Linear Motion Tips provides the best source of information on linear drives and drive belt systems. Linear drives enable smooth movement in your process and can reduce maintenance expenses. Linear drives are used many applications including conveyors, medical technologies, electronics and more. For the latest news, take a look at the articles below. Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up to date on the latest in linear drives news and trends.

Minarik Drives Announces Distribution Agreement with Kaman Industrial Technologies

Minarik Drives is very pleased to announce that it has signed and implemented a National Distribution Agreement with Kaman Industrial Technologies.  This agreement will further enhance a partnership that will provide Minarik Drives with 200 new locations and will provide Kaman Industrial Technologies a premier DC drive and drive systems product line.

“We are very pleased to add Kaman Industrial’s selling capability and the value added approach they brings to their customers to our already strong distribution channel.” said John Hegel, President of Minarik Drives.  “Kaman’s penetration into the user and OEM markets will open doors for us that had been previously inaccessible and will help us serve a greater cross section of business across the U.S.”

Minarik Drives is an independent company that specializes in low to medium power electric drive and power applications.  It has been a standard, and a leader, in the DC drive business for almost 60 years.  With design engineering and manufacturing headquartered in S. Beloit, Illinois, it provides standard and customized solutions at a globally competitive price.  More information about Minarik Drives is available at www.minarikdrives.com or by calling 815-624-5959.

Isotech unveils plug-and-play and off-the-shelf linear belt drives and actuators

Isotech Inc. (www.isotechinc.com) has launched a full range of plug-and-play and off-the-shelf linear belt drives and actuators. Plug-and-play products include a motor, actuator as well as PLC for out of box operation for various automation applications, while off-the-shelf models are offered in standard configurations for faster delivery.

The company’s plug-and-play belt driven actuators enable buyers to choose from a range of products with famous specifications. The products can also be configured through options such as single or double shaft types, selected drive shaft location and various standard travel lengths up to 2,242 millimeters.

The options are specifically designed to deliver a durable, maintenance free and accurate solution for linear motion applications.

“With the addition of the off-the-shelf and plug-and-play configurations, finding fast solutions for automation applications are easier than ever,” said Joe Casillo, President of Isotech.

“Ideal applications for the plug-and-play and standard belt drives include university settings or automated robotics that perform simple tasks common in gantries and lifts.”

With travel lengths ranging between 184 mm and 2,242 mm, the company’s linear belt drives and actuators are also feature maximum load capacities of 25 lbs to 2,500 lbs, and speed ranging from 1,270 mm/sec to 15,240 mm/sec. The force of the belt drives range from 100 lbs. to 2,500 lbs.

The company also offers plastic and steel bearings to meet the demands of light-duty to extra heavy-duty motion applications. The plastic bearings eliminates the need for lubrication, while the steel bearings are available with lifetime lubrication.

“Our belt drives feature a steel reinforced polyurethane belt that helps deliver repeatable positioning by preventing belt stretching,” Casillo said of the actuators’ accuracy.

He also emphasized that the company’s belt drives require no lubrication and maintenance when utilized under normal operating conditions.

Festo’s ELGG bi-parting drive suitable for large-format gripping applications

Festo (www.festo.com) has introduced an electric bi-parting drive that offers a cost-effective and adaptable way of securing synchronized movement of two carriages — in different directions — on similar linear axis.

The new ELGG bi-parting drive features a pair of bearing guides that support two similar carriages. It is driven by a toothed belt connected to the bottom of one of the carriage and the top of the other. This allows the carriages to simultaneously move, either towards or away from the center line of the axis.

Aside from long in-service life, the new ELGG drives are also available in 55, 45 and 35 mm wide profiles, with standard stoke lengths of up to 750, 500 and 400 mm, per carriage, respectively. The moving carriages can be fitted with recirculating ball bearings or sliding bushing for higher loads and speeds. All models can achieve speeds as high as three m/sec, and can deliver to within ±100 microns of repeatable positioning accuracies, depending on the configurations.

The new bi-parting drives feature various accessories and configuration options to maximize the flexibility of the application. To accommodate loads with high turning or twisting moments, the sides of the axis can be fitted with an extended length carriage. The company also offers a variant of a passive guiding axis, called the ELFR, which is primarily comprised of an ELGG drive without the pinions or belts. The ELFR can be utilized alongside an ELGG drive to enhance system resistance to torsional loads.

