Ball splines were once a staple for machine designers seeking an elegant way to integrate rotary and linear motion. Driven by pressures to speed their machines to market, many designers found it faster to implement prepackaged solutions in which rotary and linear motion shafts had already been integrated. By Charles Isaac • Thomson Industries Chris […]
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New linear position detector series from Nidec
Nidec Machine Tool Corporation will launch the MPLS series, an inductive coupling principle-type linear position detector that determines a machine’s position and detects its feed digitally, on November 1st. Intended for compact machine tools, it uses a signal-detection method and integrates numbers of substrates to realize a simple structure that does not require scale wiring […]
A better control method for laser materials processing: Part 2 of 2
(This is the second article in a two-part series, the first of which can be found here.) Dr. Cliff Jolliffe Head of Automation Market Segment Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH Modular controllers offer an easy and straightforward way to link a laser to multi-axis positioning systems. For instance, PI’s ACS Laser Control Module (LCM) introduces a […]
Linear and rotary motion components satisfy aerospace requirements
Linear guides, cam followers, and crossed-roller bearings can satisfy the demanding requirements for space-flight hardware. By IKO engineering staff | www.ikont.com As space activity shifts from governmental agencies to a growing industry driven by commercial entities and even startups, the types of spacecrafts and the missions they support are also expanding. This diversifying industry is […]
A better control method for laser materials processing: Part 1 of 2
New modular controllers offer flexible solutions for linking a laser to multi-axis positioning, making it easier for system integrators to design and build advanced systems for a new age of laser applications. Dr. Cliff Jolliffe Head of Automation Market Segment Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH This is Part 1 of a 2-part series of articles on […]
Elevator stages feature 0.03 micron resolution
Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc. (OES) has released two new motorized elevator stages, the DAG20-120-01 and the DAG20-120-04. These high-resolution, compact, low-profile elevator stages feature high stability 120 x 120 mm tables and 20 mm of vertical travel. High precision ball bearing profile rails assure high parallelism and smooth motion throughout the raising and lowering of […]
igus offers custom toothed belt pulleys delivered in 48 hours
igus is expanding its 3D-print and online ordering offering to include custom format toothed belt pulleys. Toothed belt pulleys are a common component in many machines and are widely used in linear drives of printers, robots, and packaging machines. However, if an individual variant is required, developing a custom component can take days or even […]
Enhancements to Thomson online ball screw configuration tool simplify selection and ordering
Thomson Industries, Inc. has enhanced its online ball screw selection tool to include online configurability options, expert guidance and faster performance. Design engineers using the tool will now have access to more capabilities and expert guidance in configuring end machining, end fixity, thread lengths, nuts and related assembly preferences. An interactive reference table is updated, […]
PI offers new stepper motor translation stages for precision automation
The new L-836 Stepper Motor Linear Slides from PI (Physik Instrumente) are a newly designed motorized linear translation stage family that combines high performance, small dimensions, and low cost of ownership. These compact micro-positioning translation stages are driven by a robust, direct-drive rotary stepper motor, available as in-line design and folded drive train design for […]
Linear axis provides precision, stability for semiconductor manufacturing equipment
With the new TBS Linear Axis offering from ETEL, semiconductor equipment manufacturers can now integrate a high-precision linear axis enabling outstanding performance in term of accuracy and precision in its category of one-Degree-Of-Freedom (1-DOF) systems. With its ISO 2 rating for cleanrooms and incorporated HEIDENHAIN Group encoder technologies, the TBS provides high cleanliness and accuracy […]
