Bene�its of multi axis electric motion systems

When compared with industrial robots, multi axis electric motion systems offer several operational benefits that can help with appropriate specification choices. They include:

Moving heavy loads

General purpose industrial robots often carry a limited load compared to equivalent multi axis systems because they carry the load on an outstretched arm. For machining centres that lift loads above 100 kilograms, this can be an issue. Multi axis electric motion systems offer the capability to move larger and heavier loads over longer distances.

Orientation / mounting position of the system

If the application only requires movement in a few axes, multi axis electric motion solutions with small frames can be mounted overhead and out of the way, making the best use of tight installation spaces. At the same time, the system can be equipped with additional components such as grippers or rotary modules to obtain more axes of motion and meet the requirements of the application.

Dynamics

An important consideration for pick-and-place applications is acceleration times over long distances. Multi axis electric motion solutions can accelerate at 5 m/s or more, rivalling the performance of SCARA and six-axis robots. They are also useful for long-span applications where systems can be converted and extended to 20m lengths. Finally, speed, force and distance requirements can be further customised by selecting a belt, linear motor, or ball screw solution as appropriate.

Accuracy and precision

End users can upgrade industrial robots to achieve a myriad of accuracy levels by changing the actuator. Spindle driven axes provide positional accuracies of 0.02mm, but if lower accuracies of 0.2mm are acceptable, users can save costs by changing to a toothed belt driven axis. For some applications, a pneumatic solution may provide the best value solution. Precision is key in high-end applications such as machine tools. For applications where SCARA and six-axis robot arms cannot maintain accuracy due to arm deflection, it is worth considering a multi axis electric motion solution with highprecision linear bearings.