New Thomson T60 Precision Range expands Heason Technology’s Linear Actuator Range

Heason Technology (www.heason.com) has announced that it added the latest Thomson T60 precision ballscrew linear actuator to the company’s wide array of positioning solutions. The T60 is a compact and powerful push-rod style actuator with a 38mm diameter hard chromed steel extension tube and 75mmx60mm profile housing for acceleration to 8m/sec2, speeds to 300mm/sec, selectable travel up to 1500mm and direct force to 1000N.

Its simple and yet effective design offers a long life, low-maintenance linear positioning with efficiency, precision and control that will outperform hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder actuators in a very similar format.

The unit has IP65 rate and is designed for harsh environments. The T60 is based on the same successful design of larger T130 and T90 Precision Linear Actuator (PLA) models from Thomson (www.thomsonlinear.com) which both suit a wide range of industrial applications from pharmaceutical manufacture to electronics production, as well as from pick and place systems to packaging automation.

The Thomson T60 is available in the market with a choice of 25mm diameter precision ballscrews with leads of 50mm, 25mm, 10mm and 5mm repeatability with a pre-loaded single nut arrangement for backlash. Its maximum input speed of 3000rpm allows comprehensive choice of motor technologies from speed controlled stepper motors, DC motors or full positioning servo motors. A wide range of accessories also allow side-mount options complete with belt drive arrangements or inline mounting with couplings.

Thomson RoundWay® Linear Roller Bearings

WOOD DALE, IL –Thomson introduces the RW64-V RoundWay® Linear Roller Bearing. The newest and most robust member of the innovative RoundWay family, the RW64-V is a 4 in. version boasting a dynamic load capacity of 70,000 lbf (310,800 N) – more than 20x the load capacity of a conventional linear ball bearing, even at extreme operating temperatures (up to 500°F; 260°C) and speeds (up to 100 ft/s; 31 m/s).

“Thomson RoundWay Linear Roller Bearings are specifically engineered to withstand extreme loads, speeds, temperature and contamination, and have the unique advantage of providing high load capacity without the installation costs typically associated with Profile Rail products – and with significantly greater resistance to environmental contaminants,” says Ellen Steinbrunner, Product Manager. “RoundWay users will also benefit from what we call the ‘RoundRail Advantage’ – a round shaft enables the bearing to rotate, thereby eliminating the potential for induced torsional stresses and facilitating reliable and robust operation, even when mounted on less-than-ideal surfaces,” she says.

Thomson RoundWay Linear Roller Bearings operate on Thomson 60 Case® LinearRace® shafting, and are available in sizes ranging from ½ in. to 4 in. to satisfy varying application needs. They feature concave rollers to reliably handle extremely high loads (up to 70,000 lbf), with a 10 million inch L10 rated travel life. And where conventional linear bearings and guides are limited to top speeds of 10 ft/s, RoundWay chain-link rollers enable high travel speeds up to 100 ft/s (31 m/s). Additionally, the unique chain-link design also enables their use in severely contaminated applications such as metal removal, paper and wood processing, and granite quarrying – applications in which metal chips, paper flour, wood chips and abrasive dust would otherwise quickly destroy conventional linear bearings and guides.

All steel and iron construction promises increased rigidity and durability in extreme environments, even at operating temperatures up to 500°F (260°C). A lateral self-alignment feature means that RoundWay bearings may be out of parallel as much as 0.1875 in., where Ball Bushing Bearings and Profile Rail products require significantly greater parallel alignment to operate. This makes them well suited for use in gantry systems where it is difficult to maintain the necessary 0.001 in. or better parallelism tolerances needed over long rail lengths that may be spread far apart.

Thomson RoundWay Linear Roller Bearings also feature an eccentric trunion pin that enables pitch self alignment for reliable operation in inaccurate mounting surfaces, and ± 0.030 in. height adjustment that can be used to set preload in “locked-in” arrangements – ideal for applications requiring maximum stiffness and minimal deflection. A recirculating ground roller assembly has the ability to span across gaps in a shaft for quicker and more efficient pallet changing in assembly and packaging systems. The recirculating ground roller assembly also provides a dynamic co-efficient of friction of 0.005 and a height tolerance of ±0.003 in. to allow for energy efficient, high load and precise linear motion, with smoother, quieter operation than anti-friction linear bearings and guides.

