Linear motors are essential to controlling linear motion in manufacturing processes. Linear Motion Tips recognizes this and provides engineers and manufacturing professionals with current and comprehensive articles about linear motors and linear motion technology.

Rexroth’s Ironless Linear Motors offered in four sizes

Bosch Rexroth’s (www.boschrexroth.com) latest ironless linear motors feature four different sizes with graded lengths and a maximum force ranging from 20 to 1,700 newtons. This allows the motors to achieve a maximum acceleration of 300 m/s² and speed of up to 1,200 m/min.

Extremely dynamic, the MCL ironless product line can be easily integrated into machines, making them ideal for applications in semiconductor and solar technology as well as in assembly and handling technology.

Setting up some of the motor’s primary parts parallel or in sequence with each other will optimize the performance of the motor. Offering the highest flexibility in construction design, the motors’ compact design allows its primary and secondary parts to be mounted in various planes.

The MCL product line of linear motors also comes with an optional Hall sensor unit to enable it to determine the initial commutation’s position.

Unlike ironcore motors, the MCL linear motors offer a distinctive ironless design of the primary part that features three-phase winding. Completely compound-filled, the three-phase copper winding is not inserted in an iron core. The motor’s primary part carrier is utilized for heat removal and for mounting the primary components. Enclosing the primary part, the U-shaped secondary part features permanent magnets. This means that slots cannot attract the forces between the primary and secondary components. With linear force constant, the motor delivers compact, cost efficient rail systems. The relatively small mass movement of the primary components enables the linear motors to provide a high degree of dynamics with precision.

Linear Shaft Motor Stage Offers Nanoprecision

Radford, Va. - Nippon Pulse America’s new SCR100 stage is an ultra high precision, compact single axis stage that integrates a slide guide, encoder, and Linear Shaft Motor. It offers a wide range of advantages for ultra high performance and accuracy applications. The Linear Shaft Motor is a coreless direct drive linear motor which has zero cogging, allowing for higher resolution, speed, and continuous force than standard stepper motors and piezo servomotors. 

The SCR100 stage is a moving magnet design, which locates all cables and connectors in the stationary base. The absence of any moving cable means a clean and compact design and eliminates motion errors due to cable forces. The precision ground cross roller way provides high stiffness and smooth motion. Together they are capable of supporting higher torque levels due to offset loads with travels from 50mm to 300mm. The non-contact Linear Shaft Motor and optical linear encoders are self-contained inside the stage, making it a low-profile compact solution. The built-in non-contact optical linear encoder is available with resolutions from 1 micron to 10 nm with digital output. The sub-micron resolution results in a high accuracy stage, which is laser tested for optimum performance.

The SCR100 stage has the added benefit that any standard digital servo driver can drive the SCR100 stage. Any two SCR stages will bolt directly together to form a very stiff, compact X-Y stage. Two SCR stages can be supplied compounded as an X-Y stage to insure true orthogonal orientation.

www.nipponpulse.com

 

H2W’s Linear Induction Motor offers 2,900 N at 3% duty cycle

H2W (www.h2wtech.com) has introduced a new Linear Induction Motor (LMG-06-650-SSE) that can generate 2900 N at a three percent duty cycle. At 75 Hz, 400 VAC, the LIM offers a synchronous velocity of 675 in/sec (17 m/s). The LIM, which is intended for high speed operation, can also be utilized to produce static thrust by operating it at stall (zero speed). The motor is housed in a stainless steel enclosure with high temperature (400 F) potting compound protecting the seals and components from moisture.

A LIM is a high speed, non-contacting, linear motor that works on the same principle as a squirrel cage induction motor and is usually used in applications that requires accurate positioning.

For variable speed control of the motor, the three-phase coil assembly can be connected directly to an adjustable frequency drive. It can also be connected to the AC line in cases of single speed applications. The motors can be dynamically braked since they are reversible.

To produce a force, the laminated coil assembly is utilized together with a customer supplied steel and aluminum reaction plate. Meanwhile, a customer supplied bearing system is also needed to keep the 0.060″ to 0.125″ [1.5 to 3.0 mm] air gap between the reaction plate and the coil assembly. The reaction plate’s length is generally similar with the length of the coil assembly and stoke.

Featuring ease of control and installation, H2W’s new Linear Induction Motor is suitable for cranes drives, conveying systems, personal rapid transport systems, baggage handling and theme park rides applications.

 

Miniature Linear Vibration Actuator from Nidec Copal

Torrance, Cal. - Nidec Copal’s new LD14 miniature linear vibration actuator uses a new voice coil technology to develop an acceleration output of 1G at 150Hz operated by square wave output. The actuator is a compact 0.552” (14mm) long by 0.433” (11mm) wide by 0.10” (2.5mm) high, with only 2V and 77mA needed to excite the LD14 actuator. 

The miniature brushless actuator is able to adjust its vibrating force without changing the vibration frequency. This surface mount device (SMD) provides high acceleration, superior reliability, and quick signal response for a wide range of mobile communication and safety devices. New applications involve devices and machines that use touch or tactile (haptic) motion and are used in video game and computer controllers, touch pads, robots and medical instruments.

For more information, visit www.nidec-copal-usa.com or emailinfo@nidec-copal-usa.com.

