Rotalink and Van Erp International have closely worked on the modular dosing control for the Blue Lagoon range, which is utilized in various products in multiple or single use. The design brief featured performance, compactness, fast time to market, low cost and reliability. To ensure the most efficient and reliable pump system, a number of ovoid gearbox and AC synchronous motor combinations were tested at Rotalink using its production and test facilities as well as its in-house design. The product development process featured simulated pumping trials with several dosing pumps provided by Van Erp International, expediting development timescales and reducing its own development burden. In this stage, Rotalink offered specific design advice to the engineers of Van Erp International that effectively optimized costs while enhancing the MTBF rating and overall pump performance.

Rotalink has also worked with Van Erp International in the development of other projects such as motorized valve mechanism for diverting spa and pool water for filtration as well as filter cleaning processes.

“Our working relationship with Rotalink is an important part of our philosophy to combine high quality and large scale production techniques with close contact to the World’s best suppliers,” said Ms. Dami Leifkins, Director of Sales at Van Erp International.

“Rotalink have helped us at every stage of product development and continue to add value with excellent support in the production phase.”

Motion Control Tips

Ideal for HVAC plant maintenance departments and service contractors, the Split uKIT is designed to accommodate shaft shoulders, slingers and other end bell protrusions. The halves of its split AEGIS ring are held together by a unique hinge, which permits the split AEGIS ring to be easily opened on one side. It is then closed and fastened together with an integrated adhesive-backed aluminium tabs, offering rigidity to the assembled ring.

The kit, which is ordered based on the frame size of the motor, includes the correct size split AEGIS grounding ring as well as the mounting hardware, such as washers, screws, four kinds of brackets and Allen wrenches, for use in various combinations for easy mounting of the ring on any IEC or NEMA motor faceplate.

AEGIS® rings prevent costly motor replacements/repairs, downtime and electrical bearing damage by channelling VFD-induced bearing currents safely to the ground. Its conductive microfibers are securely embedded in continuous circumferential rows in the ring’s patented AEGIS FiberLock channel, surrounding the motor shaft completely while providing harmful shaft currents with numerous discharge points. Creating the path of least resistance, this unique design effectively redirects the currents away from the bearings to the ground. To prevent breakage and minimize wear, the microfibers have been specially developed for exceptional flexibility and conductivity.

Motion Control Tips

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Motion Control Tips

The EHA, unlike conventional hydraulic actuators, needs no hydraulic piping, therefore improving reliability and cutting costs.

The actuator uses Moog’s hydraulics and electrical expertise which are applied to aircraft flight controls for over 18 years. The company aims to transfer such expertise to industrial applications where redundant or failsafe operation and high forces are needed, delivering cost, environmental, and energy benefits.

Moog’s EHA technology offers high efficiency and reliability to machine-builders with reduced wear, space savings, and up to 40 percent weight savings. The integrated design increases reliability while long hydraulic lines and rotary couplings are avoided.

The actuator particularly caters to low duty-cycle or actuation-on-demand applications requiring high force density typical of hydraulic systems. Operating the electric system reduces energy consumption.

The self-contained actuator incorporates electric and hydraulic components such as hydraulic pump and valves, servomotor, accumulator, manifold, software and controller. Fluid is used to transmit power to the actuator from the motor, which rotates only when movement is needed, thus reducing wear and saving energy. Eliminating the risk of leaks and environmental contamination, the hydraulic components and fluid are placed within the assembly.

“The motion control industry is seeking new technologies that address the need for better energy efficiency and reliability at lower weight and size,” said Dr Sherif El Henaoui, Marketing Manager at Moog Industrial Europe.

Motion Control Tips

The Redimount system permits machine and component manufacturers to select the most compatible combination motors and gearheads fit for each application.

Ensuring absolute concentricity between the gearhead pinion shaft and the motor shaft, the system comes with a self-centring hub feature. This leads to eliminating the possibility of excessive wear on components during operation, according to the company.

Other key benefits of the Redimount gearhead mounting system include enabling gearheads and the mounting system to be stocked separately. As the gearheads and the mounting system are stocked separately, associated costs are also being reduced.

Another useful feature is that all of the Thomson Micron gearheads will be using an identical Redimount system. This will make sure that the components will always be compatible.

Redimount’s pre-assembled pinion rejects the need for the need for a pinion positioning process which is rather time-consuming. It also removes the frequent source of error that occurs resulting brought by the motor mounting.

With the Redimount system, the gearhead and motor can be mounted quickly in just a few steps.

Thomson’s linear drive units are supplied with the Redimount system on standard so that users may specify any servo motor less any additional expense.

The length of the drive block will remain unmodified as the Redimount adapter flange is tailored to the dimensions of the provided motor. This spares engineers from any mounting position problems on their subsequent motor replacements.

Motion Control Tips

The certified plastic parts in the new ball rail system are even resistant to weak acids, lyes, organic solvents, oils and alcohols. They are strong and possess good sliding properties. Contrary to systems made from coated non-corrosion resistant steels, NRFG ball rail systems are not affected by surface damage and any resultant corrosion, increasing service life significantly. The ball rail systems are corrosion resistance Class 2 and hygiene Class 3 compliant.

The profiled rail can be mounted from the top, using the clip-on stainless steel cover strip to create a smooth surface. Alternatively, the mounting holes can be covered with white caps, or mount the profiled rail from underneath. The fully integrated sealing results in longer lubrication intervals, which means less maintenance. The ball runner blocks are not pre-lubricated so that users can fill in the proper lubricant recommended for their specific applications. Lube ports with metal threads are provided on all sides to give engineers a greater degree of freedom when space is tight.

NRFG ball rail systems are perfect in dry working zones such as primary packaging, even in environments where there is a combination of high humidity and high temperatures. Combined with screens or other protective barriers, they’re also suitable for splash areas and wet working zones in food processing, where liquid, moist or sticky foods stick to machine parts, or which are wet-cleaned and disinfected. Using FDA-certified plastics throughout eliminates the risk of unacceptable contamination during processing.

The ball runner blocks, which come in a flange version or a narrow version, are available in accuracy class H and in three preload classes. The O configuration of the balls ensures that the system has the required rigidity and equally high load capacities in all four main loading directions. Users can mount parts onto the runner blocks from the top or from underneath.

For more information, visit www.boschrexroth-us.com.

Motion Control Tips

Zero-Max Crown gear drives feature long-life, precision hardened and ground ball bearings handling speeds up to 2,000 rpm in most operating environments. The internal gears are permanently mounted to the shafts with locking pins. This provides a resilient and durable connection for use in heavy load applications while requiring no maintenance.

Zero-Max ensures their drives are predictably smooth operating, and similar model sizes have identical performance characteristics when designed into multiple drive setups. To accomplish this, Zero-Max drives are hand-shimmed and hand-assembled for perfect bearing and gear alignment. The drives are pre-lubricated during assembly, then completely enclosed in a heavy-duty anodized aluminum housing.  This design ensures that internal gears stay permanently aligned, lubricated and free of contamination from outside debris.

Zero-Max Crown drives are ideal for a wide range of machine applications including food processing, packaging and material handling systems. Available in many sizes and models, they are ideal for a wide range of horsepower, torque and shaft speed requirements. Standard two and three way models are available with 1:1 and 2:1 speed ratios in shaft diameter combinations of 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 inch.

For more information, visit www.zero-max.com.

Motion Control Tips

A graphite/metal alloy, GRAPHALLOY is specifically developed to operate without lubrication, making it suitable for operations in environments with temperatures exceeding 750 degrees F (400 degrees C). A proven solution even for the most demanding plant maintenance as well as new equipment design, GRAPHALLOY is an excellent choice for applications where maintenance and service tasks are difficult or cumbersome.

Intended for use in standard flange and pillow blocks, GRAPHALLOY 845 Spherical Inserts eliminate the need to redesign or alter the equipment. These new spherical inserts are utilized in various high temperature applications such as ovens, conveyors, furnaces, dampers, glass lehrs, dryers and in other environments where grease and oil cannot be used. Stainless steel housing and metric shaft sizes as well as inserts are offered along with FDA accepted grades.

“Using GRAPHALLOY® 845 Spherical Inserts has proven time and time again that significant ROI, cost savings and reduced maintenance can be achieved, especially in difficult applications where high temperatures are a concern,” said Eben Walker, General Manager of Graphite Metallizing Corporation.

