In a recent case study, we detailed how cable-systems manufacturer HELUKABEL helped automate a vertical-farming installation: Cables satisfy the unique demands of vertical farming. In contrast with approaches to optimize the traditional farming of fields, automated greenhouses solutions eliminate issues associated with tight labor markets, guarding delicate or valuable crops, and the need to apply […]
Track roller (cam + wheel) guides
Floor rail system adds flexibility to assembly lines
LOSYCO, a specialist in rail-based intra-logistics and feeding systems, has provided five floor-level LOXrail floor rail system tracks for a German machine manufacturer’s two assembly lines. A newly developed transport solution allows the transport system to be adapted to three different track widths. A telescopic axis connects two customized carriers with a 1.5-ton payload, each […]
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 […]
Machining Center Manufacturing MCM S.P.A. to exhibit at this year’s IMTS
Flexible manufacturing system (FMS) systems leader MCM S.P.A. Machining Center Manufacturing will be participating in the upcoming IMTS show this September at McCormick Place in Chicago — September 12 through 17. They will be at booth # S-8574. MCM will showcase a portion of their eight-machine system FMS, including an RVG pallet system, load stations, […]
Automated farm equipment uses rugged linear components
Precision agriculture is the discretization of farming — defined as the analysis of highly variable (and often unpredictable) landscapes to: • Break larger agricultural fields into smaller discrete sections • Quantify the characteristics (such as soil composition, light, and seed spacing) of each section • Adapt to the variations between sections with automated farm equipment […]
What to consider when specifying a linear slide
Here are some considerations when specifying a linear slide for a new or existing application. By Mike Quinn • LM76 When a design engineer has fully defined a linear-motion application’s requirements regarding travel length, speed, force, and accuracy as well as repeatability, the next question to answer is this: Does an off-the-shelf linear slide (or […]
What are fixed and floating bearings in the context of linear motion?
There are two instances when the terms “fixed bearing” and “floating bearing” are used in linear motion: to describe the support bearings used on ball and lead screws, and to describe linear guides mounted in parallel. And while the meanings of the terms are the same in both situations, their applications are different in each […]
Mechanical properties of materials: stiffness and deflection
In a previous post, we looked at the stress-strain curve and its relationship to various aspects of material strength — tensile strength, yield strength, and fracture mechanics strength, for example. And while we often think of materials and structures in terms of strength, technically, “strength” is a measure of how much force a material can […]
What is curvilinear motion and when is it used?
In single-axis motion systems, travel is typically either linear (in a straight line) or rotary (in a partial or complete circle). But some applications call for a system that combines straight sections of motion with curved sections — referred to as curvilinear motion. Curvilinear systems generally take one of two forms: simple, constant-radii sections (such as […]
What are Hertz contact stresses and how do they affect linear bearings?
Linear bearings that use balls or rollers to carry a load are subjected to Hertz contact stresses — a type of material stress that plays a significant role in determining the bearing’s load capacity and fatigue life. When two surfaces of different radii are in contact and a load is applied (even an extremely small load), […]
