Paul Heney - Motion Control Tips

PTDA welcomes four new members

July 13, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), the leading association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel, recently welcomed four new member companies.

Distributor members

Misumi USA (Schaumburg, Ill.) currently serves more than 240,000 customers worldwide by supplying mechanical components for factory automation, press die and plastic mold components, cutting tools and gauges. Chuck Millstead, PT product manager, said, “We value our PTDA membership because of the opportunities available to better understand and support development within the PT market. We are committed to the continual evolution of our business model in order to support our customers and industry.” Learn more at misumiusa.com.

Verona Industrial Equipment, LLC (DBA Williams Motors & Drives) (Howell, Mich.) sells and distributes the highest value electric motors, drives & starter controls and gearbox equipment to meet specialized applications with a focus on machine manufacturers, automotive, process industries, heavy industrial manufacturing and more. Learn more at veronaie.com.

Manufacturer members

Habasit America (Suwanee, Ga.) is an innovative supplier of problem-solving belting solutions, representing the industry’s largest selection of power transmission and conveyor belting products, which includes fabric, plastic modular, chain, monolithic and timing belts. “Expertise defines our brand, and PTDA offers insight into the trends and technologies that shape the industry. We also value the opportunity to join a community of like-minded partners and customers,” said Paul Cunningham, national accounts manager. Learn more at habasitamerica.com.

Jones Bearing Co. (Pelham, Ala.) is a manufacturer of one of the first mounted roller bearings made in America. “The original Jones bearing is still made today, yet we have constantly grown our product offering now to include a variety of mounted roller bearings, power transmission products and conveying equipment. We are committed to strengthening and expanding personal relationships with our customers and industry leaders. Our quest to further this commitment has naturally led us to join PTDA and we are proud to become a member,” said Mat Adams, VP sales. Learn more at jonesbearing.com.

Power Transmission Distributors Association
ptda.org

Closed-loop motor feedback with the absolute advantage

July 12, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Posital has expanded its line of kit-style encoders for feedback for servo and stepper motors with new models that use the same mounting form factor as incremental kit encoders from US Digital, Broadcom and other manufacturers. This makes it very easy to upgrade a motion control application from incremental to absolute position control.

With Posital kit encoders, the control system always has complete information on the physical position of the mechanical components that it is directing. “Absolute position feedback is a natural way of providing accurate position control,” said Jim Stevens, market specialist for robotics at Posital. “Almost any position control application could be absolute-based. Many current systems were designed around incremental encoders because incremental feedback devices were historically less expensive than their absolute counterparts.” However, with Posital absolute kit encoders available at prices much more in line with incremental devices, system designers no longer have to work around the shortcomings of incremental feedback in an absolute position world.

“Incremental encoders are effective for speed control. However, to monitor absolute position, the controller needs to maintain a complete count of the number of pulses received from the encoder,” said Stevens.

This can lead to problems. If the pulse count becomes corrupted due to a power outage, or if the control system fails to update the pulse count when the machine moves, positional accuracy is lost. The usual remedy is to “re-home” the machine by returning it to a known reference position and re-starting the pulse counts. By contrast, absolute encoders measure position directly. After a power outage, the controller can re-establish complete knowledge of the position of mechanical components by simply polling the sensors and reading their rotational positions.

“It’s great to be able to simply power up a system and continue a process without having to go through a restart/homing cycle and having to scrap work or material that may be in process,” said Stevens.

Multiturn absolute kit encoders from Posital are based on magnetic sensing technology that provides a very robust encoder solution. The multiturn counting system is powered by Wiegand wire energy harvesting technology, which enables the absolute encoder to maintain true absolute position over power cycles and rotation of the encoder during power-off conditions. With 17 bits (131072 positions) of single turn resolution and 16 bits (65536 turns) of multiturn range, the absolute kit encoders from Posital are suitable for position control applications.

Posital
www.posital.com

Chuck Sena named industry manger – sanitary for Dorner

July 12, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Chuck Sena has been named Industry Manager – Sanitary for Dorner. Within this role, Sena will be working with sales, marketing and channel partners to develop and execute strategic plans to drive sales of Dorner’s sanitary conveyor platform to both new and existing customers and markets.