Offering dimensional stability and low coefficient of friction, GRAPHALLOY 845 Spherical Inserts do not soften even at high temperatures nor extrude under load.

Motion Control Tips

“These imperial housed tapered roller bearing units were the missing segment from BMG’s housed bearing product portfolio. The addition of this product range by one of our key supply partners enables BMG to better satisfy customer demand,” said Rouff Essop, Bearings Division Manager at BMG.

Designed for extended service life and efficient performance in demanding environments, the QMSN series is developed with cast steel housing that offers three times the cast-iron housing’s tensile strength. The robustness of the spherical roller housed unit allows the bearing to be replaced several times.

These units are ideal for use in aggregates and mining operations, including in automotive, oil and gas, steel, agriculture and power generation industries. The new series is also suitable for use in saw mills, treatment facilities, pulp and paper industry as well as in food and beverage industry.

The QMSN series offers three standard sealing options — the triple lip Viton rubber series, Teflon labyrinth seals and the triple lip nitrile rubber series.

Aside from the units’ standard locking method, they also feature eccentric collar. Unlike the ball bearing housed units’ eccentric collar, the QMSN’s collar comes with a shallow ramp when it is rotated to the inner ring. Moreover, the axial contact area’s angle between the inner ring and the collar is bigger than normal, effectively preventing the locking mechanism from loosening.

The series alternative locking methods include a tapered sleeve lock with a standard adaptor sleeve arrangement, a grub screw lock and the new V-lock, which encompasses a double taper locking method.

Motion Control Tips

Aimed at low-load applications, the new iglidur N54 plain bearing uses polymer that is mainly made of castor oil, rather than crude oil, which is commonly used in plastic bearings.

“The introduction of our iglidur N54 biopolymer marks the first serious step towards ‘green bearings’,” said Matt Aldridge, Director of IgusUK.

He noted that the biopolymer “is made from crop oil instead of crude oil – you can’t eat it, and it’s not biodegradable – but it is an industry first for a technical polymer.”

The new plain bearing is both maintenance and lubricant free, and in-house test results showed that the new material has up to 2MPa of wear resistance properties for loads. Furthermore, the iglidur plastics weigh less than any other metallic version; with the average weight is only 1.4 g/cm3 compared to steel, which weigh by as much as 5.5 times.

As the new bearing does not require any grease and oil, it cannot discharge any contaminants into the environments. In addition, the energy needed to create plastic bearings is remarkably less compared for producing metals.

The European Bioplastics Association also noted that the global production capability for biopolymers will surge from about 700,000 tonnes last year to approximately 1.7 million tonnes by 2015.

Motion Control Tips

With 8 gear ratios available (16:1 to 643:1), the brushed DC MG16B gear motor series develops a range of rated torques from 1.42 oz-in. at 800 rpm to 42.5 oz-in. at 17 rpm.  Using the same gearboxes, the brushless DC LB16MG gear motor series (with integrated driver) generates 1.42 oz-in. at 710 rpm to 42.5 oz-in. at 18 rpm.

Available input voltages for the MG16B include 6, 12 and 24 VDC and 6 and 12 VDC for the brushless LB16MG version. Nidec Copal also provides a lower cost HG16 series of 16mm gear motors using resin planetary gears.

For more information, email info@nidec-copal-usa.com or visit www.nidec-copal-usa.com.

Motion Control Tips

Since the launch of the first Dodge Type E bearings in 1938, the range has been continuously improved to meet the changing demands of industrial customers. This innovation is continued with the addition of the newest Dodge Type E-Xtra bearing. It has been specifically designed with features that will ensure optimum performance with outstanding reliability.

The US-made high capacity tapered roller bearing insert permits a combination of thrusts and radial loads, producing the industry’s highest load ratings. Lab tests prove that the latest tapered insert offers 13 percent to 14 percent increase in ratings than the previous insert. It features a carburized inner ring that can resist cracking and absorb shock.

The new bearing comes with XTS triple-lip seal, a state-of-the-art system that protects the bearing from contamination in wet or dusty environments, while the oversized dual Springlok collars serve as flingers for added seal protection. Customers can also opt for the XTS Plus sealing system, which is integrates the Dodge E-Tect seal kit for additional protection, making it suitable for extreme conditions.

For easy installation, the bearings have been pre-lubricated, preassembled and factory adjusted. They are also offered in various configurations, including two- and four-bolt pillow blocks, piloted flanges, flanges, wide slot take-ups and top angle take-ups. They are also available in imperial and metric versions.

Motion Control Tips

Maximum permissible torque is increased by up to two times the level of conventional AC motor gearheads. If the load condition changes, the gearhead’s strength can easily accommodate it and there is no need to increase the size of the motor or gearhead. Specific torque is dependent on frame size.

The motor’s strength is due to its rigid case, a proprietary side-panel construction and an optimized gear design. The larger diameter bearing serves to extend its useful life.

For more information about the V-Series, visit: http://www.orientalmotor.com/products/ac-motors/v-series.html

Motion Control Tips

Model No. MMP D22-376D-24V GRA60-032 BR-005 accepts any 24VoltDCsource, including battery or solar power. Measuring just 2.24 inches in diameter and 7.2 inches long, including the brake, this robust Gear Motor comes with a keyed output shaft of 14 mm diameter and 25 mm long. It can easily mounted as it features four “face mount” M5.5 threaded holes, spaced equally on a 52 mm Dia. B.C.

This reversible gear motor delivers a 3.3 Nm (29 lb. in.) torque output, at 230 rpm. Weighing around six pounds, the compact gear motor offers an efficient design that requires only four Amps at 25 Volts DC to produce its Full Load Torque. This translates into very low noise operation, long battery charge and reduced costs for related drive electronics.

The model’s integral failsafe “holding” brake measures only 2.25 inches in diameter, as well as operates on similar supply voltage as the motor.

Rated with “IP 54” protection level, the DC Gear Motor’s unique design makes it suitable for operation in hazardous environments. Variable speed control can be achieved with the company’s compatible speed controls, Model MMP 20A-24V-RSP or MMP 25A-24V.

Motion Control Tips

A number of devices use gears in some mechanical arrangement and these devices go by a number of names, depending on the branding of the manufacturer. Here is a look at some of the more common terms.

Gear reducers
Gear reducers, also known as speed reducers, are a component of many mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic motors. Essentially it is a gear or series of gears combined in such a manner to alter the torque of a motor. Typically, the torque increases in direct proportion to the reduction of rotations per unit of time.

Speed reducers come in two varieties: base mounted and shaft mounted. The shaft-mounted type, in turn, has two variations. One is truly shaft mounted in that it is supported entirely by the input shaft of the drive machine, with torque reaction absorbed by a special link. The other is mounted to the driven-machine housing so the input shaft does not absorb reducer weight or torque reaction. By AGMA definition, the term “speed reducer” is applied to units operating at pinion speeds below 3,600 rpm or pitch-line velocities below

5,000 fpm. Reducers operating at speeds higher than these are called “high-speed units.” Catalog ratings and engineering specifications for speed reducers are generally based on AGMA standards.

There are as many types of speed reducers as there are types of gears. Worm gear reducers are used in low to moderate horsepower applications. They offer low initial cost, high ratios, and high output torque in a small package, along with a higher tolerance for shock loading then helical gear reducers. The ratio of a worm gear set is the ratio of the number of teeth in the gear to the number of threads (starts or leads) on the worm.

Helical reducers are used in higher horsepower applications where long-term operational efficiency is more important than initial cost. The ratio of a helical or bevel gear set is simply the number of teeth in the larger gear divided by the number of teeth in the smaller gear.

Spur gear reducers have a gear wheel with radial teeth parallel to the axle. In bevel and spiral bevel gears, the gear wheel meshes with another at an angle between 90o and 180o.

Gearhead
A gearhead is often another term for gear reducer; however, it does not limit the unit’s function to speed reduction. Gearheads are mainly used wherever an application calls for high torque at low speed. It reduces a load’s reflected mass inertia, which makes accelerating heavy loads easier, enabling a design to use a smaller motor.

Gearheads come in a variety of styles from basic spur gearheads to more complex planetary gearheads and harmonic-type gearheads, each with their own characteristics and suitable applications.

In some applications, gearhead backlash may become an issue. In this case, consider using a gearhead with low backlash or zero backlash.

