Motion System Trends Handbook 2016

designworldonline.com

2016

motioncontroltips.com

MOTION

System TRENDS 吀栀攀 䴀漀猀琀

䤀渀 䤀琀猀 䌀氀愀猀猀

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2016

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TRENDS

LELAND TESCHLER

Motion System

Executive Editor @DW_LeeTeschler

Inside the head of an engineer MANY engineers have not-so-fond memories of slogging through math and physics courses at college for two years before seeing their first real engineering courses. Fortunately, this situation is starting to change. Consider what’s going on at Northwestern University. All freshman engineers there take a course called Design, Thinking, and Communications, which is basically a hands-on introduction to how engineers have to think about design. The coursework includes coming up with and delivering a design for actual customers.

Readers might wonder, as I did, how the heck kids straight out of high school can be expected to design much of anything.

The secret is what might be called on-the-fly coaching on engineering principles. “There is a lot of teaching about how to solve problems specific to their projects, but they don’t learn details about topics like bending moments or stress. That comes in other classes later on,” said Northwestern University Segal Design Institute Co-director Bruce Ankenman. “A group of them might meet for an hour with a mechanical engineering professor who walks them through calculations for something they’ve got to solve. The teaching is just-in-time as opposed to exposing them to all the things they could possibly run into.”

One interesting aspect of the Northwestern course is that some of its instructors aren’t engineering professors. “It used to be that freshman engineers would have English composition classes where they might write about Shakespeare. Twenty years ago we invited people teaching the composition class into the design class. Instead of teaching composition, they now teach communication more broadly in the context of a real design

2

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project,” said Ankenman. “Writing professors now oversee things like the writing of progress reports, user testing guides, and a report where students talk about their initial design ideas and how users responded to them.”

Another noteworthy facet of the course is its emphasis on real-world situations. “The first quarter of the course always focuses on problems involving people with disabilities. One of the big things about design is learning to be empathetic with people who are not like you. We felt people with disabilities would be unlike most engineering students,” said Ankenman. “It also exposes students to thinking about different ways they can use their engineering skills.”

As you might suspect, a lot of student design projects aren’t particularly successful. So you could wonder how kids earn a grade in this course. “They create a big final report that gets graded like any lab report. There’s also a team process grade decided on by the two faculty advisors. And there are many assignments such as creating (CAD) graphics or presenting mock ups. They get criticism and feedback on this work,” said Ankenman. “Most people taking this course get some flavor of an A or a B, or occasionally a C where somebody didn’t do a lot.

To flunk this course, you would have to really work at it.”

Perhaps the best aspect of Northwestern’s course is the motivation it gives engineering students for hanging tough through the next four years. “It’s designed to give kids an understanding of what engineering is about early on, before they’ve gotten discouraged by the amount of work involved,” said Ankenman. “They come out knowing that when they’ve finished their degree, they can go out and do great things.” motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/10/16 3:40 PM

@ Heli-Cal.com

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TRENDS

LISA EITEL

Motion System

Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

Motion showcases today’s cutting-edge technologies IN THIS SECOND annual Design World Motion Trends special, we now have multiple data points to track how far the industry comes in a year.

Love it or loathe it, the Internet of Things (IoT) shows no signs of subsiding. Networking and sensor feedback continues to spread to even simple motion designs on price-sensitive consumer products. Within five years, 17 billion connected devices will include myriad machineto-machine communications. What's more, GE research predicts that in 20 years, the industrial Internet could add $15 trillion to global GDP. Within the motion industry, this means more drives, controls and other components than ever with advanced network-based functions. Drive with autotuning are increasingly common for leveraging feedback and helping with vibration mitigation. More electric motors than ever sport accelerometers on output shafts to collect and communicate motion and machine-health data. Controls not widely available even a year ago can now help plants sift through (and use) terabytes of data every day without logging any of it.

In fact, mobile-device and browser-based access to networked motion designs and machine functions is catching up with the overall IoT, projected to grow at 32% CAGR through 2019 by TechNavio research.

Another trend is that machines using electric motors

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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continue to evolve, with more regulation than ever to force migration to high-efficiency options. Beginning in mid-2016, an updated U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) standard will increase efficiency minimums for ac motors having specialty setups and permanent magnets—types not previously regulated so tightly. The rise and crash of rare-earth element prices (and a recent drop in copper costs) could help long-term growth here.

So, general industry focus on efficiency endures despite low oil-based energy prices. Slowdown in U.S. natural-gas extraction has suppressed the use of some technologies. But production of motion designs for renewables and green engineering—solar-panel positioners, smart-grid automation, and lightweighting of automotive, aerospace and OEM builds—continues unabated. The Energy Information Administration estimates renewable-energy use could grow by 9% in 2016, mostly from new wind and solar plant installations.

Another trend in design engineering—a move toward integrated automation—sees designs that leverage performance controls, smart drives and flexible setups for batch-of-one output. With less time for in-house builds, there’s also a move to more integration upfront.

Opinions differ about what the larger trend to more automation means. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) recently published a white paper collecting data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/10/16 10:57 AM

tlec-mda

WWW.MOTIONCONTROLTIPS.COM manufacturing firms documenting how automation boosts employment.

"Automation is growing globally because companies recognize that to compete, they must win at quality—so they must win at productivity, and win on how quickly they can get products to market. Automation is a great tool to do that," said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, in a recent interview.

In fact, companies must also win at keeping costs in line. Some have found that automating can help here ... so they win new business that in turn spurs company growth, added Burnstein.

Others views have a different bent.

“Automation hasn’t boosted employment in our company,” said Frank J. Flemming, president of Ogura Industrial, in commentary for the Trends in Clutches and Brakes section of this Motion Trends issue.

“In 2006, we produced approximately 20 million clutches and brakes and had around 1,400 employees. Today, we are producing almost 30 million clutches and

brakes with 1,800 employees.”

Production efficiencies have been through automation. Increased use of robotics, transfer conveyors, and spindle machining centers have helped maintain or even reduce costs for some products without increasing employment base, added Flemming.

But sometimes automation has a counterintuitive effect on job growth.

"Companies that can no longer compete are faced with a choice," said Burnstein. "They can send their jobs overseas to a low-cost-labor nation—and face all the challenges there—or shut the business down, losing all the jobs in the process." But Burnstein noted that if automating makes a company a stronger global competitor and win new business, it ultimately helps add jobs.

To support this new manufacturing, there’s unabated growth in STEM education initiatives—especially as more organizations and communities recognize how advancing technology demands stronger scientists, mathematicians and

engineers for tomorrow to support an automation economy in the U.S. Leading this movement are FIRST and private initiatives to spark STEM interest in students of all ages.

On the STEM-education front, one inspiring story comes from SourceAmerica, an organization that hosts an annual high-school Design Challenge. This national engineering competition asks students to create assistive workplace technology for people with disabilities. Students apply STEM skills while working with employees to ensure their design helps.

This year’s finalists include a team from Concord High School in Wilmington, Del., that invented a barcode scanner that categorizes recycled medicine; and students from Copley High School in Ohio, who worked with Akron-based Weaver Industries ProPak to develop a nozzle production-and-packaging system to let disabled employees assemble product 500% faster.

— Lisa Eitel | @DW_LisaEItel

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LINE VOLTAGE

Neutral

Line

The single-phase voltage vector rotates at a given frequency • Typically, 50 or 60 Hz for utility-supplied voltage

Line

Neutral

Important to Know • Voltage is stated as “VAC”, but this is really VRMS • Rated Voltage is Line-Neutral • VPEAK = 2 * VAC (or 2 * VRMS ) • 169.7 V in the example below • VPK-PK = 2 * VPEAK • If rectified and filtered • VDC = 2 * VAC = VPEAK AC Single-Phase “Utility” Voltage Volts (Peak), Line-Neutral

200

120 VAC Example

120VAC

150 100 50 0

Phase Angle freq (Hz)

C

THREE-PHASE

Voltage value = VX*sin(α) • VX = magnitude of phase voltage vector • α = angle of rotation, in radians

Voltages can be measured two ways: • Line-Line (L-L) • Also referred to as Phase-Phase • e.g. from VA to VB, or VA-B • Line-Neutral (L-N) • Neutral must be present and accessible • e.g. from VA to Neutral, or VA-N • VL-L conversion to VL-N • Magnitude: VL-N * 3 = VL-L • Phase: VL-N - 30° = VL-L

-150

0

-800

Time

VRMS =

1 V PK-PK 2 2

VRMS = VAC2

400 200 0 -200

B

-400

-800

B

IB

-600

Time

A-N Voltage B-N Voltage C-N Voltage Three-phase Rectified DC

IC

N

IA

6 3

Real Power • P, in Watts • = instantaneous V * I for a given power cycle

I

Period 1 Mi = 18 points

Time A Current B Current C Current

A

Reactive Power • Q, in Volt-Amperes reactive, or VAr • Q = S2 - P2 • Does not “transfer” to load during a power cycle, just “moves around” in the circuit

10 ARMS Example

IA

Period 2 Mi = 18 points

A

mi = point 7

mi = point 25

For one power cycle

IA

N

N

P≠V*I V

Capacitive load

• The digital samples are grouped into measurement cycles (periods) • For a given cycle index i….

• The digitally sampled voltage waveform is represented as having a set of sample points j in cycle index i • For a given cycle index i, there are Mi sample points beginning at mi and continuing through mi + Mi -1.

• Voltage, current, power, etc. values are calculated on each cycle index i from 1 to N cycles.

PT O T A L = VA - N * IA + VB - N * IB + VC - N * IC

IA PT O T A L ≠ VA - N * IA + VB - N * IB + VC - N * IC

V C-N

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IRMS

QB

Real Power for each Phase • P, in Watts • = instantaneous V * I for a given power cycle

VRMSi =

IRMSi =

Reactive Power for each Phase • Q, in Volt-Amperes reactive, or VAr • Q = S2 - P2

PB

φ

SB PA

SC

• PTOTAL = PA + PB + PC • STOTAL = SA + SB + SC • QTOTAL = QA + QB + QC

φ φ

QA

SA

PC QC

Line-Line Voltage Sensing Case

B IB VB-C

Current is measured L-N

N

IC

L-L voltages must be transformed to L-N reference:

B

VB-N

VA-B

IA

IB

A

N

IC

VA-N IA

A

VC-A

C

Calculations are straightforward, as described above: • PTOTAL= PA + PB + PC • STOTAL = SA + SB + SC • QTOTAL = QA + QB + QC

C

VC-N

Two Wattmeter Method – 2 Voltages, 2 Currents with Wye (Y or Star) or Delta (∆) Winding

S

Q

φ P

Real Power

Note: Any distortion present on the Line voltage and current waveforms will result in power measurement errors if real power (P) is calculated as |S|*cos(φ). To avoid measurement errors, a digital sampling technique for power calculations should be used, and this technique is also valid for pure sinusoidal waveforms.

Voltage is measured L-L on two phases • Note that the both voltages are measured with reference to C phase

mi + Mi - 1 1 V j2 Mi j=mi

Σ

mi + Mi - 1 1 I j2 Mi j=mi

Σ

Real Power (P, in Watts)

Pi =

B

B

IB

Mathematical assumptions: • Σ(IA + IB + IC) = 0 • Σ(VA-B + VB-C + VC-A) = 0

VB-C

This is a widely used and valid method for a balanced three-phase system

Apparent Power (S, in VA)

Reactive Power (Q, in VAR)

PTOTAL = VA-C * IA + VB-C * IB STOTAL= VRMSA-C * IRMSA + VRMSB-C * IRMSB QTOTAL = STOTAL2 - PTOTAL2

Current is measured on two phases • The two that flow into the C phase

Formulas Used for Per-cycle Digitally Sampled Calculations

VRMS

V A-N

φ

IC

IC V C-N

IB

V A-N

Voltage is measured L-L • Neutral point may not be accessible, or • L-L voltage sensing may be preferred

I φ

-9 -12 -15

IB

C

Digital Sampling Technique for Power Calculations�

Delta (∆) 3-phase Connection • Neutral is not present in the winding (in most cases)

C

Apparent Power • |S|, in Volt-Amperes, or VA • = VRMS * IRMS for a given power cycle

9

0 -3 -6

C

B A

V

φ Inductive load

N

Single-phase Real, Apparent and Reactive Power AC Three-Phase "Line" Currents 15 12

A IC

480 VAC Example Three-Phase Winding Connections

C

P≠V*I N

• For inductive loads • The current vector “lags” the voltage vector angle φ • Purely inductive load has angle φ = 90° • Capacitive Loads • The current vector “leads” the voltage vector by angle φ • Purely capacitive load has angle φ = 90°

Important to Know • Current is stated as “lAC”, but this is really IRMS • Line currents can represent either current through a coil, or current into a terminal (see image below) depending on the three-phase winding connection • IPEAK = 2 * IRMS • 14.14A for a 10 ARMS current in the example to the right • IPK-PK = 2 * IPEAK

A-B Voltage B-C Voltage C-A Voltage

480 VAC Example AC Three-Phase “Utility” Voltage 480VAC , Measured Line-Neutral

600

B

For one power cycle

Single-phase, Non-resistive Loads

Line Current Measurements

-600

V B-N

IB

Apparent Power for each Phase • |S|, in Volt-Amperes, or VA • = VRMS * IRMS for a given power cycle

For capacitive and inductive loads • P ≠ V * I since voltage and current are not in phase

120°

-400

800

If a neutral wire is present, three-phase voltages may also be measured Line-Neutral • VL-N = VL-L/ 3 • 277 VAC (VRMS) in this example • VPEAK = 2 * VL-N • 392 V in the example to the right • VPK-PK = 2 * VPEAK

N

A

Like voltage, the resulting time-varying “rotating” current vectors appear as three sinusoidal waveforms • Separated by 120° • Of equal peak amplitude for a balanced load

-200

Line-Neutral Voltage Measurements

Wye (Y) 3-phase Connection • Neutral is present in the winding • But often is not accessible • Most common configuration

Neutral

Current value = IX*sin(α) • IX = magnitude of line current vector • α = angle of rotation, in radians

200

As with the single-phase case, Power is not the simple multiplication of voltage and current magnitudes, and subsequent summation for all three phases.

V B-N

Voltage Current

120°

120°

Like voltage, three-phase current has three different line current vectors that rotate at a given frequency • Typically, 50 or 60 Hz for utility-supplied voltage

VA

AC Three-Phase “Utility” Voltage 480VAC , Measured Line-Line

400

Three-phase, Non-resistive Loads

For purely resistive loads • PA = VA-N * IA • PB = VB-N * IB • PC = VC-N * IC • PTOTAL = PA + PB + PC

Power Factor (PF, or λ) • cos(φ) for purely sinusoidal waveforms • Unitless, 0 to 1, • 1 = V and I in phase, purely resistive load • 0 = 90° out of phase, purely capacitive or purely inductive load • Not typically “signed” – current either leads (capacitive load) or lags (inductive load) the voltage

C

800 600

Three-phase, Resistive Loads

Three-phase, Any Load

ω (rad/s) or freq (Hz)

VA-N

VC

Important to Know • Voltage is stated as “VAC”, but this is really VRMS • Rated Three-phase voltage is always Line-Line (VL-L) • Line-Line is A-B (VA-B), B-C (VB-C), and C-A (VC-A) • Line-Line is sometimes referred to as Phase-Phase • VPEAK(L-L) = 2 * VL-L • 679 V in the example to the right • VPK-PK(L-L) = 2 * VPEAK(L-L)

Time

“True” RMS

Neutral

120°

Line-Line Voltage Measurements

V

Resistive load

B

By definition, the system is “balanced” • Vectors are separated by 120˚ • Vectors are of equal magnitude • Sum of all three currents = O A at neutral (provided there is no leakage of current to ground)

VA-B

P=V * I

I

N

Power Factor

Phase Angle (φ) • Indicates the angular difference between the current and voltage vectors • Degrees: - 90° to +90° • Or radians: -π/2 to + π/2

Line

Neutral

The resulting time-varying “rotating” voltage vectors appear as three sinusoidal waveforms • Separated by 120° • Of equal peak amplitude

If all three phases are rectified and filtered • VDC = 2 * VL-N * 3 = VPEAK * 3 = 679 V in the example to the right

-50 -100

-200

“Not True” RMS

VPK-PK

For purely resistive loads • P = I2R = V2/R = V * I • The current vector and voltage vector are in perfect phase

120°

Volts (Peak), Line-Line

ω (rad/s) or freq (Hz)

THREE-PHASE

Electric Power • “The rate at which energy is transferred to a circuit” • Units = Watts (one Joule/second)

The resulting time-varying “rotating” current vector appears as a sinusoidal waveform

At any given moment in time, the current magnitude is I*sin(α) • I = magnitude of current vector • α = angle of rotation, in radians

A

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SINGLE-PHASE

Like voltage, the single-phase current vector rotates at a given frequency • Typically, 50 or 60 Hz

120° Neutral

120°

VB

• 50 Hz in Europe • 60 Hz in US • Either 50 or 60 Hz in Asia • Other frequencies are sometimes used in non-utility supplied power, e.g.

• 400 Hz • 25 Hz

mechanical static and dynamic power

B

ω (rad/s) or freq (Hz)

Typically, the three phases are referred to as A, B, and C, but other conventions are also used: • 1, 2, and 3 • L1, L2, and L3 • R, S, and T The three voltage vectors rotate at a given frequency • Typically, 50 or 60 Hz for utility-supplied voltage

At any given moment in time, the voltage magnitude is V * sin(α) • V = magnitude of voltage vector • α = angle of rotation, in radians

LINE POWER

SINGLE-PHASE

Three-phase line voltage consists of three voltage vectors.

• By definition, the system is “balanced” • Vectors are separated by 120° • Vectors are of equal magnitude • Sum of all three voltages = 0 V at Neutral

Imaginary Power

• Magnitude (voltage) • Angle (phase) Typically, the single-phase is referred to as “Line” voltage, and is referenced to neutral.

The resulting time-varying “rotating” voltage vector appears as a sinusoidal waveform with a fixed frequency

Identify 3-phase electrical and motor

LINE CURRENT THREE-PHASE

Single-phase line voltage consists of one voltage vector with:

Line Current (Peak)

SINGLE-PHASE

Volts (Peak), Line-Neutral

One Instrument, One Solution

1

Line Voltage, Current, and Power – The Basics

mi + Mi - 1 1 Vj * Ij Mi j=mi

Σ

C

Power Factor (λ)

N

IA VA-C

A

IB

VB-C

C

λi =

VA-C

A

IA

Pi Si

Si = VRMSi * IRMSi

magnitude Qi =

S i2 - P i2

Sign of Qi is positive if the fundamental voltage vector leads the fundamental current vector

Phase Angle (φ)

magnitude Φi = cos-1λi Sign of Φi is positive if the fundamental voltage vector leads the fundamental current vector

| teledynelecroy.com/contactus © 2015 Teledyne LeCroy, Inc. All rights reserved.

behaviors. Built on an 8 channel, 12-bit, 1 GHz oscilloscope platform for power section and embedded control debug – complete test capability.

Learn more about the MDA800 and sign up to receive a Power Basics Poster for free: teledynelecroy.com/static-dynamic-complete

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2/5/16 10:57 2:04 PM 3/10/16 AM

Precision Gearboxes for Servomotors SureGear Precision Servo Gearboxes ®

The SureGear series of high-precision servo gear reducers is an excellent choice for applications that require accuracy and reliability at an exceptional value.

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These planetary gearboxes, available in right-angle, inline, and now hub-style versions, have a thread-in mounting style, along with precision and torque capacity that is best in class.

Example models shown

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• Multiple gear ratios available (5, 10, 15, 25, 35, 50:1) • Uncaged needle roller bearings for high rigidity and torque

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• Maintenance free: no need to replace the grease for the life of the unit

Mates easily to SureServo motors

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The SureServo family of brushless servo systems from AutomationDirect is fully digital and offers a rich set of features at dynamite prices.

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Order Today, Ships Today! * See our Web site for details and restrictions. © Copyright 2014 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved.

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Research, price, buy at: www.automationdirect.com/motion-control AutomationDirect Price/Part Number

Servo Systems

Allen-Bradley Price/Part Number

Digital Servo Drive

$488.00

$1,340.00

100W Servo Motor with connectorized Leads

$325.00 SVL-201

$558.00

Breakout Board Kit for CN1 Control Interface

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10’ Motor Feedback Cable

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$90.00 2090-CFBM6DF-CBAA03

10’ Motor Power Cable

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$101.00 2090-CPBM6DF-16AA03

Configuration Software

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$82.00 2098-UWCPRG

SVA-2040

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ASD-BM-50A

2090-U3BK-D4401

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*SureServo Pro software is FREE when downloaded and is also available for $9.00 on a CD

Complete 1-axis 100W System

$986.00

$2,434.00

All prices are U.S. list prices, AutomationDirect prices as of 6/5/15.

The Allen-Bradley 100W system consists of part numbers shown in table above with prices from www.wernerelectric.com, www.rexelusa.com 5/25/2015.

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3/10/16 12:05 PM

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @dw_editor Managing Editor Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com @dw_3dprinting Executive Editor Leland Teschler lteschler@wtwhmedia.com @dw_leeteschler

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7

3/11/16 11:33 AM

M OT I O N CO N T RO LT I P S .C O M

INSIDE VOL 2 NO 1

P04

Motion showcases today’s cutting-edge technologies

Actuators -Electric ........................................22 Actuators - Pneumatic ..................................26 Ballscrews .....................................................30 Bearings ........................................................34 Belts and Pulleys ...........................................38 Cables and Connectors ................................40 Cable Management ......................................43 Clutches and Brakes .....................................46 Controllers ....................................................50 Conveyors .....................................................54 Couplings .....................................................57 Drives ............................................................60 Encoders ...................................................63 Gearing ..................................................68 Gearmotors...........................................74 HMI Hardware and Software ..............78 Leadscrews ........................................82 Linear Systems ..................................84

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Contents_MCTrends_V1.indd 8

Motors ...............................................90 Networks ............................................98 Positioning Stages and Tables ......... 102

PT Essentials ...................................... 106

Robotics ............................................... 114

Shocks and Damping Components ......... 116

2016

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/11/16 11:25 AM

What’s 15 years to one of our blowers?

A warm-up.

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Fifteen years’ service life is not unusual. These low-pressure, high-volume blowers feature rugged, compact construction and quiet operation. Their proven design makes them ideal in applications from chemicals, wastewater and furnaces to vapor recovery and more. Plus, they’re backed by the industry’s most knowledgeable engineering experts. AMETEK can customize your blower for harsh environments, high voltage and specialized applications, too. So make your next air-moving challenge a breeze.

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AMETEK® has made major capital investments in KERK® facilities, equipment and products—

to ensure robust quality and dependable on time deliveries of custom leadscrew assemblies and linear stages.

Investments at Haydon Kerk Motion

As a leading motion-control solutions

Solutions include full migration to a

provider, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions

unified and expanded KERK facility in

sells high-performance modified

Milford, New Hampshire; expansion of

acme leadscrew and anti-backlash-

tool and molding capabilities; new capital

nut assemblies, stepper-motor linear

equipment; and brand-new material

actuators, and linear-rail and guide

requirements planning (MRP) software.

setups for laboratory automation, medical

So now, Kerk-brand motion products are

instrumentation, military, aerospace,

available with the fast order fulfillment

semiconductor fabrication, and other

and precision engineering that Kerk

industrial applications. Kerk products

customers expect.

provide myriad precision linear-motion solutions for such designs.

