MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS
The Vega semiconductor backend inspection machine owes its high accuracy to the fact that all centers of gravity and driving forces go through one plane. PM engineers used their linear-bearing expertise and knowledge from the production floor to perfect the motion system.
Stages, rotary tables, and gantries
take application-specific iterations MOTION DESIGNS TODAY must offer simplicity in setup and startup,
which is why component suppliers execute more integration than ever of positioning stages, rotary tables, and gantry setups for OEMs and plant engineers. Most of these solutions include all the axes’ motors and drives as well as the controller for quickly electrical and mechanical connection — and easy networking to other machines as well as supervisory control systems such as PACs. Of course, increased need for networked controllers and drives has come with ever-faster communication protocols such as EtherCAT. Other manufacturers leverage the power of automation controllers designed to control axes of motion as well as the rest of the machine. These accept all I/O for seamless control of whole operations — which relieves OEMs and plant engineers of the integration burden.
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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION
3 • 2020
XY2Z-THETA MOTION SYSTEM SPEEDS SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER INSPECTION 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 account for only around 30% of sales. Customization usually begins with the machine builder asking for slight changes to some standard component — for just a bit more precision or a smaller footprint or an additional mounting option, for example. 30% of PM’s business is here. The final third of PM’s business is in supplying ultra-precise positioning solutions. That’s in part because very few end users consider such designs to be their core competency. Here, PM collaborates with customers to build motion systems … and continually works towards projecting the design features likely to be required by industry over motioncontroltips.com
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