Motion Control Tips

Tapered section rings are characterized by their decreasing thickness from the center of the ring out to the ends. These rings can be mounted either axially or radially. The taper is there to ensure full contact with the component when installed.

Constant section retaining rings, as the name implies, have a constant thickness around the circumference of the ring. When installed, unlike tapered rings, constant section rings do not maintain uniform contact with the entire component. They take on an elliptical shape and make contact with the component at just a few points.

Spiral retaining rings are installed into the housing or onto the shaft making full contact with the component.

Die stamping is a traditional method of producing retaining rings, along with newer methods such as coiling. Rings can be made from many materials including carbon steel, stainless steel, and special alloys such as those involving copper alloys.

Selecting a retaining ring involves considering a few key factors. One of the first may be the requirement to adhere to any existing standards such as MIL or Aerospace standards. These will help determine if the retaining ring must be constructed from a special material or operate in special conditions.

Beyond any standard’s compliance issues, the most important and relevant variables are the diameter of the shaft or housing and the width and diameter of the groove. Chances are there may be an existing type of ring groove that has to be matched.

Next, consider the load ratings. What types of loads must the ring endure? Also, don’t forget to take into account any installation stress.

Motion Control Tips

There are two fundamental types of couplings; rigid and flexible. Rigid couplings are generally used in applications requiring precise alignment, whereas flexible couplings can be used where there is a slight amount of misalignment between shafts. So a flexible shaft coupling accommodates misalignment while still transmitting torque. Misalignments can be one of several fundamental types, including lateral, axial, angular, or skewed. The greater the misalignment the less efficient the motor is in generating speed and torque. And misalignment contributes to premature wear including broken shafts, failed bearings and excessive vibration.

Flexible couplings are typically the most compliant of components in mechanical motion systems, making torsional stiffness a critical factor in terms of maintaining positional control over a load.

Types of motion differ in applications as well. For instance, in manufacturing lines, motion may be either continuous or start and stop. With the latter type there is a lot of vibration generated and couplings can help dampen the vibrations and diminish the settling time of the system and improve throughput. In contrast, continuous motion applications give greater weight to torsional strength over damping capabilities. Motion applications that require precise motion control such as in packaging and scanning and inspection call for zero-backlash couplings.

Motion Control Tips

However, there are some basics to spring technologies. For starters, there are generally three types of springs; tension, compression, and torsion springs. Tension springs operate in tension with a load attached, so as the load is applied the spring will be stretched out. Compression springs, as the name implies, operate under compression, so as the load is applied this type of spring will become shorter. Lastly, torsion springs operate with torsional or twisting loads, which means a torque is applied to the spring.

Compression springs are some of the most common types of springs in use. Traditional compression springs are usually available as coil springs. A coil spring is a coil of some kind of metal or metal alloy.

Wave springs are one alternative to coil springs. One advantage of wave springs is their space savings. By reducing spring operating height, these springs also decrease the spring cavity. A smaller assembly size and less material used in the manufacturing process amounts to lower costs as well.

Wave springs operate as load bearing devices. They take up play and compensate for dimensional variations within assemblies. A wide range of forces can be produced whereby loads build either gradually or abruptly to reach a predetermined working height. This establishes a precise spring rate in which load is proportional to deflection.

There are a few important factors to consider when selecting a wave spring. The most important factor may be the load requirement. The load requirement is defined as the amount of axial force the spring must produce when installed at its work height. Some applications require multiple working heights, where loads at two or more operating heights are critical. Often minimum and/or maximum loads are satisfactory solutions, particularly where tolerance stack-ups are inherent in the application.

High temperature, dynamic loading (fatigue), a corrosive media or other unusual operating conditions are also important considerations in spring applications. Solutions to various environmental conditions typically call for the selection of the optimal raw material and operating stress.

The working cavity usually consists of a bore the spring operates in and/or a shaft the spring clears. The spring stays positioned by piloting in the bore or on the shaft. The distance between the loading surfaces defines the axial working cavity or work height of the spring. Material cross-section also plays an important role in wave spring design.

Lastly, although wave spring applications can be diverse, there is a basic set of rules for defining spring requirements. Those requirements are used to select a stock/standard spring or design a special spring to meet the specifications.

Motion Control Tips

Some consider mechanical torque limiters outdated because there are other ways to control torque overload, most notably via electronic current limitation of the motor. While this may work in some cases, as machinery becomes more dynamic, the inertia of moving parts becomes more critical. So, for instance, it’s possible to abruptly decelerate a rotating mass through unintentional blockage or the application of a dynamic braking system at a rate faster than the drive would normally accelerate.

This can create torque overload through the reflected inertia which is completely independent of the electronic system and so can easily exceed the peak torque rating of the motor. While older and bulkier designs may be out of the question, these modern mechanical torque limiters offer a high level of sensitivity and accuracy, with increasingly smaller impact on the size, mass, balance, and power consumption of the drive system.

There are fundamentally two types of torque limiter technologies, the disconnect type and the slip type. Disconnect torque limiters, as the name implies, physically disconnect the drive from the load. Several methods exist for the disconnecting process. The shear pin method actually destroys the pin joining the load with the drive. Another common method is via magnetic disconnection using permanent magnets. The common feature of disconnect type torque limiters is that they permanently separate the drive and driven shaft and require a manual re-engagement.

Slip type torque limiters work by letting the drive shaft run faster than the driven shaft. It effectively “slips” at some preset torque setting and reengages when the torque falls below the limit.

The most important factor in selecting a torque limiter is determining the proper torque rating, which will help determine the proper torque limiter size. Torque limiters are ideally installed as physically close to the point of impact or overload as possible in order to enhance sensitivity.

Torque limiters are often used in conjunction with a proximity sensor to detect the movement of an external ring around the disengaging safety clutch, and then trigger an e-stop condition in the machine. Free wheeling safety clutches will permanently separate the drive and driven shaft hubs of the coupling, requiring a manual re-engagement. This cuts back significantly on potential wear between the two halves of the torque limiter as they ratchet against each other.

Motion Control Tips

Bellows couplings are typically made from a stainless steel tube hydroformed to create deep corrugations that make them flexible across axial, angular, and parallel shaft misalignments. The bellows absorbs any slight misalignments between the mounting surfaces of two components.

When coupling shafts, bellows couplings absorb slight misalignments from perpendicularity and concentricity tolerances between the mounting surfaces of the two connected components. Bellows couplings tend to have the highest torsional stiffness of any servo motor coupling, and so are used in applications requiring high precision positioning.

Selecting the right bellows coupling for an application starts with knowing the torque involved. For instance, it’s helpful to know the peak torque capacity of the servo motor. This value, multiplied by the gear reduction ratio and a safety factor of 1.5, gives the minimal torque calculation.

In most cases, couplings are rated according to the maximum peak torque to be transmitted. The peak torque should not exceed the coupling’s rated torque. And by rated torque is meant the torque that is continuously transmittable within the specified acceptable speed and misalignment ranges.

Motion Control Tips

Planetary gears
Planetary gears consist of one or more outer gears, or planet gears, revolving about a central, or sun gear. Typically, the planet gears are mounted on a movable arm or carrier that may rotate relative to the sun gear. These systems often use an outer ring gear or annulus, which meshes with the planet gears.

The gear ratio in this type of system is not obvious, particularly because there are several ways in which an input rotation can be converted into an output rotation.

Typically, one of these three gear wheels is held stationary; one is an input providing power to the system, while another is an output, receiving power from the system. The ratio of input rotation to output rotation is dependent upon the number of teeth in each gear, and upon which component is held stationary.

Planetary gears offer several advantages over parallel axis gears. These include high power density, the ability to achieve a large reduction in a small volume, multiple kinematic combinations, pure torsional reactions, and coaxial shafting. The disadvantages include high bearing loads, inaccessibility, and design complexity.

In a planetary gearbox arrangement, one advantage is power transmission efficiency, which is typically 3% per stage. Thus, a high proportion of the energy transmitted through the gearbox is used rather than wasted on mechanical losses inside the gearbox.

Planetary gearbox arrangements distribute load efficiently too. The transmitted load is shared between multiple planets, which greatly increases torque density. The more planets in the system, the greater load ability and the higher the torque density. This arrangement is also very stable due to the even distribution of mass and increased rotational stiffness.

Strain wave gearing
Strain wave gearing is an approach to speed reduction using metal elasticity (deflection) of the gear to reduce speed. (Strain wave gearing is also known as Harmonic drives–a registered trademark term of Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.) The benefits of using this approach include zero backlash, high torque, compact size, and positional accuracy.