Sena brings nearly 30 years experience of conveyor, packaging machinery and specialty handling equipment sales and marketing to Dorner. He most recently held the position of Distributor Manager for packaging products at Nercon, a conveyor manufacturer in Neenah, Wisconsin. His career also includes selling weigh scales and metal detector products within the food, personal care and chemical industries.

“I’m excited to get started and continue the work already established in promoting Dorner’s sanitary platform,” Sena said. “Dorner is the premier brand in the sanitary conveyor market, and I’m looking forward to demonstrating to new and existing customers why we’re the preferred brand of choice.”

Sena, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, lives in the Madison,Wisconsin area.

Dorner Conveyor
www.dorner.com

Heidenhain announces new CEO

July 12, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH has announced the appointment of David Doyle as CEO of Heidenhain Corp., effective Oct. 1, 2018. At that time, Doyle will assume full responsibility for the Heidenhain Corp. customer-focused operations for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This change will complete the succession plan for Rick Korte, current CEO of Heidenhain, who will be retiring at that time after more than 34 years of service.

“I am happy to announce the next phase of the succession plan for our North American operations, with the promotion of David Doyle to CEO,” said Korte. “I have the utmost confidence in David and trust he will continue to grow our business and support our customers with World Class service in all areas.”

Doyle started with Heidenhain in 2016 as VP of Sales & Marketing, bringing with him more than twenty-five years of experience in international capital equipment business and technical support management. He currently serves as its President and Managing Director.

“I want to thank Rick Korte for leading Heidenhain Corp. in tremendous growth over these many years, and for the guidance he has provided to not only myself, but to the many staff members who have called Heidenhain home for so long,” said Doyle. “I am looking forward to leading the Heidenhain Corp. team through the next phase of development and to reaching our growth objectives in North America by continuing to put our customers first.”

Heidenhain
www.heidenhain.us

Beckhoff IoT edge device provides path to Industry 4.0-enabled process technology

July 12, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Modern smart factory concepts tailored to Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things (IoT) offer numerous advantages for increasing process efficiency and quality while lowering costs. The ultra-compact C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) from Beckhoff is a suitable space-saving, high-performance IoT edge device that fully uses these advantages for new and legacy systems in the process industries.

By integrating comprehensive IoT and analytics functionality, Beckhoff PC-based control technology opens up a wealth of options to optimize production processes. System consistency in the control platform ensures simple implementation and high transparency:

• A universal portfolio of components for explosion protection, including the ELX series EtherCAT Terminals, enables end-to-end automation of even large and complex processing plants.

• The TwinCAT software platform offers specific interfaces and libraries for process technology, and enables convenient cloud integration via TwinCAT IoT and data analysis via TwinCAT Analytics, synchronizing perfectly with control cycles.

• A high-performance IoT edge device in the form of the C6015 ultra-compact IPC, which can simultaneously run all kinds of automation and control tasks.

Measuring just 82 x 82 x 40 mm, the exceptionally compact C6015 IPC with multi-core technology can be flexibly installed even in highly confined spaces. Equipped with an Intel Atom processor that offers up to four CPU cores, the C6015 provides sufficient processing power for simple collection, processing and provision of process data and for the more complex tasks required of a modern IoT gateway. The Microsoft Azure certification of the C6015 underscores that the device is suitable for state-of-the-art Industrie 4.0 applications.

The C6015 is predestined for such communication tasks, especially when retrofitting and connecting legacy systems. Existing process technology systems can be easily equipped with additional IoT capabilities using this IoT edge device, or they can be readied to meet future communication requirements. In this way, operators of process technology systems gain access to the full wealth of IoT and analytics solutions supported by Beckhoff technology, regardless of the automation technology used — be it PC-based control or third-party control platforms. This reduces production costs, optimizes product quality and improves the transparency of all process workflows. In addition, system availability and productivity can be increased and cloud-based services used, for example, to implement predictive maintenance.

Kristin Werner named recipient of Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship

July 9, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Kristin Werner, a student at Hennepin Technical College in Minneapolis, has been named recipient of the 2018 Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship, funded by Dorner.

