Resonance occurs when the resonant frequency (also referred to as the natural frequency) of an object or system is equal or very close to the frequency at which it is being excited. This causes the object or system to vibrate strongly and can result in unexpected – and sometimes catastrophic – behavior. When one oscillating object or system (a […]
Actuators
Embedded actuator synchronization offers stability, efficiency for large loads
Thomson Industries Inc. has announced availability of new synchronization capabilities for its Electrak HD heavy duty electromechanical linear actuators. Designers of equipment in which large or awkward loads must be moved repeatedly and evenly, such as large solar panels or heavy hoods on construction equipment, can now simultaneously distribute that load using up to four […]
Moticont adds servo actuator to SDLM Series
The new SDLM-019-070-01-01 direct drive linear motor is the latest addition to the series of zero backlash, zero cogging, high acceleration, high speed, high resolution, long life linear servo motors from Moticont. Also known as an electric cylinder, this compact direct drive linear motor is just 0.75 in. (19.1 mm) in diameter and 2.75 in […]
Electric actuator trends: Applications • IoT • online tools
This is Part 2 of a two-part series. You can read the first part here. Tell us about a new application where engineers used your motion-control and power-transmission components to improve their design. What about this application is unlike anything possible 10 years ago? Tom Quartararo Ultra Motion Another industry trend that has been steadily […]
Top electric-actuator trend — integration
If there is one overarching trend for electric actuators, it has to be integration. That is, integrating more components such as feedback devices, controllers and drives, and functions into the actuator itself. Designers are looking for reliable actuators that can be quickly and easily installed, powered up and operational. Here’s what some top actuator manufacturers told […]
Genesis Robotics premieres LiveDrive actuator at Hannover Messe 2017
Canadian manufacturer Genesis Robotics unveiled LiveDrive — the first highly-controllable direct-drive robotic actuator that is three times faster and 100 times more precise than conventional actuators — at Hannover Messe 2017 in Germany on April 24th. Robotic actuators are the physical force behind robots, and make up approximately 30 percent of the cost. For more than 50 years […]
FAQ: What are low voltage piezo actuators, and where are they used?
When voltage is applied to a piezo ceramic material, the material experiences a displacement (expansion or contraction) per the inverse piezoelectric effect. The amount of displacement that results from the applied voltage depends on thickness of material. Thus, for a given displacement, a thinner material requires a smaller voltage than a thicker material. Low voltage […]
FAQ: How do I calculate the inertia of a servo-driven system?
Inertia, or more specifically, inertia ratio, is one of the most important factors in sizing a servo system. Inertia is defined an object’s resistance to change in velocity, and in servo-driven systems, it can be used as a measure of how well the motor is able to control the acceleration and deceleration of the load. […]
Custom voice-coil actuator heads to asteroid Bennu
BEI Kimco, a brand of Sensata Technologies, is a part of NASA’s first asteroid sampling mission that could revolutionize understanding of the early solar system. BEI Kimco designed a customized moving magnet voice coil actuator (VCA) to meet the harsh requirements for a spectrometer moving mirror application on the Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith […]
FAQ: What are other options for nanopositioning besides piezo actuators?
Nanopositioning—positioning on the scale of one-billionth of a meter—is a common requirement in semiconductor and medical applications, such as metrology, scanning, dispensing, and pumping. But consistently achieving nanometer-level resolution is beyond the scope of most devices that use mechanical rolling or recirculating elements. Case in point: the most common solution for nanopositioning applications is the piezo motor […]