A strain wave gear is comprised of three components: Wave Generator, Flexspline, and Circular Spline.

The Wave Generator is an assembly of a bearing and a steel disk called a Wave Generator plug. The outer surface of the Wave Generator plug has an elliptical shape machined to a precise specification. A specially designed ball bearing is pressed around this bearing plug causing the bearing to conform to the same elliptical shape of the Wave Generator plug. The Wave Generator is typically used as the input member, usually attached to a servomotor.

Strain wave gearing uses the metal elasticity of gears to reduce speed. The teeth of the Flexspine and Circular Spline are engaged near the major axis of the ellipse and disengage at the minor axis of the ellipse. The elastic radial deformation acts like a very stiff spring to compensate for space between the teeth that would otherwise increase backlash.

The Flexspline is a thin-walled steel cup. Its geometry allows the walls of the cup to be radically compliant, yet remain torsionally stiff since the cup has a large diameter. Gear teeth are machined into the outer surface near the open end of the cup (near the “brim”). The Flexspline is usually the output member of the mechanism.

The cup has a rigid boss at one end to provide a rugged mounting surface. The Wave Generator is inserted inside the Flexspline so that the bearing is at the same axial location as the Flexspline teeth. The Flexspline wall near the brim of the cup conforms to the same elliptical shape of the bearing. This causes the teeth on the outer surface of the Flexspline to conform to this elliptical shape. Effectively, the Flexspline now has an elliptical gear pitch diameter on its outer surface.

The Circular Spline is a rigid circular steel ring with teeth on the inside diameter. It is usually attached to the housing and does not rotate. Its teeth mesh with those of the Flexspline. The tooth pattern of the Flexspline engages the tooth profile of the Circular Spline (circular) along the major axis of the ellipse. This engagement is like an ellipse inscribed concentrically within a circle. Mathematically, an inscribed ellipse will contact a circle at two points. However, the gear teeth have a finite height. So there are actually two regions (instead of two points) of tooth engagement. Roughly 30% of the teeth are engaged at all times.

The pressure angle of the gear teeth transforms the output torque’s tangential force into a radial force acting on the Wave Generator bearing. The teeth of the Flexspline and Circular Spline are engaged near the major axis of the ellipse, and disengaged at the minor axis of the ellipse.

The Flexspline has two less teeth than the Circular Spline. Thus, every time the Wave Generator rotates one revolution, the Flexspline and Circular Spline shift by two teeth. The gear ratio is calculated by:

Number of Flexspline Teeth / (Number of Flexspline Teeth – Number of Circular Spline Teeth)

The tooth engagement motion (kinematics) of the strain wave gear is different than that of planetary or spur gearing. The teeth engage in a manner that allows up to 30% of the teeth (60 teeth for a 100:1 gear ratio) to be engaged at all times. This contrasts with maybe 6 teeth for a planetary gear, and 1 or 2 teeth for a spur gear.

In addition, the kinematics enable the gear teeth to engage on both sides of the tooth flank. Since backlash is defined as the difference between the tooth space and tooth width, this difference is zero in strain wave gearing.

As part of the design, the gearteeth of the Flexspline are preloaded against those of the Circular Spline at the major axis of the ellipse. They are preloaded such that the stresses are well below the material’s endurance limit.

In the gear as the gear teeth wear, this elastic radial deformation acts like a very stiff spring to compensate for space between the teeth that would otherwise cause an increase in backlash. This allows the performance to remain constant over the life of the gear.

Strain wave gearing offers high torque/weight and torque/volume ratios. The lightweight construction and single stage gear ratios of up to 160:1 allows the gears to be used in applications requiring minimum weight or volume. Small motors can exploit the large mechanical advantage of a 160:1 gear ratio to create a compact, lightweight, and low cost package.

A new tooth profile for strain wave gearing has become available in the last few years. This “S” tooth design allows more gear teeth to engage. The effect is to double torsional stiffness, double peak torque ratings, and lengthen operational life.

The “S” tooth form does not use the involute curve of a tooth. Instead, it uses a series of pure convex and concave circular arcs that match the loci of engagement points dictated by theoretical and CAD analysis.

The increased root filet radius makes the “S” tooth much stronger than an involute curve gear tooth. It will resist higher bending (tension) loads while maintaining a safe stress margin.

Motion Control Tips

The basic concept behind a bearing is that things roll more easily than they slide. This could be explained by the fact that when surfaces slide, the friction between the two objects generates a force that slows them down. However, friction can be significantly reduced if the two surfaces are able to roll over each other.

Bearings minimize friction by providing smooth rollers or metal balls, as well as a smooth outer and inner metal surface that the balls can roll against. These rollers or balls “bear” the load, enabling the device to spin smoothly.

Bearings normally deal with two types of loading, thrust and radial. Depending on what type of application they are used in, bearings may experience all thrust loading, all radial loading, or both.

For instance, the bearings in an electric motor and a pulley face radial load only. This is because the load originates from the tension of the belt that connects the two pulleys. The bearing in a barstool is loaded primarily on thrust, as the load is attributed to the weight of the individual sitting on the stool. Meanwhile, the bearing in the hub of a tractor wheel supports both a thrust and radial load. The weight of the tractor provides the radial load, while the cornering forces produced when the operator makes a turn present the thrust load.

There are many types of bearings, each of which is used for varying purposes in different applications.

A roller bearing, which is a weight distribution-oriented bearing, is any spherical or cylindrical object that helps an object larger than the bearing itself move. It uses various contact points between a circular housing containing internal rolling elements. These bearing systems use the reduced rolling resistance to increase the moving object’s efficiency.

Roller bearings commonly help two or more items reduce the amount of friction between them. An example of this is a simple wheel and axle. The roller bearings allow the wheel to freely spin on the axle without being limited by friction. They also reduce the force of drag on the spinning wheel, enabling the wheel to be easily pushed by any power source, such as an engine or a person pushing a vehicle.

There are numerous types and designs of roller bearing systems that may be used in various applications.

Cylindrical roller bearings, for instance, comprise a metal collar containing a smaller, toothed wheel inside. A ball bearing lies in between each of the wheel’s teeth, while the toothed wheel holds it in place. Thus, the wheel turns as the load travels, but the load’s weight remains directly fixed over the spherical ball bearings within the cylinder, enabling the easy movement of the load.

Roller thrust bearings usually support large thrust loads and are often found in gearsets such as vehicle transmissions between gears, rotating shafts and the housing, while tapered roller bearings are a kind of bearing that can support large thrust load and large radial load. They are used in car hubs and often mounted in pairs facing opposite directions, allowing them to handle thrust in both directions.

Meanwhile, ball bearings or anti-friction bearings are used to minimize friction between axles and shafts in numerous applications. Comprised of small ceramic or metallic spheres, ball bearings are commonly used in a series, absorbing the weight placed on the moving part. Most ball bearings are developed to meet very demanding standards of roundness and any deformation may cause the unexpected failure of the moving parts.

Spherical bearings are generally used in pivoting, high-load applications where angular misalignment is required. They allow angular rotation around a central point and often support a rotating shaft that is rotating at an angle. They may be employed in steering linkage suspensions on vehicles, articulated joints on heavy equipment, hydraulic cylinder rod ends, and other similar severe-duty uses.

Linear motion bearings are specifically designed to allow motion in one direction, such as on a linear slide. With these bearings, the rolling contact is provided by hardened and ground balls. A linear ball slide is a compact form of linear bearing with a small form factor and a similarly short stroke. Stroke can be a maximum of about one-third of the slide length, but the form factor justifies the stroke.

Magnetic bearings are used in some very high-speed devices, such as advanced flywheel energy storage systems. These bearings enable the flywheel to rapidly rotate on a magnetic field produced by the bearing.

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Bushings provide possibly the simplest linear bearing. These thin-walled cylinders can be injection molded of proprietary polymers infused with a lubricant. An oil-infused bronze design, also cylindrical, rides on a polished round rod. This linear-bearing classification is often referred to as slides.

Purpose-built linear bearings are available for frequently encountered tasks, such as pull-out equipment drawers or storable work surfaces. These usually light-duty devices let polymer wheels or ball bearings ride on stamped or rolled steel rails. Telescoping arrangements allow designing pull-out equipment drawers into cantilevered positions while supporting up to 50 lb or more for maintenance.

