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.

Festo unveils new DNCE electromechanical rod actuators

Festo (www.festo.com), one of the world’s leading suppliers of pneumatic and electrical automation technology, has expanded its extensive portfolio of electromechanical actuators to include its latest electromechanical rod actuators, DNCE.

A screw-driven linear actuator, the DNCE electromechanical rod actuator comes with a nonrotating round piston rod. It also serves as a drop-in alternative for the Festo DNC as well as to other pneumatic cylinders compliant with ISO standard 6431 during conversions from pneumatic to electromechanical automation.

Providing high precision and flexibility, the new electromechanical rod actuators is an ideal solution for motion control applications that demands critical positioning accuracy.

The new electromechanical rod actuator is offered either as part of a Festo solution seamlessly combined with an MTR-DCI intelligent controller and motor, or as an independent mechanical axis to be mounted to a third party motor or a Festo motor. The DNCE electromechanical rod actuator is also available either with a ball screw or a lead screw, which enables it to meet the demands of varying performance requirements.

The lead screw driven DNCE electromechanical rod actuator is self-braking for safety, while the ball screw-driven DNCE offers higher feed velocities, higher precision and repeatability. It also has longer duty cycles as compared to pneumatic actuators. Repeatability of lead screw driven actuator is – +/- 0.07 mm, while that of the ball screw is – +/- 0.02 mm.

The motor mounting of the new DNCE electromechanical rod actuator can be configured as a reverse parallel mount (U) or axially (A).

With proximity sensors that can be easily mounted into sensor slots, the new electromechanical rod actuator is also available in custom and standard stoke lengths of up to 600 mm.

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.

Linear Motor Axes Deliver Cutting-edge Motion

With acceleration values of 140 m/s², Festo linear motor direct drives are the perfect actuators for fast acceleration with high precision, such as is required in photovoltaics production, medical technology, the electronics industry or the assembly of small parts in the clock and watch-making industry.

The electric linear motor drives ELGL-LAS, DNCE-LAS and DFME-LAS accelerate at one and a half to four times the rate of all other electric and pneumatic drives used in automation technology. They are also two to three times faster than electric axes with a spindle or belt drive. And all this to an accuracy of 10 µm. This makes linear motor axes the ideal choice for short assembly times, where not only high speeds but above all high rates of acceleration are required.
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