With the range of linear actuators on the market, it’s becoming easier for machine builders and end users to find a standard or “customized standard” product that meets even the most unique application requirements. But there are still times when it makes sense, from a financial or technical standpoint, to design and build an actuator […]
Applications
Guide systems that turn corners
The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, but some applications dictate moving in curved sections and around corners. When two or more axes are combined, as in a Cartesian or gantry system, a method of control called contouring can be used to create radii and round the corners of traditional rectilinear coordinates. […]
Linear systems for nanopositioning
When we talk about linear motion, we typically discuss applications where the travel distance is at least a few hundred millimeters, and the required positioning is in the range of a few tenths of a millimeter. And for these requirements, guides and drives with recirculating bearings are a good fit. Case in point: the lead […]
Kaman Measuring now sells SMT-9700 position and displacement system for analytical and OEM applications
The Measuring Division of Kaman Precision Products, Inc., a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance, precision non-contact position measuring systems, announces the availability of its SMT 9700 position/displacement system, which provides high resolution noncontact position/displacement feedback of virtually any electrically conductive target. Kaman’s flexible SMT 9700 features easy, cost-effective performance customization that […]
Linear motion calculator android app from H2W Technologies
To help customers understand their motion requirements and translate them into acceleration and force values, H2W Technologies has developed an Android application that solves linear motion calculations with a range of velocity profiles. This helps the user understand which product might work best for their particular application. The motion profiles available in the calculator include […]
A guide to plain bearing materials in linear motion applications
One of the benefits of plain linear bearings is their simplicity. Especially when compared to recirculating bearings, plain bearings are easy to specify, install, maintain, and replace. But don’t let that simplicity fool you. Choosing the wrong bearing, or more specifically, the wrong bearing material, can result in poor performance, degradation of the bearing, or […]
Morning preview at IMTS 2016 for Wednesday September 14 — Global automation
The third day of IMTS 2016 is getting into full swing here at McCormick Place in Chicago. Today’s schedule is special in that a co-located summit on the IoT is taking place in Room W196-C. More specifically, this is a Global Automation & Manufacturing Summit held during Industrial Automation North America 2016 from the hosts of Hannover MESSE. In fact, the IIoT […]
How to calculate velocity from triangular and trapezoidal move profiles
When designing and sizing a linear motion system, one of the first steps is to determine what type of move profile the application requires, since this determines how to calculate velocity and acceleration, and has a significant effect on their average and maximum values. Velocity and acceleration are two fundamental aspects of any linear motion […]
A summer tribute to linear motion
Amusement parks are a staple of summer vacation, with over 375 million attendees annually in North America alone, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. (Worldwide annual attendance figures are around one billion!). And for many of us, the appeal of amusement parks can be summed up in two words: roller coasters. […]
How to calculate beam deflection
There are many situations in motion applications where a linear guide or actuator isn’t fully supported along its entire length. In these cases, deflection (due to the component’s own weight and due to applied loads and forces) can affect the running properties of the bearings and cause poor operation, in the form of premature wear […]