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Bishop-Wisecarver Promotes National Sales Manager

Pittsburg, CA - Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation announced that National Sales Manager Michael McVeigh has been promoted to Vice President of Sales. He will have the primary responsibility of overseeing the entire sales channel for Bishop-Wisecarver, and manage all global efforts both domestically and internationally.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Mike for four years as our National Sales Manager. He has done a fabulous job of growing our sales efforts, even during the recent economic downturn,” said Pamela Kan, president of Bishop-Wisecarver. “The Board of Directors felt that bringing Mikes’ management skills to our entire sales channel will be an important element of our global sales efforts going forward. I look forward to working with Mike on our strategic sales plans for growing our sales both domestically and internationally.”

McVeigh is a college graduate from the University of New York at Buffalo. Prior to joining Bishop-Wisecarver in 2006 as the National Sales Manager, McVeigh worked in the bearing industry for 16 years in both sales and marketing. Since his hire at Bishop-Wisecarver, he has grown to appreciate the uniqueness of Bishop-Wisecarver’s customer base and their applications.

“Our overriding company goal is to become the customer’s 1st choice,” said McVeigh. “I am honored to be leading our team to meet this challenge as the Vice President of Sales.”

Bishop-Wisecarver
www.bwc.com

PBC Linear’s Uni-Guide Design Helps Team Win FRC Innovation Award

The FRC (First Robotic Competition) is put on through FIRST and used to provide hands-on design/mechanical physics and engineering experience to high school students—along with valuable teamwork building and project management skills. This year, Team 2641 (a.k.a. the Vikings) of Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School decided to implement PBC Linear’s Uni-Guide linear slide for reliable operation of their robot’s “kicking” mechanism. Installed into a system they designed, the Vikings took the Uni-Guide through a host of competitive events throughout the country, pitting their design against other high school teams in a remote game put together to test the ingenuity of each team.

FRC varies their game every year. For 2010, FRC rolled out Breakaway: a team effort game using a 27’ x 54’ carpeted field divided into thirds by two 13’’ barriers. The teams are grouped into alliances (3 teams and 3 robots per alliance). The robots use varied student-made designs to toss soccer balls at targets located on either side of the field in order to score points—the Vikings accomplished this utilizing their Uni-Guide controlled design. Teams can also score points by elevating or suspending robots by climbing towers at the center of the dividing barriers. To summarize, the alliance has 2 minutes 15 seconds to score the most points using their 3 unique and FRC approved robots.

At the beginning of the season, each team is given a strict budget of $3500.00 to create their unique robot design. For their robot, the Vikings required a reliable linear guide system to conduct the kicking mechanism in order to shoot the soccer balls into the targets. The linear guide would need to endure several performance obstacles: high shock vibration from periodic impact crashes during the game; functioning in particulate-heavy environments due to steel and aluminum filings; and fast changing repeatability under high charged loads.

The Vikings decided to go with PBC Linear’s Uni-Guide system. Using a motor driven, dual-carriage design, the Uni-Guide would drive one carriage down the slide and attach to the other. As the second carriage was retracted back up the slide, potential energy built-up—awaiting the trigger’s release. Once triggered, the carriage releases in a slingshot-like motion to provide the kicking foot with enough energy to easily knock soccer balls into the goal.

The Uni-Guide was the perfect solution. The linear slide’s plane bearing technology sustained smooth velocity control for the operation of the “kicking foot.” Containing no rolling elements, the Uni-Guide tolerates shock forces and contamination without experiencing system failure or binding. The simple, two-piece (rail and carriage) assembly mounts to existing systems and is precision machined to ensure high accuracy and repeatable travel. This reduces cost by eliminating further alignment machining and fasteners that other multiple piece linear guide assemblies require. Available in driven or un-driven assemblies with multiple carriages, the Uni-Guide is well-suited for unique applications that necessitate sophisticated control—even in harsh surroundings.

Put to the test in three regional competitions, the Vikings’ robot excelled in mechanical performance due to the team’s innovative design and hard-working components; such as the Uni-Guide. The Vikings were even recognized for their design, winning an award for Innovation and Control at the 2010 Long Island Regional (at which they also took first place). To learn more about the Vikings Robotics Team or FRC, please visit their website at http://robotics.centralcathorlichs.com/node/1.

PBC Linear
UniGuide.pbclinear.com

Linear Motion Slide Solution from Accuride

Accuride announces the launch of Model 115, a linear motion ball bearing slide that provides captive travel within the length of the outer member.

