Expanded Miniature Capability

PBC Linear is announcing an expanded miniature rail portfolio that includes new, ball-type products along with their proven Frelon self-lubricating plain bearing linear guides and driven stages. The end result is a complete new line of miniature linear motion technology that includes:

->Frelon plain bearing linear guides available in 5 sizes from 7mm – 20 mm
->Miniature ball-type linear guides as small as 3mm Lead screw driven miniature actuators from both technologies

This expanded miniature portfolio is available as a result of cooperation with Chieftek Precision Co, LTD (CPC), a global leader in small profile ball-guided technology. This new arrangement will facilitate collaborative new product designs; such as precise, lead-screw driven linear actuators from both triboligical bearing technologies to fit into the compact space of the miniature industry. The strategic basis of the cooperation is built on multiple elements; including:

->Application of each company’s core technologies and tribology expertise to accelerate new product development
->Enhanced sales coverage based upon PBC’s strong position in the America’s and CPC’s position in Southeast Asia
->Opportunities to leverage each other’s regional manufacturing and logistics infrastructure to enhance Global responsiveness

PBC Linear
www.pbclinear.com

PBC Linear Announces New Low-Profile Uni-Guide

PBC Linear brings in a new solution to low profile tasks and applications: the Low Profile Uni-Guide. A economical expansion of the popular Uni-Guide family, the LP Uni-Guide allocates the performance advantages of the larger designs—self-lubricating, maintenance-free, easy assembly—into a compact, 24 mm profile for smooth, reliable and long-lasting linear motion in print/scan, food processing and machine tool applications.

The Uni-Guide family utilizes the proven plane bearing technology of Simplicity®, which allows the carriage to glide smoothly along the slide. The proprietary Frelon liner ensures safe travel over dirt, dust, grime and other particulates without damaging the rail or carriage. Maintenance-free and self-lubricating, the Uni-Guide products require no additional grease or oil and thrive in applications where contamination must be prevented: food processing, lab automation and medical equipment.

Comprised of a simple, two-piece rail and carriage assembly, Uni-Guide products facilitate quick system integration without the mounting components and alignment necessitated by other linear slide products. These competing products, such as re-circulating ball or polymer insert linear slides, use assemblies with multiple rails and components, and require painstaking alignment to ensure uniform parallelism across all assembled rails and carriages. The Uni-Guide family promotes ease of installation by machining two parallel rails in one profile. The one-piece carriage design also simplifies assembly by directly fitting onto the rail without fasteners—saving the end user on cost and reducing tolerance stack-up.

To ensure precision tolerances are maintained, the rail and carriage of the Low Profile Uni-Guide are machined by our patent pending SIMO® process. SIMO uses a synchronized tooling system to mill all critical edges concurrently—creating consistently tight tolerances that hold within ±0.001’’ (0.025 mm) for assured high accuracy travel.

SIMO® also produces specially angled edges along the LP Uni-Guide rail to support clean wash-down without chemical pooling. The angled edges also work with the overall design of the LP Uni-Guide to prevent any contamination from accumulating in the assembly. This makes the LP Uni-Guide a perfect design selection for food processing tasks.

Available with hand-brakes for quick manual adjustment and positioning, extended carriages for enhanced load dispersion and standard tap holes for mounting ease, the Low-Profile Uni-Guide is a versatile product that can be tailored to meet the customers’ needs.

PBC Linear
UniGuide.pbclinear.com

::Design World::

PBC Linear’s Integral V™ Extends the Reach for Equipois zeroG™

Rockford, IL – Equipois, a mechanical design firm that provides ergonomic solutons, works tirelessly to reduce labor strain and improve efficiency in machine-tool applications. Their latest product, the zeroG™, allows for heavy machining tools (grinders, cutters, drills) to be suspended mid-air—providing easy access and operation while eliminating heavy-lifting! For one of their latest applications, Equipois approached PBC Linear for a complimentary linear guide system to the zeroG™ to be installed into a grinding work-area.

