In linear motion applications, ball screws are widely recognized for their ability to provide high thrust forces, while linear motors are gaining market share in high-speed applications, and belt drives continue to maintain their reputation as the best solution for long travel lengths. But rack and pinion drives are the often-overlooked workhorses behind gantry and […]
What are walking piezo motors?
Piezo motors that produce linear motion include linear ultrasonic piezo motors, linear stepper piezo motors, and piezo inertia motors. Although their construction and principles of operation are different, all three designs harness the inverse piezoelectric effect — in which a piezo material expands or contracts when electrical energy is applied — to produce linear movement in a […]
Where are glass scale linear encoders used?
Linear encoders are generally classified by their scanning technology — optical or magnetic. Magnetic encoders use a metal scale (often referred to as a “tape”), while optical encoders use a scale made of either metal or glass. Although magnetic encoders have seen great improvements in resolution and accuracy in recent years, for single-micron and sub-micron […]
Ball screw standards: What you need to know about DIN, ISO, and JIS
If you’re involved in ball screw sizing or selection, you’ve probably noticed that there are several different standards that govern various aspects of ball screw design, from lead accuracy and load capacity to ball nut tolerances and rigidity. Fortunately, in many cases, these standards are in harmony and provide the same (or virtually equivalent) specifications. […]
Profiled rail accuracy: When accuracy class doesn’t tell the whole story
You’ve chosen a profiled rail and bearing for a high-precision application — machining, cutting, or metrology, for example. The bearing (aka carriage, or runner block) has good load capacity and rigidity, so it should provide long life and low deflection. But when you integrate the assembly into your application, you notice that the system doesn’t […]
What is sub-divisional error (SDE) in linear encoders?
To determine the position of a linear axis, an encoder read head travels along a scale and “reads” changes in light (for optical encoders) or magnetic field (for magnetic types). As the read head registers these changes, it produces sine and cosine signals that are shifted 90 degrees from each other (referred to as “quadrature […]
7 tools every mechanical engineer should have
As computer programs and mobile apps take over our lives, one of the great things about being a mechanical engineer is that there are still aspects of the job that allow — and sometimes require — us to do things by hand, the “old fashioned” way. Granted, drafting boards and T-squares have been replaced by CAD […]
Heavy-duty but lightweight slide is a solution for transportation and industrial uses
Accuride International announced the U.S. launch of its AL4160 Super Heavy-Duty Aluminum Slide – a strong but light solution that combines a full aluminum body with stainless steel components for diverse transportation and industrial applications. “We designed the AL4160 to address a market need for a slide that supports heavy loads and performs in harsh environments but […]
Selecting shafts for linear bearings: two things you need to know
In a round shaft linear bearing system, the shaft acts as the inner raceway of the bearing and plays a significant role in the wear and life of the system. Both recirculating and plain linear bearings can use a wide variety of shaft materials, depending on the application or environmental requirements. Shafts for recirculating linear […]
What is a gimbal and how is it used?
In simple terms, a gimbal is a pivoting platform that allows an object to rotate around one or more axes. They’re often found in photography and videography applications to stabilize cameras, as well as in navigation systems for ships. In these applications, two or more gimbals are mounted together with orthogonal axes (axes mounted 90 […]
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