PI, a provider of precision motion control and air bearing motion systems, has introduced the A-688 rotary stage, a motorized, air-bearing rotation stage designed for high-precision, frictionless motion and long-term reliability in metrology, optics, photonics and semiconductor applications. Built with a frictionless air-bearing design, the A-688 rotation stage provides high accuracy, stability, and durability. Its […]
Rotary Tables
Analyzing and addressing cam-follower skidding in rotary applications
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 […]
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 […]
