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

Linear Motion Tips

“Off-highway vehicle manufacturers are taking a long, hard look at the way they use motion control systems in their equipment. Once dominated by hydraulic systems, construction equipment is increasingly equipped with electric actuators that automate a large number of tasks,” says Rob Gallagher, Thomson Marketing Communications Manager, Global. “Electric linear actuators are easier to install, integrate with modern computer based control systems and are smaller, lighter and cleaner than hydraulic systems – all attributes that brighten the bottom line.”

Design engineers responsible for building next generation construction vehicles can reduce design, inventory, installation and operating costs, while increasing operator safety and productivity, by leveraging electromechanical actuators for throttle control, quick attachment of external devices, hood lift, cab-tilt and spool valve control operations. This guide provides a framework to help them better understand the tangible benefits that can be achieved converting to electric linear actuators, and is a helpful starting point to navigate the available actuator technology options.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com

Linear Motion Tips

Thomson Ultra Light Aluminum LinearRace Shafting can be combined with self-lubricating Thomson FluoroNyliner® Bushing bearings to deliver high performance linear motion in applications with heavy loads, high contamination and corrosive environments. It can also be paired with new FDA and USDA-compliant Thomson Food Grade FluoroNyliner Bushing bearings for use in food processing, pharmaceutical and medical applications.

For more robust application requirements, Thomson also has available stainless or carbon steel 60 Case® Shafting. Genuine Thomson 60 Case Shafting is available in diameters up to 2 in. in full random lengths, or can be cut to specification with no extra cut charges. A complete range of special machining is available to satisfy specific application needs, with no setup fees. Genuine Thomson Ball Bushing® Bearings, in combination with 60 Case Shafting, last up to 50% longer than imitation bearings and shafting.

Thomson
www.thomsonlinear.com

Linear Motion Tips

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.

Linear Motion Tips

“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

Linear Motion Tips

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

Linear Motion Tips

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

Linear Motion Tips

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

Linear Motion Tips

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

Linear Motion Tips

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

Linear Motion Tips