Heavier loads are carried by linear guides that use re-circulating ball or roller bearings in rectangular mounting pads or slide units. These are so constructed that a loop of balls or cylindrical rollers cycles into and out of a load area along shafts at most any required load. Two, three, and four rails can work in unison to carry loads that exceed the rating of one rail.

The ball spline is a variation on this design. In it, the sliding unit is a cylinder with at least three and up to five circuits of re-circulating balls. There are dozens of cylindrical shapes to choose from. For instance, miniature designs are intended for instrumentation and pillow blocks are available when the rod must move while the rolling elements remain stationary. Some manufacturers boast of maintenance-free designs, which can mean several years between scheduled maintenance.

Long lengths can make use of a design in which the profile on a bearing-mounted wheel carries a V-shape that rides in a mating V on a rail edge. Such a design is less affected by debris and is said to operate without bellows and covers.

Nonlinear-linear bearings are also possible with permutations to the designs above. For example, so-called rectangular circuits have generously rounded corners, and oval rail circuits are possible by letting two sets of wheels or rollers ride in a groove on either side of the rail. Actuation can be provided by a timing belt mounted on the inside of the track.

Accessories for linear bearings include wipers that sweep a rail in front of a slide unit to keep dirt and debris from damaging rolling elements. Seals provide a similar function but are more intended to keep lubricant from seeping out of the bearing area.

A brief design checklist of considerations for a device requiring linear-motion bearings would include required rigidity, load, moment loads, and needed accuracy. Designers might also consider whether or not regular maintenance will be available, the possibility of vibration and how it could affect operations, and noise requirements. Of course, design is more complex than this. Manufacturers are likely to offer a range of shaft support shapes and materials, shaft material options such as particular carbon steels versus stainless, or even tubular shafts.

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The new LEG gripper features a design based on the modular principle. With only one motor, the gripper weighs 6.5 kg and can be fitted with an electric and pneumatic drive. The gripper also allows users to choose their preferred servo motor. Thus, robot manufacturers can utilize their own motors, enabling them to control the gripper with similar set of commands featured in a robot. Moreover, the applicable forces can be controlled and measured with servo-electric drives. When operated with one servo motor, the gripper’s fingers move synchronously while both its drive spindles are coupled. On the other hand, operating the LEG with two motors allows the fingers to move freely and independently within the gripping range.

With the slides and guided slides, as well as the connecting components and supporting lateral cheeks offered in different versions and sizes, the LEG gripper can be adapted economically to its corresponding load and task. Its optional image or sensors processing system makes the gripper a sensitive tool in the assembly, production and packaging processes. Its change system can be utilized to alter the fingers automatically or manually offers the user with added flexibility. The reduced weight of the gripper allows it to deliver excellent acceleration and remarkable speeds, resulting to higher overall power and shorter cycle times.

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This reversible gear motor delivers an output that is rated for 15.3 Nm (136 lb. in.) torque, at 35 rpm. Although it comes in a compact package — weighing only around four pounds — the efficient design of the gear motor requires only 7.2 Amps at 12 Volts DC to produce its Full Load Torque, and translate into remarkably low noise operation, long life battery charge and reduced costs for related drive electronics. The company also offers motor windings for 24 Volts, 28 Volts, 36 Volts, 42 Volts, 48 Volts, 60 Volts and 90 Volts.

The gear motor’s innovative design is rated “IP 54” protection level, making it suitable for operation in harsh environments. Variable speed control can be achieved with the company’s fully compatible Speed Controls, Model MMP 20A-12V-RSP or MMP 25A-12V.

Typical options offered by the company include Failsafe Brakes, Servo Motors with integral Optical Encoders, Analog Tachometers and various Planetary Gearheads.

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Whether you’re looking for split bearing solutions, trying to determine why a bearing failed or trying to learn more about bearing types and the numbering system, Emerson Bearing’s selection of videos will impart all the information desired and more. Looking to learn about the history of bearings? Or perhaps learn more about Emerson and sister company Action Bearing which have become Boston’s industrial cornerstone for bearings? Simply log on to their website and visit the Video Tutorials page.

The average video duration is 4:40 minutes, with the shortest video being “Optimum Sealing” for challenging environments (1:09) and Bearing Types and Numbering (10:38) being the longest.

Visit http://www.emersonbearing.com/video-tutorials.html to view the videos.

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When compared with the conventional STOBER K1 helical bevel gear unit version, the new KL1 supplies increased torque density of well over 100 percent. The size reduction for the KL was achieved by a newly designed, 2-stage gear set geometry. The housing dimensions of the two sizes illustrate the new shape factor. In the KL1 version, the length is 113.5 mm, the width 81mm and the depth 90 mm; this represents a volume of only 0.83 liters.

The KL2 is 143.5 mm long, 98 mm wide and 108 mm deep, which makes its volume only 1.52 liters. This compact housing also gives a significant weight reduction, which is an advantage for drive dynamics, particularly on traveling axes.

Input speeds of up to 6,000 rpm are possible in cyclic operation with a torque range up to 65 Nm. The highly stiff, compact and symmetrical design requires no offset because the unit looks virtually the same on either side. On the output side, the new right-angle gear unit offers various options for output shafts and mounting methods, including solid shafts with and without keys, and hollow output shafts with and without keys. Output shafts are available in carbon and stainless steel.

Motors from other suppliers can be fitted using an adapter with a backlash-free coupling that features thermal length compensation. Both sizes are available in all the different versions.

www.stober.com

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The new rotary table wheel-blast system comes with one blast wheel over every half of a 70-inch diameter, 4,000 pound capacity turntable, making it ideally suited for batch processing of essentially flat work pieces or have limited vertical surfaces.

Heavily equipped with abrasion-resistant cast iron alloy plates, the table of the wheel blast machine also features protective armor of similar material hung on the blast chamber’s walls and interior ceiling to cover the all areas in line directly with the blast wheels.

It is also fitted with an optimized shot reclamation system that has an independent adjustable cyclone separator for capturing and reusing grit or good shot that could otherwise be carried over to the dust collector.

A media reclamation system helps the blast machine maintain negative pressure and balance the air flow. The wheel blast machine also features a freestanding Guyson Model D2000 cartridge-type dust collector that offers an extraction capacity of 2,000 cubic feet of air per minute.

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At 2.0 rpm, this reversible gearmotor delivers an output of 443 lb. in. (50 Nm) torque. Although it weighs only 4.5 pounds, this compact gearmotor offers an efficient design that requires only 3.6 Amps at 24 V DC to produce its Full Load Torque. This translates into very low noise operation, long life battery charge and lower costs for related drive electronics.

Rated with IP 54 protection level, the gearmotor’s unique design makes it suitable for operation in harsh environments. Its fully compatible speed controls — Model MMP 20A-24V-RSP or MMP 25A-24V help the gearmotor accomplish variable speeds.

The company’s typical options include Failsafe Brakes, Servo Motors with integral Optical Encoders, Analog Tachometers and Planetary Gearheads that comes with standard ratios ranging between 3:1 and 2653:1 as well as standard or low backlash precision gearing. It also offers various Motor Winding Options that include 28V, 12V, 48V, 36V, 90V and 60 Volts DC.

Midwest also offers standard ancillary equipment such as DC Servomotors, DC power supplies, Motor Speed Controls, PWM Servo Amplifiers, Linear Actuators and a vast array of DC gear-motors.

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The new Mid Rail Gantry Model MR513 water jet cutting machine is specifically designed for machine shops, fabricators as well as tile and stone shops. The Mid Rail Gantry is capable of cutting any complex parts from almost any material without developing a heat-affected zone (HAZ). It features one abrasive jet cutting head as standard. However, a second cutting head can be integrated to improve productivity. With optional mirroring, the Mid Rail Gantry can cut large portions twice as fast.

Featuring single or double carriages and direct-couple AC brushless digital servo motors, the company’s Mid Rail Gantry waterjet systems are offered in a wide array of work envelopes that range from 5′ x 5′ to 24′ x 13′. The Mid Rail Gantry water jets also use an industrial PC controller that can be configured in order that all three axes may be fully programmable (Z optional).

Powered by a waterjet intensifier pump from Jet Edge, the Mid Rail Gantry also features critical bearing components that are wrapped in heavy metal covers with brush seals. The Jet Edge currently has the largest portfolio of waterjet pumps on the market, with its offering ranging from 25 HP to 280 HP, including 60KSI (4100 bar), 90KSI (6200 bar) and 36KSI (2500 bar) models. The company also offers diesel and electric pumps.