Successful linear guidance rested on two factors: ease of movement and load handling. The application required a linear system to support the wide working envelope of the grinding area. Fitted with the grinding tool, the zeroG™ weighs 100 lbs. The linear guide system needed to support the heavy moment load of the grinding arm while smoothly traveling along the guide rail at the hands of the operator.

Integral V™ Technology (IVT) was the solution. Introduced as the next generation linear guide, IVT is designed for heavy load support, precise guidance, and smooth travel. Each IVT linear guide aluminum extrusion is precision-machined using PBC Linear’s patent pending SIMO™ process. This creates a stronger, more rigid extrusion that matches the strength of steel—allowing IVT to easily handle high static/dynamic loads. The SIMO™ process machines all critical sides of an aluminum extrusion in one pass, creating a remarkably straight surface (tolerances held within ± .001’’). This eliminates the need for fasteners, and drastically reduces alignment/installation time while ensuring high accuracy.

Reduced costs and simplified assembly are very attractive reasons to choose IVT, but the proof lies in the performance. Equipois needed a guide system to support a high roll moment load (the zeroG suspends tools using an extendable/moveable arm attached to the linear guide). Once installed, the Integral V™ linear guide system easily tolerated the required static/dynamic loads (IVT Double Bolt-on tested for roll moment loads of 338 N-m static and 374 N-m dynamic). Gothic arch dual row bearings provided smooth, hand-operated travel of the linear guide; allowing the zeroG™ to be freely used throughout the grinding area.

Easily adapted into the Equipois system, IVT worked great with the zeroG™. The grinding tool operator could bend, pull, align and grind with ease, and IVT gave enhanced movement and freedom to the tooling area. For more information on Integral V™ Technology (IVT); such as more application examples and detailed technical data, please call 1.800.729.9085, email to marketing@pbclinear.com or visit us at our homepage at IVT.pbclinear.com.

For more information on Equipois zeroG™ or any other of their strain reducing, problem solving products, please visit their website at http://www.equipoisinc.com.

PBC Linear
www.PBCLinear.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

PBC Linear Launches Complete ML series

Rockford, IL — For precise linear travel in a small foot-print, PBC Linear has launched the ML series of miniature linear actuators. This new product has an instant fit with small-scale automation markets: such as laboratory, medical and packaging applications. Compact, lightweight and remarkably powerful despite its small footprint (28 x 32mm), the ML series mini-actuators were designed for performance and customer satisfaction in single and multi-axis assemblies.

Launching this month with three new actuating styles, MLB, MLC and MLD, the ML series puts the control in the customers’ hands by letting them choose the configuration that best suits their application. The MLB comes complete with a state-of-the-art motor for powered, automated control. The MLC features a motor mount for easy coupling to a motor of the customers’ choice. Finally, the MLD has a hand-turned knob and break for precise, manual control applications.

The ML series features several design improvements that promote high performance, precise travel and power. The outer body profile is precision machined using PBC Linear’s patented SIMO™ process. The SIMO™ process gives the actuator concurrent and consistent machining on all critical edges—ensuring extremely tight tolerances and high accuracy mounting. It also reduces weight, allowing for a smaller motor to drive the actuator. The ML series “dovetail” style carriage comprises 14 plane bearing surfaces, supporting low-friction, smooth motion, and quiet travel. Optional single or dual external linear guide supports can be added for enhanced stability and load capacities.

Internally, the ML series mini-actuators are built for performance. With a larger diameter lead screw, the ML series can support higher load capacities at greater accuracy. Duplexed, lead screw support bearings provide high stiffness, increased thrust load, and repeatability. An optional anti-backlash nut is also available on the ML series for applications that require high bi-directional accuracy. The final assembled product is at the pinnacle of both precision and performance, delivering long-lasting linear guidance to tight, diminutive spaces.

PBC Linear
MLA.pbclinear.com

Pharmacy Sorting Robot Glides with Redi-Rail Linear Guides

Rockford, IL – Pharmaceutical automation cuts dispensing costs, ensures accuracy and increases thru-put, allowing pharmacies to recover their investment, ensure quality and lower costs to consumers. PBC Linear’s Redi-Rail® linear guide was installed as a replacement positioning system for Manchac Technologies’ fully automated pharmaceutical robot, the Dosis L60. Chosen for its precision linear guidance, sealed bearings and oil impregnated wipers, Redi-Rail® ensures smooth, quiet and reliable travel. This allowed the Dosis L60 to fill, seal and label 30 day prescription cards.

