Linear Motion - 3/27 - Motion Control Tips

AMK Spindasyn SEZ linear drive motor

September 27, 2017 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

The new Spindasyn SEZ electric cylinder from AMK Automation is a ready-to-install linear drive motor system in which the rotor is pressed directly onto the screw. Featuring high and constant force, high precision and position accuracy and high energy efficiency, the closed-loop positioning and force control of the SEZ make it an ideal alternative to other linear technologies such as pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, rack and belt drives and linear motors. With several options available for screw and strength length, motor type and acceleration, the SEZ provides high rigidity without additional wearing parts.

With the ability to set multiple travel profiles, the SEZ can be easily integrated into machine automation processes and applications such as tubular bag packaging; blister packaging; carton forming; palletizing; pick and place; cross-cutting; labeling; wrapping; strapping; filming; insertion; order picking; sealing plastics; printing; paper processing; textiles; food and beverage; machine tooling and more.

AMK Automation
us.amk.systems

Hybrid linear stepper motors: Operation and applications

September 27, 2017 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Like servo motors, stepper motors are available in both rotary and linear designs. When an application requires force (rather than torque) output and can operate in open loop control, a linear stepper motor is often the preferred solution. Although linear stepper motors are available in both variable reluctance and hybrid designs, the more common version is hybrid linear stepper motors.

In a hybrid linear stepper motor, the base, or platen, is a passive steel or stainless steel plate with slots milled into it. The forcer contains motor windings, permanent magnets, and laminations with slotted teeth that serve to concentrate the flux that’s created when current is applied to the coils. The teeth of the forcer and the platen are staggered by ¼ tooth pitch in relation to one another to ensure that constant attraction is maintained and that the next set of teeth will come into alignment as current is switched in the coils. This means that for each full step of the motor, the forcer moves along the platen by ¼ tooth pitch.

In a hybrid linear stepper motor, the platen is passive and the forcer contains laminations with slotted teeth, windings, and permanent magnets.
Image credit: Parker Compumotor

Whereas variable reluctance linear stepper motors can only operate in full step mode, hybrid versions can operate in either full step or microstepping modes. Microstepping, which divides the step angle into smaller increments, enables higher resolution motion and better control of speed and force. Because each phase of the motor is driven with (theoretically) ideal sine waves, 90 degrees apart, microstepping also allows the current to increase in one winding as it decreases in the other, providing smoother operation at low speeds than can be achieved with full- or half-step operation.

Microstepping makes the current waveform more sinusoidal and provides smoother motion at low speeds.
Image credit: Servo-drive LLC.

For guiding the load on hybrid linear stepper motors, either mechanical roller bearings or air bearings are typically used. (Because the platen in a hybrid linear stepper motor is passive, it can serve as the air bearing surface.) The magnetic flux between the forcer and platen creates a strong magnetic attraction, so these support bearings actually serve two purposes – to guide and support the load and to maintain the correct air gap between the forcer and the platen.

Like other linear motor designs, hybrid linear stepper motors can incorporate multiple forcers onto one platen, with each forcer moving independently. In addition to smooth low-speed operation (obtained with microstepping control), they are also able to achieve very high speeds and accelerations with high resolution and low to moderate force generation.

With simple mechanical construction and easy setup (no servo tuning required), hybrid linear stepper motors are ideal for applications that can operate in open-loop mode and that require either high speed with low force production or very smooth motion at low speed.

Featured image credit: H2W Technologies, Inc.

Why is resonant frequency important in piezo applications?

September 21, 2017 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

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 piezo drive or controller) drives another system (a piezo motor or actuator) at or near the natural frequency of the second system, the second system will oscillate at a high amplitude at a specific frequency. When damping effects are small, the resonant frequency of the system is approximately equal to its natural frequency.

Where:

f₀ = resonant frequency (without load) (Hz)

k_T = piezo stiffness (N/m)

m_eff = effective mass (kg)

The resonant frequency of a piezo motor or actuator depends on its material composition, shape, and volume. For example, a thicker piezo element will have a lower resonant frequency than a thinner element of the same shape. In addition, attaching a load to a piezo motor or actuator reduces its resonant frequency – the higher the load, the more the resonant frequency is reduced. In manufacturer specifications, the resonant frequency given for a piezo actuator assumes that it is unloaded and one end is fixed or attached to a mass that is significantly larger than the actuator.