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FOR MOTION CONTROL INNOVATION, SOLUTION CITY NEVER SLEEPS.

Whatever keeps you up at night, we’ve got a solution—the largest selection of motors, pumps and air-moving devices available. Plus, one-of-a-kind solutions ready to be custom-engineered for your precision industrial, commercial, combustion or transportation application. If you can dream it, you’ll find it at Solution City.

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7/29/15 11:31 9:14 AM AM 3/10/16

Capital investments from AMETEK Precision Motion Control (PMC) have created a worldclass manufacturing center for Kerk brand products in Milford, New Hampshire.

Planned enhancements to facilities,

this period of transition. Better than ever

equipment and processes began in mid-

before, Haydon Kerk is now positioned

2014 and were successfully completed

to provide its customers with the motion

in the fourth quarter of 2015.

solutions for their application.

AMETEK PMC, Haydon Kerk Motion

To highlight the major enhancements

Solutions and the Kerk Team appreciate

implemented over the past year to get

the support its customers gave through

that done, consider the following ...

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Now complete:

Migration to a new facility for faster service

With all Kerk operations on one campus, everything — including design,

In December of 2014, Haydon Kerk

engineering, manufacturing quality

began work to bring the two Kerk

assurance, and shipping — is now done

facilities together. Originally separated

with more efficiency and communication.

by 12 miles, now they are in two side-

The Kerk team completed full facility

by-side facilities on a single campus in

integration in Milford, New Hampshire in

Milford, New Hampshire. The world-class

August 2015.

manufacturing center has streamlined

Now running:

workflow — aided by a new MRP system shared by multiple plant locations.

Fewer handoffs on projects let product flow through the facility faster (along one efficient circular path) even while maintaining order-fulfillment accuracy. To

New molding capabilities to support applications requiring use of advanced polymers Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions offers

support this workflow, the manufacture

unrivaled design and manufacturing

of linear screws and nuts now happens

flexibility. It has the manufacturing

in dedicated but linked spaces. For

expertise to process any moldable or

example:

machinable material with onsite machine

• Mold-making and molding

machines, and mold-making equipment.

departments are colocated • Tooling, design, and applications engineering share one office for seamless collaboration

tools, state-of-the-art injection-molding Haydon Kerk offers customized nut designs for high-end motion control applications. Precision molded and machined custom nuts create exceptional

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Custom materials for specific requirements These options include specially formulated Kerkite® composites for a molded solution, as well as polymers used and accepted in many

value for an OEM. Rather than trying to fit a standard lead screw assembly into an application, engineers from around the globe can work with the Kerk applications department to develop a custom solution that fits their designs.

Recent additions at the new Kerk facilities include new molding machines and moldmaking software to support quick production order fulfillment as well as prototyping.

industries. Custom solutions are designed by

Prototypes are available within as little as one day from the KerkExpress™ store ...

a team of applications and tooling engineers to

and fully customized leadscrew assemblies in as little as one week.

meet specific customer needs.

• PEEK • Torlon

In addition, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions enhanced its molding processes. Staff tooling designers increased machine run time by reducing tool-change times

• PET-P

to as little as 15 minutes. New automation tools at the Kerk facilities also allow

• Vespel

greater throughput and file downloads straight from engineering. This decreases

• PPS

the threshold for minimum quantity runs and opens up the possibility of molding

Kerk makes precision nuts of PEEK (polyetheretherketone), polyester, Torlon PAI (polyamide-imides), Vespel polyimidebased resin, PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), Ertalyte PET-P (polyethylene terephthalate), and customer-supplied specialty materials.

components for projects requiring special materials in lower volume orders.

As always, Kerk can mold or machine precision polymer nuts made in just about any shape — with extremely complex custom features. Standard Kerk material is self-lubricating polyacetal (for its dimensional stability, good tensile strength, and machine-ability). Kerk polyacetal nuts are impregnated with TFE (tetrafluoroethylene) for a permanent self-lubricating thread-contact surface.

Haydon Kerk also will machine precision nuts from bronze, brass, and stainless steel. Thread diameter for custom nuts is 2 to 24 mm with thread leads from 0.30 to 76.2 mm.

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions also offers a selection of other Kerkite® composite polymers. These high-performance materials have exceptional wear properties and are an excellent value thanks to manufacturing through injection molding. Kerkite polymers provide other mechanical, thermal, and electrical benefits as well.

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Case in point: Consider the details of some specialty Kerk products. Kerkite Nut Material KN30 is a nylon base with carbon-fiber reinforcement and selflubricating capabilities. It has high 43,000-fpm-psi pressure velocity and holds geometrical tolerances as a molded feature better than standard acetal. The material withstands large temperature swings, and its coefficient of thermal expansion is close to the 303SS used for the leadscrews.

Another Kerk formulation—dark-grey Kerkite nut material KP20—has a PPS base with carbon-fiber reinforcement. Used for the follower nut in the RGS® carriage, it has the highest pressure-velocity of all Kerkite materials. PV values are up to 72,000 fpm psi. It holds geometrical tolerances as a molded feature better than standard acetal (and resists myriad chemicals).

Another new Kerkite nut material KPK-20 has a PEEK base and is autoclavable. Yet another nut material, called KAR, has an acetal base with aramid-fiber reinforcement for a low coefficient of friction on non-coated shafts.

Now complete: New tooling to deliver customized solutions

To support the quick design cycle required by OEM engineers, significant capital investment was made to improve custom prototype leadtimes. More specifically, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions recently added three CNC lathes for prototypes and small orders; a large bed VMC for process improvements in screw-rail production; and a new generation screw machine.

All of these changes within Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions were completed to better provide solutions for linear and rotary motion-control needs with a vertical manufacturing model. The team offers myriad

Expanded capabilities at Kerk

motion-control products and capabilities augmented by high-end engineering and application expertise.

1. Enhanced prototyping capabilities with three new CNC lathes

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions can help provide

2. Large-bed VMC to enhance the Kerk Screw Rail production

customers with turn-key solutions that may include

3. New CNC swiss-screw machines to replace old machines

leadscrew, linear stage and motor components, all to suit custom needs.

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3/10/16 12:06 PM

Staff behind Kerk products: Experienced personnel and new talent

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions offers a combined 80 years of design and manufacturing experience in precision linear motion. This includes personnel with decades of experience along with new talent to lead cutting-edge efficiency initiatives. The team behind Kerk motion products is dedicated to one mission — to discover, develop, and deliver solutions that make customers’ products better.

According to recent U.S. Department of Labor data, the average tenure for a manufacturing employee is 5.9 years. In contrast, the average tenure at the Kerk brand facilities is 12 years.

Kerk’s thread-rolling departments have more than 80 years of collective thread-rolling experience.

Kerk’s CNC machining department has more than 400 years of combined experience.

Kerk customers also benefit from the leadership of a new plant manager at Milford. Stan Brown has more than 25 years of manufacturing experience, and is focused on improving the overall customer experience.

What’s more, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions has added applications engineers to its team.

These individuals bring experience from multiple industries, including those related to semiconductor equipment, factory automation, and precision-device manufacturing. These engineers are ready to leverage their experience to help with specific applications.

In fact, Kerk specializes in customization, innovative design, and engineering to meet challenging application needs. Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions has the experience, people, technology, and facilities to design solutions that put challenging ideas into motion. Here, the technical team is ready to assist.

Other recent improvements at the Kerk Milford facility include process upgrades, adoption of environmentally friendly practices, daily production meetings, significant reduction in rapid prototyping lead time, and the establishment of Haydon Kerk’s Kaizen Team to continually improve workflow.

Contact the staff through www.HaydonKerk.com or talk to an engineer about specific applications by calling (603) 213-6290.

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Employee Profile: Stan Brown

Plant Manager at Haydon Kerk Stan Brown recently joined Haydon Kerk as plant manager in Milford. He previously served as plant manager for General Cable in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and Vice President

of manufacturing at Trelleborg.

I’ve always been a hands-on plant manager, and think that total engagement from the whole team here at Haydon Kerk — including the personnel in customer service, production, quality, and even accounting — is what helps us give Kerk customers not just okay support, but excellent support.”

Brown believes that everyone at Kerk’s Milford plant has a hand in the company’s customer-facing approach.

“Haydon Kerk took on two very difficult projects at the beginning of 2014. One was the conversion to NAV material requirements planning or MRP software. The second was the physical move to Milford. Either one of those projects singly would’ve been big. Taking on both of those at the same time was a challenge, so the spring and summer saw service and delivery suffer. The team here did an excellent job to improve that situation in the fall, and has continued that performance trend up to the present,” notes Brown.

In fact, Kerk is now running at zero past dues, and its team looks forward to maintaining that with tracking and a disciplined approach to work-order management.

Brown holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. He’s an avid cyclist, alpine skiier, and rock climber.

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3/10/16 12:06 PM

Employee Profile:

new technology and those who hadn’t. “So essentially

Steve Hann

adopt a SOLIDWORKS-based approach all at once.”

Mold and Tool Designer at Haydon Kerk

we had to upgrade the ways things were done and

However, with in-house training from a reseller, it only took about a month for the team to be fully up and

Steve Hann directs the design of plastic-injection molds

running on the new system.

at Haydon Kerk. Production of Kerk molded-in threads is his main focus, along with designing molds that efficiently produce parts and reduce production times.

I must say that in my 30 years in this industry, this was the biggest technological turnaround I’ve ever seen.

“I must say that in my 30 years of being in this industry, this was the biggest technological turnaround I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen it take other companies years to

“I brought 25 years of experience as a toolmaker as well as

do what we did in 15 months,” said Haan. “It was the

familiarity with SOLIDWORKS tool CAMWorks® to Haydon

perfect combination of the company willing to make a

Kerk. The company was primed to enter 21st-century

significant investment in our facilities and allowing us

manufacturing. Relatively soon after my joining, it bought

to choose the equipment to buy … just a very positive

a VMC milling machine, a CNC EDM machine, and more.

transition.” The shop is now capable of automated

It was strange how it worked out. I joined the company at

operation — even lights-out manufacturing — to build

a fortuitous time,” notes Hann.

molds at night, even after most of the Kerk team has gone home.

In short, the old shop could make smaller and simpler molds and repairs, but with leadership from Hann, Kerk

On a personal level, Haan feels as though he’s trained

procured AMETEK funding to upgrade the tool room with

his whole life for the position he now has at Haydon

some sizeable purchases.

Kerk, because it’s made use of everything he’s learned about moldmaking. When he’s not working at the Kerk

The other piece of the modernization puzzle was software.

Milford facility, Hann plays the bass in a band.

“Kerk already had new software when I joined, so on that front it was just a matter of training tool-room employees on SOLIDWORKS,” says Hann. Then the tool room got rid of all remaining systems based on printed blueprints.

There was a 50-50 mix of personnel who had worked with

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3/10/16 12:06 PM

How Kerk products are tracked and engineered today — Better and more efficiently than ever

Material requirements planning (MRP) software is a

Despite a year of preparation, there were implementation

production planning, scheduling, and inventory control

hurdles. However, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions is now

system used to manage manufacturing processes.

fully operational on its new MRP. That translates into

Over the past two years, Haydon Kerk underwent a

efficient production and ontime delivery every day.

challenging but nevertheless exciting MRP migration to Dynamics NAV Navision.

The software runs across the entire Haydon Kerk family of products. This lets all locations see the big picture,

More specifically, the MRP system was implemented at

share data, and speak the same language. Customers

the Kerk New Hampshire plant in November 2014 and

benefit from the new MRP with thorough information

at the Haydon brand’s Waterbury, Connecticut facility

and better service, as well as better coordination

in February 2015, so now there’s better coordination

among the many different Haydon Kerk products and

between the two brands.

leveraging the MRP system to improve customer experiences.

On a related note, the KerkExpress™ Program now lets customers choose from a variety of standard off-the-shelf prototypes of various linear actuator, leadscrew, and linear-rail products for quick delivery while waiting for a customized application-specific part. This is most suitable for initial concept testing.

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About AMETEK and Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions AMETEK is a global leader in electronic instruments

Kerk Motion Products has designed and

and electromechanical devices. The company

manufactured motion components since

consists of two operating groups. Electronic

1976. Today, Kerk offers an array of precision

Instruments is a leader in advanced instruments

leadscrews, patented anti-backlash nuts,

for the process, aerospace, power, and industrial

and quality rail and guide systems. These

markets. Electromechanical is a differentiated

products offer high accuracy, unsurpassed

supplier of electrical interconnects, specialty metals,

repeatability, and long life in a range of

and technical motors and associated systems, as

motion-control applications.

well as a leader in floor care and specialty motors.

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions was formed For nearly 50 years, Haydon Switch and

in 2008 by combining two world-class brands in

Instrument, Inc. has built electric motors, stepper

the field of linear motion — Haydon Switch and

motor-based linear actuators, and hermetically

Instruments and Kerk Motion Products. Today,

sealed switches for the most demanding of

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions is recognized as

applications. Located on 10 acres in Waterbury,

a leading manufacturer of stepper-motor-based

Connecticut, the company’s ISO 9001 / AS9100

linear actuators, rotary motors, leadscrew

certified manufacturing facility supports today’s most

assemblies, and linear-rail and guide systems

efficient technology and manufacturing methods.

used in niche market applications.

In short, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions offers industry-renowned brands built upon its technical innovation, versatility, customization, product durability, and dedicated customer service.

To learn more about Haydon Kerk capabilities contact: General info email: info.haydonkerk@ametek.com Applications questions: HK.Applications@ametek.com Phone: 603.213.6290 Haydon Kerk website: www.HaydonKerk.com

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3/10/16 12:07 PM

StepSERVOTM combines the best features of stepper and servo systems.

Free samples for qualifying OEMS

Applied-Motion.com/StepSERVO

StepSERVOTM

Servo performance at step motor prices Closed loop for faster response, ideal for high throughput machines 50% more torque Runs cooler, saves power, lasts longer

866-916-6379 www.Applied-Motion.com Email: StepSERVO@applied-motion.com

Applied Motion 7-15.indd 21

Search or shop online today.

3/10/16 11:33 AM

Motion System

TRENDS

ETT, Parker’s tubular electric linear motor technology, is a two-part design consisting of a stainless-steel rod, embedded with round magnets, and an aluminum body frame with potted motor coils. The rod rides in the center of the stator coils and traverses linearly, guided by composite bushings on either end. This design eliminates any moving bearing components, and because the system is fully sealed, no routine maintenance is required.

NEW ELECTRIC ACTUATORS

offer flexibility, energy efficiency NEWER

MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

22

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

Electrical_Actuators_MCT_Vs7.indd 22

electric actuator designs are benefiting from trends in other motion control components, including faster controllers, less expensive drives, and ready availability of Ethernet connectivity, combined with more focus on offering integrated systems.

Some of the biggest improvements over the last decade or so come from the control systems integrated with electric actuators. Plus, faster bus systems, like industrial Ethernet and real-time communication, make the use of electric actuators simpler.

Due in large part to these developments, electric linear actuators continue to be a viable alternative to other linear actuation methods, particularly pneumatic systems, especially when total cost of ownership and maintenance are taken into account.

We asked some manufacturers of electric linear actuators and other linear motion components to weigh in on the trends they’re seeing in the industry, and here’s what they told us.

2016

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/10/16 1:30 PM

The shortest distance to linear motion solutions Easiest, most affordable actuator control solution (ACS)

Single-axis servo or stepper drive and controller • Replace pneumatic cylinders, automate manual processes • Built-in configuration for all Tolomatic actuators • Infinite positioning, precise control • EtherNet/IP™ with ODVA™ conformance for worry-free setup and operation

Visit www.tolomatic.com/ACS

Tolomatic makes it easy to take your machine design from premise to production.

Make your next machine everything you imagine it can be. Optimize cost and performance with our complete single-axis linear motion solutions—actuator, drive, motor and controls. We meet nearly any application requirement, and our online tools simplify specification.

With over 60 years of product innovation and integrity, our technical and customer service support is unequaled.

Great design ideas start on the back of a napkin. Contact us to help you get from point A to point B. Visit www.tolomatic.com or call 877-385-2234.

Download our white paper comparing linear actuator solutions. www.tolomatic.com/Napkin

www.tolomatic.com

Tolomatic_3-16_MCTrends.indd 23

3/10/16 12:44 PM

Motion System

TRENDS

Miniature, enclosed stainless-steel actuators, such as those offered by Nook, offer customized motion solutions for various applications in food and beverage manufacturing as well as medical. Rather than having to take standard products and make them perform in washdown environments, these solutions comply with environmental needs with no modifications.

1) WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE SPURRING CHANGES IN TODAY’S ELECTRIC LINEAR ACTUATORS? Rob Gallagher Director, Marketing Communications Thomson Particularly in regard to linear actuators in off-highway vehicle applications for construction and agriculture, we see growing demand for network controls and real-time electronic feedback. To that end, in January, we released a new platform of electric linear actuators with an electronic monitoring package as standard, including current/ voltage/temperature monitoring, load trip calibration and end-of-stroke limit switches.

An available networking option is J1939 CAN Bus, enabling complex real-time interactions between multiple actuators and related systems. The benefits of the new feedback and control options are better controllability, improved safety, shorter design cycles and reduced installation costs. This empowers machine builders to offer greater value to their customers and improved overall productivity to the industry.

Jeremy Miller Product Manager, Linear Mechanics, Parker Hannifin, Electromechanical & Drives Division Probably the single most critical trend driving growth of fully electric actuation is machine flexibility. This is a key trend across industry and an element that has been driven by

24

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

Electrical_Actuators_MCT_Vs7.indd 24

2016

machine users looking for dynamic systems capable of converting quickly and easily to adapt to changing market conditions. One example can be seen within the packaging space, where packaging manufacturers are continually pushing to reinvent the look and feel of their products to meet market demands (such as single-serving pouches).

2) WHAT ARE SOME TECHNOLOGY TRENDS YOU’RE SEEING IN ELECTRIC ACTUATORS? HOW DO THESE TRENDS RELATE TO THE COMPONENTS YOUR COMPANY SELLS? Ron Giovannone Director, Applications Engineering and Business Operations Nook Industries Over the past few years, the industry in general has been trending toward systemized linear motion. There’s an increased demand for complete system solutions over components, which is where products like the Nook modular actuators fit into place. The “modular” style of actuator is something that we developed as a complete system solution that replaces the traditional combination of a variety of components to simply make motion work. These are more of a gantry style solution to solving linear motion challenges.

Jeremy Miller Product Manager, Linear Mechanics Parker Hannifin, Electromechanical & Drives Division One trend is improved energy efficiency and cleanliness.

Today’s industries are being pushed to reduce their energy footprint. Current fluid power technology is less efficient than electromechanical technology. Pneumatic systems require constant flow of air due to system losses, even when the actuators are not

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/10/16 1:31 PM

ELECTRIC ACTUATORS

Although this technology has been around for a number of years, it’s only been within the last five years or so that it has been implemented on a larger scale.

in use. By converting to full electric motion, users can reduce overall energy usage.

A push toward minimizing overall space usage has driven manufacturers to create more tightly integrated designs.

Products that can maximize key performance criteria, such as thrust, within a smaller footprint are highly desirable, especially in markets such as life sciences and electronics manufacturing.

Another trend tied to reducing space use is the development of more fully integrated products.

Electromechanical systems are increasingly integrating more of the elements of a complete system into the actuator package.

Many solutions now provide the mechanical actuator, motor, drive and even controller all in a single package, making for easier specification by the customer and greatly improved use of space. In many cases, this demands the use of creative designs on the power electronics boards to enable high power levels to produce the required performance within a small package.

3) TELL US ABOUT AN APPLICATION WHERE ENGINEERS USED YOUR ELECTRIC LINEAR ACTUATORS TO IMPROVE THEIR DESIGN. Jeremy Miller Product Manager, Linear Mechanics, Parker Hannifin, Electromechanical & Drives Division We recently upgraded an entire processing plant that was using older, less efficient pneumatic cylinders as diverters on multiple conveyor lines, converting them to our tubular electric linear motor technology. Although this technology has been around for a number of years, it’s only been within the last five years or so that it has been implemented on a larger scale. For this application, the major advantages of this technology were dramatically improved system efficiency, reduced maintenance, greater system reliability and control flexibility.

2016

Electrical_Actuators_MCT_Vs7.indd 25

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

25

3/10/16 1:31 PM

TRENDS

Motion System

Cylinders with larger loads and longer stroke lengths typically require air cushioning to absorb the impact energy at the end position. Festo’s PPS self-adjusting air cushioning (cutaway image found on page 29) provides optimal cushioning performance regardless of any changes to the cylinder’s operating pressure, speed or load. This results in improved machine performance, longer service life of the cylinder, and reduced installation time.

PAUL HENEY Editorial Director @DW_Editor

PACKAGING, FOOD AND BEVERAGE industries pushing pneumatic-actuator innovation

PNEUMATIC

actuators, often called air cylinders, are an inexpensive and easy-to-use design choice for many industrial applications that require linear motion.

While the technology has been around in nearly its current form for more than half a century, there are some interesting trends and design advances that engineers should know about.

Especially over the last decade, there have been a lot of changes to pneumatic actuators. Jerry Scherzinger, product marketing manager, pneumatics, Bimba, noted that changes in load-bearing components, such as bearings, have let manufacturers incorporate more advanced materials into their products.

“Then the products weigh less, provide higher levels of accuracy and control costs,” he said. “One of the beauties of pneumatics is its ability to manage complex applications with combinations of relatively simple components, each of which can serve as a great starting point for enabling design engineers to develop more intricate devices for complex solutions.”

Michael Guelker, Festo’s product manager, explained that CAD and advanced finite element analysis software tools are now used to design cylinder components like extrusions, end caps, seals and elastomeric bumpers.

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TRENDS

The application is a weld fixture. The air cylinder is the driving force behind the component clamping/holding operation. The product in the application is a standard Pancake II air cylinder, which includes a durable composite cylinder tube. The composite tubing withstands weld splatter better than traditional thin-wall, stainless-steel tubing.

“This provides very rigid and robust extrusions and end caps that are lightweight and cost less to manufacture, seals that last longer and have less leakage, and bumpers which can absorb greater impact energy,” he said.

Pneumatic actuators are selected by their ability to perform a specific function—and those functions are literally endless, noted Jerry Walling, marketing and business development, Fabco-Air. He said that the development of custom air actuators can often be both expensive and time consuming, but may be the only solution for unique applications.

“Properly specifying an air actuator for any application requires that an engineer answer two main questions before moving into the heart of the design. The first question: What do I need the cylinder to do, and what type of work will it be performing? The second question: From what types of cylinders must I select? If the ideal actuator is not found via the host of standard offerings, then a custom actuator might be the only solution,” Walling said.

Two industries that are pushing the technology forward are packaging and food and beverage.

