Rexroth’s VarioFlow plus enables diverse applications —from general machine interlinking to food and packaging — to transportation tasks in difficult environments. With the upgraded modular system of the VarioFlow plus chain conveyor system, Rexroth now offers users a series of standardized solutions for specific conveyor functions, which simplifies the fast implementation of customer-specific designs. The application […]
Honeywell completes acquisition of Intelligrated
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced that it has completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of Intelligrated, a privately held leader in supply chain and warehouse automation solutions, which was previously announced in July. “With the continued growth of e-commerce, retailers and supply chain companies need a range of enterprise solutions to enhance their operational accuracy, efficiency […]
FAQ: How to size stepper-motor power supplies?
Stepper motors are sensitive to the performance of their power supplies. Stepper motor power supplies can affect: Rate of motor heating — read FAQ: Aren’t heat and noise common stepper motor problems? for more on this Acceleration — read FAQ: What are the requirements for a stepper acceleration? Torque — read FAQ: What kind of torque […]
FAQ: Why would shaft inertia cause extra steps, and how to prevent this problem?
Inertia affects how stepper motors turn. For example, extra steps and missed steps can happen when a system has inertia mismatch — as detailed in FAQ: How do stepper motors handle inertia mismatch? Another source of missed steps is the motor inertia itself. The motor-shaft inertia is one culprit. This shaft rotates and has a […]
PI’s award-winning fast multichannel photonics alignment engine
The FMPA Fast Multichannel Photonics Alignment Engine is an advanced alignment system based on a highly specialized digital motion controller with embedded advanced alignment and tracking functionality and a hybrid precision scanning and tracking mechanism combining the advantages of piezoelectric on servo-motorized drives. More after the jump. From motion control and nanopositioning solutions expert PI […]
FAQ: How to set a stepper motor’s current limit and why is it important?
Edited by Zak Khan || Stepper-motor current limiting serves a few functions. Stepper-motor overcurrent can cause overheating as detailed in FAQ: Aren’t heat and noise common stepper motor problems? At its most extreme, overcurrent can cause rotor demagnetization. Recall that current effects acceleration — as in FAQ: What are the requirements for stepper motor acceleration? So […]
New ways of controlling indexing tables for precision motion
There are key differences between fixed-position indexing tables and closed-loop position indexing tables. Here we review them and how to control for maximum accuracy. By Ken Pfahl, Sales Manager | Motion Index Drives Indexing tables come in an array of versions with different speed and dwell settings to satisfy tasks in machine-tool handling, stamping, medical-device […]
FAQ: What are the requirements for stepper motor acceleration?
Edited by Zak Khan || Engineers should give thought to acceleration when starting a stepper motor. Simply programming the controller to advance the motor some steps isn’t sufficient for reliable operation. Programming must also account for stepper-motor construction and operation. As mentioned in FAQ: How do I prevent stepper motor stalls? and FAQ: How do stepper […]
FAQ: What kind of torque can I get out of a stepper motor versus other options?
Stepper-motor output torque depends on a few things — including the stepper-motor type; how many poles it has; how fast it runs; and the type of drive supplying electrical power to the motor. For the latter, read FAQ: What is a stepper drive and how do they work? for more information. More specifically, a stepper […]
FAQ: Why do so many PC controls integrate HMIs?
By Steve Meyer || Previous generations of control relied on Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) for information displays as part of programming terminals. Those unfamiliar with CRTs should read the Wikipedia articles and check Google Images for representations of how the CRT works. It is an interesting part of the history of control. CRTs use high-voltage power supplies […]