The new ELGG bi-parting drives are compatible with the company’s portfolio of stepper and servo motors and controllers, as well as with third-party motors.

Linear Motion Technology Selection Guide from Rexroth

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Bosch Rexroth’s new Linear Motion Technology selection guide offers a comprehensive overview of the benefits and applications of Rexroth’s linear motion products for machine designers. The guide is also a resource to help engineers determine which linear motion products meet their application requirements, as well as technical insights into issues like cost savings through standardization and energy efficiency. 

The guide is available as a free download at www.boschrexroth-us.com/linearmotion. The 88-page guide provides information about the applications, performance capabilities and energy efficiency of linear motion technology.

It also contains an overview of the structural design, operating principles and characteristics of Bosch Rexroth’s linear motion products, including precision modules, profiled rail, ball screw drives, miniature components, electromechanical actuators and completely preconfigured linear motion systems with matching motors and controls.

The selection guide also offers engineers example applications and technical drawings to illustrate, for instance, how reducing friction can dramatically lower energy consumption without sacrificing machine performance or capacity.  Other examples illustrate how precision-engineering and manufacturing of profiled rail systems can minimize downtime during changeovers, provide cost–efficiency in logistics and installation, and lower the overall cost of ownership.

The new guide is part of the recently created Bosch Rexroth Linear Motion Resource Center online, which offers easy access to Rexroth’s most popular linear motion resources, including interactive tools for system design, product configuration tools, technical documents, product updates, and other useful information.

www.boschrexroth-us.com

 

 

ELGG bi-parting drive ensures simultaneous movement of carriages

Festo (www.festo.com) has released its latest ELGG bi-parting drive which features a pair of bearing guides that supports two similar carriages, driven by a toothed belt connected to the bottom of one carriage and the top of the other.

The ELGG offers an adaptable and cost-effective means of ensuring tow carriages’ simultaneous movement — in opposite directions — on one linear axis.

Based on the cost-optimized design concept of a famous low-cost Festo electric actuator, the company’s new electric bi-parting drive eliminates the need for a full length profile utilized by traditional toothed belt axes. It guarantees straight line movement of the carriages, by relying on the rigidity of the steel bearing guides. An extremely robust and rigid structure is achieved as the bearing guides are supported on both ends and the electric bi-parting drive provides the option of a center support. Built on the same aluminum profile, the carriages and the supports help minimize cost and employ asymmetric extrusion geometry to deliver the required offset.

Available in 35 mm, 45 mm and 55 mm wide profiles, the ELGG drives offer standard stoke lengths of 400 mm, 500 mm and 750 mm per carriage, respectively. For higher loads and speeds, the moving carriages can also be designed with re-circulating ball bearing guides or with sliding bushing. Depending on the drive’s configuration, all models are capable of repeatable positioning accuracies to within ±100 microns, offer longer in-service life that is beyond 5,000 km of travel and deliver speed as high as three meters/second.

It is compatible with Festo’s wide array of stepper and servo motors and controllers, as well as with third-party motors.

Thomson Introduces EngineersCALC App

Thomson introduces EngineersCALC – a powerful and simple-to-use engineering calculator for mobile devices that provides ready access to four of the most common engineering utilities used by motion and machine design professionals. With EngineersCALC, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and Blackberry users can now convert a number from one set of units to another, calculate the inertia of a common shape, determine the density of a material in a particular unit, or look up a common trigonometric or calculus function. They can also quickly and easily save and share the calculations with built-in email and texting features.

EngineersCALC is available as a free desktop computer application known as Engineer’s Toolbar, which is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7.0 operating systems. Thomson also has available a number of additional free machine design resources, including web-based application sizing and selection tools, attribute-based product selectors, and configurable 2D and 3D interactive models that are downloadable in all major CAD formats.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com

 

Linear Drive Offers Option for Automatic Shaft Cleaning and Lubricating

Aston, Penn. – For automatic cleaning and lubrication of the drive shaft, Uhing linear drives are now available with a combination shaft scraper/grease fitting option. The addition removes excessive grease, dust and dirt from the shaft while the drive is running and simultaneously assures adequate shaft lubrication.

As debris accumulates at either end of the shaft it can be wiped away with a cloth. In most applications the shaft scrapers may be used without the grease fittings to clean the shaft while the drive runs. The grease fitting combination is recommended, however, in heavy usage applications and also when shaft RPMs exceed rated speeds (1,000 RPM for Model RG drives; 1,500 RPM for Model RS drives).