Manchac Technologies provides accurate and immediate prescription sample dispensing. Delivered in a compact footprint (7 ft²), the Dosis L60 system sorts, counts, fills and labels 60 different oral medications for pharmaceutical use without user intervention. Originally this was accomplished using contact trucks and rails assembled into an XY gantry. However, the contact rails would experience periodic binding and system failure due to misalignment and vibration. This would cause severe downtime and skyrocketing repair costs—particularly if the system was out in the field. Lubrication was also periodically applied, but due to the environment and the sensitive prescriptions being handled, the required amount of lubrications was too messy and posed a risk of possible contamination of the prescriptions. Finally, Manchac decided to search for a more apt linear guide product.

The Dosis L60 functions in a controlled environment to protect the prescriptions and run correctly. Pill dust frequently builds up inside the machine and can be corrosive to certain materials. Therefore,

Manchac required a precision linear guide system to glide over accumulated particulate and consistently perform all automated tasks.

PBC Linear’s Redi-Rail® linear guides were the answer. Its reasonable price, sealed bearings, corrosion resistance and oil impregnated wipers made it a very attractive candidate. Redi-Rail® uses a post-processed, anodized aluminum extrusion with hardened stainless steel inner raceways to assure rigidity and precision. The rails are composed of anodized aluminum to provide light weight without losing strength. Redi-Rail’s high accuracy pre-loaded sliders utilize precision-ground, double-row ball bearing gothic rollers for fast (10 m/s) operation, high system rigidity and quiet linear motion. The sealed bearings also roll smoothly over accumulated particulate and restrict further contamination. Additionally, oil impregnated wipers allow for timely and clean lubrication along the rail.

After installed, Manchac noticed immediate improvement in the performance of the Dosis L60. Initial testing showed a 20-30% decrease in motor current required for operation. Redi-Rail also allowed for higher travel velocities without chatter or binding. The installation process was also simplified with Redi-Rail®, supplying high accurate mounting without the threat of misalignment.

PBC Linear
CRT.pbclinear.com

PBC Linear Actuator Gives Green Energy a Lift

In an economy that is gearing more towards green energy, PBC Linear is helping lay down the initial framework. Utilizing the high-accuracy PLA linear actuator, a cutting edge US company that manufactures silicon ingots from solar furnaces is able to sustain smooth, quiet and long-lasting operation for the their specially designed furnace damper that controls temperature for the ingots crystals. These ingots, in turn, are used in the production of electricity generating solar panels for cleaner and renewable energy.

To create a solar panel, silicon ore needs to be fused in a furnace similar to how glass is made from sand. These furnaces are immense, and require a multitude of precision components to work in harmony for the succesful creation of silicon ingots. The ingots are then sliced into thin sheets for the fabrication of the solar panels. If this delicate process is upset, production time and cost would exponentially increase as these furnaces are heated to thousands of degrees and take days to cool down for servicing. PBC Linear’s PLA actuator was installed to control the furnace’s heat damper during the process cycle. The damper provides precise temperature control during the process. To control the critical lifting and positioning of the damper, the manufacturer required a linear system that was low cost, precise and reliable in order to compete on an international level.

The PLA ball-screw driven linear actuator was the answer. The PLA stands out from its competition with its SIMO™ (Simultaneous Integral Milling Operation) machined profile that mills out tight, consistent tolerances on all sides of the system to ensure repeatable guidance at no added cost. The PLA is also equipped with Integral V™ Technology (IVT) to provide enhanced precision guidance of the actuator’s V-rollers. When these advantages combine together, they create a superior linear actuator with no additional costs to the end user.

The silicon ingot manufacturer was immediately impressed with the PLA’s performance and reliability. Since implementation, the actuator has been running successfully, aiding in the production of solar panels and helping jumpstart the renewable energy industry.