 

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

 

 

35mm Linear Stepper Motor from Nippon Pulse

Radford, Va. - Nippon Pulse’s PFL35T LINEARSTEP® tin-can type linear actuator gives engineers the ability to design a linear motion system simply and at a low cost. Nippon Pulse’s LINEARSTEP series offers direct linear motion without the need for any mechanical transformers, allowing users the ability to design a simple system at a low cost. 

The PFL35T features an outer diameter of 35mm and features neodymium magnets, which allow for a high driving force. Its sturdy design and construction and its ball bearing support makes the PFL35T durable and gives it a long life cycle.

The PFL35T is available with three lead screw pitches (0.48mm, 0.96mm, and 1.2mm), both bipolar and unipolar windings, a force rating up to 39.5N (at 200pps), rated voltages of 5V and 12V, and 48 steps per revolution.

Applications for the PFL35T include XY stages, liquid dispensing devices, medical pumps, semiconductor wafer handling machines, and data storage recorders.

For more information, visit www.nipponpulse.com.

 

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

 

Nippon Pulse Linear Shaft Motor Features Sub-Micron Resolutions

Radford, Va. – The Nippon Pulse Linear Shaft Motor is designed and constructed for ultra high-precision applications needing sub-micron resolutions. Because of its design features, the Linear Shaft Motor is more energy efficient and can achieve motion profiles that similar linear motors can’t.

The design of the Linear Shaft Motor maximizes use of magnetic flux, provides stiffness up to 100-times greater than that of other ironless linear motors, minimizes generated heat and reduces the impact of heat on the work point. It also doesn’t produce Eddy currents, and doesn’t have cogging issues. As a result, the Linear Shaft Motor can achieve sub-micron motion profiles, outperforming competing linear motors.

The Linear Shaft Motor’s cylindrical design provides two inherent benefits. First, the motor is able to use 100 percent of magnetic flux and to use that magnetic flux at maximum efficiency. All available magnetic flux cuts the coils at a 90-degree angle.

Also because of its cylindrical design, and despite being completely ironless, the Linear Shaft Motor provides stiffness up to 100-times greater than all other similar motors.

In part because it has no cogging issues and does not produce Eddy currents, the Linear Shaft Motor also generates less heat than traditional linear motors. As a result, the motor does not dump heat into the work point and thus is able to achieve precise and accurate motion profiles. The lower heat production also comes because the Linear Shaft Motor does not have inherent airflow restrictions.

In tests conducted by the University of Virginia, the Linear Shaft Motor is proven to consume 51.8 percent less energy than a comparable u-shaped motor while performing the same motion, carrying the same load, and producing the same linear force.

For more information on the Linear Shaft Motor or other Nippon Pulse products, visit www.nipponpulse.com.

SRA04 Motorized ScrewRail linear actuator’s design conserves space

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions (www.haydonkerk.com) has unveiled the SRA04 Motorized ScrewRail Linear Actuator that features an integrated size 11 stepper motor.

Unlike traditional two rail system, this motorized ScrewRail saves space by as much as 80 percent. The simplified design, assembly and manufacture of its motion system eliminate the need for an external rail-to-screw alignment.

The ScrewRail is comprised of a Kerk precision rolled lead screw contained in a concentric steel guide rail and supported by sealed ball bearings. Its self-lubricating nut/bushing material and KerKote TFE coating guarantees zero maintenance and longer life. Capable of simultaneously lifting and rotating (Z-theta motion) when mounted vertically, the ScrewRail is suitable for pick-and-place mechanisms. It is available both in anti-backlash (SRZ) and freewheeling (SRA) nut assembly and is offered in up to 72-inch stroke length.

It utilizes a size 11 Haydon hybrid double stack stepper motor, which comes with an integral connector or flying leads. Its RoHS-compliant connector that is rated up to three amps, provides a positive latch to deliver high connection integrity. Meanwhile, its mating connector supports various wire sizes that range from 22 to 28 gauge.

Aside from pick-and-place mechanisms, the SRA04 motorized ScrewRail is also ideal for robotic assemblies in semiconductor equipment, life sciences instrumentation, packaging and assembly, business machines, and a vast array of factory automation applications. Used together with the company’s extensive offering of motion control components, customers can create their own custom systems for numerous kinds of motion.

Linear Shaft Motor caters to ultra high-precision market

Nippon Pulse (www.nipponpulse.com) has introduced the first linear motor that is constructed and designed with the intention of catering the demands of ultra-high precision market. The Linear Shaft Motor’s distinct features are more energy efficient compared to similar linear motors of its kind.

Achieving motion profiles that similar linear motors fail to achieve, the Nippon Pulse Linear Shaft Motor is specifically designed to provide stiffness that is 100 times greater than other ironless linear motors, maximize the use of magnetic flux, minimize the heat generated and reduce the heat’s impact on the work point. Its remarkable features eliminate cogging issues and the problem of Eddy currents, enabling it to achieve sub-micron motion profiles.

Its cylindrical design allows users to utilize 100 percent of the magnetic flux, which can be used at a maximum efficiency. All magnetic flux cuts the coils at an angle of 90°.

Despite of the Linear Shaft Motor’s completely ironless construction and because of its cylindrical feature, it delivers stiffness that is 100 times greater compared to other linear motors in its class.

Aside from not producing Eddy currents and the absence of cogging issues, it also produces less heat than other linear motors in the market. Thus, the motor achieves accurate and precise motion profiles as it does not deposit heat into the work point. The lack of inherent airflow restrictions enables the motor to lessen heat production.

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