This $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in a two- or four-year program at any of PMMI’s partner schools. The scholarship was established in honor of Richard Ryan, the former president and CEO of Dorner, who passed away suddenly in September 2012. Ryan was a member of the PMMI Board of Directors and encouraged lifelong learning. His commitment to education inspired the creation of this memorial scholarship.

Kristen just completed her first year at Hennepin Technical College, where she earned a 4.0 GPA studying Automated Robotics Engineering Technology. Her high academic achievements have earned her distinctions in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the Hennepin Technical College President’s Academic Honor’s Club.

“My goal is to be someone who can offer solutions to existing or future problems as they relate to packaging and automation,” Werner wrote in her scholarship’s essay. “I know there will be many challenges and opportunities with the upcoming Baby Boomer generation retiring, and I would like to help address some of those challenges and use the opportunities to enrich their lives.”

This candidates for this year’s Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship were particularly strong, but it was Werner’s drive and determination that helped set her apart from others.

“Ms. Werner’s story embodies many of the elements that Rich would have wished us apply during the selection process: resilience, demonstrated need, a desire to learn and a genuine interest in self-improvement,” said Matt Jones, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Dorner. “We wish Ms. Werner the best as she looks forward to new opportunities in both personal and professional growth.”

Now in its fifth year, the Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship is awarded to a student who presents merit in GPA, faculty recommendation and commitment to excellence within the packaging industry. Students applying for the scholarship must meet the following criteria:

• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Be enrolled in either a two- or four-year school and pursuing an undergraduate degree
• Be majoring in packaging engineering or a related area
• Demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the packaging area
• Be currently enrolled and attending a PMMI partnering school
• Demonstrate extra-curricular involvement, such as athletics
• Have a recommendation from faculty
• Have a financial need

Founded in 1933, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies represents more than 800 North American manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials, as well as providers of related equipment and services to the packaging and processing industries. PMMI’s vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging and processing, and its mission is to improve and promote members’ abilities to succeed in a global marketplace.

PTDA releases “Voice of the End Customer” report

July 3, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

According to the newly released PTDA Voice of the End Customer report — which includes quantitative and qualitative responses from more than 1,200 customers of power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) products from a variety of industries — there are distinct differences in what end customers want from their distributors depending on the type of industry, the role of the person within their company and even their geographic location.

The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) has made the report and webinar recording available as a free download to its members only, providing them with knowledge to better target and sell to their end customers to ensure that buying through a PTDA distributor member will be an end customer’s channel of choice. In addition, the report’s authors and researchers will be presenting an exclusive distributor-only workshop at the PTDA 2018 Industry Summit to help PTDA members align their value proposition to changing customer needs.

PTDA first VP, Jim Halverson, manager power products, Van Meter Inc., (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) said, “We have already put this information to use at our company to win more business from end customers. My team has been all over the data. It’s very valuable intel.”

Illustrating the value of the research, more than 30% of PTDA member companies participated in a recent webinar which covered some of the key aspects of the findings. The report and webinar are only available to PTDA members. Learn more at ptda.org/Voice. Distributor companies interested in becoming PTDA members can review the qualifications and access an application at ptda.org/Join.

The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) is the leading global association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel. Headquartered in Chicago, PTDA represents power transmission/motion control distribution firms that generate more than $16 billion in sales and span more than 2,700 locations. PTDA members also include manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry.

PTDA
ptda.org

Dorner appoints Tebon to lead expansion of aftermarket sales

June 26, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Kelly J. Tebon has been named to lead the expansion of Dorner’s Aftermarket Sales program. Within this role, Tebon will be working with sales, marketing and channel partners to create and implement long-term strategic plans to grow Dorner’s Aftermarket Sales program to new and existing customers around the world.

Tebon comes to Dorner with nearly 20 years experience in sales, marketing and management. He’s worked for major consumer and industrial companies, holding titles including brand manager, product manager, sales manager, and most recently global retail channel business manager for a national adhesives manufacturer. Tebon holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, and an MBA in marketing from Concordia University – Wisconsin.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Dorner and providing support, product and parts expertise to help our customers reach their performance goals,” Tebon said.

Tebon lives in the Milwaukee area.