Where:

f₀‘ = resonant frequency with added mass (Hz)

m´_eff = m_eff + additional mass (kg)

In an electrical circuit representing the piezo element, the frequency at which the impedance of the circuit is at a minimum is the series resonant frequency, f_s. Conversely, the parallel resonant frequency, f_p, in the equivalent circuit occurs when impedance in the circuit is theoretically infinite (assuming mechanical losses are ignored). This is also known as the anti-resonant frequency, f_a.

The series and parallel frequencies are suitable approximations of the minimum and maximum impedance frequencies – f_m and f_n, respectively – and therefore are used to determine the parameters of the piezoelectric motor or system. Maximum response of a piezo system occurs between f_m and f_n. Piezo systems with a higher resonant frequency will have a better phase and amplitude response, which means that the operating frequency can be higher.

Minimum impedance (f_m) occurs at the resonant frequency and maximum impedance (f_n) occurs at the anti-resonant frequency.
Image credit: PI Ceramic GmbH

Theoretically, the resonant frequency is the operating frequency at which the piezo material vibrates most readily and converts electrical energy into mechanical energy most efficiently. However, piezo systems (especially actuators used for positioning) are often operated below their resonant frequencies in order to minimize the phase shift between the driving signal and the actuator.

When operated below their resonant frequencies, piezo actuators act like capacitors, with displacement being proportional to the stored charge. With a rapid increase in control voltage, a piezo system can typically reach its nominal displacement in 1/3 the period of its resonant frequency. However, this causes large overshoot, which must be compensated for by the controller.

Where:

t_min = minimum rise time (s)

f₀ = resonant frequency (Hz)

Feature image credit: Stack Exchange Inc.

Integrated electric actuators rated to 500N max thrust

August 28, 2017 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Servo2Go.com has just added remarkable new additions to its broad range of cost-effective 24V electric linear actuators from Dyadic Systems. The SCN6 series actuators are compact yet powerful integrated mechatronic cylinders that feature a motor, encoder, drive and actuator in one integral package.

Dyadic Systems has developed the linear actuator drive mechanism such that the screw and nut are optimized for high accuracy, long life and low cost while delivering high speed and peak thrust. This blend of low-cost and high performance could only have been realized by the advanced technology of Dyadic Systems. These new product concepts give engineers a wider range of options to eliminate over-design.

SCN6 series Mechatronics Cylinders are available in stroke lengths to 300mm and 500N (51kgf) maximum thrust and are constructed using an extruded aluminum body with 303 stainless for the shaft and rod tip. Actuators can easily be operated via 24VDC signals from PLCs or relays, and can be connected in networks of up to 16 axes. Servo Actuators from Dyadic feature:

• Teach pendant, PLC pendant or PC Tool Kit programmable
• +-0.1mm repeatability
• 0.3mm backlash
• 50-300mm stroke versions
• Up to 200mm/sec max. speed
• 16 discrete position program capacity
• IP40 sealed, with optional IP54 sealing
• Electric actuators—programmable in 15 minutes
• The SCN6 starts from only $465 each
• Moves can be relative, absolute, force controlled, and more
• All actuators run on 24VDC – easy to connect to your existing power supply
• Air cylinder replacement mode and move sequencing available in the cylinder

Servo2Go.com
Servo2Go.com

7 linear motion principles that electrical engineers should know

August 22, 2017 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Image credit: NSK Americas

Electrical and controls engineers are normally tasked with selecting and integrating the electronic components that go into a motion control system, such as motors, drives, controls, feedback devices, and HMIs. In doing so, their primary concerns tend to be on making the various components communicate with each other, working through complex equations for drive tuning, and programming HMIs to ensure the user can operate and troubleshoot the system with relative ease.

And while some of these tasks require a fundamental knowledge of mechanical principles – particularly torque, speed, and inertia – rarely do they go into the nuances of how linear guides and drives (ball screws, belts, rack and pinions) work and their impact on the electrical side of the system. But even if you never have to size or select them, it’s helpful to understand the basic principles and equations for linear motion components that are common in motion control systems.

L10 bearing life – Bearing life (or L10 life) is a fundamental concept for sizing any recirculating bearing. This article explains what L10 life is and how to calculate it.

How to calculate move profiles – The type of move profile an application uses determines the maximum speed and acceleration, which affects motor sizing and drive tuning. This tutorial describes the two most common move profiles and how to calculate velocity and acceleration for each.

Image credit: Womack Machine Supply Co.

How to calculate acceleration – More information (and equations) specifically dealing with acceleration.

How to calculate drive torque for ball screws – Continuous and intermittent torque values are key to motor sizing. This article explains how to calculate torque during constant speed, torque during acceleration, and torque during deceleration.

Torque considerations for keyed shafts – This article demonstrates the disparity between the torque that can be transmitted by a solid shaft versus a keyed shaft, including equations for calculating when shear failure and crushing failure will occur.