For additional information on the PLA linear actuator, PBC Linear’s patent pending SIMO™ process, or the cost reducing Integral V™ linear guide system, please visit their dedicated pages: LAT.pbclinear.com, SIMO.pbclinear.com, and IVT.pbclinear.com.

www.pbclinear.com

Linear Slide Moves Up Smoothly

Roscoe, IL - A manufacturer of silicon wafer handling equipment touts the ability of its equipment to deliver smooth vertical transportation of wafers. Such smooth motion comes from the Uni-Guide linear slide, from PBC Linear. 

Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) Pod safely transports wafers between production processes. The Pods are attached to a Pod elevator that allows a robot to horizontally pick and place the wafer into the tool. Smooth vertical motion is essential to prevent damage to the wafers.

In this manufacturer’s wafer handling equipment, wafers are stacked in a cassette housed in a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) Pod for safe transport between processes. The Pods provide a mini-environment (class 1) to prevent contamination and are the temporary home of the wafers during processing. 

The Pods are attached to a Pod elevator, which allows the robot servicing the processing tool to horizontally pick and place the wafer into the tool.   

The Pod elevator must move smoothly to prevent the wafer in the cassette from vibrating free or out of position for the robot.  Either of these conditions could have serious consequences, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damaged wafers. Although the mini-environment protects the wafers, it is necessary that the environment they reside in remain clean (Class 10) to avoid any contamination during the exterior loading and unloading process.  

The automation company originally came to PBC Linear for a chatter or vibration free linear guide that could function in a contaminant-free manufacturing facility without dispersing particulates or requiring lubrication. The Uni-Guide linear slide with its simple two-piece assembly and proven Frelon® J liner was the obvious choice to handle the silicon wafer transport system. 

Each specialized Uni-Guide linear slide is carefully constructed and put through rigorous testing in PBC Linear’s clean workroom environment.

With a proven history in similar applications, the Uni-Guide has a solid track record of precise linear motion without added lubricants.  The customer, however, was also reaching for more; they wanted a turnkey system to act as the heart of the new wafer elevator.  PBC Linear’s team of engineers worked with the customer to design a complete system that simply plugs in with the machine. Subsequently, PBC Linear not only supplied the slide but also began to supply the motors, drive screws, guards, limit switches—preassembled and tested.

Assembled in PBC Linear’s clean workroom, the Uni-Guide is subjected to critical testing for accurate travel and alignment. Measures are taken to ensure the sterile transportation of the Uni-Guide from testing to arrival at its destination.

New Belt Driven Actuator from PBC Linear

Rockford, IL – PBC Linear has expanded the PL series product line by introducing the belt driven PLB actuating system. With its inherent lightweight design, the PLB actuator provides easy installation for long-lasting linear motion. Built for high speed and load applications, the PLB actuator features Integral V™ guided cam rollers, SIMO™ precision machining (Simultaneous Integral Milling Operation), a robust housing system, and a wide range of optional accessories.

The PLB actuator houses patent pending Integral V Technology (IVT) steel raceways to guide the rollers. First introduced in 2008, IVT’s innovative design allows for high accuracy with fewer mounting components at no added cost. Backed by IVT, this cam rolling system not only provides accuracy (within .1mm/m), but supports the steel-reinforced belt for high speed (10 m/s) and high acceleration travel—giving the PLB actuating system a boost over the competition both in price and performance.

In order to further ensure precision linear motion, the entire outer-housing of the PLB has been machined with PBC Linear’s newly developed SIMO process. Concurrently milling on all sides of the actuator simultaneously, PBC Linear can provide highly accurate surfaces with tighter tolerances spared the expense. Composed of anodized aluminum, the outer housing of the PLB also tolerates corrosive environments.This allows for the PLB linear actuator to be both an economical and durable choice when selecting a linear motion solution.

Available with optional dual carriage design, clamps, limit switches, and shaft extensions, the PLB linear actuator can be customized to meet virtually any linear motion solution; such as wash down, clean-room, long travel length, multiple carriage.

www.pbclinear.com