Round rail linear guides can offer the lowest overall cost of ownership, but machine designers often specify profile-rail for its compactness as well as its higher rigidity, load capacity, and accuracy. Here’s how to extend the life of these linear-motion components. By Curtis McCreight • product line specialist | Thomson Industries Dave Buckley • industrial […]
New SX series Linear Shaft Motors boast greater power in mid-size package
Nippon Pulse now offers a new series of motors to its extensive line of Linear Shaft Motor servomotors. The SX series features high-energy magnets for greater force in mid-range sizes, to supplement the existing sizes of the standard S-series motors. The SX series motors are available in 6, 8 and 10mm shaft diameters. Each size […]
Simplifying overhead machine tending with long-travel automation
Cartesian robots with the right design upgrades can assume manual transfer operations. By Michael Everman • Founder and CTO | Bell-Everman Manufacturing and packaging operations using manual material or parts handling operations can reap immediate benefits from automation with long-travel Cartesian robots having custom end-of-arm tooling (EoAT) and advanced sensing capabilities. These robots can support […]
Track roller linear guides: Two needs for lubrication
Many track-roller linear guides necessitate lubrication at two different points in their assembly: Within the rolling-element rotary bearings at the heart of each track-roller wheel and Along the linear track-roller raceway. As with most any mechanical power-transmission devices, lubrication of these two critical areas extends the linear guide’s service life by minimizing or eliminating the […]
Ballscrew splines updated for 21st-century technological needs
The two types of ballscrew splines from NB Corp. are the SPBR and the SPBF. The SPBR type has a rotary ballscrew nut and rotary ball spline nut. The rotary ballscrew nut is an integration of ballscrew nut and angular contact bearings. The rotary ball spline nut is an integration of ball spline nut and […]
Mobile version of Gates Design Power now available
Gates just released a mobile version of Gates Design Power — a digital design tool to support the engineering of belt drive systems on customers’ mobile devices. “With the launch of Design Power Mobile, we’re demonstrating our ongoing commitment to accelerate our Chain to Belt initiative, driving the conversion of legacy drive technologies to clean, […]
Bosch Rexroth adds new BSCL Ball Rail to linear-guide portfolio
Bosch Rexroth now offers a new lineup of BSCL linear guides. The new BSCL ball rails address applications requiring linear bearings in the mid-performance range, and the new structural design delivers an optimum price to performance ratio. BSCL ball rails are available in five sizes, six runner block types, three preload classes and three accuracy classes. […]
High-school students win the 2022 Bishop-Wisecarver Innovation Award
Motion-solutions provider Bishop-Wisecarver recently awarded Luna Zarco from Pittsburg High School in California the 2022 Bishop-Wisecarver Innovation Award for her automated design submission for the agriculture industry. Maurice Straubhaar from another Bay-area school — Ygnacio Valley High School — also earned an Innovation Award for his design targeting the packaging industry. “Between Bishop-Wisecarver’s Manufacturing Day […]
LINAK U.S. Inc. once again expands Louisville campus (now to more than 39 acres)
LINAK U.S. Inc., the largest subsidiary of the Danish and family-owned manufacturer, has acquired a new building in Louisville, KY, to expand operations at their North and South American headquarters. After 29 years, and multiple expansions in Louisville, LINAK, a worldwide leader in electric linear actuation solutions, is committed to adding more value for design […]
Vesconite material gives rail-transport equipment decades of service
Actom Signalling, a Southern African railway signal-equipment company, has found minimal wear in accelerated wear testing on Vesconite slides in its point machines. These machines control railway tracks and switch the tracks to which particular trains will be directed. Actom engineering projects and contracts development technician Wayne Meyer confirms the test results. Testing was executed […]