Image credit: 4mechtech.com

Ball screw back driving – Screws are often used in vertical applications because they prevent the load from catastrophically crashing if the motor loses power. But if the load is too heavy, it can still cause the screw to back drive. This application note provides equations for calculating back driving torque.

Ball screw buckling – When a screw is used in a vertical application, it’s important that the load doesn’t exceed the column strength of the screw, which depends on the screw length and the end bearings used. This tutorial explains why buckling occurs and how to calculate the buckling load for a given screw.

Image credit: NOOK Industries, Inc.

If you’re new to linear guides and drives, you may also want to check out the linear guide and ball screw glossaries. They include descriptions of each technology, including technical specifications and details on construction.

Image credit: tools-n-gizmos.com

Embedded actuator synchronization offers stability, efficiency for large loads

August 11, 2017 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

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 actuators.

The Thomson Electrak HD, which boasts the most advanced onboard controls of any actuator in its class, has added a synchronization option to its feature set.

Traditional methods for synchronizing multiple actuators can be inflexible. Gas spring technology, for example, is limited in application, while hydraulic cylinders can be prone to leakage and costly to maintain. Non-integrated electronic systems have more flexibility and are cleaner but require external devices such as encoders and potentiometers to track position and send feedback to an external PLC or other logic solver.

“The ability to synchronize movement of large and potentially awkward loads is something our customers have been requesting as they seek to automate larger applications or improve ergonomics,” said Chad Carlberg, Product Line Manager for Industrial Actuators at Thomson. “We are pleased to announce that we have tapped into the advanced electronics capabilities of our popular Electrak HD heavy duty linear actuator technology to achieve synchronization more easily and cost effectively than is possible with any other available approach.”

Synchronization enables motion integration of up to four Electrak HD actuators. When multiple units with the synchronization option are installed, designers can take advantage of a more stable and potentially quicker lift, no additional guides, and improved handling of uneven loads.

Thomson achieves its synchronization by embedding all load handling technology into a single electromechanical actuator, which is then wired in sequence with up to three other similarly equipped actuators. Designers install these wherever linear movement is needed without the need for external assemblies. Once the actuators are installed, customers synchronize them instantly by wiring them together and operating a single unit with a simple switch. During operation, system electronics detect speed changes that indicate load imbalances, thereby eliminating bouncing or other effects of imbalance.

By using multiple actuators, synchronization increases system movement speed more efficiently. A larger load that might normally use a single, heavy load actuator, for example, could be moved faster by combining multiple, lower load actuators. Synchronization also retains all Electrak HD mechanical capabilities, including the handling of bidirectional loads of up to 10 kN (2250 lbf) with stroke lengths up to 1000 mm (39 in.) and accuracy of 1% of stroke from 100-1000 mm. High-quality ball screw assemblies provide efficient current draw and support speed options up to 43.5 mm/sec (1.7 in./sec) (using the 1.7 kN [382 lbf] version).

Applications
There are numerous opportunities to apply the benefits of synchronization. In addition to solar panels and off-highway agricultural equipment mentioned earlier, potential applications include:
• Industrial logistics trains for automatic correction of imbalances between the front and backend loads, which can cause stoppage, noise or unnecessary wear.
• Doors on ovens and large processing equipment for smoother, safer opening and closing.
• Ergonomic patient-handling equipment such as lift tables, synchronizing operation of lift columns for smoother movement and higher-quality patient experience.
• Marine applications, such as rudder assemblies, for smoother, more responsive steering.
• Structural engineering applications such as automatic loading doors in factories and warehouses.

Availability
Electrak HD linear actuators with synchronization capability are available immediately. The same actuator can function as a master or slave in any multiple-unit configuration, simplifying replacement and reducing spares requirements.

Thomson Industries Inc.
www.thomsonlinear.com.

Moticont adds servo actuator to SDLM Series

July 28, 2017 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

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 (69.9 mm) long. Protected inside the motor housing, the linear optical quadrature encoder is directly connected to the shaft for the greatest possible accuracy. This direct drive linear motor features 1.25 µm (0.000049 in.) in of resolution.

The SDLM-019-070-01-01 direct drive linear motor has a stroke length of 0.500 in. (12.7 mm) and a continuous force rating of 9.7 oz. (2.7 N) and peak force of 30.7 oz (8.5 N). This non-commutated direct drive servo motor features: Quiet long life plain linear bearings, an integrated internal (1.25 micron resolution) quadrature optical encoder with differential outputs, and a non-rotating shaft. Some applications include: Manufacturing (assembly and inspection equipment), sorting and packaging, semiconductor handling, medical equipment and instruments, antenna positioning, dampers and valve actuators.