Dorner Mfg. Corp.
www.dornerconveyors.com

High torque rotary voice coil actuators

June 26, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

H2W Technologies has developed several high torque rotary voice coil actuators, otherwise known as a limited angle torque motors or LATs. The model TWR-015-346-2RC was designed to allow for a low moving mass (68 grams per coil) and inertia, as well as dual independent coils to allow for two independent motion profiles or couple the coils together to double the torque output.

This rotary voice coil actuator can generate a continuous torque of 185 in.-oz [1.29 N-m] and a peak torque of 555 in.-oz [3.88 N-m] at a duty cycle of 10% (i.e. 1 second on, and 9 seconds off) in each coil on a 4 in. [102 mm] rotation arm. By coupling the coils together, the continuous torque doubles to 370 in.-oz [2.58 N-m] with a peak torque of 1110 in.-oz [7.75 N-m] at a 10% duty cycle.

The TWR-015-346-2RC has a total angular displacement of 15° [0.26 radians] and a motor constant of 34.4 in.-oz/sqrt(watt) [0.24 N-m/sqrt(watt)] per coil or when coupled together the motor constant is 48.5 in.-oz/sqrt(watt) [0.34 N-m/sqrt(watt)]. The voice coil motor requires 1.33 amps of continuous current per coil and 4.0 amps of peak current per coil to generate the specified forces. The actuator fits in and envelope of 4.37 in. [111.1 mm] x 2.99 in [75.9 mm] x 1.64 in. [41.5 mm].

The moving coil design ensures a hysteresis free movement as the coil is wet wound and self-supported, and the non-commutated coil allows for ripple-free motion and no cogging. The voice coil actuator has been designed with mounting provisions in the magnet and coil assemblies.

This allows for the integration of a bearing system to maintain the clearances between the coil and permanent magnetic field assemblies. The rotary voice coil actuator is ideal for applications requiring high torque and high-speed applications. Examples of such applications include driving a gimbal axis in scanning applications and providing stabilizing torques for image stabilization.

H2W Technologies
https://www.h2wtech.com/category/rotary-voicecoil-actuators

MB Dynamics introduces non-hydraulic steering module test simulator

June 22, 2018 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

MB Dynamics Inc. has announced its non-hydraulic Steering Module Test Simulator (SMTS). The SMTS is used by automotive, autonomous, construction and off-highway vehicle OEMs and their associated steering suppliers for accurate, reliable and repeatable in-laboratory simulations of driver, road and vehicle inputs and their associated effects on steering system performance and annoying noises.

The test benches may be used to effectively detect the root causes of airborne and structure-borne noises, known as rack rattle, clatter, reversal clunk, zipper and running noises, in columns, gears, I-shafts, column EPS and rack EPS units. The system may also be used to help meet both objective and subjective NVH performance metrics; accurately characterize steering system sensitivity and performance; experimentally verify EPS functions; and to achieve other steering system performance goals, over a vehicle’s full warrantied service life.

A typical non-hydraulic SMTS turnkey system from MB Dynamics may include an extremely electrically and acoustically quiet rack load simulator, capable of simulating tie rod forces to 25 kN, as well as strokes from 20 mm pk-pk to 250 mm pk-pk. Also available are acoustically and electrically quiet driver simulators for inputting and controlling steering wheel position, velocity and/or torque values to columns and I-shafts from 10 Nm to 150 Nm.

Multiple onboard hardware and software features of the SMTS virtually eliminate the cogging, torque and force fluctuations associated with EPS motor pole-passing. As a result, no new noises or dynamic disturbances are introduced into the test environment, and therefore no masking of the noises or NVH metrics under evaluation occurs. The incorporation of extremely quiet system components allows for greater ease of troubleshooting, identification, diagnosis, and resolution of the root causes of unwanted noise and other performance issues common to EPS, EPHS, EPAS, MDPS, and HPS steering systems. A series of PC-based dynamic controllers further incorporate supplied sensors and signal conditioning to acquire angle, displacement, force, acceleration, and torque parameters, as required for multi-axis closed-loop control.

Additional options include gear fixtures, column stands, a compact mobile measurement system for Road Load Data Acquisition (RLDA); and an NVH test analysis system, for the recording and objective evaluations of noise and vibration parameters. As a non-hydraulic system, the SMTS requires no oil for operation.

MB Dynamics Inc.
www.mbdynamics.com