According to Walling, the packaging industry has been a catalyst for innovation and seems to have put emphasis on designing more aesthetically pleasing equipment. Because air cylinders are typically visible on most packaging equipment, modern designs are increasingly prevalent here.

“Many felt as if the pneumatic actuator market would have taken a major blow because of the increased popularity of electric actuators,” said Walling. “Because the initial cost of a pneumatic actuator is significantly less than electric actuators, most industries still try first to fill their motion control application pneumatically. Furthermore, due to the fact that air cylinders can operate without electricity, there is no chance of spark generation. This makes

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pneumatic actuators still ideal for hazardous environments, as in petrochemical applications, for example.”

Guelker pointed to the food and beverage industry as an area of growth.

“Each industry has its own unique environmental conditions and application requirements that may require specialized products, such as cylinders with corrosion-resistant and FDA-compliant materials for the food and beverage industry,” he said. “This is driving pneumatic actuator manufacturers to offer product families with many different design variants so customers can customize the product to meet their application requirements.”

And Scherzinger agreed, saying that his company is currently seeing the greatest rate of change in the use and evolution of pneumatic actuators in the food and beverage industry.

“These changes are occurring in response to the new rules the FDA issued in November 2015 as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act,” said Scherzinger. “These rules include stringent requirements for sanitization and hygiene that will stimulate suppliers and packagers to intensify their commitment to proper equipment cleaning with the latest advances in cleaning chemicals. At the same time, Bimba and other hydraulic and pneumatic component suppliers will expand their product offerings to enable equipment manufacturers to employ corrosion-resistant construction materials such as stainless steel.”

Beyond specific industries, the IoT is affecting pneumatic actuators. Bimba’s Jeremy King, who is motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/10/16 1:43 PM

PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS

product marketing manager at Sensing Technologies, described how they are seeing a lot of systems for collecting data, but that’s not what their customers necessarily want.

“Customers are asking for actionable insights into their equipment and processes, not more data,” he said.

“Bimba has leveraged its half century’s worth of experience with pneumatic actuators to develop the IntelliSense product line, which helps our customer gain these insights into their pneumatic actuators. Using a combination of hardware and software, IntelliSense can predict when a cylinder will fail and can tell the customer when to change the cylinder to avoid costly downtime.”

Fabco-Air has also been steadily moving into IoT territory. The company offers position feedback on a multitude of product lines, including electronic (LED) magnetic piston sensors for both PNP Sourcing and NPN Sinking and conventional Reed Switches.

“For more precise position feedback, we offer a Linear Resistive Transducer (LRT) located inside the actual actuator piston rod,” Walling said. “An additional linear feedback option is a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT). An LVDT is an electromechanical transducer that can convert the rectilinear motion of an object to which it is coupled mechanically into a corresponding electrical signal. Embedded transducers in pneumatic actuators offer excellent repeatability and hysteresis.”

While pneumatic actuators are a mature technology, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t constantly evolving. King described how his company’s IntelliSense helps customers improve the performance of their pneumatic systems.

“In addition to predicting cylinder life, IntelliSense monitors the time for the cylinder to extend, retract and dwell.

As the cylinder wears, these values will 2016

MCTrends_Acuatrors_Pneumatic_V5.MD.indd 29

change, affecting the performance of the machine. Machine builders can use this information to adjust the performance of other components on the machine to maintain exact sequencing and improve product quality,” he said.

Guelker said that to get higher cylinder speeds, manufacturers must account for the moving mass, internal friction and impact energy absorption. This means reducing the weight of the piston rod, using low friction grease and seal materials, and optimizing elastomeric and air cushioning.

“Our cylinders use compact lightweight pistons with molded low-friction piston seals having integrated elastomer bumpers, enabling high speed and high-frequency operation … the PPS self-

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adjusting air cushioning is a new innovation to the commonplace needle-valve style manually adjustable air cushioning.”

Cylinders with larger loads and longer stroke lengths typically need air cushioning to absorb the impact energy at the end position, but a PPS optimizes cushioning regardless of changes to the cylinder’s operating pressure, speed, or load.

According to Guelker, this boosts machine performance, extends cylinder service life and reduces installation time.

Walling also cited the advent of composite materials as an important development for pneumatic actuators.

Case in point: The impact-resistant composite tubing on Fabco-Air Pancake II air cylinders has an extremely smooth interior, low coefficient of friction and minimal heat buildup.

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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Miniaturization, customization among

Motion System

TRENDS

TOP BALLSCREW TRENDS OVER

the last few years, advances in manufacturing and materials have improved ballscrew performance so machine designers today can get better linear motion with them at lower cost. Some improvements include the fact that the latest generation of ballscrews has more load density than ever, giving designers higher capacity from a smaller package. There is also a trend toward more miniaturization, but also faster ballscrews with rolled and ground screw manufacturing methods.

We asked a few ballscrew manufacturers to weigh in on the state of their industry, the trends they’re seeing both in ballscrew manufacturing and in their customer demands, as well as what the future holds. Here’s what they told us.

MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

Precision metric ballscrews, such as these from Nook Industries, are cost-effective and high-precision solutions that are ISO compliant.

The customization of these products and interchangeability with other manufacturers’ products make standardization to ISO quality compliance easier for a variety of industries.

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motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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TRENDS

Motion System

1) WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE SPURRING CHANGES IN TODAY’S BALLSCREWS? WHAT INDUSTRIES OR APPLICATIONS ARE USING MORE OF THESE COMPONENTS THAN EVER? Ron Giovannone Director, Applications Engineering and Business Operations Nook Industries The need for linear motion products like ballscrews, leadscrews and actuators across industries such as medical, food and beverage, and so on is the drive behind the trends of miniaturization, customization and complete system solutions, rather than components.

In the past, companies in the food and beverage industries had to rely on solutions that came directly off the shelf, or in other words, the only ones which were available. Today, there is much more of a demand for customizable solutions in the food and beverage industry that can be built to fight contamination and for easier cleaning. Now, companies can order solutions that can be made to particular considerations, such as stainless steel or a certain type of lubrication that makes cleaning and sterilization a much easier process.

George Hamzik LSI General Manager Dynatect The majority of our customers are in machinery manufacturing. Those companies are constantly trying to keep up with the demands of today’s end users. So we see a lot of custom requests that tend to push the limits—speed, load, life—of the ballscrew. It forces us to look at design and development a little differently.

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Ballscrew technology is a mix of advanced material science and mechanical engineering combined with a manufacturing art form that’s hard to duplicate without years of experience.

2) TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES IN BALLSCREW TECHNOLOGY OVER THE LAST DECADE, THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF MORE COMMON MOTION TECHNOLOGIES, AND WHERE DESIGN ENGINEERS SHOULD CONSIDER USING SPECIALTY DESIGNS. Ron Giovannone Director, Applications Engineering and Business Operations Nook Industries The industry overall is becoming more standardized to ISO, which makes products like our precision metric ballscrews affordable alternatives to expensive ground-thread products that are manufactured overseas. Standardized products make sourcing motion products easier, as well as offer interchangeability across brands. However, even as the industry moves toward ISO standardization, there are still a great number of ways for companies to have their solutions customized to suit specific applications.

A part of what makes ballscrews versatile in so many industries is their ability to carry remarkably heavy loads at fast, efficient speeds. Ballscrews typically operate at a minimum of 90% efficiency, which makes them an optimal choice in converting rotary motion into precision linear motion.

George Hamzik LSI General Manager Dynatect The basic design of the ballscrew hasn’t changed much in 10 years. So most of the changes with ballscrew technologies come in subtle ways—the wiping mechanism, the ball return design, and so on. All these changes are looking at extending life and increasing speeds. Today’s manufacturers are requiring machine

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/11/16 2:12 PM

BALLSCREWS

Precision ground ballscrews, such as those offered from Dynatect, can be customized to suit specific application requirements, including multiple ball nut configurations and internal or external ball returns.

tools that traverse and machine at blazing speeds. Ballscrews need to keep up with that demand; that’s where custom design can come into play. If we are involved early in the design of the equipment, we can typically meet the running specifications required; maybe with only minor changes to package size.

3) WHAT KINDS OF LARGE-SCALE INDUSTRY MOVES ARE YOU SEEING TO MINIATURIZATION, SYSTEM-ON-CHIP (SOC) TECHNOLOGIES, AUTOMATION, EFFICIENCY, AND CUSTOMIZATION? HOW DO THESE TRENDS RELATE TO THE COMPONENTS YOUR COMPANY SELLS? George Hamzik LSI General Manager Dynatect We have not witnessed a lot of large-scale industry moves recently, but we do recognize that customers are paying more attention to preventative maintenance programs. With the options that are available for repairing and extending the overall life of a ballscrew assembly, at a fraction of the cost of having to replace them, we see customers sending ballscrews in for reloads and refurbishments before the screw shows signs of fatigue. Again, the cost of ownership is a point we try to convey to our customers. If a ballscrew assembly can be reloaded and not run to complete failure, the cost of ownership on that ballscrew assembly can be greatly reduced. It’s a delicate balance at times for our customers; reducing machine downtime is critical, but if maintenance can be planned, the turn-around time of a reload or refurbishment is always quicker than full replacement.

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

Ron Giovannone

Ballscrews_MCT_Vs7.indd 33

Ron Giovannone Director, Applications Engineering and Business Operations Nook Industries Over the past few years the industry in general has been trending toward systemized linear motion. There’s an increased demand for complete system solutions over components. Which is where products like the Nook modular actuators fit into place. The “modular” style of actuator is something that we developed as a complete system solution that replaces the traditional combination of a variety of components to simply make motion work. These are more of a gantry style solution to solving linear motion challenges.

4) TELL US ABOUT AN APPLICATION WHERE ENGINEERS USED YOUR BALLSCREWS TO IMPROVE THEIR DESIGN. WHAT ABOUT THIS APPLICATION IS MODERN OR UNLIKE ANYTHING POSSIBLE 10 YEARS AGO? George Hamzik LSI General Manager Dynatect We are seeing more requests from customers who would like to change to a ballscrew and servomotor solution to replace current hydraulic systems. Although initial investment costs may be higher, cost of ownership over the system’s life is expected to be less, whereas maintaining a hydraulic system can be costly due to all of the components required and up-keep. This change seems to be driven by the push for green technologies and “clean room” appearances of manufacturing areas.

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TRENDS

Motion System

3 times lighter than stainless

BEARING

industry growth predicted through 2020 OVER

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MC_Trends_Bearings_Vs4.indd 34

Associate Editor @DW_MikeSantora

the last decade, bearing design has seen industry scandal and a burgeoning counterfeit market, not to mention the 2008 global economic crisis. Post-market crash ripples surged through all industries, especially automotive—which accounts for about a quarter of international bearing sales according to Global Industry Analysts (GIA). Only since recovery from the downturn has the focus on bearing technologies returned to new innovations—namely, customization and integration of sensors for IoT capabilities.

Bearings are necessary in nearly all motion applications ... so nearly all industries using machinery or motor-driven linkages use bearings.

Consequently, the current economic outlook predicts increasing bearing use. Case in point: At the annual PTDA summit last October, economist Alan Beaulieu predicted economic growth through 2020: “Now is the time to spend money on people, processes, and then spend some more.” In fact, Grand View Research predicts the global bearing market to reach nearly $85 billion by 2020 thanks to a mix of industry and regional factors.

Bearings in wind turbines are one area of growth. Renewable energy will likely grow over the next four years, with wind leading the market. A U.S. Department of Energy study, Wind Vision Study Scenario, projects 10% of the nation's end-use demand served by wind by 2020, 20% by 2030, and 35% by 2050. Analysts expect this to increase turbine construction and the use of high-capacity bearings with it.

However, heavy machinery and industrial sectors dominate growth in bearing use. MarketReportsStore.com recently released a report predicting that the global construction market would expand from its present $8.5 trillion to $10.3 trillion by 2020. Emerging markets such as

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BEARINGS

Spherical roller bearings, like this one from Timken, are common in construction and mining. More specifically, these bearings are found in trenchers, draglines, excavators, crushers, compactors and shearers.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates could surpass the Asia-Pacific region as a growth leader. China no longer has the same level of infrastructural needs it once did, and a slight economic downturn is cooling growth (though bearing sales there will follow an upward trajectory through 2020).

India, Iran, Turkey and Indonesia show increased use of bearings, if on a smaller scale.

There’s a trend in bearing technology toward industry-specific solutions. For example, aerospace and defense relies heavily on instrumented bearings. These bearings boost energy efficiency and provide feedback to ensure safety in systems with no margin for error. Analysts see global defense spending increases for the next few years, increasing demand for instrumented bearings.

For automotive, vehicle manufacturing growth is also expected

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

MC_Trends_Bearings_Vs4.indd 35

to increase the need for instrumented bearings. Anti-lock braking systems and electronic stability control are both regulated with the assistance of the wheel speed and vibration data collected by instrumented bearings.

As car production increases, so should instrumented bearing sales.

Thomas Witzler Sales Director NKE Austria We are witnessing an ever-increasing shift from bearings to entire systems. Another potential is the reduction of the number of system components by engineering an optimized design. Finally, there is also simplification of systems maintenance thanks to intelligent solutions or intelligent products."

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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Motion System

TRENDS

Scot Schroeder VP Industrial Sales Aurora Bearing For us, the main aspects concerning bearings today are detail optimization; adjustments to meet customer’s needs; and the integration of bearings in functional units to provide added value. Project lead times and delivery times in the OEM business have become shorter, and the storage of bearings has shifted to wholesalers and manufacturers.

In short, for motion trends, we are often asked for ROHS and REACH for export.

Military is requesting longer life parts and qualifications. And, additionally, the use of metric bearings is increasing."

Craig Hooker Director, BU Production Machinery, NA Schaeffler Group USA

Schaefflers's ZAXB bearing unit has an integrated electromechanical brake and was developed by engineers as a compact and ready-to-fit version of the bearing. Image courtesy of Schaeffler Group USA Inc.

A common trend is that the bearing is becoming more than just a bearing. For example, in the medical industry customers place a high value on integrated mechatronic solutions. By integrating electro-mechanical features directly into the bearing, there are advantages in both performance and reductions in size and cost. A couple of examples: (1) Integrating a brake into a bearing assembly to provide an on-off locking feature.

This product was developed for the boom arms that position equipment in the operating room and for the positioning joints of surgical robots. A second example is the integration of bearing, motor, encoder and customized housings for use as direct drives in CT scanners. This integration and use of a direct-drive motor (versus timing belts) creates faster, quieter CT scanners that produce sharper images and a more positive patient experience (less noise).

There are many similar examples in the automotive industry. The CAFE standards create a need for innovative solutions that will allow manufacturers to reach fuel economy targets. This often leads to innovative electromechanical systems. While the bearing is often the core of these systems, it goes far beyond just supplying a better bearing.

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Motion System

TRENDS

Manufacturers of Power Transmission and Motion Control Components

MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

APPLICATION DEMANDS

drive belt and pulley design A TRIED

and true power transmission technique is the traditional belt and pulley system. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re used in many applications, from automotive uses to agricultural equipment, to factory floor applications for driving all kinds of machinery. And while the basic physics hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed much, innovations in materials and design have allowed belts and pulleys to remain a viable power transmission option right into the present.

Applications often drive innovations in belt and pulley technology.

For instance, the trend toward more efficient and powerful belt drives, mostly in the form of heavy-duty timing belts, is a result of the demands from agricultural, wood processing, printing and packaging machinery.

Or take a traditional automotive application. One example comes from ContiTech with its Unipower Tough Grip multiple V-ribbed belt. The automotive drive belt minimizes noise buildup when accessories like the air-conditioning system, power-steering pump or

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Miniature pulleys, like these aluminum timing pulleys from SDP/ SI, feature pitches of 1, 2 or 3 mm and form an integral part of a miniature synchronous drive system. Typical applications for these mini pulleys include 3D printers, medical devices, and robotic surgical equipment.

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BELTS & PULLEYS

Manufacturers of Power Transmission and Motion Control Components V-ribbed belts from ContiTech feature a special fabric-reinforced running side for improved wear, grip and smoothness. The belts are also manufactured in a more environmentally friendly production process that is done largely without using solvents.

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Stock and Custom Keyless Hub-to-Shaft Connection System generators are in operation. The beltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special feature is that the pulley side consists of a fabric reinforcement, making it more resistant to wear. The high wear resistance of the drive belt is required for starter-generator applications, for instance.

As for the pulley side of the Unipower Tough Grip, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s covered with a special fabric impregnated to enhance antislipping and anti-wearing properties. The warp-knitted fabric on the sectioned side is wear-resistant, capable of absorbing high dynamic stress loads and stretchable longitudinally and traversely.

It ensures optimum grip under extreme conditions.

As a bonus, ContiTech has developed a new manufacturing process for the Unipower Tough Grip, in which the textile coating is ironed onto the belt. In the past, the flock was applied with solvents on the belt, which can now be eliminated. The new process also helps to protect the environment because it saves resources and achieves a better CO2 balance.

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Many belt manufacturers also offer custom designs for specific applications. For example, most belts can be modified with coatings to attain a specific coefficient of friction, abrasion resistance or thickness.

Other applications have different requirements. For instance, the medical device industry. James Mueser, applications engineer for SDP/ SI (Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument) noted that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the medical industry is one that requires constant innovation and one of the primary driving factors for these changes is miniaturization.â&#x20AC;? Mueser adds that â&#x20AC;&#x153;SDP/SI has successfully developed a more compact Fairloc pulley for one of its customers in the medical industry.

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Motion System

TRENDS

Hybrid cables—like this servo Bus illustration from igus shows—are growing in demand and use as industrial automation applications require more compact, lightweight cable designs.

INDUSTRIAL CONTROLS move forward with hybrid cable solutions

MARY GANNON Senior Editor @DW_MaryGannon

Cables for robotics applications, like this Chainflex cable from igus, must be designed to withstand high torsional stress over a long life.

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AS INDUSTRIAL

automation grows and becomes more complicated, more sophisticated control technologies emerge. For industrial cables, this means the need to reach faster speeds; more compact, lighter designs; hybrid cables and single-cable solutions to minimize space; and as always, extremely high-flex cores and jackets that can withstand the movement of industrial robotics and other machine systems.

RESPONDING TO THE IoT The need for cloud-enabling technologies is increasing at a rapid clip. For industrial cables, particularly Ethernet designs, this means the need to transfer data at very high speeds, said Rich Buchicchio national sales and marketing manager at Cicoil. In addition, he said, markets like the semiconductor and medical automation equipment industries are also requiring faster cables.

Steven Kenney, marketing manager, Performance Cable Systems and Materials Div., Hitachi Cable America, added that the biggest change in recent years has come in the need for cables that can deliver dc power and data over the data wires in the various power-over-Ethernet designs. “This will be a game changer for the data and industrial users as these solutions grow beyond IP phones and into mainstream use,” he said.

These changes have impacted research into Ethernet cables for continuous flexing in cable carriers and on robots, said Don Nester, product manager for Chainflex cables, igus Inc. “The Internet of Things will have a profound effect on automation. The challenges of this technology will bring the need for increased data rates used in process control,” he said. “The life cycle of cables and components will have direct effect on the efficiency of the process and therefore need to be more robust.

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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New cables must be used that incorporate the feedback function and ensure good EMI protection as well as mechanical performance in the case of continuous flexing.

Motion System

TRENDS

For example we have already started to see the demand for Ethernet cable increase over the past 10 years exponentially every year … for every level of network performance up to Category 7.”

Technological advances now even allow for real-time data transmission in the range of milliseconds, said Horst Messerer, data network and BUS technology sales manager, HELUKABEL. “Ten years ago, we had BUS cables with slow data rates, with maximum 16 Mb. Today we have PROFINET, Industrial Ethernet, and so on, with data rates of 100 Mb—10 Gb,” he said.

MINIATURIZATION LEADS TO HYBRID DESIGNS Kenney said that the weight reduction in automotive in-vehicle communications, hybrid or all electric designs and medical devices is driving designers toward lower weight, thinner designs. Robotics, too, require lighter weight designs, he added, so the trend is continuously smaller, more robust designs.

“We are pushing 50 AWG high-flex copper alloy cable designs now for medical, industrial and robotic applications regularly, unheard of 10 years ago,” Kenney said. “A 50-AWG conductor is 0.000986 in. in width. We have one photo of our wire wrapped around a human hair. This is the scale we are working at now, not as a special design, but for common projects.”

This move to lightweight designs has allowed Cicoil’s flat, flexible designs to be used in wearable electronics, said Buchicchio, something impossible 10 years ago. “Since we are able to incorporate high tech signal wires in our highly flexible and lightweight flat cable package, we now have the ability to make cables for this industry: military, costumes, virtual reality, space, clothing,” he said.

Additionally, developments in automation mean that more users are starting to use motors with a single cable for servo power and feedback, said Nester. “This reduces the number of cables needed and also reduces downtime and maintenance,” he said.

“These single cable designs incorporate digital encoder technology into the power cable.

New cables must be used that incorporate the feedback function and ensure good EMI protection as well as mechanical performance in the case of continuous flexing.”

Thomas Pikkemaat, drive technology product manager, HELUKABEL, said this clear trend toward hybrid cables—such as power supply/control and data conductors in one cable—will reduce the number of cables used in industrial automation. “We are seeing enhanced data cables, wireless LAN, hybrid cables like our TOPSERV Hybrid one-cable solution, which point toward a reduction of cables,” he said. “Everything points toward a reduction in cable volume.”

Hybrid cables are available in a variety of styles and for many different types of functions. Here is a look at different types of Chainflex cables from igus.

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CABLE MANAGEMENT

Until recently, oil and gas exploration, drilling and refining had been fueling the development of large and specialized carriers before the drop in prices this year. Here, Gortrac steel nested cable carriers are used on a Universal 360 Vertical Drill Rig

by Robbins HDD, which is pioneering the use of this type of equipment. Image courtesy of Dynatect

MATERIAL ADVANCES MARY GANNON Senior Editor @DW_MaryGannon

make the impossible possible in cable carrier use WITH ever-increasing speeds and higher loadcarrying requirements at continually decreasing weights, cable carrier manufacturers are looking to material advances to help deliver solutions for completely new applications.

Cable carrier use is increasing especially in motion systems, said David Smith, director of sales, KabelSchlepp America, a division of U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission. With so many motion systems becoming larger as well, manufacturers must also find new ways to improve the operating performance of long-travel cable carrier systems.

“Much of the design changes for carriers are currently in the material we use. We are constantly looking for material to improve performance in a large variety of environment extremes. This improved material selection now allows us to use cable carriers in environments that would not have been previously possible,” Smith said. “We are also working to reduce the noise that cable carriers generate to improve the work environment. To help with this goal we have found

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a variety of ways to dramatically lower the noise that a traditional cable carrier generates.”

Richard Deutsch, general sales manager for Murrplastik Systems, agreed, adding that, “materials have evolved to allow lighter yet stronger cable carriers.

Specialty designs should be considered for applications that require chemical resistance, conductivity, flame resistance, extreme loads, or adverse environmental influences.”