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Its 180-degree rotating pallet table remains stationary during operation to allow the workpieces to be placed on one side of the VMC, while parts are machined on the other side. Every pallet’s side measures 28 inches x 18.7 inches with a load capacity of 660 lbs. Meanwhile, table indexing time, including unclamp and clamp, stands at five seconds.

The spindle is directly mounted to the Fanuc spindle motor for reduced vibration and rapid acceleration/deceleration during high speed operation. The tools are contained in a double-arm, 40-station magazine with tool-to-tool times of 1.3 seconds. The bi-directional magazine of ATC automatically chooses the shortest path to reduce out-of-cut times. To increase precision, rigidity and tool life, the device features a dual-contact tool-mounting system that offers direct contact between the toolholder flange face and machine spindle face.

The VMC has been designed with a single-piece of heavily ribbed Meehanite casting, which enables it to withstand the forces and heat related with heavy cutting conditions. The design also gives the VMC a uniform load to the ballscrews, guideways and motors. High speed servomotors and linear-motion guideways allow high rapid-axis movements, featuring traverses measuring 1,259 ipm along the Z axis and 1,574 ipm on the X and Y axes.

A 66-gallon coolant tank has been isolated from the machine bed to prevent potential thermal distortion and heat transfer. Featuring flood cooling, the VMC also offers optional coolant chiller and through-the-spindle cooling. Automatic lubrication to all ballscrews and guideways is provided by piston distributors that measures the lubricant volume.

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External roller bearings are fitted at the shaft’s motor end as well as at the discharge end’s hinged cover to provide optimum support and effectively eliminate vibration during heavy load operation. Opening the hinged cover causes the shaft to cantilever on the third roller bearing mounted externally between the material feed point and the motor-end bearing, permitting the internal parts to easily slide from the opposite shaft end.

Featuring Clean-In-Place (CIP) Spray Balls for quick sanitizing using cleaning solution or steam, the unit is made of stainless steel finished to 3-A, industrial, BISSC, FDA and other sanitary standards. The unit also features a stainless steel motor.

The Centri-Sifter centrifugal screener is specifically designed for food, pharmaceutical and dairy applications demanding thorough wash-down, and for general chemical applications that require frequent runs or screen changes/inspections of multiple materials without cross contamination.

Equipped with heavy-duty wedgewire screen, the horizontally-oriented cylindrical screening chamber is gravity-fed with moist or dry bulk solid material. A rotating helical paddle assembly speeds up the particle’s radial movement against the screen. This causes on-size particles to travel through the screen’s apertures and fall in a cone-shaped discharge chute, while the oversized particles are sent through the screen cylinder’s open end and thrown out through the discharge spout.

Aside from scalping and sifting dry bulk materials, the screener can also break up dewater moist slurries or solids and/or soft agglomerates.

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The SPK+ 210 / 240 hypoid gear has an output shaft and offers:

- Torques up to 4500 Nm

- Ratios up to i=10000

The TPK+ 300 / 500 hypoid gear has an output flange and offers:

- Torques up to 4500 Nm

- Ratios up to i=10000

www.wittenstein-us.com

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Offered in six standard, off-the-shelf versions, the new gearmotors employs 1/20 PS (37.3 W) AC motors that can be easily operated from either 230V or 115V, 50Hz or 60Hz power sources. Delivering gear ratios ranging between 10:1 and 494:1, the gearmotors provide output speeds between 181 and four RPM, and maximum continuous torque ratings of 50 in. lbs (5.65 Nm).

The integral gear reducers and totally enclosed non ventilated (TENV) permanent split capacitor (PSC) AC motors are reversible, and also feature all-position face mounting with an overhung load capacity of 50 pound (22.7 kg.).

“These Bison drop-in replacements for VW14 AC gearmotors feature permanent split capacitor four-pole motors that operate at half the speed of the competitive units they replace. With corresponding gear ratio changes, this result in a quieter, longer life gearmotor,” Bison Gear Application Engineering Supervisor Clayton Hinkle said.

“An engineered resin first-stage gear further contributes to quiet operation which makes these gearmotors ideal in such applications as foodservice equipment, automated displays, peristaltic pumps, business machines, ticket dispensers and even pellet stoves.”

Available with CSA and U.L. recognition as standard, the new VWDIR14 AC parallel shaft gearmotors can be also provided to OEM’s with CE recognition.

Motion Control Tips

The FSBR brakes are designed for applications requiring minimum space (short axial length) or on motors with short shaft extensions. When mounted, the armature hub is installed on the shaft first, then the brake is installed over the hub and attached to the motor.

The FSBR brakes are rated up to 100 lb-in static torque, and fit motors up to 5.3 in. outside diameter.

For more information, visit http://www.servo2go.com/product.php?ID=100509&cat=10019

Motion Control Tips

These cylindrical rolling bearings feature raceways oblique to the bearing axis, and can support high tilting moments as well as significant loads.

Featuring a conical bearing ring, the AXS bearings also have a roller and cage assembly that runs between the two hardened rings. They are currently offered from 8 mm to 175 mm bearing diameter. The AXS angular contact rolling bearing, usually feature a 45 degrees contact angle, 7 mm and 10 mm radial section heights and 1.2 mm bearing ring thickness. However, 60-degree contact angle bearings can also be utilized for higher axial forces as well as high tilting moments.

Meanwhile, SGL bearings are primarily set in “O” arrangements. The arrangement can, however, be easily adjusted to bearing preload from bearing clearance, depending on the requirements. The bearing cross-section, which is notably larger than the AXS bearings, offers higher axial and radial load carrying capacity.

Available in 8 mm to 200 mm bearing diameters, the SGL bearings normally have a contact angle of 45 degrees, depending on the application and load condition. Compared to conventional angular contact ball bearings, the SGL series can support significantly higher tilting rigidity. The bearings can be directly interchanged with series 718, as they correspond to dimension series 18.

The SGL bearings are suitable for applications that demand optimum rating life and tilting rigidity.

Motion Control Tips

GRAPHALLOY® 453 Bushings have proven to be successful in a variety of high temperature applications including bakery ovens, heat treat ovens, furnaces, conveyors, overhead paint lines, glass lehrs, louvers, dampers, valves as well as other environments where oil and grease cannot be used. Applications can experience improved performance through the use of GRAPHALLOY® materials.

Among their many advantages, GRAPHALLOY® bushings operate at longer intervals without the need for maintenance, which reduces costly downtime. They are an excellent choice for applications where service and maintenance tasks are cumbersome or difficult to perform. Additional benefits of GRAPHALLOY® include a low coefficient of friction and dimensional stability.

GRAPHALLOY® 453 bushings, like all GRAPHALLOY® products, do not soften at high temperatures or extrude under load. Installations of these bushings have operated for more than 10 years without maintenance. GRAPHALLOY® 453 Bushings are a proven solution for even the most challenging plant maintenance problems and new equipment designs.

Graphite Metallizing Corporation
www.graphalloy.com

Motion Control Tips

With one ring shoulder totally or partially removed, angular contact bearings ensure higher speed capabilities and greater load capacity by allowing larger ball complement than those found in comparable deep groove bearings.

The spindle bearings are assembled to a contact angle by altering the radial clearance and feature nominal contact angles of either 15º or 25º, which enables them to deliver improved radial rigidity and capacity.

The angular contact bearings are available in two variants — non-separable and separable.

In a separable bearing, the cage keeps the balls in place to separate the outer ring assembly, which holds the cage and the balls, from the inner ring.

Ideal for use in applications where bearings must be integrated in blind holes, the separable angular contact bearings are also used in applications where press fits are needed both in the housing and on the shaft.

The separable variant of angular contact bearings permit a dynamic balance between a rotating component and an inner ring mounted in place, and the housing and the outer ring.

Angular contact bearings support combinations of thrust and radial loading or thrusts loads alone. Angular contact bearings, however, do not accept radial loads only.

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To address such situations, GGB, formerly Glacier Garlock Bearings, developed a sealed bearing cartridge that gives off-road OEMs an alternative to conventional greased bronze, hardened steel and rolling-element bearings for demanding applications.