Model 115 may be side, flat, or vertically mounted. When mounted vertically, it may be used as a guide in non load-bearing applications. This product provides a low-cost solution for component guidance, support, or adjustment in a wide range of applications such as access to laptop docking stations in utility vehicles; bins for postal vehicles; reading machines for the visually impaired; traffic barriers; diagnostic equipment; and material handling in manufacturing machinery.

When mounted flat in pairs, Model 115 offers up to a 132-pound load rating; side mounted installations are up to 110 pounds per pair. A guide belt synchronizes the moving elements of the slide, ensuring smooth and consistent travel, while the moving member is fully supported on ball bearings at all times.

This product has been tested to 10,000 cycles and is available in zinc in lengths of 12″ to 28″ in 2″ increments, plus 32″, 36″, and 40″. It is RoHS compliant.

Accuride International
www.accuride.com

Guide to Motion Solutions for Packaging Applications

WOOD DALE, IL –Thomson has available a new Guide to Motion Solutions for Packaging Applications that offers information on how to leverage motion technology to design and build optimized packaging and related material handling machines.

Specific examples with detailed 3D application renderings include pick-and-place/palletizing, label printing/scanning, stretch wrapping, carton packing, PET bottle manufacturing and filling machines. The guide also provides an overview of the company’s linear motion and related components for packaging machinery including profile rails, RoundRail linear guides and components, lead and ball screws, linear actuators, precision linear actuators, linear motion systems, clutches and brakes, and gearheads.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com

Bimba Introduces New Movable Housing Linear Slide

Monee, IL—Bimba Manufacturing introduces the newest addition to their linear slide product offering, the Movable Housing Linear Thruster. The Movable Housing Linear Slide is available in bore sizes 9/16” through 3”, spanning 7 different bore sizes and five guide shaft diameters. In addition, the Movable Housing Linear Slide is available with ball bearings (Model TMH) or composite bearings (Model TEMH) with both styles housed in black anodized carriages.

“This design compares favorably to competitive movable housing or gantry slides in load carrying capability, offering up to 50% more load carrying capability than the most popular competitive models,” said Bimba’s linear thruster Product Manager, Tom Carlson. To achieve increased load carrying, the new Movable Housing linear thruster uses a precision machined housing, guided by precision ground, case hardened chrome plated shafts powered by Bimba’s original round line cylinders.

Bimba Manufacturing
www.bimba.com

Del-Tron Crossed Roller Tables

Del-Tron’s aluminum and steel crossed roller tables are the perfect choice for applications requiring high accuracy and exceptional load carrying capabilities. Accuracies range from 0.0001” per inch of travel straight line accuracy on our aluminum tables to 0.00008” of parallelism on our steel crossed roller tables and are capable of carrying loads in excess of 2600 lbs.

The aluminum crossed roller tables are available with both inch and metric mounting holes. You can choose from our low profile LPT series with its 3 rail design or opt for our Gold Motion series with its flanged base and 4 rail design. Both are available with stainless steel crossed roller rails and roller cages for applications where corrosion resistance is a requirement. For vertical applications or applications involving high acceleration or deceleration forces you may want to consider our Anti-Creep crossed roller tables. These units employ a rail and roller cage design that eliminates roller cage migration or slippage due to load orientations or acceleration forces. Solid model drawings for our entire product line are available on our website.

Del-Tron Precision Inc.
www.deltron.com

Thomson Opens New Northeast Machining Center

WOOD DALE, IL –Thomson has opened the new Northeast Machining Center for rapid delivery of genuine Thomson 60 Case™ Shafting. Located in Long Island, New York, the 10,000 sq. ft. Northeast Machining Center promises same and next day shipment of the highest quality stainless or carbon steel shafting available in the industry, in quantities up to 25 pieces. Larger quantities are available for same and next day shipping subject to availability. Full random lengths are available up to 202 in. in diameters up to 2 in. (50 mm), or shafting can be cut to customer specifications with no setup fees on cut-to-length and special machining orders. Thomson also has Midwest and West Coast Machining Centers for rapid delivery of genuine 60 Case Shafting throughout the United States.

A complete range of special machining is available including, among others, special length and straightness tolerances, axial and radial holes, keyways, flats, diameter reductions, threaded shaft diameters, annealing, retaining ring grooves, machined joints. Custom coatings including Armoloy™ and hard chrome plating are currently available from the Thomson Midwest and West Coast Machining Centers; custom coating capability will be available from the Northeast Machining Center in Q3 or Q4, 2009.