Mark Cunningham, sales manager, Gortrac Div. of Dynatect Mfg., said that not only must these designs be lightweight, they must also be robust and able to accomplish longer travels at higher speeds. “To deliver cost-effective solutions for these application challenges, designers are using non traditional approaches,” he said. “Some examples are alternative plastic materials, hardened steel components and mechanically actuated support systems.

“In addition to advances in CAD/CAM, 3D FEA and Rapid Prototype Technology, specialty polymers and metal coatings have led to innovative carrier solutions

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Close-up views of Dynatect’s Gortrac steel nested cable carriers that are used on a Universal 360 Vertical Drill Rig by Robbins HDD.

Motion System

TRENDS

in applications with heavy corrosion or salt spray resistance, ESD and multi axis requirements,” Cunningham added.

“Automated guidance systems have also greatly increased travel and velocity requirements.”

Deutsch also said that these material advances have made carriers easier to use. “The functionality and easy assembly of each and every component part has allowed modern cable carriers to meet a wide range of requirements,” he said.

“Innovations in end brackets, strain reliefs, horizontal and vertical separators and guide channels have greatly improved the ease of use and variability of design.”

OPENING WHOLE NEW APPLICATIONS These innovations have led to greater use of cable carriers in applications that just weren’t possible before.

Most industries, including automotive, medical, food and beverage, aerospace, semiconductor, machine tool, agriculture and robotics, are all looking for improvements in cable carriers in terms of materials, noise reduction, longevity and ease of use, said Deutsch.

Specifically, he said, “Automotive, machine tool and robotics are looking to have more precise control over movements and processes as well as better feedback of those processes. This in many cases requires more components and control sensors, which in turn requires more cables and cables that are more flexible.”

Without these material advances, some applications would just not be possible, said Deutsch. “Murrplastik has a customer that

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CABLE MANAGEMENT extremely high speeds, high acceleration and high G forces. This required a special type of chain Dynatect Ad – “Innovation Set In Motion” configuration to meet all of the requirements. The Design World – February 2016 Motion Control Issue materials used were not available 10 years ago. The 1/2 capabilities of this chain will also increase the lifeIsland: 4-5/8 x 7-7/8 cycle of the cables being used.”

Cunningham said that until recently, oil and gas exploration, drilling and refining had been fueling the development of large and specialized carriers before the drop in prices this year. As this has slowed down, medical applications have increased for Dynatect.

“As the use of automation in the medical equipment industry increases, there is increasing demand for cable and hose carriers. Applications range from guidance systems on mobile imaging equipment to dressing and securing air, fluid and electrical lines in automated surgical equipment to From protective cable carriers to precision ball more complex balancers and manipulators in high screws and slip clutches, Dynatect products tech operating rooms,” Cunningham said. protect people and equipment. We’ve met the In one example, Dynatect worked with a challenge of over a half million tough-to-solve customer to design the carrier system for a mobile applications from customers around the world.

CAT scan machine designed to move between Let us set in motion an innovative solution for you. examination and operating rooms. “While the initial design was a fairly standard carrier, as the project unfolded, the design evolved,” Cunningham said.

“New requirements for washdown and safety led to CABLE & HOSE the development of custom covers and a hanging CARRIERS support system actuated by the natural polygon effect of the carrier in motion, to prevent it from SLIP falling on a patient in the event of seismic activity CLUTCHES like an earthquake.

“A tight design-to-build timeframe led us to use rapid prototyping technology to prove components prior to tooling,” he continued. “This would not Brands: Gortrac®, Nylatrac®, have been possible ten years ago.”

Gortube®, Nylatube® For KabelSchlepp, the aerospace industry is Brand: Polyclutch® key, said Smith. “The aerospace industry seems BALL to be very active in regard to plant updates and SCREWS equipment improvements,” he said. “In addition to the manufacturing need, we also see that cable carriers are being installed in large commercial aircraft. With the increased technology in each passenger seat, aircraft are beginning to need cable carriers to properly control all the cables.”

A recent example of this need was with a Brand: LSI completely custom cable carrier design used to supply power to a device that drives around FOR MORE INFORMATION: commercial aircraft sandblasting the existing paint 800-298-2066 in preparation for re-painting. sales@dynatect.com “The total travel was more than 100 m and dynatect.com the cable carriers had to be able to handle a large variety of degrees of motion and also be completely retracted to keep floor space clear,” Smith said. “This would not have been possible for a cable carrier 10 years ago.”

INNOVATION SET IN MOTION

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LISA EITEL

Motion System

TRENDS

Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

This is a Nexen Generation II profile rail brake. High holding force and low backlash make it suitable for accurate position holding where drivetrain backlash or lack of rigidity may allow excessive movement. In fact, backlash is only 0.004 to 0.200 in.

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in clutches and brakes leverage software and customization CLUTCHES

and brakes hold, stop or index loads in motion designs.

Especially over the last five years, a trend toward application-specific components has quickened as several industries push the performance envelope of stock parts. So, we asked industry experts about this and other trends spurring clutch and brake innovation. The biggest growth in industrial clutch and brake use is for power-off brakes, because production automation—steadily rising—requires many holding brakes.

“Over the years, there’s been a gradual increase in the use of servomotors in all types of factory automation, robotics, food processing and medical applications.

Here, motors control machine movements, but when power is cut off—either intentionally or accidentally—in many designs, the motors can’t hold machine axes in place,” said Frank J. Flemming, president of Ogura Industrial Corp.

Engineers use holding brakes here because as soon as power is removed from the brakes, either a permanent magnet or a series of springs actuate to stop the motor shaft from moving. That makes for an interesting development in technology use.

“Although there’s been a decline in traditional clutch and brake functions in machinery, there’s been significant increase in demand for more holding brakes. Most industries want smaller motor modules with increased torque,” said Flemming. “This has put pressure on brake manufacturers to design smaller but stronger-holding brakes to meet motor-manufacturer requirements.”

Others in the industry agree. “Although motor and drive technology has reduced some traditional factory automation and packaging wrap-spring and friction-clutch brake use, there’s more growth in medical, aerospace and defense, and automotive segments. Actually, growth in those markets has more than offset the decline in traditional industries,” said John Pieri, product linear manager of clutches and brakes at Thomson Industries.

On another front, new designs in office equipment (such as network printers and copy machines) are driving demand for smaller, lighter and less expensive components. Printer manufacturers in particular are continually looking for product improvements. So just a few years ago, Ogura developed a high-torque microclutch using a triple-flux-path design and a combination of powder metal and plastic parts to deliver high torque at low cost for such printers.

“Our new MIC-3.5T clutch helped create a smaller and lighter printer, which reduced the overall cost to the consumer,” said Flemming. The MIC-3.5T is an example of a new design that didn’t exist 10 years ago; it has 70% more torque and is 30% thinner (and 50% less expensive) than equivalent clutches 10 years ago.

This is mainly because the equipment to produce the component parts of this clutch didn’t exist a decade ago.

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TRENDS

Motion System

Servomotor manufacturers have prompted Ogura to design all-new miniaturized holding brakes for medical equipment.

Shown here are thin spring-appliedholding brakes not yet in full production.

But the industries of medical, aerospace and defense (A&D), and automotive are spurring more clutch and brake change, according to Pieri. Case in point: The medical market is growing with the boom in personal-mobility equipment for aging populations. What’s more, A&D and automotive applications are using more electromechanical equipment (that necessitate clutches and brakes) as they phase out hydraulic actuation.

Consider a specific example. “We have a newer application working in an horizontal aircraft stabilizer that in the past was operated by hydraulic actuation,” said Pieri.

“10 years ago, that was impossible. E2E played a major role in solving technical issues of the airplane manufacturer.”

Others concur that A&D is changing the use of clutch and brake technology, as an array of designs are moving from hydraulics to electromechanical actuators. According to Rocco Dragone, senior sales and application engineer at SEPAC, engineers are replacing hydraulically driven actuators in A&D designs (and using more clutches and brakes) for a variety of reasons: 1. Hydraulics are messy and their components (including hydraulic accumulators, motor pump systems and associated plumbing) are hard to keep sealed. Electromechanical systems eliminate these components so require less maintenance, too. Electromechanical systems have a longer mean time between failure (MTBF), as they incorporate fewer components and no high-pressure lines.

2. Hydraulic systems are larger and occupy more room than electromechanical systems. Plus, the wires of an electromechanical system are significantly smaller, flexible and more resistant against higher temperatures than hydraulic circuitry. That makes them less of a target for destruction in A&D applications such as fighter jets.

3. Electromechanical systems are quieter—an important trait for military vehicles.

4. A typical electromechanical system yields better control over motion profiles.

ELECTROMAGNETIC CLUTCHES LEND THEMSELVES TO IoT FUNCTIONALITY Electromagnetic clutches also lend themselves to remote monitoring.

Such clutches can receive the same electric signal and engage after a trigger with a button next to the machine or through a browser-based IoT connection from miles away.

“Without going into too much detail, such clutches can deliver soft starts or over-excitation functions. Here, the clutch can either engage slowly or accept a voltage spike to engage quickly,” said Flemming.

Depending on the machine and feedback it sends to an operator, this function can be remotely controlled. Every time an electric clutch or brake engages, controls can monitor that electric signal. That’s because

This is a SEPAC spring-engaged multiple disc power-off clutch. This clutch works on an electromechanical actuator that replaced a hydraulic actuator.

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CLUTCHES & BRAKES

This is a new micro holding brake made

by Ogura for 15-mm servomotors.

smaller actuators in packaging, robotics, medical, and oil and gas designs.”

Many servomotor manufacturers have also asked Ogura to devise new miniaturized holding brakes for motors in medical equipment, according to company engineers. The brakes also find use in the semiconductor-manufacturing industry, so as that market grows, use of clutches and brakes also grows.

This is Ogura’s new high-torque micro-clutch for paper handling applications.

clutching or braking always produces energy that (based on inertia and speed) can go into a formula to estimate wear, according to Ogura engineering staff. So, if controls monitor a clutch or brake remotely (as they already do on some Bluetooth-enabled applications) they can feed cycle rates back to an equipment dealer. Then dealers can tell customers when clutches or brakes need replacing before failures occur. So even electric clutches or brakes without inherent circuitry for cloud-enabling technologies can easily incorporate into equipment control modules for OEMs. “The lawn and garden industry is already using such functionality to provide real-time feedback on machine performance, service requirements and malfunctions of components,” said Flemming. “Information goes back to the owner, dealer or distributor.”

MINIATURIZATION: CENTRAL TO MANY CLUTCH AND BRAKE TRENDS Electromechanical systems are also shrinking as engineers push designs to their limitations, said Dragone.

“To keep up with the latest design trends, SEPAC has developed miniature tooth clutches and power-off brakes with diameters of less than 1.3 in. to complement today’s

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OUTSOURCING DESIGN APPLIES TO CLUTCHES A trend application engineers at Ogura have seen over the last 10 years—one that looks to continue—is that fewer OEMs are spending time developing their own clutches and brakes. As more OEMs function with less engineering staff, those engineers have less time to search for new products, so rely on existing vendors to meet their application needs.

“Companies having a broad spectrum of clutch and brake experience offer knowledge to assist engineers with their design requirements,” said Flemming.

Many times engineers think they need a special design, but with some companies offering more than 3,000 standard clutch and brake designs, something for the job may already exist, he added. In short, a special clutch or brake is not always as special as a customer thinks.

The burden of quality control and performance has shifted almost 100% to the supplier, so OEMs rely on supplier’s manufacturing and outgoing inspection to meet end user needs. “Here, suppliers must meet internationally recognized ISO requirements and must pass customers’ stringent quality-control requirements,” said Flemming. Such quality control is paramount in the medical and automotive industries—as well as A&D. “In the world of A&D, we specialize in making tooth clutches and power-off brakes for unique applications requiring custom solutions,” said Dragone. “For example, 10 years ago, a tooth clutch wasn’t considered unless rpm was less than 3,600—but today, we manufacture tooth clutches that run at speeds exceeding 10,000 rpm and power-off brakes that can handle speeds to 20,000 rpm.” Dramatic advances in modern design software and manufacturing techniques have contributed to the ability to produce clutches and brakes far superior to previous iterations, added Dragone.

“Automation lets us produce consistent high-quality components, so where it makes sense, and given the choice, we choose automation,” agreed Flemming.

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TRENDS

LISA EITEL

Motion System

Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

LEADING THE TREND TOWARD INTEGRATION:

Motion controllers MOTION

controllers are more integrated and programmable than ever, thanks to increasing capabilities on both ASICs and FPGAs to process inputs and outputs for motion control. Some electronics even let end users customize feedback for closed-loop control. Industries spurring controller innovation for all hardware types are packaging, paper and pump processing, and medical. The former demands equipment capable of higher throughput and flexibility than ever.

“Changes in motion components can be seen in every industry as we progress into an ever-increasing regulatory age,” said Dan Dibbern, part of the robotics team at Omron Automation and Safety. “In the case of the packaging industry, there are strict requirements that content volumes match what is marked on packages. This is driving manufacturers to replace older systems with new machinery that uses precise servos instead of physical cams and lineshaft drives; offers faster production changeover; and provides modular flexibility to handle new products and package sizes,” he added.

Incorporating servos, control operation and movement of machines— vertical form-fill-and-seal machines, for example—lets packagers ensure that the machine fills pouches with the right amount of product before sealing and cutting the package. Servos ensure adequate throughput levels and help to reduce scrap and waste, according to Laura Studwell at Omron Automation and Safety.

In the same way, today’s test and inspection applications are driving a trend toward integrated controllers, especially in applications to test materials’ stress and strain response. Here, more servocontrollers than ever pair with linear motors to get sophisticated motion profiles and higher forces.

The DMC-40x0 stand-alone motion controller from Galil Motion Control (above) can process commands in 40 μsec and provides servo update rates as fast as 32 kHz. Modes of motion include point-to-point positioning, position tracking, jogging, linear and circular interpolation, contouring, electronic gearing, and ecam. The DMC-40x0 is part of a trend toward integrated control and drive functions. It’s available prepackaged (in a metal enclosure) with drives for multiple axes.

Another Galil controller is the DMC-500x0 (shown left here). With quick configuration, its eight axes allow mixing and matching of local and EtherCAT drives. This provides increased flexibility for new and existing applications. This controller is a prime example of the market’s continuing trend toward network-based control solutions (in this case, an EtherCAT network).

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ETHERNET AND CLOUD CONNECTIVITY One significant and ongoing trend in motion controllers is the use of Ethernet-based networks. Rockwell’s Integrated Motion over Ethernet/IP and network standards based on Ethernet protocols (such as Beckhoff’s EtherCAT standard) continue to lead. One reason is that Ethernet-based standards let manufacturing floors more easily coordinate with other company tools such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Ethernet-based standards also let engineers integrate motion control with safety, process and discrete machine control.

Taking controller connectivity to the next level is IoT. Use of cloud-enabling technologies will see double-digit growth for the next several years. This is already changing the setup of motion controllers, because many must now serve more feedback and IoT-type functions.

Consider how Omron already provides a data-collection capability at the motion and automation-controller level instead of the sensor and servo level to support early adopters of IoT and Industry 4.0.

“Our NJ/NX series machine automation controller has built-in capabilities to directly connect with multiple database servers without needing middleware or expensive thirdparty SCADA systems,” said Dibbern.

This data-collection capability at the controller level gives engineers accurate information for IoT systems.

CONTROLLERS TRENDING TOWARD MORE COMPACT Demand from design engineers is also spurring a new generation of compact motion controllers. “Basically, we find that engineers today are aiming to get their costpoint down. Here, integrating multi-axis control in a single package helps make the per-axis cost of designs lower,” said David Goodin, president of AllMotion.

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That’s why AllMotion recently released the EZServo4BLDC drive-controller that can output up to 1,600 W. 410-W output capacity per motor means the palm-sized board can drive and control four brush or brushless dc servomotors at once.

Other manufacturers offer controllerdrive combinations. “We are seeing many OEMs within the machinerymanufacturing industry looking to consolidate high-performance motion-control functionality down into distributed servodrive components— specifically in the area of standalone machinery,” said Bill Faber, director of IABG product marketing and business development for the Americas at Delta Products. Faber explained this is trending fastest in the maturing packagingmachinery industry to: • Reduce the amount of design engineering and programming effort • Eliminate unneeded complexity and reduce component count • Curb system integration and overall control footprint • Eliminate latencies and increase performance • Parameterize common but complex motion control.

“In many cases, we’ve seen it possible to eliminate upper-level motion controllers and PLCs because the servodrive—when it has built-in motion capabilities—can perform all the needed eCAM/eGEAR, registration, dynamic phase shifting, spline interpolation table recalculations, PLS synch outputs, and even e-stop recovery routines,” added Faber.

Combined with the trend toward smarter machines, the use of such drives is arising from shortages in engineering staff and pressure to reduce overall machine costs.

There are caveats. “Some designers don’t care about tightly integrated drive-controller options because they’re doing just one or two axes. In that case, DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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Motion System

The cost per axis with an EZServo4BLDC drive-controller board (right) is lower than a daisy-chained network of four single-axis boards (above). The overall setup is also about 25% more compact.

they’d simply use a traditional setup, such as one or two of AllMotion’s single-axis boards, and then daisychain them,” said Goodin. But at the recent MD&M West 2016 tradeshow, AllMotion had fouraxis setups running stepper motors off of EZServo boards. The machines demonstrated the value (and even necessity) of closely integrated axes.

At another recent tradeshow, the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) Conference and Exhibition—also known as the Lab Automation show—a lot of design engineers said bench space is at a premium, according to Goodin. “Setups are already restricted in what they can include. Other manufacturers offer drivecontroller products that are the size of a computer mouse to drive a single motor … but four or five of such units won’t fit into a typical laboratory instrument.”

Goodin cited a tiny fluid-sample-processing machine AllMotion showed at MD&M. In this case, one of the company’s four-axis drive-controller boards (flat and tightly integrated) drives all the axes. It’s typical of the trend to use small-footprint controls with more power density to drive motors loaded with larger payload at higher speeds, added Goodin.

Machines as tiny as a tabletop sample processor are also usually stand-alone. The EZServo4BLDC accommodates such setups

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with onboard memory. The user can enter programming on it, and then the machine can begin execution of its moves after input triggers.

THREE CONTROL DEVELOPMENTS Motion control is continuing to evolve in three ways, according to Dibbern: system bandwidth, system capabilities and ease of use. Higher inertia ratios and increased servo bandwidth result in better system response time. That’s not isolated to just the servocontrol loop itself, but the networks between the controller and servo.

“One customer of ours has a multi-axis application that must react to an outside event in less than one millisecond,” said Dibbern. “Ten years ago, digital networks were fast if they operated in the 4-msec range. Now, we’re using Omron’s G5 servo configured with a 250-μsec update rate.”

Motion-control platforms from a decade ago couldn’t perform complex kinematics like today’s machine-automation controllers, either.

“Even more important than their availability on our controllers is the simplicity with which a user can use those capabilities,” said Dibbern.

Implementing IEC-61131 programming languages and PLCOpen function blocks, Omron and other manufacturers have significantly increased the range of users that can leverage motion features.

“In Sysmac Studio software, items are tag-based

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CONTROLLERS

to address lots of details, such as assigning correct data types for function block inputs,” he added. “That way, a user can focus on their application more than programming details.”

In addition, with many end users having reduced their engineering staff over a number of years, the need for maintenance teams to program high-performance motion is becoming more commonplace. Ten years ago, this capability would have required several different pieces of software and dedicated function controllers (from various suppliers) to create a motion-control system. Today, fully integrated simulation with extensive test points shortens debugging and commissioning leading to fast machine delivery, according to Dibbern.

GENERAL VIEWS ON INCREASED AUTOMATION As motion controllers in the context of automation relate to general labor trends, manufacturers underscore the benefits.

“Delta considers automation a key advance in overall productivity, sustainability and lifestyle required in an ever-increasing global economy,” said Faber. In his view, automation brings the biggest benefits to operations that require precise or repetitive operations, or where job changes occur frequently due of fatigue or lack of interest. Others make similar points.

“Instead of needing someone to do repetitive assembly work that causes longterm physical deterioration as well as safety risks, Americans are building, maintaining and repairing higher-tech automation equipment,” said Dibbern.

In addition, some operations are considered proprietary because it’s what makes the manufacturer competitive in their space. “Here, frequent job changes risk that proprietary knowledge being passed to competitors,” added Faber. “Many times these are unseen benefits in automation, This flying filler machine is an example of an application that can use drives with built-in which in turn becomes the challenge control from Delta Products to get coordinated to communicate.” multi-axis motion.

Benefits to society determine the technologies Omron develops and products that incorporate them, according to Dibbern. “Without automation it wouldn’t be affordable to produce many of the goods currently produced in North America ... so without automation, the associated jobs wouldn’t exist,” he added. In addition to enabling the production of products domestically, automation also creates higher-paying jobs.

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InnerDrive Belt Conveyors from QC Industries house an efficient 24-Vdc motor within their frames, so they need less space than traditional conveyor drive packages. Frame height is 2.54 in., so this conveyor fits into tight spaces where others don’t.

TREND IN CONVEYORS

is toward compact setups

LISA EITEL Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

mk North America offers more than 20 different conveying systems for long life and reliable operation, including these flat belt conveyors.

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CONVEYORS

today are highperformance motion systems that incorporate more engineering than ever before. They outperform legacy iterations thanks to material advances and modular builds to suit specific applications. More specifically, many of today’s conveyors, from large conveyors for material handling to miniature varieties engineered for discrete product sorting, sport increasingly job-specific features.

Just consider how many new facilities mostly rely on miniature conveyors to process pharmaceutical and medical products. Here, plant engineers are turning to conveyor specialists, even to get frames made. Such integrators and customconveyor manufacturers generally avoid the pitfalls of traditional conveyors— namely, overbuilt frames and oversized mechanical components such as bearings. Safety margins

2016

are tighter but more precisely matched to the application, which supports another trend in automation and manufacturing toward leaner operations. One caveat: Customizing jobappropriate conveyors can be a challenge where the manufacturer must account for complex parts handling and orientation.

Consider medical and product handling: Parts are often small and fragile, so are difficult to handle, orient and transfer between processing stations. In the past, most manufacturers shied away from designing conveyors for such applications, according to Mike Hosch, V.P. of the Industrial Products Group at Dorner Mfg. That’s because conveyors that move and handle tiny medical and pharmaceutical products need miniature bearings with long lives; small durable drives; short belts with consistent fabrication; and effective use of product space.

“Some such miniature conveyors have end rollers of just more than half an inch, so they fit into tight machine spaces and transfer products less than an inch in diameter when run end-toend,” said Hosch. Here, the conveyor frame

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CONVEYORS

This unusual design from iwis Drive Systems conveys beverage cans around production processes. Called the POChain-I, it represents a trend toward cost-effective options tailored to specific applications.

fully encapsulates bearing housings, so end users can also put the conveyors side by side and get them nearly flush with only a 1⁄4-in. gap from belt edge to belt edge.

