In dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic many companies have volunteered or been requested to produce urgently needed medical products such as masks, gowns, and ventilators. Tooling up quickly to produce medical grade products for some companies can bring challenges. In addition to needing FDA-compliant materials that will be used in the actual masks, gowns, and […]
Linear motion in medical applications: Voice coil actuators in ventilators
More and more, medical device manufacturers are replacing traditional components with smaller, lighter-weight options that have sufficient life and reliability for “life-critical” applications. One such example comes from manufacturers of ventilators, who are using voice coil actuators to control the valves that deliver air to a patient who’s unable to breathe on their own. Ventilators are […]
New DR Series compact electric cylinders from Oriental Motor
Oriental Motor now sells DR Series compact electric cylinders based on 28-mm AZ Series or PKP Series stepper motors. The DR Series is available with an AZ Series or 2-phase PKP Series base motor. The DR Series is a linear motion actuator that incorporates a precision ball screw into a stepper motor … saving space, […]
What are rail brakes and when should you use them?
The servo and stepper motors that drive linear motion systems often include a braking function, or, in the case of stepper motors, detent torque that helps prevent the motor (and, therefore, the load) from moving when powered off. But in some applications, a secondary brake is required — either to provide redundancy and meet safety requirements […]
Linear shaft motors see increased force capabilities thanks to advances in magnets
By Paul Denman • Applications engineer and business development • Nippon Pulse America Today most linear-motion designs execute their strokes with actuators based on stepper motors or brushless dc (BLDC) servo motors. Such designs have an inherent complexity due to the fact that the motors and its gearing and encoder must essentially hang off the […]
Linear guides, power transmission, actuators see unexpected applications
Our 2020 survey of the industry indicates an unabated trend towards more automation of previously static or manually tended systems. Key to these new offerings is installation simplicity for OEMs and end users of linear components for linear axes … as well as positioning stages and Cartesian robots. In fact, Cartesian robots (also called linear […]
How to reduce the effects of stiction (stick-slip) in linear guides
Unless you’re playing the violin, stiction, or stick-slip, is an unwanted condition caused by the difference between static and dynamic friction between the two surfaces. When stiction occurs in linear guides, it can lead to chattering (“jerky” motion), seized motion, fluctuating torque requirements, or a loss of accuracy in the form of overshooting. What causes stiction? […]
What are some alternatives to L10 bearing life?
If you work with linear ball or roller bearings, you’re familiar with the L10 bearing life equation, which states that bearing life is equal to the bearing’s rated dynamic load capacity, divided by the applied load, raised to a power of 3 (for ball elements) or 10/3 (for roller elements). Introduced in 1947 by Gustaf […]
XY2Z-theta motion system improves wafer inspection for the semiconductor industry
For more than fifty years, the Dutch linear-motion company PM has developed and produced precision linear and rotating bearings and slides. It focuses on applications requiring smoothness and stiffness from their linear bearings … and continues to expand its standard range of linear components. But customization is becoming the norm — and now, catalog products […]
What are differential roller screws and how do they differ from planetary designs?
Traditional roller screws — sometimes referred to as planetary roller screws — can produce axial forces comparable to hydraulic cylinders, with the speed and precision capabilities of ball screws, at a price point that falls between the two. A variation of the planetary roller screw — referred to as a differential roller screw — reduces some […]
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