Direct coupling of the load or stage to the low inertia non-rotating shaft eliminates backlash and allows for high acceleration/deceleration. Both ends of the motor and shaft ends have threaded mounting holes for easy integration into new and existing applications. The SDLM-019-070-01-01 Direct Drive Linear Actuator is also available as a complete plug-and-play linear motion system with a matching motion controller.

Moticont
www.moticont.com

Thomson Industries collaborates with research team to develop new Tesla Coil Designs

June 7, 2017 By Paul Heney Leave a Comment

Thomson FSI Style Metric Precision Ball Screw.

Thomson Industries, a leading manufacturer of mechanical motion control solutions, has donated a high-precision ball screw assembly to The Geek Group National Science Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to help develop revolutionary designs of Tesla Coils (TC). An ambitious R&D program has been initiated there to discover new uses for the TC with help from a new automated process for winding coils.

Thomson was selected because of their top-notch application engineering support and breadth of product offerings, which enabled delivery of an optimal complete ball screw assembly. That Thomson ball screw assembly will help The Geek Group’s high-energy engineering team convert from typical manual winding to a much faster, more accurate automated process for winding thousands of coils required to conduct their experiments.

A Thomson customer support engineer guided The Geek Group engineering team in selecting the exact configuration to best match their needs. The product selected was a quick-install ball screw assembly that avoids any precision problems that may result from assembling components on site. The final configuration consisted of a Thomson FSI Style ball nut along with an eight-foot-long ball screw just under an inch in diameter.

“We set our IRC team on the task of finding the best linear motion technology in the industry,” said Chris Boden, CEO of The Geek Group. “The team, composed of a couple hundred experts from many science and technology disciplines, analyzed about a dozen different products and concluded that only the Thomson drive could do exactly what we needed and exactly how we wanted to do it”.

The TC production program has already begun, and The Geek Group has plans for experimenting with larger coils in the future.

Thomson Industries Inc.
www.thomsonlinear.com

Electric actuator trends Part 2 – new applications, IoT, online tools

May 11, 2017 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

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 developing is the replacement of pneumatic actuators with electromechanical actuators. Many machine designers are looking for the controllability, repeatability, and efficiency of electromechanical actuators, with the speed and reliability of pneumatic actuators. In order to address these demands, the Servo Cylinder was developed as a brushless dc actuator with top speeds in excess of 14 in./sec, high acceleration capability, and oversized mechanical components. A successful mode of operation in pneumatic replacement is four preset position mode, where the state of two optically isolated digital inputs corresponds to configurable absolute positions. In many cases this mode allows for drop-in pneumatic replacement with existing control systems, and provides controlled speeds, controlled accelerations, and position repeatability better than 0.001 in. Higher speed Servo Cylinders are currently in development so that more machine designers can realize the benefits of electromechanical actuators in their pneumatic applications.

Aaron Dietrich
Director of Marketing
Tolomatic

The oil and gas industry has always used hydraulics to automate its valves used in critical applications due to higher forces, longer life and hazardous location requirements. This industry is also very risk-averse and very, very slow to change or adopt new technologies. Now using servo actuator technology, these customers are able to achieve speed and force performance they never thought was possible.

Ben Lutz
LinMot

Our big breakthrough is direct drive linear motion, removing the inefficiencies and imprecision of air without the loss of dynamic movement. For an application like basic part rejection or diversion, rotary to linear systems are too slow, flat linear motors too bulky, and voice coils are too small. The LinMot motor can help OEMs and end users remove air from machines with very little redesign.

One of our second successes is in the capping industry. Previous technology would require a new cam or tooling to be cut for a change in packaging types. Even a small change between package heights would still require the installation of a new cam or fixturing. Our standard linear rotary motor makes changeover between products a matter of changing dimensions from an HMI. Changing form factors with our motors is now the work of a programmer to create a new recipe and test the same day.

Jared Zammuto
Sr. Design Engineer
Warner Linear

We recognized a growing demand for power-dense actuators used in a variety of off-highway and other extreme-duty applications including agricultural sprayers, snow plows, and mower decks. In response, our engineering team developed a completely new, compact electric actuator with self-contained hydraulic actuation that provides the performance of hydraulics without the space requirements and expense of a full-size hydraulic system. With minimal initial drift, once seated, the new, patented H-Track actuator is immune to vibrational drifting and hydraulically self-locks during load reversals, while holding its position without power. This is especially important in applications such as mower deck lifts, agricultural sprayer booms and snow plow blades where the moment force acting on the actuators is dramatically increased due to the constant bouncing that occurs during operation. The actuators unique fluid design allows the unit to withstand sudden impacts, such as hidden concrete parking blocks in a snow plow’s path, without damage to the actuator. These types of encounters can quickly destroy most electric actuators.