Consider just one example: Many low-profile conveyors benefit from specialty actuation, and the trend is toward pinch drives. Typical belt conveyors run under tension to give the drive roller traction to run the belt, but that necessitates oversized bearings and rollers. In contrast, pinch drives let conveyors run with almost no belt tension, explained Hosch. A conveyor uses two pinch-drive mechanisms, each spring loaded against the drive roller—so the belt can run in either direction under just enough tension to keep the belt flat. Pinch drives force the conveyor belt against the drive roller to give it driving traction without tension. Without the need for high tension, the belt lays flatter, which helps keep lightweight components upright.

“Medical, pharmaceutical and assembling industries have always needed miniature conveyors, but didn’t have many options. That’s changing now,” said Hosch.

This conveyor belt has the world’s largest gearless conveyor drive consisting of three sections running off five Integrated Drive Systems from Siemens. Located at the Cuajone Mine in Peru, the conveyor replaces a railway system.

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COUPLINGS

MIKE SANTORA Associate Editor @DW_MikeSantora

COUPLINGS

see technological and economic growth in the near future TWO

coupling industry trends could spur growth over the next four years. The first relates to technology trends for components themselves. The second is economics-influenced market trends. In component technology, the IoT continues to be of interest specifically with sensors and advances in materials. For overall market trends, economic growth through 2020 is creating optimism in the coupling industry.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS We asked industry experts to weigh in with their assessment of coupling trends they see developing in the near future. From the IoT to size reduction and application specific designs, here are the trends our sources are seeing.

Mike Williams

Product Manager Eaton

In this image we see an Eaton Airflex torque limiting coupling and its exploded view. Couplings like these are used in grinding mills and VFD applications. motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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What we see in our little sandbox, so to speak, is people asking for temperature sensing, people asking for some more automation, keeping personnel, the workers, out of dangerous areas by having remote control panels.

That’s one of the key components of our torque-limiting coupling. We have a control panel that keeps the operator outside of where the motor and shaft are. You can do all the starts, resets and restarts from outside.

There is no lockout-tagout needed because you do not have to enter that area. I think safety drives a lot of that. I think finding out the sweet spot of operation also tends to demand more metrics to be gathered and more data to be acquired to find the most efficient way to operate.

Our product line is also very custom. I would say 50% of our products, maybe even a little bit more, are based on a customer coming to us and saying, ‘Look, we have this grinding mill, and here is the power of the mill. This is what the load is going to be. This is the type of motor we’re using.’ We custom select and build that product for them. We also have some standard offerings. We take those standard offerings and adapt them with different support functions.

What you’re starting to see is engineers not just wanting a custom coupling, but maybe a custom solution. Maybe they want a package solution that shows your coupling with your motor, or a full power transmission package that an engineer can just plug and play into an overall piece—a bigger piece of equipment. They can go right to the experts, get a solution and move on with the rest of the equipment."

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COUPLINGS The trend toward focusing on material advances continues. In this Zero-Max composite disc coupling, the axial stiffness is highly linear because of the properties of the composite material and the shape of the flex element.

Mike Parzych Product Marketing Manager GAM The mass customization and personalization trend in the consumer industry has been a trend that GAM has been close to for many years now. Even with all of the conformance standards out there in our industry, customer constraints and application requirements introduce variability into the machine design, which often cascades throughout the entire system, resulting in the need for a special design at the component level. While in theory it is an easy concept and many companies say they can accommodate such custom designs, the execution is extremely difficult from a manufacturing standpoint; many of the systems and processes are designed for efficiency, repeatability and reliability. Once a custom product or special feature is introduced, the entire production flow can be disrupted. Maintaining quality and repeatability in this scenario is extremely difficult, thus systems and processes must be designed from the ground up to truly embrace this concept. All aspects of the business must be in sync from supply chain, to engineering, all the way down to the machinist on the floor."

MARKET TRENDS Mechanical-coupling sales are ubiquitous enough to track the global economy—and at present, the economy is being kind to couplings. Expansion in Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey (or MINT nations) are expected to show growth for couplings.

China, Brazil and Russia should also show growth, albeit slower. Developed economies will likely offset the growth of the other regions but not enough to stagnate forward momentum.

Materials innovation is also a leading field.

With overall coupling design remaining largely the same in the last 100 years, the technology is ripe for evolution.

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MILES BUDIMIR

TRENDS

Senior Editor @DW_Motion

Motion System

TECH ADVANCES,

application demands spur new drive designs ELECTRIC

AC drives, such as the AllenBradley PowerFlex 527, offer built-in dual-port Ethernet/IP to support a variety of topologies, Device Level Ring functionality, and integrated safety features.

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drives control the speed of an electric motor. They can be ac or dc motors, brush, brushless or servo. Over the years, a lot has changed in drive technology, thanks in large part to advances in electronics and computing power. But applications across a range of industries are also spurring changes in drive design.

Evan Kaiser, portfolio manager for low-voltage drives at Rockwell Automation, noted that “almost all industries are spurring changes since drives are now implemented across so many applications.” He cited pump and fan applications as being among the most prominent and that they “continue to be big drivers for VFD applications due to their resulting energy savings. But more and more, other applications are requiring additional intelligence to deliver critical information to the operator and the enterprise. Whether it’s the conveyor at a food and beverage plant or a servo press at an automotive factory, customers are using drives to precisely control the machine while simultaneously providing diagnostics and machine health information through networked connections to the controller.”

Requirements like these have led to many changes in drive design. As Kaiser put it, “Over the last 10 years, innovations in connectivity, intelligence, safety and control capabilities have led to many VFD advancements. This included a growing need for common, motion-control technologies across both motion and VFD offerings, as machines were increasingly using both platforms.”

Jim Kluck, senior product marketing manager with Danfoss Drives, sees a special emphasis on safety. “Variable speed drive manufacturers have been working to provide protections for the drive and the motor when it comes to the voltage and current,” he said.

“Warnings and alarms alert the customer to problems. We’re seeing a growing demand for more protections for the application and ways to reduce the risk of injuries due to the operating equipment.

Safety functions like Safe Torque Off, Safe Stop, Safe Maximum Speed or Safe Speed Monitoring are allowing engineers to build a protection system around equipment to help safeguard workers.”

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A direct example of how an application has taken advantage of new technology is offered by Kaiser. It involves a feature called Automatic Device Configuration, or ADC. “This feature is enabled when connecting an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drive to a Logix-based controller via Ethernet/IP and an Allen-Bradley Stratix switch,” he said. “Typically, when a drive fails and needs to be replaced, the end user has to manually configure the IP address, and manually download the drive firmware and the previous drive’s configuration. With ADC, the recovery of the IP address, drive firmware and drive configuration can all happen automatically.”

More than just a buzz phrase of the moment, the Internet of Things (IoT), or the industrial version dubbed the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is nothing new for the industrial world. Devices on the factory floor have been connected to larger points of the enterprise in some form or other for at least a decade, if not more. The next step in this progression is the cloud.

With the market for cloud-based systems growing, manufacturers are offering more products and services. Take Rockwell Automation, for instance. “Through our cloud-based, assetperformance management capability, we provide

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Motion System

TRENDS

Drives are smarter than ever, with more functions being integrated into drive units. As this illustration from Danfoss Drives shows, safety features that once required specialized safety drives can now be part of a standard drive offering.

In applications such as electronic line shafting, Delta Products found that it was possible to eliminate the upper level motion controller and PLC devices because functions such as eCAM/eGEAR and spline interpolation table recalculations, among others, can be performed by the servodrive when it has builtin motion capabilities. Now, higher machine speeds can be achieved not just with single axis, but with multi-axis in a distributed control fashion, including all the sequencing.

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machine builders with a simple and secure way to move data from a machine to the cloud, and then to easily visualize and analyze that data in whatever way it makes sense to them and their business,” said Doug Weber, business manager for Remote Monitoring Services at Rockwell.

And more available data translates into added capabilities and functions for machines. “Machine builders are considering providing more extensive diagnostics, or even predictive analytics, around the machine’s performance,” he added.

“This may require higher fidelity data (higher sample rates), and a broader data set such as raw servomotor currents, dc bus voltages, position errors and energy usage. This data can then be analyzed to predict and prevent future downtime events.”

Daniel Repp, business development manager, Automation Solutions at Lenze, sees the same forces at work. “The main trends in our time are Industry 4.0 and IoT. With these trends we have a strong move toward individualization of products. That’s a big challenge for a machine builder. So machines must be highly flexible to reach these goals and therefore the machine builder needs a strong automation concept and a modularization of the machine.”

Bill Faber, Director, IABG product marketing and business development at Delta Products America’s Region, sees these technology trends driving customer expectations as well. “End users are looking to system integrators and technology suppliers to help them achieve and implement this next level of ‘smart production’ and to take advantage of shared/ consolidated data,” he said. And companies are responding accordingly. “Delta is providing more practical computing power at the servodrive and VFD level to serve up the right information, including dc bus voltage, dynamic and RMS current or torque, heatsink and motor temperature, vibration notch filter automatic setting level, and traditional speed and position feedback,” said Faber.

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ENCODERS

The wide range of application demands for encoders means a diversity of designs to suit varying demands.

Shown here is a range of encoders from PositalFraba, including incremental and absolute encoders as well as a range of hardware and configuration options.

IoT,

MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

better accuracy push encoder designs forward ENCODERS

play a key part in motion control systems, providing feedback on system position and speed. The earliest encoders were delicate devices with glass disks and a light source and a sensing head to read light pulses and determine position or speed.

Modern encoders look and operate almost nothing like these early models, with a wide diversity of sizes, styles and operating principles including magnetic and magnetostrictive.

Far from standing still, encoders continue to evolve according to market needs and sensing technology improvements. One of the biggest technological changes over the past decade, according to Christian Fell of Posital-Fraba, is the introduction of new designs based on magnetic sensing technologies. "The new devices make use of embedded microprocessors running advanced signal processing software to achieve accuracy and dynamic response that is competitive with earlier optical designs. However, by transferring the measurement tasks from delicate optical-electric components to more rugged solid-state electronics, it’s been possible to reduce the size of these devices while improving reliability under harsh environmental conditions,” he said.

These changes have meant greater flexibility for designers. “This advance has also increased versatility, since encoder performance characteristics can often be modified through software updates rather than physical changes,” Fell added. “As a result, design engineers can specify devices that fit into their projects with few, if any, compromises.”

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ENCODERS

A cutaway view of Posital-Fraba’s IXARC hybrid incremental and absolute encoder shows the level of electronic miniaturization.

Jeremy Jones from Baumer echoes this sentiment; that is, the continuing shift from optical to magnetic-based designs. The shift from optical to magnetic designs has meant the ability to shrink encoder sizes, among other things.

“Especially in the feedback market the encoder should be very small to fit in all types of motors,” said Jones. “With new designs of the encoder and the optical design and with shifting from optical to magnetic design it was possible to minimize the complete encoder. In the medical market you find the requirement for small sensors.”

Donna Peterson of US Digital sees much of the same trends. “Today, application designs are changing across practically every market, requiring higher resolution, higher accuracy and smaller size encoders. This is most notable in the medical, textile and light industrial automation markets,” she said.

Other components, such as stepper motors, are getting smaller as well, leading to encoder

design changes. As Peterson pointed out, “historically, stepper motors were prone to stall during the motion profile. To correct this issue, the stepper motor was often specified with a larger than necessary torque rating, to ensure that the motor would not stall.” This may have been fine when there was room to spare, but not anymore. “Due to a reduction in overall application design sizes, stepper motors need to be even smaller,” she said.

“To correct for the possible stall condition, now stepper motors are commonly being monitored with encoder feedback. As a result, the encoders must also be smaller, in both height and overall diameter, to interface with these steppers properly.”

As for dominant trends, companies are seeing a few common ones emerging in the encoder industry. Looming large are the broader industrial trends of Big Data and the internet of things, or IoT, but also longstanding ones like interest in implementing some type of preventative maintenance.

Jones noted that the number of encoders in all industries is increasing. “Machines must

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TRENDS

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be more flexible,” he said, “and machine breakdowns are not acceptable.” Hence, the need for more sensors and ultimately the interest in preventative maintenance.

For example, Jones noted that preventative maintenance features on encoders can include warnings and error outputs. “With this feature the breakdown time of the machine can be reduced dramatically,” he said. And in the new era of Industry 4.0, feedback that includes additional information is highly desirable.

Also related to preventative maintenance and the IoT are trends in networking, especially in the rise of Ethernet-based systems. For instance, Fell noted, “We are seeing a steady trend toward the use of various forms of industrial Ethernet (Etherernet/ IP, PROFINET) in large-scale industrial automation systems. This development provides more scope for embedding distributed intelligence (condition monitoring) in devices on the factory floor.”

With so much data available, encoder manufacturers are designing in additional features to put this information to good use. For instance, in Posital-Fraba’s case, Fell said the company recently introduced a cloud-enabled configuration management system for users of encoders.

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configuration data to a database that we maintain. If, at some point in the future a replacement or replica is needed, we can easily access the records and manufacture an identical, drop-in-ready version of the encoder.”

Many industries including medical, automotive, and food and beverage are spurring changes in encoder design. Kevin Kaufenberg of HEIDENHAIN points to the central role that the semiconductor industry plays in their company’s designs. “Due to the fact that technology nodes are still shrinking, although at a slower pace, and yields expectations are ever increasing, engineers are constantly looking to the motion systems to provide repeatability and reproducibility,” he said.

These demands also push the envelope for ever-greater accuracy and finer resolution. “To improve motion axes as far as accuracy and repeatability, now engineers are starting to take note of multidimensional measurements of a motion axis that may be linear motor based,” added Kaufenberg. “Having two degrees of freedom of measurement feedback for a linear motion axis designed for nanometer level positioning allows for improved motion profiles. This fact pushes encoder technology to more complicated schemes of measurement feedback with multiple scanning units per axis of motion.”

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TRENDS

Planetdrive precision planetary servo gearheads available from DieQua Corp. incorporate advanced design features of more expensive planetary gearheads. A precision ring gear is machined in the steel casing; a monolithic planet carrier and output shaft boosts concentricity.

TOP GEAR TREND: Varied designs faster GEARSETS

LISA EITEL Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

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and gearmotors are more customized than ever, following a general trend toward application-specific machine builds. Increasingly common are tailored versions of standard gear offerings featuring engineered metal and plastic subsections in an array of ratios and flange geometries, as well as bearing and housing options to right-size reducer builds.

“General trends in machine design are focused toward increasing throughput while eliminating unnecessary components and reducing costs,” said Mike Parzych, technical marketing and product management at GAM. “For gearboxes, the flange output design is a great example of how engineers can improve designs ... as the flange-output design allows direct connection to the machine or other power transmission element—such as a rack-and-pinion drive, for example. This reduces the number of components required for assembly and boosts rigidity,” he added.

Another trend in custom gearboxes bought in smaller volumes is for OEMs to order from manufacturers doing in-house manufacturing. Here, more software tools, automation and machine-tool flexibility make such approaches to OEM component procurement more cost-effective. Reduced shipping costs and turnkey setup offset the technical service and support needed for custom gear orders. Case in point: Harmonic Drive has expanded a line of servomotor-driven electric actuators with various options for input voltage, drives, encoders and cabling. Engineers then just load drives with motor parameters for simple onsite installation, according to Robert Mullins, VP of sales at Harmonic Drive.

“Designs are becoming more complex, requiring customization and creative thinking, and we accommodate requirements for smaller, stronger and more cost-effective gear drives,” said Brien Shirey, VP of engineering at CGI Inc.

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GEARING

Modular designs leverage the benefits of standardization— verified gear setups with acceptable price-to-performance ratio. What’s more, small quantities of custom gearboxes are easier to get thanks to 3D modeling to take models into machine tools for postprocessing work. That also makes precision gearboxes less costly to manufacture than before.

Improved materials and higher-performing gearboxes with today’s gear-cutting machines continue to output high quality at ever-lower cost.

“Now we can optimize geartooth forms for noise reduction, high strength, improved life, and more,” said Shirey. New materials and coatings are boosting performance of smaller gearsets as well.

Lightwieghting of gearing is perhaps most apparent in positioning machines. Here, harmonic gearing is one option to boost torque-to-size ratios.

Such gearing is more compact than that from a decade ago, which saves OEMs from engineering smaller actuators.

Several industries—medical, semiconductor and electronics, aerospace and defense, automotive, and machinery manufacturing—are spurring

example, the medical, food and beverage, and packaging industries have stimulated many changes in material specification.” From epoxy coatings to treatments such as anodization or electrolessnickel plating to complete stainless-steel materials, myriad material specifications are based on industryspecific machine requirements, added Parzych.

These changes are typically the result of stricter sanitation guidelines for processing machinery, which is ultimately a good thing, as the products are produced for consumption.

PACKAGING INDUSTRY LEADS THE CHARGE Elsewhere, the sheer volume of component use dictates which industries lead technology trends.

“We find that the packaging-equipment industry is the largest consumer of power transmission and motion control components,” said Brian Dengel, general manager at KHK USA Inc. Packaging is becoming an integral component of most products today. “When a product is properly packaged, it is not only tamper-proof but it can be shipped anywhere in the world and be sold as-is.

The retailer can display the item in the original packaging at the point of sale,” added Dengel.

To produce these packaged products, OEMs are developing more unique machinery to envelop product in retail-ready, tamper-proof packaging.

LARGE-SCALE ADOPTION OF IoT STILL A WAYS OFF In the 2015 edition of Design World’s Motion Trends issue, none in the industry saw cloud-enabling technologies (such as sensor feedback and IoT capabilities) in gearing components. There’s been little change in overall IoT connectivity in gear components since.

“For a few years now, gearbox manufacturers

We supply metric-dimensioned gears, and with newer products being designed for global use, we see an ever-increasing demand for our offerings.

Brian Dengel of KHK USA changes in today’s gearing in different ways.

“All industries have unique requirements, which are often reflected in the component design throughout a machine assembly,” said Parzych. “For

have applied sensor technology to provide feedback on temperature, torque, force and vibration to monitor the overall operating condition and internal state of components such as gears, bearings and lubrication,” said Parzych.

“However, in most cases, it is difficult to justify the use of such technology based on the cost

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GAM’s new SPH Flange output gearbox allows for direct attachment of machine elements (or other power transmission element such as a rack-and-pinion drive) for a compact and stiff design.

For gearboxes, the flange output design is also a great example of how engineers can improve builds with lower overall component count for assembly.

as it can often be as expensive as the gearbox unit itself. There is absolutely the need to better monitor and optimize machine performance; however, I do not think the use of sensor and data feedback technology is commercially practical at this point just yet.”

In addition to the high costs of the equipment, IT integration and security are the other related issues with the technology right now. In machine design as it relates to gearboxes and couplings, engineers are looking for ways to improve designs while eliminating unnecessary components to drive down cost. According to Parzych, this technology is still in the early stages of adoption, and the benefits of using the data cannot be realized based on cost for the majority of applications.

“As the technology becomes more economical, it will be more common to monitor certain machine functions; however, until then, those applications will be handled on a case-by-case basis or on more critical components where monitoring

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Motion System

TRENDS

Here, Regal divisions Hub City and Marathon Motors (with PARTsolutions) now offer online product-configuration software at hubcityinc.com/HeraDriveMarathon.html that lets design engineers create and download perfectly matched gear-motor configurations.

This online configuration software supports a trend in gearing towards more configurability even for standard gear products.

is mandatory,” he said. So, companies should continue to learn about the technology and explore how it can work in real-world applications and scale commercially.

FINAL WORDS ON EFFICIENCY AND CUSTOMIZATION Consider the effect of globalization on metric standardization. Although the U.S. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act in 1975, the U.S. is one of only three countries (as of 2015) that has not adopted the metric system as their official system of weights and measures. “With the globalization of trade, and more specifically the production of foreign branded automobiles in the U.S., there’s increasing demand for metric-dimensioned products,” said Dengel. “KHK is a supplier of metric dimensioned products, and with newer products being designed for global use, we see an everincreasing demand for our offerings.”

The trend toward mass customization and personalization in consumer products is one that GAM has been close to for many years, according to Parzych.

While it may seem like an easy concept (and many companies claim to accommodate custom designs), actual execution is difficult from a manufacturing standpoint. That’s because newly introduced custom products or features can disrupt entire production flows.

Maintaining quality and repeatability in this scenario is difficult, according to Parzych. So, systems and processes must be designed from the ground up to support the concept.

“GAM has been setup this way for years and continues to refine systems and processes required to support this concept efficiently and economically for gearboxes and couplings,” added Parzych.

TRENDS IN POWER-TRANSMISSION DESIGN Changes in motion and power-transmission design over the last decade have mainly been to eliminate components and reduce costs, while maintaining quality and improving performance ... essentially doing more 72

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with less. “That trend will continue to be a driving force in the industry, and manufacturers will most likely try to accommodate this through new products innovations or product redesigns and improvements,” said Parzych.

There are challenges in implementing the latest technologies. “Power transmission components are greatly misunderstood by the general populace,” said Dengel. “Gearing in most engineering schools is discussed as a single lecture in one course over fouryear mechanical engineering education.” What’s more, many of today’s design engineers are working in three or more disciplines, for which it is assumed that they have expertise in each.

“We have many instances were a designer comes to us with a concept and needs a solution,” said Dengel.

“Without experience in designing with gears, their selection can be significantly undersized or conversely they might find that a gearing solution that would support their mechanical needs is too large for the design envelope.”

GEARING RELATIVE TO OVERALL AUTOMATION TREND People always look for ways to do things more efficiently, economically and precisely, and automation leads in these areas as it takes repetitive motion and replaces it with mechanical motion. “Given the current economic climate and competitive global market, the need for automation will grow for the foreseeable future, inherently bringing more jobs relating to the designing, programming, installing and maintaining of automation systems,” said Parzych.

So especially with manufacturing automation surging, gear products continue to proliferate. “For our business, increased automation is a net positive, as our products are consumables in many industrial-automation applications,” said Dengel.

“With increased automation, we expect increased demand for our products and expertise.” KHK’s own facilities have been automated for many years.

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TRENDS

Helical bevel designs, such as this unit from DieQua, are ideal for hightorque servo requirements.

GEARMOTORS:

Continued integration, end-user demands drive gearmotor advances GEARMOTORS, a well-established technology, are motors designed with an integrated gear reducer. Gearmotors are most common in applications that need a lot of force to move heavy objects.

Most industrial gearmotors incorporate fixed-speed ac motors. However, some gearmotors use dc motors, which are common in automotive applications.

Gearmotors continue to improve. In fact, there is quite a bit new in gearmotor technology in addition to some new interest in gearmotors from a number of industries and over a range of newer applications.

One wider industry trend that gearmotors follow is the interest in more integrated systems designs.

One change to integration is the type of motors being used in gearmotor systems. For instance, Chriss Popp from DieQua pointed out that “a significant gearmotor technology change over the last decade is more integration of servomotors with gearboxes instead of typical ac motors. I think it’s driven by the appearance of more flexibility and control, although it isn’t always necessary. With advanced VFDs many motion profiles can be achieved with inverter duty ac motors at a lower cost than using servos.”

Terry Auchstetter from Bodine Electric finds that specific customer demands often drive technology decisions. For instance, the company found new applications for one of their brushless dc gearmotors. “Our INTEGRAmotor, low-voltage brushless dc gearmotors are in demand when interference from high-voltage signals is not acceptable, or when

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MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

the customer or application requires minimal wiring and/or a compact design,” he said.

