right gas spring for
specifically designed for emergency use only and your application.
Sea, but they often sustain damage from
offer reliable protection at an affordable cost.
containers slamming into them.
Engineers came to Servi Hydranor
and ITTs Control Technologies early in the
design process of the Gudron Platform
with a set of specifications (including
by ACE
More Info? Tel. 800-521-3320

Email: shocks@acecontrols.com
Download a free ACE catalog or our product

sizing software at: www.acecontrols.com
MC_Shocks_NOV_Vs6.indd 121 11/9/15 3:50 PM

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Here is a basic formula to narrow down the wave-spring type, shape and
Wave springs
size that best suit an application. Note that wave springs are helping todays
motio
push toward design miniaturization. Smaller designs need shorter and

ION
small-diameter wave springs. Thats spurred some developers to make

wave springs less than 0.250 in. in diameter.
in motion
MOT
Formulas:
Operating Stress: S = (3PDm)/4bt2 N2
Where:
S = operating stress
P = load in pounds
A
lthough often out of sight, wave springs are Dm = mean diameter in inches
essential in many motion-control applications, b = radial width of material in inches
ranging from gear assemblies, actuators, t = thickness of material in inches
rotary unions and different kinds of clutches, to many N = number of waves per turn
consumer products.
Wave springs operate as load bearing devices. Fatigue Stress Ratio: x = s-s1/s-s2
Thus, they suit applications with special space Where:
needs, such as taking up play, or compensating for s = Material tensile strength
dimensional variations within assemblies. They suit s1 = Calculated operating stress at lower working
applications that need loads to move either gradually height (must be less than s)
or abruptly to reach a predetermined working height. s2 = Calculated operating stress at upper
A wave spring always applies its load in an axial working height
direction. Wave springs also apply consistent loads
within a small tolerance range at different work heights. Deflection: f = ((PKZDm3)/(Ebt3N4)) x (ID/OD)
These capabilities let design engineers easily adjust the
Where:
application to meet given requirements when needed.
f = deflection in inches
One type of wave spring is the single-turn.
P = load in pounds
Versions with overlapping ends save axial space so that
K = multiple wave factor
more space is given for travel. The spring clings to the
Dm = mean diameter in inches
bore, which saves radial space.
Z = number of turns
Nested wave springs suit applications requiring
E = modulus of elasticity
higher forces to meet safety regulations, such as those
b = radial width of material in inches
in government or military applications. A nested-wave
t = thickness of material in inches
spring provides a higher load than a single-turn wave
N = number of waves per turn
spring (a stamped wave washer) and uses the same
radial space as a single-turn design.
Spring Rate: R = (P/f) = (Ebt3N4)/(KZDm3) x (ID/OD)
Use of a multiple-turn wave spring can save 50% in
axial space compared to a traditional coil spring. Whats Where:
more, these springs eliminate the risk of torsional R = Spring rate in pounds/inch
movements during compression to work height. P = load in pounds
f = deflection in inches
E = modulus of elasticity
b = radial width of material in inches
t = thickness of material in inches
N = number of waves per turn
K = multiple wave factor
Dm = mean diameter in inches
One advantage of wave springs is that they save space. Because the
springs have shorter operating heights, they can fit into smaller
Z = number of turns
spring cavities. That lets engineers make assemblies lighter and more
compact, which in turn reduces overall design cost.
MC_Wave-Springs_NOV_Vs4.indd 122 11/7/15 1:19 PM