Savings come because the equipment does not have to be taken out of operation to be serviced. “The cost of a lubrication system is eliminated and maintenance costs are reduced,” said Charles Woods, global filament-wound products manager. “Plus, the equipment owner does not have to use a potentially environment-harmful lubricant or worry about spills.

Kansas State’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute developed this pin joint test rig (AMI photo).

The new sealed bearing cartridges are based on GAR-MAX™ filament-wound bearing material. Compared with a greased steel bearing, a sealed bearing cartridge can save about $525 over a five-year period, according to Woods. This reduction in cost of ownership is based on the elimination of grease labor ($187.50), bearing replacement and associated labor ($187.50), and downtime for bearing replacement ($150). For a piece of equipment containing 20 such bearings, for example, the savings over a five-year period would total $10,000.

The filament-wound bearings have a bearing surface of PTFE and high-strength fibers twisted together and encapsulated by a high-temperature epoxy resin enhanced with a self-lubricating additive. High-load capability is up to 90,000 lbs/in2. or 620 MPa. The bearings exhibit good tolerance to shock and edge loading, and because they do not absorb moisture and swell, they provide dimensional stability as well.

GGB worked with major off-highway OEMs and the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI) at Kansas State University to prove that its sealed bearing cartridges outperform greased, hardened-steel bearings in several applications. The mission of AMI is to provide an array of resources to people and companies on advanced technologies. “We do this through collaborative engineering and business partnerships,” Taylor Jones, chief engineer, explains. “We use our engineering expertise to develop and transfer new technologies, as well as provide technical assistance to industry.”

“We had a client company looking for alternative solutions for pin joints in abusive applications,” noted Jones, “so the institute developed a test plan to evaluate current market offerings, such as greased hardened steel bushings, chrome-plated pins and different bearing materials. We contacted various suppliers, including GGB.”

GGB’s sealed bearing cartridges work in a wide variety of applications.

“One of the most common metal wear and maintenance problems for off-road equipment owners is pivot points,” continued Woods.

The test conditions simulated an abusive field application and heavy contamination by combining sand, dirt and water into a thick paste. “Most lab tests use a ‘mud box’ but the contaminant can wick away during oscillating and rotating test cycles,” explained Jones. “In our test, we wanted to simulate a machine that is constantly in and out of contamination all day long. We applied the paste right on the bearings.”

The tests also focused on conditions with bearing working pressures up to 7,500 psi, oscillating motion speeds that averaged 20 degrees/second and roughly 575 cycles per hour. A baseline test determined the duration of the GGB sealed bearing test.

The average wear of the sealed bearing cartridge was 0.003 in., as compared to an average wear of 0.022 in. for the traditional bushing, though the bearing cartridge was tested about 2.5 times longer than the greased hardened-steel bushing (600,000 cycles compared to 220,000 cycles).

“If properly sealed, the ungreased GGB sealed bearing cartridge appears to be a viable alternative to a sealed and greased hardened-steel bushing in severe work environments,” said Jones. “Any OEM using the sealed bearing cartridges in its equipment should follow GGB’s recommended design practices for a successful solution.”

An outer steel casing on the sealed bearing cartridges helps with installation and durability. Greasing is not required, resulting in an environmentally friendly product.

GGB LLC
www.GGBearings.com/sbc

Motion Control Tips

Designed to improve durability and productivity, reduce maintenance, enhance safety and lower operating costs, the optimized grapple is offered in capacities ranging between 0.75 cubic yards and 1.5 cubic yards.

“We looked hard at our original design and listened to customer feedback to identify areas in which improvements could be made,” said Dan Raihala, Design Engineer at Genesis.

“The first was in the area of maintenance. The new design features composite bearings with dust seals at all pivot points, leaving only the rotation bearing to grease. The heavy-duty cylinder guarding system, designed to protect the cylinders and internal components, is easily removed for maintenance.”

The enhanced grapple is now designed with large-bore hydraulic cylinders to maximize clamping force, reverse-mounted cylinders that protect rods from damage and long-life, abrasion-resistant steel tips, which can easily be replaced with a simple perimeter weld.

“We also recognized that our customers want a choice in tines, and Genesis now offers the widest variety,” added Raihala.

“We provide flat bottom or pointed tine shapes and augment them with three spade types—half-, narrow- and wide-width—to meet specific application needs.”

The new grapple also feature high-torque 360 degree continuous rotation for optimized material access, an overall footprint that can easily fit inside trailers and large-diameter hardened steel pins with integrated shear-proof placement and retainers.

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One Way Bearings are lightweight, compact, operate directly on a shaft and are ideal for transmitting high torque. The bearings are specifically designed to transmit torque between the housing and shaft in one direction while allowing free motion in the opposite direction.

One Way Bearings are offered both in a metric and inch series, with and without bearing assemblies. Those without bearing assemblies come in FC, HF and RC versions. The HFL series offers two integral radial bearings positioned on both sides of a needle roller clutch, allowing them to support radial forces in small or tight areas. Its bearing and clutch assembly can be utilized in a temperature ranging from -30°C to 120°C. Meanwhile, oil lubrication is recommended for a working environment above 70°C.

Boca Bearings also offers the EWC and the OWC One Way Bearing Series. The One Way Clutch bearings (OWC), which is also known as Origin One Way bearings are high performance bearings that are extra narrow. Allowing free overrun in the opposite direction, the bearings comprise of drawn cup roller clutch and cage and springs. Its CSK series are offered in two designs — the P-one keyway notch and the PP-two keyway notch series. The keyway enables the bearing to securely and perfectly fit into the shaft and provide the machine, appliance or conveyor belt extra torque.

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This new bearing comes with a unique design that delivers optimal performance, reliability and ease of installation, which translates to lower downtime attributed to maintenance intervals.

“The introduction of the ADAPT line underscores Timken’s long-standing commitment to the metals market,” remarked Mike Connors, Vice President, Distribution at Timken.

“We developed the ADAPT bearing in response to our customers’ requests for a caster application bearing that is easy to install, offers extended bearing life and improves performance. While caster applications are demanding on equipment components such as bearings, the innovative design of ADAPT provides durability and flexibility to keep casters operating at optimal levels.”

The new ADAPT bearing comprises a cylindrical inner ring, an outer ring designed with a proprietary outer race profile and a retainer/roller assembly that comes with a profiled rollers and a snap-in retainer. The bearing’s inner ring features a cylindrical raceway, which allows the shaft to float or move left to right relative to the outer ring.

Designed with a proprietary profile, the bearing’s roller and outer ring compensates for misalignment associated with shaft bending to a maximum of 0.5 degrees. It also enhances contact stress distribution for longer bearing life and develops a self-aligning effect with the rollers, which reduces skewing while keeping a constant bearing clearance.

The one-piece nitride steel retainer of the bearing snaps into position to keep the rollers in place during mounting and dismounting, while the outer and inner rings can be separately fitted for improved installation flexibility and easier handling. The component design of the ADAPT bearing simplifies removal and inspection while allowing operators to save time, costs and to independently change parts as required during maintenance.

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The company has specifically developed the technology incorporated in the new RMG crane to meet the varying demands of RMG owners.

The high performing crane features unique patented Konecranes Active Load Control (ACL) system, which offers the most effective sway prevention system. The ACL system also provides horizontal fine positioning of the spreader, while still enabling it to move up to 300 mm in gantry/trolley travel direction without the need of moving the gantry/trolley. New and inexperienced crane drivers will have no problem achieving the required production figures rapidly since the ACL of the new RMG cranes are extremely simple and easy to operate.

The high performing crane also offers a spreader trim that features hoist machinery units that eliminate the need for separate special trim mechanisms. For less maintenance, better reliability and lower environmental risks, the company did not include any hydraulics on the crane, only on the spreader.

The company has also integrated the crane with advanced drives and power regeneration to provide reduced noise level and lower energy consumption. It also features durable and rigid compact steel structure as well as remote diagnostic system which enable service technicians and operators to analyze the crane’s productivity and preventive maintenance needs.

The RMG crane’s optional slewing trolley delivers precise load positioning and load handling for moving containers between road vehicles and rail cars.

Motion Control Tips

Rockwell Automation provided the control solution that would enhance the flexibility and performance of Thiele’s Nigrelli Envoy Tray Former Packer, a continuous-motion, high-speed packaging system specifically designed for loading cartons, bottles and cans onto corrugated trays, pads or U-board. Processing up to 3,600 containers per minute with exceptionally accurate positioning and versatility, the heart of the Envoy features Rockwell Automation Kinetix Integrated Motion solution that includes an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix controller, Allen-Bradley MP-Series servo motors and Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000 multi-axis servo drives. Together they control and coordinate all major machine functions, such as placing and carrying the trays through the machine, and control of the rotary tray and feeding system.

Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix controller eliminates the need for multiple programming packages and controllers, conveniently tying all control functionality into one, multitasking controller platform. Motion functions of the Envoy are incorporated in both the Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000 programming software and the ControlLogix controller. To reduce time spent on wiring, engineers utilized a SERCOS interface module for integration with the Kinetix 6000 servo drives. Operators of the Envoy can view the status and performance parameters of the machine through an Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 1000 touch-screen human-machine interface.

The RSLogix 5000 software’s motion instructions reduce the need to coordinate and write two programs in separate controllers.

“With the need for high reliability and fast changeovers, the servo control technology from Rockwell Automation provided the best option,” said Stephen Kaye, Rigid Product Line Manager at Thiele Technologies.

Motion Control Tips

The challenging generator requirement demands that at the speed of 10,000 rpm, the generator must be able to supply a continuous voltage output of 40VDC Volts DC. It also requires the generator to be remarkably durable and reliable to withstand the consistently high vibration and shock levels common of a railcar environment.

Measuring 2.1” in axial length and 1.8” in diameter, BEI Kimco’s DIH18-21-BBNA Brushless Generator meet these requirements. At speeds of 11,000 rpm, the generator delivers a constant output of 40VDC. To absorb the intense shock and the relentless vibration associated with the application, BEI Kimco has integrated patented bearing suspension technology to the generator which also improves its reliability and longetivity. The generator was also designed with innovative robust “one piece” housing to effectively eliminate vulnerable attachment points. Similar technology has also been successfully utilized to reduce noise in medical applications demanding minimal acoustical noise levels.

After the development of the product, the generator has been placed in a series of demanding reliability and vibration qualification test protocol.

“The successful completion of the tests is a testament to the robustness of the BEI design,” said Walter Smith, Application Engineer at BEI.

Motion Control Tips

The company’s latest gage system features the most common form measurements, such as flatness, roundness, concentricity (in and out of plane), squareness and parallelism. For fast in-process shop floor TIR checks, a “live runout” feature has also been integrated. The gage system also offers an optional Wedge (or “Edge Thickness Variation” or ETV) measurement module, which can extend the analysis and automated measurement capabilities of the system for applications of the optics industry.

Featuring advanced technologies, the metrology platform of the gage system seamlessly blends maintenance-free, ultra-smooth rotary air bearing with a direct drive as the reference axis fitted in a cast iron base.

Through the innovative articulating gage arm design of the system, infinite flexibility in head orientation of the gage is now possible. Aside from providing unlimited positioning options for the gage stand, the system’s T-slot plate also allows users to utilize multiple stands.

ABTech’s MicroForm measurement software provides full function analysis for quality control labs and intuitive navigation for shop floor use. To assist novice operators, the system also offers on screen “step-by-step” instructions that do not affect the efficiency of experienced users. To meet the varying demands of users, the display and output options of the system can also be customized.

Using Ethernet network connections, users can easily save, convert to PDF, print, or export and share graphical charts and measurement results for traceability and statistical process control (SPC).

The gage system offers almost perfect linearity over the probe measurement range (correlation coefficient of 1) with a resolution of 0.1 µ”or 2.5 nm and overall system accuracy of below 5.0 micro-inches or 0.125 micron.

Motion Control Tips

These tin based babbit materials are also suitable for high temperature bearing applications up to 175°C (350°F) and can perform well as self-lubricating bearings in dry and submerged applications.

GRAPHALLOY, which is a graphite or metal alloy, provides various advantages. It effectively eliminates the need for oil or grease and is environmentally safe to use and machine. The elimination of liquid lubricants reduces maintenance and contamination.

Offering superior heat dissipation without melting or cold flow, GRAPHALLOY Tin Based Babbitt materials can also be used as a substitute for plastic. In low temperature applications, such as -400° F/-205° C, these new bearings of Graphite Metallizing Corporation solve lubrication issues caused the viscosity to oil and grease that commonly prevents proper operation of equipment.

The all-new GRAPHALLOY Tin Based Babbitt offers all the necessary performance benefits of traditional babbit materials. Users need not worry of any environmental concerns since it can be safely used in food applications, drinking water applications and traditional low temperature applications. For new equipment design and the most challenging plant maintenance, GRAPHALLOY bushings and bearings provide the proven solution.

Aside from being self-lubricating, GRAPHALLOY materials are also impervious to extreme temperatures (from -400°F to +1000°F/-240°C to 535°C). Used in the manufacture of bearings, bushings and other for process and machinery equipment, GRAPHALLOY materials thrive in the most extreme environments where other competing bearings fail.

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With the evolution of RC engines, they now come under greater thrusts loads than before and are using more nitro fuel. The nitro fuel quickly dries the thin stock bearing retainer, making the whole bearing vulnerable to premature failure when subjected to heavy radial and thrust loads. With the introduction of the expanded portfolio of MX Bearing, this particular issue will no longer be a problem.

The company’s MX bearings offers a new and unique internal design that increases load capabilities and enables the bearings to function even under extreme operations, where shafts are exposed to excessive radial and side load.

The MX bearings come in both as a ceramic hybrid, with chrome races and ceramic balls, or as a standard high-speed version featuring chrome steel balls or races. The races are cryogenically processed to achieve a harder surface, while the chrome steel is utilized since it is harder than stainless steel. To enable the bearings to withstand high nitro content fuel, the company used a thicker and stronger retainer material for this new portfolio. Moreover, Grade 10 balls have also been used to provide a closer tolerance to optimized performance.

Aimed at engines with known stock bearing issues, the new line of MX Bearing is currently offered in a limited size range. The company has specifically developed the MX Engine bearings to deliver extended life and increased speed to RC engines.

Meanwhile, Boca Bearing offers an additional discount on all MX Engine Bearings kit. Complete bearing kit is now available for engines such as OS, Sirio, and Picco.

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The new BLDC motors feature a wide selection range for power, speed, torque and size. Motors include continuous power up to 400W, speeds between 1,500 and 6,100 RPM, and motor constants up to 15 ounce per square root Watt (103 mNm per square root Watt). Maximum torque constants feature up to 198 oz.-in./A (1400 mNm/A). The six new models include two round and four square designs with lengths ranging from 41 to 114mm. Motors can be ordered with a factory-mounted optical or magnetic encoder and can also be fitted with electro-mechanical fail-safe power off brakes.

Compatible gearboxes feature Spur, Planetary and Worm styles with torques from 0.4 to 120 Nm. The BDE30 and BDE40 external drives are offered in 6A or 14A max respectively. Internal drives are offered on BLDC motors that feature power ranges from 40 to 100W. A wide range of accessories are also available.

The new motor control solution is suitable for a wide range of applications in the medical and industrial markets. Specific uses include automation for endoscopy, x-ray and dental equipment, robotic pool equipment, peristaltic pumps, access control, printing and bill boards.

For more information, visit www.crouzet.com.

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“These gearmotors offer ideal solutions for applications in industrial automation, automatic doors and windows, vending, packaging and many others,” said Intecno’s General Manager Moreno Ferrari.

The BLDC brushless micro gearmotors are available in three different sizes, and feature low voltage power supply of 24 VDC. The motors deliver a torque that range between 0.425 in-lbs (0.05Nm) and 3.80 in-lbs (0.43Nm).

“These motors are low voltage which optimizes safety in the work place, particularly in applications where the worker could be in direct contact with the motor,” added Ferrari.

For low cost and compactness, the motors have been equipped with Hall Sensors and can be supplied with an external drive control or an integrated control (IE version).

The motors right angle worm gearboxes are available in two sizes CM30 (30 mm center to center distance) and CM26 (26 mm center to center distance). Its ratios range from 5:1 up to 100:1.

Users can customize the planetary gearboxes to the application due to the possibility of utilizing plastic, metal or material mix versions. The motor is also offered in low noise (LN) version, which minimizes the gearbox noise and making it ideal for medial applications.

The company’s planetary gearboxes offer a vast array of reduction ratios, which range between 3.7: 1 (1 stage) and 2076:1 (4 stages). The planetary gearboxes are maintenance-free since they have already been lubricated with grease.

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