Accuracy and repeatability are standard specifications that describe how a linear motion system behaves along its travel and how closely it reaches the intended position. Resolution, on the other hand, is less often included in performance data for linear motion systems, but it can be equally important as accuracy and repeatability in some applications. In […]
Linear Motors Archive
Get the latest product news, technical info, and FAQs about linear motors.
Linear motion designs see wider adoption of linear direct drives
Direct drives are a motion-control technology projected to see high rates of adoption in coming years, according to market research by the ARC Advisory Group. That’s due in part to an array of industries driving for higher throughput and more accurate processes. According to Brian Scott, applications engineer at Nippon Pulse America Inc., linear shaft […]
Profitable design of linear motion: Choosing between DIY or turnkey builds
Engineers building linear motion systems can use ground-up DIY approaches or purchase complete turnkey solutions. Here we explain where each tactic is most profitable. By John Brokaw and Kent Martins | Valin Corp. How should designers pick between building linear-motion designs in-house or purchasing pre-engineered assemblies? What is there to consider when determining the best […]
New linear motor designs improve speed and positioning
Linear motors enable maximum precision and dynamic performance in various motion control tasks. These include not only rapid traverse, but slow, constant speed traverse of machine heads, spindle slides, tool management systems, part handling devices and more. There are considerable cost savings to be realized when various mechanical components are replaced by simple and efficient […]
What is cogging in linear motors?
Linear motors are generally classified by the construction of the motor’s primary part: ironless or iron core. In an ironless linear motor, the windings of the primary are embedded in an epoxy resin, whereas the windings of an iron core linear motor are mounted in an iron lamination stack. The lamination contains teeth, or protrusions, […]
High-speed linear actuators: What qualifies them as high speed?
Like many terms used in the linear motion industry, such as “heavy duty,” “miniature,” and “corrosion-resistant,” to name a few, there is no industry standard that specifies what constitutes a “high-speed” linear actuator. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines that manufacturers follow when classifying and marketing their actuators as high speed. These guidelines are typically […]
What are can stack linear actuators?
Can stack linear actuators are based on can stack stepper motors, which are a form of permanent magnet steppers that consist of two stators (and therefore two coils) stacked on top of each other. The poles of each stator are “claw tooth” design and are offset from each other by one-half of the pole pitch. […]
MKS offers Newport high-performance (linear-motor-driven) Delay line stages
MKS Instruments now sells Newport DLS Series high-performance linear actuators called Delay Line Stages. The DLS series features affordable high performance linear-motor-driven stages with integrated motion controllers. Optimized for retroreflectors, repeatable femtosecond positioning and exceptionally fast traverse speeds, the compact stages are a perfect fit for spectroscopy applications that require single or multiple delay lines. With travel […]
Podcast: Scott of Nippon on iron core, U-channel, and tubular linear motors
In a recent Technology Tuesdays podcast, Brian Scott, application engineer at Nippon Pulse America, talked to me a little bit about linear motors including iron core, U-channel, and tubular linear motors … and the benefits and drawbacks of each. He also shed some light on the major design objectives OEMs cite when migrating axes to linear motors. Click here […]
What are linear stepper motors?
Like most linear motors, a linear stepper motor is essentially a variation of the rotary design, cut radially and laid out flat. Similar to their rotary counterparts in operation and performance, linear stepper motors are typically run as open-loop systems and are capable of providing high resolution at high speeds and accelerations. The linear stepper motor almost exclusively […]
