Here, we detail what causes skidding in rotary systems. Then we analyze single and double-roller cam follower designs. By Georg Bartosh • President | Intech Power-Core For production machinery with moving subsystems, wear can be a major headache. That’s especially true for those featuring traditional metal cam followers, bearings, and other mechanical elements. As we’ll […]
Rotary Tables
Hollow rotary tables now in four sizes
Nanotec has expanded its hollow rotary table series with the HRTA-200, the largest in the lineup, now covering flange sizes NEMA 17, 23/24, and 34. Equipped with a cross-roller bearing, all of them ensure high positioning accuracy and excellent runout characteristics – even under high loads. The HRTA series can handle forces of up to […]
New high resolution, high repeatability stages measure angles and curvatures
Eight new Yaw-and-Pitch stages have been introduced by OES (Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc.). These new series of high precision Yaw-and-Pitch Stages integrate goniometers as the lower stage (yaw axis) and a rotary stage as the upper stage (pitch axis). The yaw range of travel is +/- 10 or +/- 15 degrees, with the pitch range […]
New rotary indexers feature high torque, moment load capacity
Nexen Group, Inc. has announced a new line of rotary indexers. The X-Line delivers up to three times more torque and greater moment load capacity in a compact package. Nexen’s X-Line has a redesigned roller pinion and a larger gear pitch to handle higher torque capacities that deliver accuracy, fast acceleration, high-speed positioning, increased load […]
Aerotech introduces compact hexapod for precise 6-DOF motion
Aerotech Inc. has released the HEX150-140HL, a miniature hexapod six degree-of-freedom (DOF) positioning system that provides precise translation in the X, Y and Z directions and rotation around each of these axes. The HEX150-140HL delivers significantly better minimal incremental motion and more linear travel than its competitors — all within a compact yet stiff platform. “This hexapod’s combination of small […]
What are radial and axial runout and how do they affect rotary tables and stages?
Runout is a dimensional specification that defines error in the motion of a surface as it moves relative to a datum. The official geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) definition of runout applies to the variation of a circular feature — such as a shaft or spindle — as it rotates over 360 degrees, although the term […]
How to calculate crossed roller bearing life (with various load types)
A crossed roller bearing is a type of rotary bearing that uses cylindrical rollers arranged in a crisscross pattern, with each roller oriented at a 90 degree angle relative to the one adjacent to it. This arrangement allows crossed roller bearings to withstand radial, axial, and moment loads, so they can often replace dual-bearing arrangements, for […]
What are the key parameters to consider when sizing and selecting a rotary actuator?
Rotary actuators — and their counterparts, rotary stages and rotary indexing tables — are designed to move loads radially with high positioning accuracy. Similar to linear actuators, sizing a rotary actuator requires evaluating parameters such as torque, speed, and inertia, as well as ensuring the actuator can meet the application requirements for positioning the load, such […]
What are rotary actuators and how do they differ from other rotary tables?
When we think about actuators, we typically think about linear actuators — devices that move loads in a straight line, driven by a screw, belt, or other mechanical power transmission device. But there also exists a class of actuators that provide rotary motion for positioning a load radially around a fixed axis. While these rotary […]
Drives propel multi-axis motion
Drive systems based on parallel kinematics with electromagnetic and electro-ceramic drives can improve dynamics, resolution and accuracy in applications needing high precision and multiple degrees of freedom. Stefan Vorndran, Vice President Marketing Scott Jordan, Director of NanoAutomation Technologies, Physik Instrumente L.P. (PI) Motion simulation is often a crucial piece of the design process for evaluating […]