Learn more in the new Thomson RoundWay Linear Roller Bearings brochure.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.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

Thomson Introduces New Website

WOOD DALE, IL –Thomson introduces Thomsonlinear.com – a content rich site detailing the company’s comprehensive family of mechanical and electromechanical motion solutions, along with a vast array of helpful, time saving and performance optimizing design tools and educational/training resources. Visitors are also able to browse potential motion solutions by industry of interest. Each resource is provided to engineers streamline the design process and optimize the performance of their machine through quick specification of best in class components and systems.

Machine builder’s will quickly find all relevant features, benefits, specifications and ordering information for Thomson actuators, ball screws and lead screws, clutches and brakes, linear bearings and guides, linear motion systems, precision balls and planetary gearheads. They are also able to browse potential motion solutions by industry, including aerospace and defense, electronic assembly, lift truck, medical, mobile off-highway, packaging and converting, personal mobility, semiconductor and textile.

Perhaps most significantly, OEMs have access to the company’s comprehensive and substantive library of design tools and education/training resources, including:
•Sizing software such as Linear MOTIONEERING® and Micron MOTIONEERING® to automate the linear system and planetary gearhead sizing, selection and quoting process
•Attribute-based Product Selectors that automatically identify the optimum components based on user inputs
•On-demand and live technical, educational and non-commercial webinars
•An Engineer’s Toolbar that provides a convenient method of performing common technical calculations
•Configurable 2D and 3D CAD drawings in all major CAD formats
•A library of technical articles and white papers
•Thomson eNews – a monthly enewsletter that covers a wide range of topics including application design, problem-solving insights, product introductions and selection, available literature and online software tools

Machine builders can also check out the company’s training schedule and enroll for upcoming courses, and even request customized, on-site training.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.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

Self-Lubricating Linear Bearing Pillow Blocks from Thomson

WOOD DALE, IL –Thomson introduces “Lube for Life” Self-Lubricating Linear Bearing Pillow Blocks. Lube for Life assemblies eliminate the need for expensive lubrication systems and provide continuous bearing lubrication and enhanced protection for maximum linear bearing life and true maintenance-free operation. Available for open or closed pillow block assemblies, Lube for Life can now be ordered as an option with Thomson Super Ball Bushing® Bearing and Super Smart Ball Bushing® Bearing Pillow Blocks. They come as a complete assembly for new applications, or in a retrofit kit for existing non self-lubricating pillow block assemblies.

Thomson Super Smart Ball Bushing Bearings offer more than 200 times the life of a conventional Ball Bushing Bearing. Combined with a Lube for Life assembly that promises up to three times the life of a bearing that is lubricated just once (and not subsequently) during installation, OEMs and after-market applications can realize big benefits. OEM’s will benefit from maintenance-free machines that deliver significantly longer life and increased reliability to their customers, while MRO specialists who need to replace linear bearings in existing applications will benefit from increased maintenance and replacement intervals for greater machine uptime and throughput.

Lube for Life pillow blocks work through self-lubricating cartridges pressed into each end of the pillow block housing, with the linear bearing itself initially lubricated with EP2 grease. The Lube for Life polymer is under constant pressure against the 60 Case shafting, ensuring a film of lubricant is always present between the ball bearings and the inner race. Thomson 60 Case Shafting is available for same and next day shipment, with no set-up fees on cut-to-length and special machining orders.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com

Thomson Launches Micron MOTIONEERING® Web-Based Gearhead Sizing and Selection Tool

WOOD DALE, IL – Thomson introduces Micron MOTIONEERING®, a new web-based sizing and selection tool for Micron TRUE Planetary™ Gearheads. Micron MOTIONEERING offers “Select by Model Number” or “Sizing and Selection” modes to deliver downloadable 2D and 3D models, expected life calculations, as well as pricing, ordering and delivery information to help machine builders quickly specify the right gearhead to satisfy specific application performance requirements. For users who need it fast, Micron MOTIONEERING also lists all of the size and ratio combinations that are available to ship within 24 hours via the Gearhead Express Program.

Using the “Sizing and Selection” option, users simply enter key technical requirements in a few simple steps, and Micron MOTIONEERING delivers the optimized gearhead solution. Alternately, machine builders who already know the gearhead they need can simply use the “Select by Model Number” option to enter a product line, frame size, ratio and RediMount Motor Mounting System. Micron MOTIONEERING then delivers a specific single part number, pricing and delivery information, as well as a downloadable 2D and 3D model.

The flexible Micron RediMount™ mounting system enables the specified gearhead to be mounted to any of hundreds of the most popular motors available in the industry today in three easy steps – simply align, mount and tighten.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com