Specific industries or applications are also spurring changes in gearmotor design. Popp sees demand in a number of different industries.

“The food and beverage industry is driving some changes due to interest in having their gearmotors made of stainless-steel materials,” he said.

“Unfortunately, these approach two to three times the price of traditional aluminum or cast-iron materials so the range of available products may be limited.”

Other applications making an impact include material handling and conveying. “These industries are also making changes from low-cost worm-gear technology to higher-cost helical-gear technology because of the trend toward more energy efficiency,” added Popp. “The initial investment is higher, but there can be a payback in energy cost savings over time.”

Some companies are seeing demand in other areas, such as energy.

Auchstetter said that “battery and solar powered gearmotors require an optimized motor/gearhead match-up, and brushless dc motors provide that with higher efficiency, better size-to-power ratio and all that at zero maintenance.”

Tied in with general automation trends, Popp observed that more and more servomotors and controls are being integrated for even the simplest speed and motion profiles. However, he added that “sometimes its necessary and sometimes its just marketing.” Either way, “to maximize the cost, performance and design of an electromechanical system, it’s

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Motion System

TRENDS

important to select the best gear technology to go with it,” mechanical components needed to drive them.” he said.

Despite these challenges, gearmotor manufacturers As for the broader question of the pros and cons of remain optimistic as designers working on new applications increasing automation, which parallels the economic debates discover the unique benefits that gearmotors continue to that have been taking place in society, several points are bring to the table. evident. “The benefits of The custom gearmotor from Bodine automation are without Electric also features plug-and-screw question. The accuracy, connectors for both power and encoder repeatability and flexibility of connections, a temperature sensor inside automated systems increases the motor (terminated in motor power connector) to detect overloads, and an the productivity of machinery encoder on the motor for servo control and usually the quality of the to rotate the payload quickly, but in a products being produced by controlled manner so that the payload them,” Popp said. doesn’t fall off the robot.

However, Popp also noted the challenges involved.

“A particular challenge of increased automation, at least for most gearbox and other mechanical component Gearmotor manufacturers are responding manufacturers, is that when to customer needs by designing custom machines are more productive, gearmotors for applications. For instance, flexible and efficient, less of Bodine Electric developed a custom them are needed to fulfill gearmotor for a robot used in the warehouses demand for the products they of logistics companies. A pinion attached to the output shaft meshes with a large ring gear produce. That results in less on the turntable that rotates the load. demand for the number of

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MILES BUDIMIR

Motion System

Senior Editor @DW_Motion

HMI HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE: HMIs go mobile HUMAN-MACHINE

Interfaces (HMIs) have come a long way from the days of simple switches and knobs. Follow the arc of the computing revolution and you’ll find that industrial HMI is right there on the curve. From multi-touch screens to HTML5 design platforms, HMIs today are more sophisticated than ever.

One of the most obvious trends is clearly visible in HMI design. The consumer mobile-device market has impacted the design of HMIs used in industrial applications. From the look and feel of HMIs to the way they’re programmed, this next generation of HMIs gives users more flexibility to access data and control systems and machines remotely. Not to mention being perfectly poised for the Internet of Things (IoT).

We asked some people who know a thing or two about HMI design to tell us about the changes they’re seeing in the market. Here’s what they said.

1) WHAT TECHNOLOGY CHANGES ARE YOU SEEING OVER THE LAST DECADE OR SO? Matt Newton Director of Technical Marketing Opto 22 The largest change in HMI technology we’ve seen in the past few years is the move to mobile. With IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) being rolled out and just about everyone walking around with a smartphone in their pocket, moving HMIs to a mobile architecture makes the most sense both from a usability perspective and a cost perspective. Consider the average person’s familiarity with mobile devices as well as the cost of the average smartphone versus a traditional HMI, and mobility in automation makes more and more sense.

Mobile devices, like this smartphone used here to monitor fermentation during the brewing process, let operators move beyond a fixed workstation or control panel to monitor and control systems from other locations. The web-based operator interface, like the one shown from Opto 22, can be used on smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices with a web browser.

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HMI HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Derrick Stacy Solutions Engineer B&R Industrial Automation The change we are seeing as well as developing ourselves is an aim to get away from specific closed development platforms. With advances in how websites are visualized and represented on any number of screens, from standard desktop monitors to the various mobile devices consumers use, B&R is bringing HTML5, CSS3 and Java Script into our visualization tools so that web developers and HMI experts can tailor their user interfaces in a similar fashion to the improved user experience designs on the internet. Bringing a similar look, feel, and usage from the consumer world into the manufacturing user interface allows operators to more quickly get comfortable with a system and can decrease the task times of the operators.

B&R’s other developments in this area eliminates the time spent creating the duplicate screens required for display at various resolutions through the use of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs). This technology also scales to our web-serverbased diagnostic tools that allow users to connect to an HMI with their mobile device to view diagnostic and operational data.

2) WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE SPURRING CHANGES IN TODAY’S HMI HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE?

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Matt Newton Director of Technical Marketing Opto 22 Significant changes in HMIs are being seen across all industries. With the advent of mobile technology, modern operators are no longer tied to a specific physical interface to manage their systems. As the modern operator becomes more and more on the go, vendors are seeking to provide solutions that operators can carry with them, wherever they are. These new systems are web-based operator interfaces that can be used on any mobile phone or tablet, effectively allowing systems to DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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Companies like B&R Industrial Automation are using web technologies like HTML5, CSS3 and Java Script to allow OEMs from all industries to create HMIs to maximize operator efficiency and visualize these screens on mobile devices.

customer application monitors power usage at a facility and checks not only the electrical usage but time of usage against the local utility to make sure facility energy usage is optimized to stay out of higher tiered electric rates.

One of our most recent HMI applications had to do with adding the capability to remotely monitor and control windmills installed for decades that previously were manually operated. Using our SNAP PAC control system and groov mobile HMI, the windmills were securely connected to the Internet for remote monitoring and control.

Operators now control and monitor their legacy windmills from anywhere, without having to send a tech on site to start and stop the system. Using web technology, the windmill operators are then able to set alerts from the groov product that tell them when the ideal time to start and stop the windmill is based on the spot price of electricity, thereby maximizing profit.

4) THE ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCING AUTOMATION RECENTLY PUBLISHED A WHITE PAPER COLLECTING DATA FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS AND MANUFACTURING FIRMS DOCUMENTING HOW INCREASED USE OF ROBOTS BOOSTS EMPLOYMENT. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR COMPANY’S STANCE ON THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF INCREASED AUTOMATION? Derrick Stacy Solutions Engineer B&R Industrial Automation

be monitored and controlled from anywhere at anytime. Data is more easily shared throughout the enterprise this way as users no longer have to be tied to a specific location or physical device.

3) WHAT SORTS OF SENSOR AND DATA FEEDBACK AND IoT CAPABILITIES ARE YOU SUPPLYING OR SEEING IN THE INDUSTRIES YOU REACH? ANY SPECIFIC APPLICATION EXAMPLES? Matt Newton Director of Technical Marketing Opto 22 It’s not so much the type of data that is the interesting factor in the IoT applications we’re involved in. It’s more what the customer is doing with the sensor data. For example, most of our customers are still doing simple things like monitoring temperature, energy usage and current. In other words, typical industrial and control applications. But in IoT applications, customers are taking that sensor information to the next level and turning it into actionable information. For example, a typical IoT

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We have always embraced and will continue to embrace new technologies and all the advantages that come from automation. This isn’t just a sales mindset as a manufacturer of automation technology, but also an internal focus as we have adapted our own production to use our automation products and robotics to improve our processes.

B&R has a long-standing tradition of training and promoting cross-specializations among employees and partners. As we work with companies to help them make decisive gains in their business through automation we look to instill that principal so that any personnel we may displace from a repetitive or menial task is given the opportunity to be trained on our products and the newly implemented systems. This training makes personnel more valuable to organizations and moves their workforce into more complex and value added skill set.

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Motion System

Smaller sized leadscrews, like the Micro Series from Haydon Kerk, feature screw diameters of 2 mm with leads ranging from 0.3 to 2 mm per revolution.

Made from premium grade 303 stainless steel, a number of nut configurations including self-lubricating acetal and Kerkite High Performance Composite Polymers as well as an optional Kerkote TFE coating, an exclusive dry lubricant, helps extend nut life while reducing friction and drive torque requirements.

LEADSCREWS: smaller, lighter

options cover more applications LEADSCREWS MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

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are a commonplace linear motion component. They typically have higher load ratings than ballscrews, and are also usually less expensive. Improvements over the years have included decreasing friction and making them more suitable for applications requiring higher speeds.

They’ve also gotten smaller and lighter, making them more attractive in applications where size and weight may be limiting factors.

As Jon Daley, product line manager at Haydon Kerk, pointed out, leadscrew technology is based on principles of fundamental physics and hasn’t changed much over the last decade or so. Change has come from other areas. For instance, said Daley, “the ever widening variety of polymers that can be used as leadscrew nuts is one reason that allows the product to advance and get better with age.”

Matt Mowry, product manager for DryLin Linear

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Systems at igus, agrees. “For one, there is the general increase in automation across the board.

Also, the need for lubrication-free plastic nuts in lieu of more expensive ballscrews systems which require lubrication.”

So the use of different materials for both screws and nuts is one area of innovation. For instance, a new leadscrew series from igus features tribologically optimized plastic leadscrew nuts and hard anodized aluminum screws. Such designs offer a number of benefits including weight savings as well as a reduction of required maintenance and external lubrication, which lead to increased service life.

According to Stefan Niermann, head of DryLin linear technologies at igus, “Aluminum is not only very light and corrosion free, but it also achieves extremely high wear resistance and low coefficients of friction due to the hard anodizing process.”

In addition, certain industries are driving some of

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LEADSCREWS

the changes in leadscrew design and use. Applications in mobile kiosks and other retail dispensing applications require lower weight leadscrews, for example. Other applications, like medical, require specific leadscrew features. “The medical device market is requiring leadscrew manufacturers to make smaller leadscrews that deliver higher thrust loads,” said Daley. “2-mm diameter and smaller screws are sometimes required to create a 75-lb thrust load with some expected duty cycle. This sometimes requires custom thread design and special polymer resins for nut materials.”

Mowry listed a number of applications driving innovations in leadscrew design, including lab automation, kiosk/vending, storage-retreival robotics, packaging machinery, 3D printing and lower-cost CNC routers, among others.

Keith Knight, engineering manager at Haydon Kerk, described an application from one of their customers in the medical device market. “It used leadscrew assemblies in a mechanism to attenuate and shape a radiation beam for their latest offering of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT),” he said. The unique combination of geometry and materials promised the ability to operate at twice the speed of a previous version while maintaining a cost-effective and efficient solution.

“We were able to offer a customized In applications where weight is a 2-mm diameter leadscrew with a 2-mm lead significant factor, aluminum leadscrew and a mating nut. The material used in the options, such as the DryLin series from igus, can reduce weight by up nut is a very specific engineered polymer to 60% over comparable stainlessthat allows for tight tolerances, is suitable for steel units. Featuring tribologically applications exposed to radiation, and offers a optimized plastic leadscrew nuts and high efficiency assembly without the need for hard anodized aluminum screws, they lubrication,” said Knight. An added bonus was can offer considerable weight savings, as well as a reduction of required that “they also doubled the count of leadscrew maintenance and external lubrication, assemblies to achieve higher resolution in resulting in increased service life. shaping the radiation beam,” he added.

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With the ever-increasing miniaturization of electronics, equipment manufacturing them has shrunk as well. IKO has kept pace with this demand and makes linear ways and cam followers that are the smallest in the world.

They are maintenance-free and eliminate the need for relubrication.

2016 LISA EITEL Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

trends in linear systems

TECHNOLOGY

improvements continue in linear-motion setups, with packaging and medical leading the charge this year. In fact, the biggest trend has been more reliance on flexible machine designs, which require that machine axes constructed for one purpose easily reprogram for others.

“Flexible machine designs—ones that engineers can reconstitute for multiple functions—is what machine builders want today. Industries in which such designs are prevalent include packaging, material handling, converting and factory automation,” said Dave Hein, VP of engineering at Nexen.

“Each industry has different individual needs, but the common thread is more machines to deliver flexible performance.”

For example, a case-packing machine in the packaging industry today might need to pack 4, 8 or 16 cartons on the fly. The demand for flexible machine designs has driven implementation of programmable, flexible machine axes for such tasks, added Hein.

TRENDING MECHANICAL CHANGES IN LINEAR DESIGN On the level of motion subcomponents, Rick Wood, managing director of Rollon, sees some of the following advances leading linear rail and actuator trends.

• Today’s tight motion controls and high servo-encoder counts

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mean some linear actuators can hold acceptable repeatability with a servo and belt drive, sans linear encoder.

Manufacturers today also integrate drives and controls for seamless machine integration (to take some of the “black magic” out of electromechanical motion). That’s according to Jeremy Miller, product manager for linear mechanics at the Electromechanical Div. of Parker Hannifin.

• Some of today’s linear rails can carry high loads, even when slightly misaligned. In addition, some of today’s telescopic linear guides carry heavy loads with minimal deflection. They make long strokes and resolve misalignment from poorly mating components and nonparallel surfaces. Rollon’s offerings here abound. The rails mount to uneven surfaces and function in imperfect environments—for example, on large rollers passing on steel raceways.

In a similar way, mechanical gearing that doesn’t rely on backlash to function is addressing other traditional design limitations. “This functionality lets mechanical designers create

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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LINEAR SYSTEMS

machines that deliver higher precision in reversing applications, while also giving servodrive programmers more flexibility in choosing system operating gains,” said Hein.

• Some belt-driven linear actuators have universal drive ends to be fieldconfigurable. The motor or gearbox installs on either actuator end. Pretensioned belts and a stiff monorail can deliver high load capacity and thrust force with repeatability to 0.002 in., according to Wood. So, say a machine builder must move gearing and motor horizontally on a linear actuator to accommodate a machine change.

Instead of spending hundreds of dollars to ship the actuator back to the manufacturer for rework, the builder can just remount the motor to the actuator’s other end using a universal drive head— for an actuator reconfigured in 15 minutes or so.

• There have been improvements in raw materials (steels, aluminum alloys, ceramics, engineered polymers and performance elastomers) for manufacturing linear rails and actuators.

So, some manufacturers now skip some of the grinding of linear guides and leverage tighter raw-material specifications.

In addition, zone hardening on working surfaces lets manufacturers use inductive processes instead of baking whole parts in an oven. Specialized aluminum extrusions can also make linear-actuator bases straighter and flatter than standard extrusions. This in turn makes installation pulleys, belts and linear rails faster and less expensive, for shorter lead times overall.

INDUSTRIES SPURRING LINEAR-MOTION CHANGES The defense industry still demands new linear-motion systems all the time, especially those with very low friction.

Other growth industries for motor-driven slides are those needing washdown components for food and beverage and medical applications. Here, FDAcompliant washdown slides are stainless

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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to resist caustic foams of chlorine.

Tubular linear motors, according to Miller, come with an IP67 rating standard, so survive such washdown environments.

“The food and beverage industry demands corrosion-resistant linear products and enclosed actuators impervious to washdown cycles,” said Wood. For these types of applications, his engineering staff recommends corrosion-resistant platings that withstand real-world equivalents of up to 750 hours of salt-spray fog testing.

“Aerospace, biomedical, medical and 3D printing designs are driving improvements more than most other industries,” Wood added.

IoT AND LINEAR MOTORS IN LINEAR-MOTION SYSTEMS Another trend is that many companies are developing Industry 4.0 components applicable to enterprise-level connectivity. However, there’s a major catch.

“Determining features that make a specific component (such as a motor or gearbox) useful for 4.0 application is still a type of analysis in its infancy.

precision half page.pdf

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Over the next several years, some features and functions will become more common and standard ... while others will stay machine or function specific,” said Hein.

In contrast, the proliferation of linear systems using linear motors continues unabated, and it’s no longer just for expensive machinery. As more linearmotor manufacturers work to make their linear alternatives simpler to integrate—even as drop-in replacements for traditional fluid-power actuators— more OEMs are putting them on even standard axes. The catch here is that such linear motors must satisfy ISO standards for mounting and footprint, noted Miller. Only then do they reduce design complexity for OEMs and users.

That said, some linear motors provide an alternative to even specific electromechanical designs. “Tube motors can eliminate the mechanical rotary-to-linear device and gearing of traditional linear setups. Plus they integrate much more tightly than traditional ballscrew or belt-driven cylinders for lower overall cost, design complexity and footprint,” said Miller. No moving bearings means they’re also maintenance free.

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LINEAR SYSTEMS

MINIATURIZATION YET ANOTHER LINEAR-MOTION TREND In general, smaller machine footprints are always better. No wonder then than OEMs today want to downsize specific components and still maintain machine operating specifications.

“This goal of the machine designer has challenged Nexen to validate components robustly, under extreme operating conditions, to let application engineers confidently apply them,” said Hein.

Others agree, and note the difficulty in servicing tiny designs as a reason for robustness. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen moves toward miniaturization of applications that use bearing and linear-guide components,” said John Longo, general manager at IKO. In past decades, applications more commonly used linear-motion guides of size 15-mm (rail width) or larger ... and medium sizes of cam-follower bearings, according to Longo.

“But in recent years, possibly with demand for smaller machine footprints, modules in machines and components have shrunk in size,” he said. So, smaller products in bearings and linear-motion guides are more interesting to design engineers than before.

As mentioned, the reduction in size also creates a need for easy maintenance and long component life, as sometimes it’s not as easy to do maintenance on smaller modules as it is on larger modules and components.

“IKO introduced the world’s smallest 1.4-mm-diameter cam followers in 2008, and 1-mm-width profile rail-type linear-motion guides in 2005,” said Longo. “Now IKO also offers expanded lines of a C-Lube maintenance-free product series in both linear-motion guides and rolling bearings.”

Design engineers use Nexen rail brakes to create custom packaging-machine axes, as case geometries are configurable and modifiable on demand.

These products are working in the field and in more design projects than ever before.

TREND TOWARD INTEGRATED SYSTEMS More end users now buy pre-engineered linear setups ... everything from linear actuators to Cartesian robots (to get more load capacity than SCARAs). However, getting complete systems can be difficult because some actuator manufacturers only offer one controller, said Wood.

This is an ETT050 direct-thrust linear-motor actuator from Parker Hannifin’s Electromechanical & Drives Division. This particular model outputs peak thrust force to 746 N over strokes to 720 mm. The ETT family features ISO-compatible mounting, making this a simplified transition and energy-efficient alternative to pneumatic cylinders ... though tubular linear motors also eliminate the use of conventional drivetrain components (screw and belt) and gearing to outperform actuators based on traditional electromechanical technology.

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Here are custom-length linear devices from Rollon on a water-bottlebundling machine. The manufacturer once took five days to cut rail, mount blocks, package and ship product.

But through the Move Fast program, Rollon now stocks common sizes from all manufacturers. Analysis predicts demand so Rollon cuts, packages and ships linear guides within 24 hours.

Here, some common controls don’t have a suitable mechanical solution, are as expensive as a whole package, or demand that installers have prior knowledge of the control, electrical and mechanical setup. However, designers that buy separate guides, ballscrews, mounting surfaces, carriages and brackets leave the responsibility for alignment and integration to the engineer. So building smooth-functioning linear actuators that meets performance, price and schedule requirements is challenging, Wood said. For this reason, more companies than ever are steering technical staff to focus on core competencies and outsource integration In short, engineering staffs are smaller than ever, and design engineers no longer have the time to involve themselves in all design aspects. So vendors now execute more engineering to let design engineers act as project managers.

Such engineers also want components and linear systems that plug into CAD models. So when the OEM engineer approves the vendor’s calculations and proposed design, the vendor makes a CAD of the design. Then the OEM puts the CAD file into a parent model to check fit, form, and function—adding CAD files until the full design’s parent CAD file is complete.

Research laboratories drive motion design ... and technology convergence A major technology trend today is that of big science, according to Rick Halstead, president at Empire Magnetics. His company makes hybrid permanent-magnet step and servomotors for specialty applications in wet or hazardous environments and even applications subject to vacuums and radiation.

“Just consider research facilities built around beamlines—multibillion-dollar accelerator-physics laboratories with large research teams. These facilities’ impact is just becoming evident in the marketplace, but the change is coming,” said Halstead.

Case in point: At the Advanced Light Source located at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, researchers use electrons to generate highenergy X rays. “These short-wave rays allow imaging on a scale impossible with visible light,” said Halstead. Research teams are using this technology to view molecules to design new medications.

“Instead of randomly trying compounds to see what effects they have on a disease, researchers can image a pathogen and then design molecules to attack it.”

New nanotechnology makes it possible to produce the molecule.

In fact, thanks to such intentional (no longer random) efforts, some researchers think they are on track to cure the flu.

Likewise, at the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC), researchers are using macromolecular crystallography to study biological molecules such as proteins, viruses and nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) to a resolution better than five Angstroms—and investigate

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the exact mechanisms by which these macromolecules carry out functions in living cells and organisms.

As the practical value of these beamline facilities becomes evident, researchers are installing machines to further leverage existing equipment.

“While the images may be operating at nanoscale, support equipment is based on leading-edge technology. That’s why microposition motion systems that operate in vacuum and withstand radiation are key support items,” Halstead added. These units must be highly repeatable and (given the cost of beam time) reliable.

Consider how the Neutron beam facility in Australia recently had a mechanical failure of a shaft coupling. It took three days to remove shielding blocks before technicians could work on the replacement.

The cost was several millions of dollars in lost beam time.

But with the ability to image molecules and even atoms comes a convergence of technologies. “If you are building structures of carbon molecules, is it mechanical engineering—as new superstrong materials? Is it biology—as new antibodies? Is it optics—as new crystal systems to manipulate light? Is it communications—in the form of optical amplifiers? This list continues and is growing rapidly,” said Halstead. The impact on everyday lives—and the unique requirements these advanced facilities have for motion components such as precision linear actuators—is just becoming evident.

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3/10/16 4:46 PM

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2016

trends in electric motors

THIS

year’s leading trends in motors for motion designs are migration to custom solutions; heightening Senior Editor emphasis on efficiency; and (where @DW_LisaEitel suitable) more use of motors that allow for miniaturization (with power-dense designs) and connectivity for IoT capabilities.

“As reshoring picks up steam, we see more masscustomization,” said Scott Evans, director of product strategy at Kollmorgen.

Here’s a bit more to illustrate what that means: “Once developing countries started catching up with the ability to mass-produce with cheaper labor, manufacturing jobs disappeared from developed countries. But today, affordable automation and CAD/CAM now let companies bring manufacturing back to the U.S.,” Evans explained.

It’s not just mass-produced cookie-cutter production this time around, but mass-customized products now possible with minimal changeover time for ever-smaller batches.

Motion System

LISA EITEL

More insight from industry leaders online We Design World editors invite you to get even more inside knowledge of the changes afoot in motor-driven design for 2016. Just visit motioncontroltips.com and search, “2016 trends in electric motors” for several in-depth features that include more market analysis as well as commentary by industry experts we interviewed for this series. These five technical articles go deeper into specifics to give you business and technology insights from application engineers with high-level perspective.