The shaft scraper is an O-ring made of specially formulated rubber which is mounted in a Delrin® brand plastic fitting. One shaft scraper is attached to each of the end bushings on the drive unit. When equipped with the grease fitting, the plastic fitting is made larger to accommodate the addition of a felt wiper ring which wicks oil out of the grease and applies a thin oil film to the shaft as the drive runs. Most standard grease gun nozzles fit the Uhing grease fittings. Note that special, molybdenum disulfide-free grease must be used. If attached in the field, users must also note that the addition of the shaft scraper with or without the grease fitting will slightly reduce the travel distance of the linear drive, which for most applications this is less than 1 in.

Amacoil-Uhing RG linear drives are used in equipment requiring a reciprocating or positioning linear motion component such as material handling systems, winding machines, spraying assemblies, converting equipment and metrology systems.

For more information, email amacoil@amacoil.com or visit www.amacoil.com.

New RP+ Linear System from WITTENSTEIN

Bartlett, Ill – The new RP+ Linear System from WITTENSTEIN meets the demand for a modular, standardized rack and pinion system capable of transferring higher maximum feeding forces.

The combination of gearbox, pinion and rack represents intelligent integration of specifically developed drive components. The rack assembly of the RP+ is the alpha high performance rack which is characterized by high precision and optimal power transmission. Using this rack results in a quiet-running solution which is weight- and noise-optimized. The gearbox and pinion components of the RP+ system are unique to the design, significantly increasing allowable torques. The high forces produced by the meshing of rack and pinion teeth are controlled more effectively, improving system rigidity and positioning accuracy.

To learn more about the new RP+ system, email info@wittenstein-us.com or visit www.wittenstein-us.com.

Zero-Backlash Rack & Pinion Drive Systems from ATLANTA Drive Systems

Farmingdale, NJ – ATLANTA Drive Systems, Inc. offers a complete range of Zero-Backlash Rack & Pinion Drive Systems that eliminate all axis backlash, providing ultra-precise positioning and repeatability. Positioning accuracy is maintained during acceleration and deceleration, as well as during changes in direction of travel.

The axis backlash is eliminated by using two pinions; one to drive the axis and the other to engage the opposite tooth flank and take up the backlash. Mechanically preloaded systems use a split-pinion, which consists of two pinion halves and an axial preload pack. The pinions halves mesh with opposite tooth flanks on the same rack. The preload setting is fully adjustable on the machine by turning the axial spring pack at the end of the pinion shaft.

Electrically preloaded systems use two motor/reducer assemblies with dual pinions operating on the same rack in a master/slave setup. One pinion drives the axis (the “master”) while the second pinion is “preloaded” to remove the backlash (the “slave”).  The preload is created electronically with a special motor controller; these systems can also be set up to drive together during cycle times when backlash is not critical.

The drives are ideal for a wide range of applications, including traveling gantries and columns and milling machines, among others, in industries such as material handling, automation, aerospace, woodworking, machine tool and robotics.

www.atlantadrives.com

Rydell Industrial launches Linear Motion Drive Belting

Rydell Industrial (Belting) Co. (www.rydell.com.au) is proud to announce the release of Gates open length synchronous belting (Gates Linear Drive Belting), which is designed for a wider range of robotics and linear motion applications.

Aside from long length AT5, AT10 as well as other steel reinforced belts, Rydell Industrial stocks Gates PolyChain GT Carbon belting, which is ideal for indexing applications thanks to its extremely high modulus carbon fiber reinforcement.

Positioning applications such as ball screws and X/Y tables that use synchronous belt drives completely rely on positioning accuracy and smooth operation. Thus, belt design engineers should take into account any elongation of the belt under load.

Low stretch linear motion belts including PolyChain are well-suited for positioning applications. Belt elongation under load within the range of half a millimeter per meter of belt length (0.05 percent) is easily achieved. A 37 mm standard belt width is rated to a minimum breaking tension of over 42,000 N.

Rydell Industrial (Belting) Co offers a free design engineering service, as well as onsite drive analysis and troubleshooting of linear motion drive belting applications.

The company also supplies drive hardware for linear motion drives including bushings, pulleys, tooth clamping plates and idlers as part of a comprehensive belt drive package.

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