“Customers increasingly need high quality motion control products faster than ever before, and this program delivers on both counts. Not only will most products ship the same or next day, but Thomson toolmakers and machinists average 22 years experience, and it shows in what we believe to be the highest quality shafting available in the industry today,” says Dennis Howe, General Manager, Linear Bearings and Guides.

The company says that genuine Thomson Ball Bushing® Bearings used in combination with Thomson 60 Case Shafting can last up to 60% longer than imitation bearings and shafting.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com

Miniature Piezomotor Linear Slide

Auburn, MA – Physik Instrumente’s (PI) patented P-653 piezomotor linear slide is significantly smaller than other miniature linear stages and provides significantly higher velocities and resolution. It features a travel range of 2mm with force generation to 0.15N and comes pre-assembled and mounted on a PC board and is only 8mm long.

This true linear motor system has no conversion of rotation, eliminating rotary conversion losses, and consists of only 4 parts and can replace classical drive elements like miniaturized motor/lead screw systems or other linear motors with speeds of up to 200mm/sec (8in./sec) and an auto-locking feature. Integration of the P-653 is simple because the moving slider and the piezomotor are delivered assembled as a unit on a PCB driver board running on 5VDC.

P-653-series PILine® ultrasonic motors are ideal for OEM applications where quantities are high and space is at a premium. The systems are optimized for moving small objects such as optical fibers, micro-optics, or micro-electromechanical elements fast and precisely. These non-magnetic ceramic motors can also be used in medical applications.

Motion is controlled by TTL voltage pulses applied to the driver electronics. The self-adjusting driver creates the high-frequency, nanometer level oscillations (~500kHz) that make the ultrasonic ceramic motor move. PILine^® linear piezomotors are based on a patented ultrasonic drive. At the heart of the system is a rectangular monolithic piezoceramic plate (the stator), segmented on one side by two electrodes. Depending on the desired direction of motion, the left or right electrode of the piezoceramic plate is excited to produce high-frequency eigenmode oscillations of hundreds of kilohertz. PILine® motors are vacuum compatible, non-magnetic and self-locking.

A developer’s kit can now be ordered from PI-USA’s Piezo Basics Online Store at http://store.pi-usa.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=P-653.01D

www.pi.ws

Heavy-Duty Slide 2 Carries Heavy-Cantilevered Loads with Ease

New Hyde Park, NY – Techno, Inc. Linear Motion Systems introduces the newly improved Heavy-Duty Slide 2, constructed from a single rigid aluminum extrusion profile and capable of handling heavy-cantilevered loads. The 225mm wide, modular design is available in travels from 122mm (4.8in.) to 2722mm (107.2in.) with a new wraparound motor mounting kit that allows for longer travel with shorter overall lengths. The Heavy-Duty Slide 2 is made to be extremely versatile with T-slots on three sides for easy mounting options.

The Heavy-Duty Slide 2 offers a wide stable base for use in assembly equipment and the ability to handle large cantilevered loads makes it ideal for a range of applications. The Slide 2 also uses Teflon lip seals so that the full length of travel is utilized and the interior components are guarded against contaminants.

All models are fit with four precision rails, four bearing blocks, home reference and end limit switches. Users can choose from inline or side-mounted stepper motors or servomotors. The 16mm anti-backlash ball screws are available in 2.5mm (0.1in.), 5mm (0.2in.), 10mm (0.4in.), and 20mm (0.8in.) leads. Complete CAD drawings are available on the web.

To speak with an applications engineer call 1-516-328-3970.

For additional information about the Heavy-Duty Slide 2, visit http://www.techno-isel.com/tic/Catdas/HeavyDutySlide2.htm.

Significant Lead Time Reduction for Selected Thomson Linear Slides

WOOD DALE, IL – Thomson has significantly reduced lead times for some of its most popular Thomson slides. Lead times for Thomson 2DA, 2CA, 2BA, IB Series, IC Series, ID Series and IV Series linear guides have been reduced to just 2 days. 

Lead times for Thomson 2DB, 2EB, MS, 2HB, 2HE, 2RB AND 2RE driven systems have been reduced to just 4 days. The new lead times are effective for orders of 5 pieces or fewer. Lead times for higher quantities will remain 10-20 days, depending on the particular series of Thomson slide ordered.

www.thomsonlinear.com

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