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Networking and sensing take motordriven designs to new heights: IoT and its inroads in motor-driven technology Automation’s benefits and challenges Medical industry looms largest for motor innovation—and Robbie Queen of Moog explains why Mixed bag for miniaturization

In addition, you’ll find a full technology forecast at motioncontroltips.com from Scott Evans of Kollmorgen. He describes a megatrend just now making end users steer clear of specifying vendors for components and systems. Instead, they seek more robotics; smarts in electronics for motion; leasing of equipment; self-diagnosing machinery; and the use of harmonized data to get machine designs right.

This is a 550-W Dunkermotoren BG 75 Direct Mains Connection (DMC) brushless dc motor. It’s representative of a larger trend toward integrated motor design, as it has integrated control electronics and (thanks to power-stage electronics) makes an external power supply unnecessary. It also contains PLC functions, fieldbus interfaces, and one of any number of encoders and brakes.

20 years ago, many of these components could’ve filled a control cabinet. Today, they all fit inside one motor housing. Depending on design, this motor can even render a control cabinet unnecessary.

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Today’s ventilators and heart valves must be indestructible and failure-free, so manufacturers of such devices must know their subcomponents will last millions of cycles in real-world use.

That’s why BEI Kimco has a test station to substantiate the life of its linear voice-coil actuators (VCAs) for critical applications.

Initial testing of two linear VCA families demonstrated the actuators work for more than 50 million life cycles, and continued testing verified actuators to 100 million life cycles; ongoing testing will see that number grow. VCA lifecycles are relevant to environmental stress testing, semiconductor, and automation uses as well.

“Even motion suppliers are figuring out how to customize quickly and efficiently, and at minimal cost. So OEMs that have an idea, but find that commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) motion products are insufficient, can now leverage co-engineering and customization with suppliers,” Evans concluded.

One permutation of this motor trend is product consolidation, according to Brandon Steinberg, regional business development manager of Portescap in North America. Here, motor manufacturers aim to meet customer demands for more speed, torque and integration with preintegrated setups. “So for these engineers who want to boost speed and torque, we collaborate on designs that maximize the allotted space for high power output and efficiency,” Steinberg said.

Consider a related trend specific to brushless dc motors—integration of controls. A growing array of web-based configuration tools let designers pick such motor-control pairings more easily.

MORE OVERLAP BETWEEN MOTOR TYPES Integrated motion is a leading trend in stepper motors as well. Here, combining the stepper, drive, controller and encoder simplifies installation. In addition, control techniques such as hybrid Motion Technology (hMT) help stepper motors maintain their advantages of torque density, lack of jitter at standstill, and the ability to work without tuning, while delivering the reliable synchronization, torque control and cooler operation of servomotors. That’s according to Clark Hummel at Schneider Electric Motion.

Torque control for steppers (now possible with hMT) even lets steppers work on axes for winding, capping and clamping tasks once impossible because of stalling and loss of synchronization.

Other lines between which motor types are suitable for which applications are blurring. “Over the past decade, the use of variable-speed drives has dramatically increased for all applications,” said Will Delsman, inside and technical sales manager at NK Technologies. The company manufactures

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sensors to measure current, voltage and power for industrial automation machinery.

More specifically, field-oriented sensorless vectorcontrol-based drives have become commonplace, with both vector and voltage/hertz outputs available from the same drive. “Here, we see ac servos running positioning and product motion where only dc servos were used previously,” added Delsman.

APPLICATION-SPECIFIC MOTORS COULD REIGN SUPREME Mass-customized motors often take the form of application-specific iterations. Here the catch is that motor designers must get as familiar as possible with end applications to help optimize performance, according to Matt Marrow, business development manager with Portescap. Only then can they tailor materials, magnets, construction and manufacturing processes to satisfy OEM specifications.

Case in point: Packaging and food and beverage demand cleanable motors, but legacy stainlesssteel servomotors were expensive and big and often weren’t much more reliable than standard servomotors. Now, demand plus the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) are forcing manufacturers to make these motors more durable.

Another example of function driving application-

Some brush dc motors excel in medical applications needing quiet operation. DCmind Brush Motors from Crouzet Motors make just 35 dBA of sound.

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Miniaturization is a motion trend of increasing importance in the medical industry. Here, Moog’s BSG23 series brushless dc motor delivers maximum efficiency from a compact design.

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specific motor design is in the passenger railway and subway car market. This industry has historically used brush dc motors for automatic door actuation, but such motors failed and added complexity, due to the separate controls and associated wiring that had to run through the car, said John Morehead, national sales manager at Crouzet Motors and Crouzet Automation, brands of InnoVista Sensors.

“In response to the railway industry’s need for longer-life automatic door systems that are easier to install and control, Crouzet Motors developed DCmind brushless gearmotors with CANopen networking capability,” he said. “The gearmotors (because they’re brushless) last longer than the brush dc motors they replace, and (with integral controls) eliminate extra installation cost and complexity associated with brush dc motors and separate controls and wiring.” CANopen makes for economical and easy networking using a simple two-wire system.

There’s yet another example from the medical-device industry. BEI Kimco linear-voice-coil actuators now have integrated position sensors. “We’ve developed housed linear actuators for ventilators and heartvalve life-test fixtures that survive more than 100 million cycles,” said Jim McNamara, BEI Kimco senior applications engineer. Just 10 years ago, BEI Kimco started manufacturing housed actuators. “Now, BEI Kimco’s housed actuators provide reliability that our customers need and would’ve had to develop on their own,” he added.

Here’s a brushless dc motor, a Slotted Mini Motor from Portescap, to output high power from a small package.

AFFORDABILITY IN MOTORS AND CONTROL ELECTRONICS Others acknowledge specific examples, but say the move to motorfeature integration is a pan-industry trend. “Decreasing cost with increased subcomponents and electronics integration is driving motion-component innovation more than the demands of any single industry,” said David Marks, motor engineering and research manager at Moog Components Group.

In fractional-horsepower motors, Ed Tullar, sales manager at Groschopp, sees the increasing affordability of controls, electronics and sensors driving demand. Falling prices of rare-earth elements have also made the manufacture of myriad power-dense motors once again price-competitive.

On another front, Moore’s Law has enabled many applications that were unaffordable 10 years ago, as new controls now let engineers use traditional motor and power-transmission technologies for ever-more-sophisticated motion designs.

“Motion control has so improved that

There’s a trend toward more connectivity for IoT capabilities. The Moog Animatics SmartMotor allows communication over Ethernet/IP.

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Real people. Real motors.

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One new motor from Oriental Motor is a three-phase standard ac motor called the KIIS series ac motor. It’s available in versions that output 60 W (1/12 hp) and 100 W (1/8 hp). It gets efficiency to 73% and high performance (with greater speed stability even under large load). High efficiency means the motor doesn’t need a cooling fan, so is shorter than traditional options.

With an inverter (VFD), the KIIS series ac motor can also maintain a wider speed range—from 3 to 120 Hz or 90 to 3,600 rev/min.

Implantable pumps treat many medical conditions.

One is an active implant from Sequana Medical to address collections of fluid in the abdomen called ascites (by siphoning the fluid off and into the patient’s bladder). This ALFApump uses a maxon EC motor to drive the gear pump. The maxon EC 13 motor, tailored to implant requirements, has Hall sensors for position feedback to let a motor controller get reliable and stable operation—even at low speeds and high load torques.

error—actual motion versus commanded motion—is now controllable to the 1-µsec range by electronics mounted on or a few meters from the motion,” said Evans.

“So, phenomena such as jitter and lag that were huge issues a few years ago are less significant issues now.”

Consider drive-by-wire designs. “We can fly drones over targets of interest from one control center thousands of miles away using cable-TV satellites and COTS consumer electronics at both ends of the communiqué, and lag is less than a second. All of this was impossible 10 years ago,” said Evans. In fact, the same technologies now go into everything from multi-plant processes, such as refining to driverless vehicles for mining and other exploration tasks.

There’s been proliferation of “Even ultracommunication networks for simple applications, sensors, VFDs, I/O, and servos, such as slow but industrial Ethernet offers labeling machines, can have far simpler the promise of simplification mechanicals and cost control. because higherperformance Doug Parentice of Moog Animatics motion is now more affordable,” continued Evans. “So if an OEM can buy a stepper system for the same price he once paid for a mechanical clutch, for example—well, why wouldn’t he do that?”

That’s especially true when end users of such a machine expect accurate label placement and zero scrap, and longer machine life by virtue of fewer wear components, but don’t want to pay more for the new version of the machine.

Medical devices are driving a trend toward components that are smaller, lighter and more efficient, such as this Moog P45 highperformance blower.

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Power Transmission and Motion Control Solutions for Industrial Applications

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TRENDS

LESLIE LANGNAU

Motion System

Managing Editor @DW_3DPrinting

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EXPECT GREATER connectivity in motion

THE

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), sometimes also known as Industry 4.0, machine to machine and other names, continues to influence the field of communication. New standards for Ethernet are coming and some of these may impact motion control.

The IIoT consists of three basic technology attributes: Intelligence (logic solving, data collection, signal conditioning); networking (wired serial or Ethernet, wireless LAN, cellular, Bluetooth); and communications (protocols and APIs), noted Ben Orchard, applications engineer, Opto 22.

While existing networks will not disappear, networking infrastructures will change to deal with Big Data.

Most of these changes will occur at the higher levels of networking infrastructures. But some changes will take place at the lower levels.

“A lot of us have noted that IIoT is something we could do a decade or more ago,” said John Kowal, director, business development at B&R Automation. “Some of the large end users have been collecting all kinds of machine data for a long time, but they will tell you it’s tough to get their arms around, to analyze and use. But being able to access their machines’ performance data helps them optimize their designs.”

“Nearly all industries are making inroads in the migration toward comprehensive 'sensor-tocloud' connectivity,” said Daymon Thompson, automation product specialist, Beckhoff Automation, “and

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are at the very least highly engaged in learning more about what technologies are available and what the best practices are to make these modernizations.

We have seen that new technologies related to IIoT and Industry 4.0 provide the means to better connect equipment to the enterprise and the cloud—and ultimately—the means to institute high-value data analytics.”

These data analytics could lead to ways to improve how machines work together. Some users have broadened their perspective on machine improvements to more than just uptime. According to some experts, these are the customers that are at the forefront of IIoT. GREATER AUTOMATION OF AUTOMATION Most manufacturing is still at the stage where changes in product offerings or unexpected orders require production line modifications, which usually require line shutdown to handle. “If the IIoT succeeds, then production lines will adapt automatically to product modifications. The Internet of Things disruption will alter the ways our machines interact,” said Armin Pühringer, business development manager, Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation.

“The automation pyramid will change from being a vertical structure to a more horizontal one," he continuted. "Machines, systems and even production lines and businesses will become so highly de-centralized and yet interconnected that our network architectures will morph more and more into mesh systems. Machines and systems will become autonomous and have far greater flexibility. Some experts are even predicting that IoT could usher in an era of mass-produced one-offs, among other developments.”

Allen Tubbs, product manager, electric drives and controls at Bosch Rexroth, agreed. “Instead of the factory being a building of individual machines and processes that must be manually integrated and controlled, it will become an intelligent organism of sorts, able to detect and react to its own environment.”

NEW STANDARDS NEEDED However, one challenge with IIoT installations is that most do not use a standard Ethernet based protocol. While Ethernet is commonly used by just about everything, it’s not a “plug-and-play” setup.

Thus, new standards are emerging for sharing and transferring critical information. One standard will be Time-Sensitive Networks (TSN) from the IEEE 802 committee. Noted Todd Walter, National Instruments, AVnu Alliance Industrial Segment Chair, this next-generation standard addresses the shortcomings of existing networks. It will support full-duplex standard Ethernet with higher bandwidth options such as 1 Gb, 10 Gb, and in the future the 400 Gb version in work in IEEE 802.3. TSN protects critical control traffic and incorporates top-tier IT security provisions.

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In addition to new standards that ensure data move efficiently, programs will be needed to analyze and manage that data. Several such programs have been around for a while. For example, GE has been using its own historical data management platform to capture and analyze data for years. “When you have data at your fingertips,” said Bob Gates, global marketing director, GE Intelligent Platforms, “you can better understand correlations, look at what you were able to do versus what you are doing now, and conduct this analysis with specific products and materials. It’s no longer anecdotal that you need product A followed by product B to run the plant equipment more efficiently. Now it’s product B followed by product A and the why is because you have the validation through data.”

Another example is Rexroth’s Open Core Interface. It provides a software development kit for the company’s motion control systems in different programming platforms. “The benefit is that they have quick and easy access to our 'things' and other 'things' connected to our control without needing to know our programming software,” said Allen Tubbs, program manager, Electric Drives and Controls, Bosch Rexroth.

“The continued growth of cheap and affordable processing power enables smart products. Thus, you can offload processing power, enabling devices to think on their own, collecting and processing their own data and communicating only relevant data back to other systems.”

Schneider Electric offers several examples of IIoT ready components. Said Matt O’Kane, VP, Industry Business, Schneider Electric, “Our Altivar Process drives are the first with embedded intelligence to help with big data and analytics applications. Additionally, our Vijeo Design’Air mobile app for the configuration of control devices increases the speed of commissioning and helps reduce plant downtime.”

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TwinCAT IoT and TwinCAT Analytics software offerings from Beckhoff Automation are examples of the type of data analysis needed to make the most of the IoT. TwinCAT IoT, for example, incorporates a comprehensive software toolset to integrate the top IoT communication standards of today, including MQTT, AMQP and OPC-UA, into a standard automation platform.

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Shown here is a gantry setup from Bishop-Wisecarver and an entry-level linear-actuator package (from which light-duty stages are built). These are increasingly popular with the rise of the Maker movement and DIY automation projects such as home automation. Simple designs containing robust and serviceable components save money and are appreciated by first-time automation designers.

LISA EITEL Senior Editor @DW_LisaEitel

POSITIONING STAGES lead charge to pragmatic design

POSITIONING

stages today can satisfy specific and demanding output requirements.

That’s because customized integration and the latest in motion programming now help stages get incredible accuracy and synchronization. What’s more, advances in mechanical parts as well as motors are helping OEMs plan for better multi-axis positioning-stage integration.

These are two of 50 different multi-axis linear and rotary positioners from Physik Instrumente (PI) in the Q-Motion piezomotor family. Their digital motion controllers and drivers come with software support, a graphical user interface, programming examples and LabView drivers.

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MECHANICAL ADVANCES FOR STAGES Consider how traditional stage builds combine linear axes in X-Y-Z actuator combinations. In some (though not all) cases, such serial kinematic designs can be bulky and exhibit accumulated positioning errors. In contrast, integrated setups (whether they’re in the same Cartesian-stage format or other arrangements such as hexapods and Stewart platforms) output more accurate motion dictated by controller algorithms with no motion-error accumulation.

Case in point: Conventional screw-driven stages (with a motor and gearing on one stage end) are easy to implement when the payload doesn’t need its own power supply and overall length is a non-issue.

Otherwise, gearing can go inside the stage at the motor end of travel, so only the motor length adds to the overall positioning-stage footprint.

Where needed, Cartesian setups can also minimize error when pre-integrated with specialty components—linear motors, for example. These are currently making big inroads in production machinery for high-speed packaging.

Some such subcomponents even come in forms that challenge traditional notions about stage morphology. “Curved linear-motor sections enable complete oval loops of power transmission. Here, guide wheels keep the moving element at precise distances away from the magnets for optimal force translation,” said Brian Burke, product manager at Bishop-Wisecarver. That’s a recent development. “Special wheel materials and bearing designs are necessary for the high acceleration rates—motion systems impossible only a few years ago.”

On smaller positioning stages, more accurate feedback devices, efficient motors and drives, and higher-performing bearings boost performance—especially in nanopositioning stages with integrated direct-drive motors, for example.

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Bell-Everman’s simple ServoSpline positioning stage provides backlashfree motion and simplified control via a classic rack-and-pinion design. It’s suitable for 3D printing, dispensing and engraving applications.

This Newport long-travel stage translates loads to one nanometer of minimum incremental motion.

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Elsewhere, custom versions of traditional rotary-to-linear components help keep costs down. Large-format applications can splice together servobelt stages without length limitation, according to Mike Everman, principal and chief technology officer at Bell Everman. Powering such long-stroke stages with linear motors can be too expensive, and powering them with screws or conventional belts can be challenging.

There is one caveat when picking between custom or commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) motion products.

“When deciding between a custom solution or an offthe-shelf design, it really comes down to application requirements. If an off-the-shelf solution is available and meets all application requirements, this is the obvious choice,” said Brian O’Connor, product manager at Aerotech.

Typically, customized setups are more expensive but are exactly tailored to the application at hand.

ADVANCES IN POSITIONINGSTAGE ELECTRONICS Electronics with low-noise feedback and better power amplifiers help boost positioningstage performance, and control algorithms are improving positioning accuracy and throughput. In short, controls give engineers more options than ever for networking and correcting the motion of positioning-stage axes.

“The main advances in motion over the last decade have occurred in control systems and electronics,” said O’Connor.

“Faster processors, state-of-theart control algorithms, and more

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This Cartesian setup includes components (actuators and linear slides) from PHD, Inc. Particularly common in packaging applications, such stages are increasingly modular.

efficient electronics designs have enabled mechanical stage architectures that may have been impossible in the past.”

Consider how today’s packaging-line integrators don’t have time to build multi-axis functions from scratch.

These engineers simply want robots that communicate and simple product flow through a series of workstations, according to Everman. In an increasing number of cases, the answer is special-purpose controls, partly because controls are far more economical than they were ten years ago.

APPLICATIONS SPUR POSITIONING-STAGE INNOVATION Several industries—semiconductor and electronics, medical, aerospace and defense, automotive, and machinery manufacturing— are spurring changes in today’s stages and gantries.

“All of these industries are driving change in one way or another,” said O’Connor. “In high-precision motion, we are being driven by industries trying to push yields and accuracies to levels that were unreachable just a few years ago. We realize that one size never fits all and rarely fits most.”

Although manufacturers deliver custom designs to all industries, high-tech industries (such as medical, semiconductor and data storage) are the ones pushing for more specialized stages. This is mainly from customers looking for competitive advantage.

Others see it a bit differently. “There is increasing need for small, high-precision motion components for applications in advanced research, life sciences and physics,” said Burke. However, he sees these industries are moving away from customized stages toward standardized products that are more readily available. “Small-footprint high-precision motion stages, such as the Miniature Precision (MP) series, are now available from Bishop-Wisecarver for demanding scientific applications,” said Burke.

“When an off-the-shelf solution gets you 90% of the way there, a custom solution has the potential to get you 100% of the way there,” said O’Connor. “In highly competitive industries, this extra 10% can mean the difference between being a lower-tier supplier versus a market leader.”

Large-scale industry moves to miniaturization have certainly driven some positioning-stage design to customization. The consumer electronics market is a driver in miniaturization, especially related to packaging in the form of thinner phones and thinner TVs, for example.

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POSITIONING STAGES & TABLES

“However, with those physically smaller devices come increased performance such as more storage and faster processors,” said O’Connor.

Getting better performance here requires faster and more accurate automation stages.

“Silicon photonics and nanophotonics are areas with tremendous upside as well.

Combining more devices onto a chip enhances the performance of the device,” added O’Connor.

However, device packaging and optical coupling requirements are well below a micrometer. “Coupling these tolerances with the throughput requirements of volume production creates a difficult automation challenge. In many of these cases, the stage or stages—or more importantly, the complete automation solution— must be custom to fit the exact needs of the end customer,” he explained.

IoT is making inroads in positioning-stage setups. In today’s connected world, consumers expect products to connect and work together.

The AZ60-A motorized vertical elevator stage from Optimal Engineering Systems (OES) is a low-profile 183.7 x 80 x 38 to 42-mm stage. It works for low-cost, high resolution, wedge-type elevator applications needing precise vertical positioning.

“In my mind, there is no doubt that IoT will reach all levels of motion control and factory automation,” said O’Connor.

“Our products are well-equipped to support a connected factory. Whether that interconnectivity occurs via a PLC, fieldbus, wirelessly, Ethernet, or over drive analog-digital I/O, our drives and controllers offer solutions for factory connectivity,” he added. Future developments are in the works to further enhance this connectivity.

“As we collectively make progress toward the connected factory with higher levels of automation, the need to precisely monitor machine conditions will grow,” agreed Burke. Reliable, data-driven feedback of machine status has the potential to eliminate unpredicted machine failure.

IoT capabilities are already seeing use in semiconductor manufacturing and automation tasks that process expensive workpieces.

“Embedded sensors within linear bearings and guides will monitor changes in operating temperatures and additional vibrations, which are both leading indicators of bearing failure. By monitoring these parameters, at the bearing itself, corrective actions can trigger before failure,” said Burke.

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TRENDS

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PT ESSENTIALS

MICHELLE DIFRANGIA Assistant Editor @WTWH_Michelle

meet changing market demands ALL

power-transmission components must satisfy an ever-changing array of industrial design needs, but some trends dominate today’s shifting engineering landscape. These include migration to more customization, the use of new materials, and demand for longer life and durability from all motion components. Here are some related advances that industry professionals see in designs for compression and wave springs, chains, locking assemblies and shaft collars, and seals.

APPLICATIONS DRIVE NEW COMPRESSION AND WAVE SPRING USES The need for miniaturized designs continues to drive changes in compression and wave springs. Perhaps the biggest instigator of this trend is the medical industry. “As the population is aging, there’s been expansion of the medical-device industry and corresponding increased use of compression springs,” said Sanjeev Rivera, VP of sales and engineering at Lee Spring. “In particular, a lot of research and development has gone into creating disposable medical technologies.”

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PT ESSENTIALS

Rexnord has had innovative breakthroughs in lubrication and corrosion resistance that contribute to longer life and reduced maintenance for their roller chains in automotive material handling markets.

In fact, medical applications such as implantable devices or surgical instruments always benefit from being smaller, agreed Ben Moskalik, senior research and development engineer, Smalley Steel Ring Co. Implant devices are revolutionizing the way medicine is being practiced, said Rivera. “Some operations that would be inpatient procedures, with the help of our springs and product innovation, can now be performed as outpatient procedures.”

The smaller the components, the smaller the tool, the easier it is to handle—a power hand tool, like a cordless drill, for example. “The ability to manufacture smaller diameter springs is the forefront of these technological advances,” added Moskalik. In addition, wave springs in these compact designs offer a slight advantage over coil compression springs. That’s because they get the same spring rate and deflection in about half the length, according to Moskalik.

A wave spring is simply an alternate form of a conventional helical wind spring that lets designers fit comparable loads in tighter spaces. “As more engineers become aware of this benefit, we’ve seen much greater wave spring use in both existing and newly developed applications,” said Rivera.

2016 TRENDS IN CHAINS When it comes to chains, it’s all about longer life, durability and lubrication. “Common in material handling, product transfer and power transmission functions, base chain product as a whole has remained relatively stable,” said Jon Utz, engineering manager, Rexnord. “But there is consistent effort to improve reliability, productivity and product lead times.”

