At its 70th anniversary event in Germany last week, Lenze Gruppe (parent of Lenze Americas in the U.S.) revealed several new initiatives and products. The main themes at the event were mechatronics offerings; systems solutions; and digital approaches to operations. For mechatronics initiatives, some new offerings include new m850 servo gearmotors and drives to blur […]
Stand-Alone Controllers
Compact IP67 controller for small, modular machines from Turck
Turck’s new TBEN-PLC CODESYS 3 compact IP67 PLC is aimed at controlling small or modular machines. Thanks to its robust housing and high degree of environmental protection, the TBEN-PLC can operate directly on-machine, enabling the implementation of machine control without the need for a control cabinet. Using machine automation concepts and the use of pre-assembled […]
How do brushless-motor drives eliminate motor power-supply setup?
In a recent video recorded at the Design World studios, I teamed up with my colleague Paul Heney to review the features of a brushless-motor drive from Koford Engineering in Winchester, Ohio. Consider some examples from Koford Engineering, which sells a full line of compact 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40-A brushless motor drives. […]
Miniature servo controller from maxon survives extreme conditions
The Swiss drive specialist maxon motor is expanding its range of miniature servo controllers by adding the ESCON Module 50/8 HE (Harsh Environment). This compact plug-in module with a nominal current of 8 A is a true powerhouse, designed for brushed and brushless DC motors with a peak power of up to 750 W. However, […]
Motion-platform maker standardizes on Sensoray I/O for measurement and control
Servos & Simulation Inc. is a manufacturer of motion platforms and control loaders. Recently the systems builder picked a Model 826 analog and digital I/O system on a PCI Express board from Oregon-based Sensoray for the primary measurement and control interface for their full product line. Servos & Simulation provides motion platforms and control loaders […]
Case study: Motion-platform maker standardizes on I/O for measurement and control
Servos & Simulation Inc. is a manufacturer of motion platforms and control loaders. Recently the systems builder picked a Model 826 analog and digital I/O system on a PCI Express board from Oregon-based Sensoray for the primary measurement and control interface for their full product line. Servos and Simulation provides motion platforms and control loaders […]
Industrial IoT for updating the dated — B&R Orange Box brings intelligence to legacy operations
For those looking to bring manufacturing intelligence to legacy production sites, B&R Automation introduced its new Orange Box at the 2017 Hannover Fair. According to company officials, the Orange Box lets machine operators collect and analyze data from previously isolated machines and production lines and upgrade them for IIoT/Industry 4.0 operations—with a minimal effort. An […]
Motion controller for linear and rotary air bearing stages from PI
PI (Physik Instrumente) has released a new high-performance motion controller designed to handle 1, 2 or 4-axes of PIglide air bearing positioning stages. Air bearings provide advantages over mechanical bearings when frictionless vibration-free motion is required, highly constant velocity control is crucial, and when angular repeatability and geometric performance must be optimal. Equipped with ultra-low […]
Siemens providing special offer for machine-tool users with SINUMERIK CNC onboard
Siemens is offering bonus services effective until May 31, 2017. Under this program, users of any machine tool with SINUMERIK CNC onboard will receive a variety of additional services, plus training and a 10% discount on spare parts orders. Upon receipt of the registration form, Siemens will validate the user’s warranty period with a specific […]
Patented ServoTrack technology — driver-controller products for dynamic closed loop motion control
DINGS’ MOTION USA now offers its patented ServoTrack technology in a new line of products. ServoTrack technology provides both dynamic closed loop control for your motion control system and torque or force control as an integral part of the technology. ServoTrack’s simplified SnapTrack programming software makes it easy to design motion profiles and do it smarter. The ServoTrack product line provides its […]