The proliferation of new applications for power-off brakes demands fresh design approaches leveraging leading brake manufacturers’ accumulated design experience. Key to optimizing designs for life, cost, and performance is early collaboration with the brake manufacturer. By Brian Mather • Ogura Industrial Corp. Machine designers in the motion-control industry recognize power-off brakes by the following terms: […]
Industrial Automation
Wireless NCT delivers power and communication to end effectors, sensors
Beckhoff is taking the next step in mechatronics flexibility with No Cable Technology (NCT), an extension of its proven eXtended Transport System (XTS). NCT provides contactless power supply and synchronous real-time data communication directly to XTS movers. This lets individual movers serve as mobile handling and processing stations, essentially turning the intelligent transport system into […]
New servo and motion bundles simplify machine integration
Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc.’s new Economy Solutions are packaged servo and motion bundles that allow for high precision motion control in a way that is quick and affordable to integrate. They allow OEMs and system integrators to build budget-friendly machines with advanced motion control and IoT technology. Three different bundles are currently available – compact […]
Mitsubishi Electric Automation launches new online request-for-quote tool
Mitsubishi Electric Automation has launched a new online shopping style platform for product selection and search. The platform provides a B2B-type experience, which provides easy to use tools to request pricing quotes for specific products. As part of the company’s digital strategy, the platform allows users to select products based on specifications, or to select […]
ABB launches new app for rapid, remote tech support
ABB has launched the ABB Ability Mobile Connect for drives. This cloud-based software service, accessible through the ABB Drivetune mobile app, enables ABB Drives partners to easily commission and troubleshoot local drives remotely. Mobile Connect features live chat and end user-controlled access that can be used to pull backup files, change parameters, capture site and […]
ABB opens global innovation and training campus for machine automation at B&R in Austria
ABB has opened a new global innovation and training campus at the headquarters of B&R in Eggelsberg, Austria, its global center for machine and factory automation. The new campus will create up to 1,000 additional high-tech jobs and includes world-class research and development laboratories, as well as global training facilities for up to 4,000 people per […]
Leading motion-control and actuation options for robotics
Advanced robotics for industrial and consumer applications demand sophisticated power-dense motion components for joints and linkages that must run smoothly, often at high torque and relatively low speed. The challenge is compounded when the robotic application must also make precise moves. At the core of most leading robotic-actuator options are electric motors. That’s because motor-driven designs […]
Basics of wave and cycloidal gearing for robotics and servo designs
Many of today’s precision applications necessitate gears capable of dramatic speed reductions, power densities, and transmission accuracies. Leading choices in these designs include trochoidal and cycloidal gearing as well as gearsets relying on wave-inducing subcomponents having an elliptical or Reuleaux or other polygonal shape. Trochoidal and cycloidal gearing includes elements that rotate and trace curves around […]
New micro servo-drive system for extra-low-voltage manufacturing applications
Siemens is extending its drive portfolio in the extra-low-voltage range for 24 to 48-V EC motors with its new SIMATIC MICRO-DRIVE. The new product line with UL- and CE-marked components consists of the PDC (Profidrive Control) servo drive in conjunction with a flexible range of motors and connecting cables from product partners, along with the […]
Compact controllers sport built-in security, open protocols
The new PACSystems RSTi-EP CPE 200 programmable automation controllers (PAC) from Emerson are a family of compact PACs to help OEMs successfully meet customer requirements by minimizing the need for specialized software engineering talent. CPE 200 controllers deliver large programmable logic controller (PLC) capability in a small, cost-effective, IIoT-ready form factor so machine manufacturers don’t […]