One improvement leading to longer life is a trend toward lubrication-free or self-lubricating chain. Lambda self-lubricating chain from U.S. Tsubaki features hardened self-lube bushings, which are helpful in applications where keeping chain lubricated is difficult or impossible. Consider this application story: A food manufacturer using an O-ring chain was experiencing premature wear. U.S. Tsubaki engineers determined that the O-rings were drying out and failing because they weren’t being properly lubricated. As a result, the chain was lasting about six months shorter than expected—causing unexpected downtime and maintenance, as well as increased costs and lost production. So, the engineering team recommended lube-free Lambda chain as a solution.

“Lambda chain combines oil-impregnated sintered bushings and coated pins for long-term internal lubrication,”

2016

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With state­of­the­art equipment, in­house R&D and our very own spring calculator app, Newcomb Spring offers the capabilities and manufacturing expertise required by today’s engineer. We offer a network of locations and are ready to put more than a century of experience to work for you. Our custom parts meet the strictest order requirements, with manufacturing capabilities that include:

• fast order turnaround • design assistance • advanced quality controls • standard & precious metals • full line of secondary processes • specialty packaging

newcombspring.com

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These are clamp-style shaft collars made

by Ruland Manufacturing for solid holding.

Suitable for medical equipment, the collars can guide, space, stop and align. Face-to-bore perpendicularity is a TIR less than or equal to 0.002 in., critical when the collar serves as a loadbearing face or aligns gears or bearings.

explained Michael Hogan, senior roller design and application engineer. Solid rollers engage cleanly with sprockets, creating smooth articulation, recuing chain pull, and lengthening system life. “As a result of switching to the Lambda chain, the customer increased their chain life leading to a significant decline in unexpected downtime,” Hogan said.

Durability problems can be solved with alternative materials, coatings and platings. “Many challenges associated with difficult conditions, often as a result of controlling pollution and a desire for improved environmental protection in applications, can create harsh environments for chains,” said Utz. “Consequently, these environments require continual advances, such as unique product designs and coating technology.”

Engineers should also consider specialized chain when standard product wears out quickly and there are significant maintenance costs involved, according to Utz. Titan Chain from U.S. Tsubaki is a specialty carbon steel chain specifically designed for difficult environments like the kind Utz described. “The chain has a hard chrome-coated B-LOC Compression Hubs differ from other keyless locking devices in how they pin plus zinc-coated pin plates,” engage the mounted component. Rather explained Hogan. “This style than creating a radial force on the mounted of chain has been particularly component, the outer tapered rings are effective in extending life in the drawn together to generate an axial clamping force. forestry products industry where

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heavy debris, lack of adequate lubrication and high-speed orientation are prevalent.”

In addition, the company’s new Performax bushing and ring coined connection links are increasing the life of standard chains. The ring coined connection links have a fatigue strength equaling that of a riveted chain link, thus eliminating what was once the weakest link, said Hogan.

LOCKING DEVICES AND SHAFT COLLARS Machinery manufacturing and industrial automation are two of the biggest drivers in the development of new keyless locking devices. “The trends that we are seeing have more to do with reductions in assembly and maintenance,” said Jeremy Bigler, product manager, Fenner Drives. “Over the last decade, there’s been stronger focus on providing keyless locking device solutions to meet the customer’s specifications.”

For instance, Fenner Drives recently had a customer that used B-LOC compression hubs on a conveyor that manipulates large panels. The application required several large rotating discs to mount to a line shaft. “The B-LOC Hub let engineers simplify the design by eliminating the need for a welded hub in the large discs,” said Bigler. “They also reduced material and labor costs by eliminating the keyed connection on the line shaft. Prior to the development of B-LOC compression hubs, the customer had to weld in a hub and purchase a standard locking device.”

In fact, engineers at Fenner Drives have developed three new keyless locking devices in the last couple of years: • B-LOC compression hubs let customers mount thin components such as plate sprockets to a shaft without a hub

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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Why settle for “standard” ?

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Stainless steel housing, flanges, and shaft for operation in a corrosive environment Stainless steel cable gland and silicon cable sleeve for enhanced ingress protection Protected against fine particulates and moisture by using a labyrinth seal and O rings Specially processed stator laminations to minimize iron losses at very high operating speeds Skewed rare-earth permanent magnets to minimize cogging at low speeds

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TRENDS

Motion System

“Micro seals are becoming more of the norm than years past,” said Apple Rubber’s John Tranquili.

“Much of our seals that are less than 1 mm require more attention to detail when building molds or processing parts.”

•

•

B-LOC Speed locking devices deliver the same performance of popular series and sizes, but install 50% faster Trantorque Micro is for servo and steppermotor applications and features the lowestprofile keyless locking device on the market.

Andrew Brown, president of Whittet-Higgins, also sees a trend toward custom products. “The use of high-speed, super precision, computercontrolled and robotic-fed lathes and machining centers lets us competitively manufacture smaller lot sizes of unique and more complicated parts,” he said.

Brown also sees a growing trend of locking devices being used in applications with gyroscopic stabilization systems.

Shaft collars are beginning to make their way into the medical market with advances in shaft collar technology benefiting robotic surgery designs.

“While cutting-edge technologies enable these designs, the requirement for proven basic mechanical designs and components in these innovations remains,” said Bill Hewitson, VP of operations at Ruland. “Traditional mechanical components, such as shaft collars, can provide structural support, adjustments and mechanical stops. New materials now being used in shaft collars—316 stainless steel, titanium, advanced plastics—offer increased flexibility for engineers designing robotic surgical equipment, for example.”

Engineers traditionally use shaft collars as stops or locators, but are beginning to use them more for mounting components to shafts, according to 110

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Arthur Stafford, president and senior engineer, Stafford Manufacturing. “The addition of mounting flats and flanges allow for a single part rather than needing to weld or otherwise connect to separate parts,” he said.

Consider another application, in which a company building astrophysics and meteorology equipment uses a Stafford Accu-Flange Mounting collar to connect hatch arms to open and the close covers on infrared sky imaging cameras. “The flange configuration let them use an off-the-shelf product, saving them development time and cost,” Arthur Stafford said.

In fact, Stafford Manufacturing’s latest introduction, the 3D Freedom series, features one-piece, two-piece and hinged-collar masters, machined in conventional materials and designed to mate with custom printed bushings, to let users immediately create hybrid collars for myriad applications, explained Arthur Stafford.

In addition, recently developed quick-release type collars allow rapid prototyping, offer convenience and save valuable setup time.

NEW INNOVATIONS IN SEALS Every industry presents unique design challenges for seals. “Engineers from these industries are always looking for improvements and pushing the limits for seals,” said John Tranquili, materials manager for Apple Rubber.

Take, for instance, the aerospace industry, which is moving away from chrome plating. “Our dynamic seals must now function effectively on new surfaces, such as ceramic or laser-clad,” said Colin Macqueen, director of technology, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. The company’s Turcon VL seal is

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions ®

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Our product offerings and custom product capabilities continue to expand. Screws are made of the highest quality 303 stainless steel and are available in standard diameters from 2 mm (5/64-in) up to 24 mm (15/16-in) . Screw surfaces can also be treated with a Kerkote® TFE coating for a permanently lubricated surface.

Haydon Kerk also offers a wide range of standard nut designs and custom nuts manufactured with self-lubricating acetal. For the most demanding applications, nuts can be molded with our 24/7 automated molding equipment using a variety of high-performance Kerkite® engineered polymers, including Peek, PPS and acetal. Whether the design requires resistance to chemicals, radiation, moisture, or a combination of all these factors, there's a Kerkite material that can do the job.

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Haydon Products Division 1500 Meriden Road Waterbury, CT 06705 U.S.A. Telephone: +1 203 756 7441

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Kerk Products Division 59 Meadowbrook Drive Milford, NH 03055 U.S.A. Telephone: +1 603 213 6290

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This cutaway shows a Turcon M12 seal with PTFE based material, developed for use with environmentally friendly lubricants for effective friction characteristics and extended life. Image courtesy Trelleborg Sealing

Motion System

TRENDS

Solutions

specifically designed for a small groove, making it a popular choice for aerospace applications.

In motion designs driven by fluid power, zinc-free hydraulic oils have caused unexpected surface damage when paired with traditional sealing materials, said Macqueen. To combat this, Trelleborg now offers Turcon M12, a PTFE-based material. “Turcon M12 was designed specifically for these environmentally friendly lubricants—for effective friction characteristics and extended life,” he said.

Reducing friction has always been a top priority.

Here, rubber-seal improvements have helped most over the past decade. “Adding new filler systems in rubber compounds has helped lower coefficients of friction,” said Tranquili. “Engineered texturing of the mold surface has also reduced the many seals’ working surface area to reduce friction. New coatings that permanently bond to the rubber compounds have greatly reduced friction as well.”

In addition, changes in environmental compliance and new regulations have spurred advances in rubber polymers themselves. For example, HNBR polymers outperform standard Nitrile compounds for ozone and weather resistance, and new grades of FKM are more resistant to steam used to clean piping in the food and pharmaceutical industries, said Tranquili.

“These new materials have much better chemical, heat and compression resistance. This allows for less change out or downtime.”

“On the production side,” he continued, “new injection molding press designs give better control for higher precision parts. New mold-making equipment yields better surface finishes and higher

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cutting tolerances. This gives design engineers less tolerance stack up for assemblies, thus giving less chance of compression issues on the seal resulting in leaks.”

Today’s electric-motor-driven applications also need to last longer and drive the lowest possible torque. Here, seals can reduce the amount of power wasted to overcome system friction. “Traditionally, these applications use standard catalog products and materials,” said Bryan Uncapher, business development manager at SKF. “These trends are requiring us to borrow advanced materials from automotive for industrial applications. Furthermore, we are using design simulation and testing to further optimize sealing lips.”

SKF also sees success in implementing new sealing systems in steel-mill applications previously viewed as a commodity and routine maintenance. “Instead of fixing the problem, one customer focused on cost acquisition instead of cost of operation,” said Uncapher. “Our combination of new seals, different bearings, changes to lubrication intervals, and validation with sensors creates a solution that delivers an ROI of more than 200% in certain circumstances and applications.”

2016

With three- or four-stage labyrinths and an internal V ring for additional sealing effect and efficient grease purging, the new SKF Taconite seal for split block bearing housings is made to provide protection in extremely contaminated and wet environments.

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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Need some help getting your project moving?

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Collaborative robots designed to work with humans, such as ABB’s YuMi, are the next wave of robots for industry. This collaborative, dual arm, small parts assembly robot features flexible hands, parts feeding systems, camera-based part location and advanced robot control.

ROBOTS AND END EFFECTORS:

MILES BUDIMIR Senior Editor @DW_Motion

from heavy duty to human scale ROBOTICS is hot. Manufacturers in the business know this, and others are catching on. From investors to companies using more robots on the manufacturing floor, to consumers snapping up robots to do mundane house chores, robots are here to stay.

Industrial robots in particular are finding their way into new applications. And these aren’t the robots of yesterday, but nimbler and thus better able to handle some of the assembly tasks that were once the job of human workers.

While industries like automotive manufacturing continue to be far and away the largest users of robots and robotic end effectors, other industries are catching on as well, noted Robert Little, CEO of ATI Industrial Automation. “A fast rising industry for robotic end effectors is consumer electronic assembly, such as mobile phone and

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computer manufacturing,” he said. “This type of manufacturing has been done by hand with cheap labor out of China. The volume is extremely high, but the parts are inexpensive so this is driving lower-cost end effectors.” In robotics and material handling, end effectors are tools or devices connected to the end of a robot arm that accomplish some task. End effectors can be a range of types, including cutting tools and drills, welding tools, brushes, screwdrivers, vacuum cups and grippers.

End effectors are one area where there has been much development over the past decade or so. As Little pointed out: “The sheer volume of robotic end effectors has quintupled from 10 years ago. Now we have a tool changer that can change out tools on very small spider robots and another tool changer that can assist with changing out

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ROBOTS ROBOTS&&END ENDEFFECTORS EFFECTORS

Robotic tool changers can range in size from the small and lightweight, such as ATI’s QC-001, weighing less than 60 g (center), to heavy-duty devices like ATI’s QC-1510 designed to handle payloads of up to 9,000 lb.

multi-ton rockets.” The overall effect is more and better end effectors for a broader range of applications. “End effectors have increased their reliability and can be used in extreme environments like underwater, clean room, food handling and in space such as the Mars Rover,” he added. Another visible trend in robotics is the increase in robots designed to work closely with humans. Traditional factory-floor robots were often large pieces of moving metal that had to be enclosed in special cages with a plethora of safety features to keep human workers safe. Nowadays, robots are slimmer, nimbler and designed to work alongside humans. More robots in the workplace allow humans “to be moved from dull, dirty, delicate and dangerous tasks, into more stimulating jobs with far more potential for satisfaction and advancement, such as production management or robot programming,” said John Bubnikovich, VP, sales and marketing, ABB Robotics North America.

This trend toward more collaborative robots means that robots will become more commonplace in manufacturing settings. “Collaborative robotics and innovations that allow humans and robots to safely work side-by-side, like vision and advanced software technologies, can be deployed and programmed far more easily and rapidly than ever before,” added Bubnikovich.

And while some analysts have raised concerns about the effects on employment as more robots enter the workspace, ABB sees the opposite effect. As Bubnikovich noted: “A study

by Metra Martech concluded that the one million industrial robots currently in operation are directly responsible for the creation of close to three million jobs. The study further concluded that growth in robot use over the next five years will result in the creation of one million high-quality jobs around the world in prominent industries such as consumer electronics, food and beverage, alternative energy and advanced battery manufacturing.”

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ITT Enidine’s LROEM ¾ x 1 with a square flange and stop collar accessory mounted to it. These adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers offer the most flexible solutions to energy absorption application requirements when input parameters vary or are not clearly defined.

MARY GANNON Senior Editor @dw_marygannon

SHOCK ABSORBERS

step up their game in tighter spaces and harsher environments

THE

Hydraulic shock absorbers from ACE Controls protect machinery from vibration.

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use of industrial shock absorbers and vibration dampening devices is on the rise as extreme environments continue to grow. With higher temperatures, faster speeds, higher number of cycles and corrosive chemicals a norm, it’s critical that these devices change to match the applications where they operate so they safely stop systems and prevent dangerous and damaging vibrations.

We spoke to two major manufacturers about how they are dealing with these changes and how their technologies continue to meet the needs of industrial automation. Read on as Christopher Kudla, senior applications engineer with ITT Enidine, and Scott McNeil, global engineering director from ACE Controls, share their insights on the market’s impact on their technologies.

2016

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WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE SPURRING CHANGES IN TODAY’S SHOCK ABSORBERS/VIBRATION DAMPENING COMPONENTS? WHICH OF THESE ARE USING MORE OF YOUR COMPONENTS THAN EVER?

Motion System

TRENDS

Scott McNeil Global Engineering Director ACE Controls Our shock absorbers are used in a wide range of industries as a cost-effective way to protect machines and save money in the long run. For instance, as food and beverage machines move faster and produce at higher volumes, machine builders use our shock absorbers to prevent machine damage and reduce downtime and maintenance. One example is our PET shock absorber, which is used in the polyethylene plastic bottle industry and is duty rated 20+ million cycles, or roughly one year, more than twice as long as previous designs.

In the aerospace industry, we have shock absorbers and gas springs in a variety of airplanes and helicopters as well as simulators, launch towers, aircraft test equipment and so forth. We’re also constantly figuring out new ways for our shocks to work in extreme environments such as undersea and saltwater. Our products are being used in oil drilling applications for improved safety and environmental protection.

Christopher Kudla Senior Applications Engineer ITT Enidine Inc. The most notable changes we are seeing revolve around the speed of manufacturing in the food and beverage industry. There is an increasing demand to run the machines faster, which typically results in more frequent maintenance. The challenge for shock absorber manufacturers is to continuously improve their designs to have the longest lasting product on the market. End users demand faster operating speeds, and through continuous improvement of the shock absorber designs, the market is becoming increasingly competitive.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE RESULTING CHANGES YOUR TECHNOLOGIES HAVE MADE OVER THE LAST DECADE, THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF MORE COMMON MOTION TECHNOLOGIES, AND WHERE DESIGN ENGINEERS SHOULD CONSIDER USING SPECIALTY DESIGNS? Christopher Kudla Senior Applications Engineer ITT Enidine Inc.

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Many of the big changes in energy absorption devices over the last decade are driven by the use of these products in harsh environments. For example, the demand to use a shock absorber in extreme temperatures, highly caustic washdown areas, or high cycle-rate applications has led to an evolution of components. Some of these changes include custom improvements on seal designs and also construction materials like high-strength, aircraft-grade aluminum.

Scott McNeil Global Engineering Director ACE Controls The changes we’re looking at lately are largely materialdriven, with a shift from steel, iron, brass, rubber and petroleum oils to various stainless steels, aluminum, polymers, synthetic oils and silicones. There’s a big effort being placed on improving seals with new materials for durability of life, which we see for example in the PET shocks.

3D manufacturing techniques are another form of technology we continue to keep a close eye on. We’ve felt that 3D manufacturing isn’t yet mature enough for mass production. We have an active 3D project where we’re making parts with different materials and suppliers.

By carefully monitoring the industry, we are prepared to jump in when we feel it’s ready.

ALONG THOSE LINES, WHAT ARE SOME TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOCK ABSORBERS/VIBRATION DAMPENING COMPONENTS? Christopher Kudla Senior Applications Engineer ITT Enidine Inc. The technological advances providing the most benefit to the industry are those that extend the life of our custom high cycle-rate shock absorbers. For industries that operate their equipment on the order of millions of cycles per month, the life of the shock absorber directly contributes to the equipment uptime and production efficiency. At Enidine we are always performing cycle life testing, allowing us to implement continuous improvements on our new designs.

Scott McNeil Global Engineering Director ACE Controls

2016

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SHOCK ABSORBERS

We’re at a point where our shocks have become efficient in so many ways. But our team is constantly looking for new ways to increase life by improving seals, finishes and bearing designs, as well as generally looking for lighter, stronger and more efficient materials. In some of our recent shock absorbers and vibration dampening components, we were able to increase previous life by a factor of 4 or 5, just by addressing these concerns. We’re also using materials that are safer for the environment to make the shocks more ecologically friendly. We continue to look at improving the basic hydraulics and believe there are improvements yet to come in these highly developed areas.

TELL US ABOUT AN APPLICATION WHERE ENGINEERS USED YOUR SHOCK ABSORBERS/VIBRATION DAMPENING COMPONENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR DESIGN. WHAT ABOUT THIS APPLICATION IS MODERN OR UNLIKE ANYTHING POSSIBLE 10 YEARS AGO? Scott McNeil Global Engineering Director ACE Controls PAD material is commonly used under electrical transformers and large machines to isolate noise and vibration from buildings and factories.

This quick and easy solution has become increasingly common. In the past, engineers and building dwellers would just accept the vibration and noise. Today’s machines are being more densely packed into buildings and in some cases buildings are not designed as strong and robust as in the past.

Our air mount product lines, such as Pneumatic Leveling Mounts (PLM) and Pneumatic Isolators with Automatic Level Control (PAL), can isolate vibrations in high-tech

2016

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applications. They can protect high precision equipment and operations such as optic measuring or grinding from being disturbed by vibrations from subways, trains or vehicles.

They can also prevent vibrations from equipment from transmitting to the rest of the building, in the case, for example, on vehicle or engine dynamometers. As factories are being built closer to residential and densely packed areas, there’s an increased need to isolate vibration. These PLMs and PALs are now being included in machine designs to make sure vibration doesn’t cause any issues.

Deceleration & Vibration Technology:

Expect more than Automation Control!

Motion Control Custom control of hand forces Vibration Control Isolate unwanted vibrations

Christopher Kudla Senior Applications Engineer ITT Enidine Inc. A modern example showcasing the benefits of vibration isolating products is the growing use of cameras and sensors on autonomous vehicles. Used for conducting aerial surveys, positioning agricultural vehicles, military reconnaissance or cinematic production, these applications would not be possible without the use of vibration isolation mounts tuned specifically for each system. These mounts are typically wire rope isolators and they prevent the disruption of the camera or sensor from vibration of the propeller blades, rough ground terrain and even harsh impact landings.

Safety Products Protection for all machine designs under any condition

Automation Control Optimum tuning for any design

by ACE

More Info?

Tel. 800-521-3320 Email: shocks@acecontrols.com DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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WITH US!

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

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Motion System

TRENDS

Ad Index ACE Controls Inc. ................................................... 119 Aerotech Inc. ......................................................... 103 All Motion ................................................................. 83 Altra Industrial Motion Corp. .................................... 97 AMETEK PMC ......................................... Cover, 10-20 AMETEK PMC .......................................................... 11 AMETEK/DFS (Windjammer) ...................................... 9 Applied Motion Products, Inc. .................................. 21 AutomationDirect ....................................................... 6 Beckhoff Automation .............................................. 101 BellowsTech. LLC ...................................................... 56 Bimba Manufacturing Co. .......................................... 1 Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. .............................IBC Carlyle Johnson ........................................................ 29 CC-Link ..................................................................... 99 Chieftek Precision Co., LTD .......................... 51, 53, 55 Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. ........................BC CMT .................................................................... 38, 39 Del-Tron Precision, Inc. ............................................. 85 DIEQUA Corporation ......................................... 70, 76 Dunkermotoren, part of AMETEK ............................ 37 Dynatect ................................................................... 45 FESTO ...................................................................... 71 GAM Gear ................................................................ 81 Groschopp. Inc. ........................................................ 95 Harmonic Drive ......................................................... 73 Haydon/Kerk .......................................................... 111 Helical Products Company ......................................... 3 HELUKABEL USA ..................................................... 25 igus, Inc. ............................................................. 34, 35

Intech ........................................................................ 69 ITT Enidine ............................................................. 117 KEB America, Inc. ..................................................... 61 KHK USA Inc. ............................................................ 27 Kuebler Inc. .............................................................. 64 LinMot ...................................................................... 86 Maple Systems, Inc. .................................................. 79 Master Bond ............................................................... 7 maxon precision motors, inc. ................................... 91 MICROMO ........................................Cover/Corner, 93 Moog Animatics ....................................................... 66 Newcomb Spring .................................................... 107 Nook Industries ...................................................... 113 NSK Precision ........................................................... 31 Ondrives.US Corp. ................................................... 77 PBC Linear ................................................................ 89 Physik Instrumente ................................................... 65 PITTMAN ................................................................ 109 R+W America ........................................................... 59 Renishaw ................................................................. 105 SAB North America .................................................. 41 Schneider Electric IMS .............................................. 67 Schunk, Intec ............................................................ 47 Servometer ............................................................... 56 SEW Eurodrive .......................................................... 75 Teledyne LeCroy ......................................................... 5 THK America ........................................................... IFC Tolomatic .................................................................. 23 Zero-Max, Inc. ........................................................... 58 Zilog, an IXYS Company ........................................... 44

SALES

LEADERSHIP TEAM

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

2016

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3/15/16 11:11 AM

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER...

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©2014 Bison Gear and Engineering Corp.

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3/10/16 12:38 PM