Ad Index
ACE Controls Inc........................................................................... 121 KHK Kohara Gear Industry Co., Ltd. ............................................... 67
Aerotech, Inc................................................................................. 113 Kuebler Inc...................................................................................... 57
AllMotion........................................................................................... 8 LinMot USA, Inc............................................................................... 99
AMETEK Catalyst Motion Group....................................................... 9 Maple Systems, Inc.......................................................................... 77
AMETEK PMC/Dynamic Fluid Solutions........................................ 3, 7 maxon precision motor, inc............................................................. 94
Applied Motion Products, Inc.......................................................... 19 MICROMO........................................................................ COVER, 96
AutomationDirect.......................................................................... IFC Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc............................................. 37
Beckhoff Automation..................................................................... 109 Moog Inc., Animatics..................................................................... 104
BEI Sensors........................................................................................ 1 NOOK Industries, Inc...................................................................... 83
BellowsTech, LLC ............................................................................ 45 NSK Precision America.................................................................... 17
Bishop-Wisecarver Corp................................................................ IBC PBC Linear....................................................................................... 89
CGI, Inc. .......................................................................................... 71 PHD, Inc.......................................................................................... 13
Chieftek Precision Co., LTD........................................... 101, 103, 105 PITTMAN......................................................................................... 11
Crouzet Motors...................................................................... 106, 107 R+W America.................................................................................. 47
Del-Tron Precision, Inc..................................................................... 85 Schneider Electric............................................................................ 91
Dunkermotoren, part of AMETEK..................................................... 5 Servometer...................................................................................... 45
Dynatect Manufacturing Inc............................................................ 29 Setco Inc.......................................................................................... 87
Encoder Products Co...................................................................... 59 SEW Eurodrive................................................................................. 73
FESTO............................................................................................ BC Siemens Industry............................................................................. 53
Groschopp, Inc................................................................................ 69 Smalley Steel Ring Co................................................................... 115
Harmonic Drive LLC........................................................................ 63 Tolomatic, Inc.................................................................................. 15
Helical Products Co......................................................................... 43 U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC............................................. 33
igus, Inc..................................................................................... 21, 27 Yaskawa America, Inc...................................................................... 49
ITT Enidine.................................................................................... 119
SALES LEADERSHIP TEAM
VP of EE Product Development Key Account Manager Regional Sales Manager Publisher

Mike Caruso Jim Powers Neel Gleason Mike Emich
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MC_Ad-Index_NOV_Vs1.indd 123 11/7/15 5:40 PM

BOOK
.com
roltips
CASE
ncont
PTDA 2015 Summit recap:

motio
ION
Connecting young talent

MOT
& industry veterans

SPARK a Movement: Inspire.
Motivate. Lead. The
tagline for the annual PTDA Industry Summit, held
All of these presentations worked well as preamble for
economic expert Alan Beaulieus summit closing talk the
following day. Covering the big picture, Beaulieu wasted little
in Chicago last month, doesnt explicitly say here time before addressing what he thinks will be a bleak outlook in
come the Millenials. But the tectonic plate shift in the next decade and a half. Graciously, Beaulieu tempered his
the global workforce was of real interest at the event. prediction of an economic doomsday in 2030 with a brighter
In an industry densely populated with Boomers, the outlook for the next 5 yearsadding that its important to take
PTDA seemed well aware of the transitionary period advantage of the growth we can expect to see before 2020.
on the horizon. Spend money on people, processes, and then spend some
Several featured speakers at least touched on more, he said. Beaulieu finished his presentation by assuring
how a new generation is affecting the work they the audience that planning for the future during this period of
do. Artist Phil Hansen, a Gen Y/Millennial himself, growth will mean companies should be just fine.
delivered an expanded version of his TED talk on Its an obstacle as old as industry itselfyoung new
embracing inevitable change. Marketing maestro talent must blend with industry veteran wisdom. But whether
Ryan Estis explained how we are now entering the we learn to adapt through old-school summit presentations,
era of the customer, essentially a new period or the live tweets that come from it, the torch is getting
of radicalized but widely accepted consumer passed just the same.
expectations. And lastly, technology speaker Scott
Klosocky quoted Klaus Schwab in saying Capitalism
is being replaced by talentism. So what does this all
mean for the power transmission industry?
Alan Beaulieu presented attendees with his

economic forecast for the next 15 years.
The International Ballroom at the Hilton Chicago held

many of the events at the 2015 PTDA Industry Summit.
MC_PTDA_NOV_Vs3.indd 124 11/7/15 1:22 PM

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designworldonline.

com November 2015

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NEW hub-style models are perfect for applications

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2015 by AMETEK Inc. All rights reserved.

MR encoders from maxon motor work in Curiositys

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100 East Erie Street

2015 by AMETEK Inc. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAL GRAPHICS VIDEO

Editorial Director Director, Creative Services Integrated Media Specialist

Managing Editor Visual Design Manager

Crains Cleveland Business Fast 50 2014

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A single resource for integrated mechanical, electronics, drives and

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Common actuator types Benefits and potential limitations Typical uses

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