The new patented H-Track actuator from Warner Linear is an electric actuator with self-contained hydraulic actuation that provides the performance of hydraulics without the space requirements and expense of a full-size hydraulic system.

David Basken
Misumi

The use of highly engineered coatings in fixture components is rapidly changing. MISUMI introduced a new RDLC coating for locating pins in aluminum body panel assemblies for Body-in-White applications. They eliminated the build-up of the soft aluminum material on locating pins and the fixture-locking
it created.

What kinds of large-scale industry moves are you seeing to miniaturization, System- on-Chip (SoC) technologies, automation, (in the case of electric-motor-driven motion designs) efficiency and customization?

Ben Lutz
LinMot

Almost all servomotors now have plug-and-play technology so when they are connected to a drive their motor characteristics and parameters are preloaded for operation. Many servos use auto tuning that provides general parameters and if you will ‘good enough’ application tuning. Integrated motor/drive designs are still being introduced and are becoming more accepted especially for existing installations where electrical cabinet retrofits are not easy to do and perhaps impossible. LinMot addresses the market with direct drive motor technology to provide the most efficient and most productive method for point-to-point motion thus providing a simple machine design. The linear-rotary motor technology eliminates many mechanical components and allows for a much simpler machine design.

Where do you see the Internet of Things, IIoT, Industry 4.0, or Connected Industry changing motion system design? Where do you see new materials changing motion design?

Aaron Dietrich
Director of Marketing
Tolomatic

This is everywhere and will soon be in all things. All components in the motion system will be connected to the internet of things in the near future, providing more information about what is happening with the motion or the factory, such as diagnostic information on when components need maintenance or failure notices. The sky is really the limit with the low cost DSPs being able to be connected easily to the internet using industrial Ethernet protocols.

Tolomatic hygienic electric actuators are approved by 3A and USDA for food and beverage applications such as pressing, pumping, cutting or slicing.

Ben Lutz
LinMot

We see remote access for the Internet of Things (separate IP addresses) so that every axis is connected through the plant network increasing uptime and allowing remote access. Monitoring data from the drive allows users to directly predict maintenance intervals by the increase in average current and more accurately
report errors.

Additive manufacturing was used for our USB-Serial converter based on the needs of small batch solution to solve customer’s integration requests from a single tested source.

The newest lubricants have high temperature stability and provide for a wide operating range. All the lubricants LinMot uses are food grade – a big plus to be able to use in and around consumable goods.

Where do you see online configuration tools changing how design engineers specify and buy components? How is your company using software and new forms of connectivity to drive innovation in motion design?

Aaron Dietrich
Director of Marketing
Tolomatic

I feel it’s already there. If you do not have a good online presence and good online tools, customers do not want to do business with you. Online CAD configuration, sizing and selection tools, educational content, e-commerce, and other tools are a must for suppliers to stay current.

Tolomatic’s integrated linear servo actuator, a heavy duty actuator with a compact footprint, simplifies mechanical design and can replace pneumatic and hydraulic systems.

Ben Lutz
LinMot

LinMot Designer is also freely available so that any potential user can size their application and directly calculate energy savings. The LinMot website features all the installation guides and CAD models so that parts pass easily from concept to combination. Finally, LinMot Talk configuration software is free online allowing potential users to learn through examples or access existing hardware.

Christopher Morris
Misumi

Not surprisingly, quality, cost, and lead time are crucial elements as engineers begin sourcing a component supplier. A piece often overlooked is the ease of obtaining CAD models. One of the least exciting aspects of mechanical design is researching and procuring CAD files for purchased components. Many times this involves browsing several vendors’ sites, downloading, importing, and constraining CAD files. This is a process that is commonly repeated multiple times through each design revision.

MISUMI has been working extensively on a free CAD add-on suite dubbed Rapid Design. The first of five applications, inCAD Components, allows users to manipulate MISUMI’s configurable components, research pricing, and access technical information – without going to the website. Independent testing has found this tool to reduce the typical design phase by 32%.

You can read Part 1 of the series here.

Electric actuator trends Part 1 – more integration

May 9, 2017 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

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 us about the trends they’re seeing in the industry.

Do you see the same or more demand for motion designs offering design simplicity or turnkey operation? If you see more demand, what kinds of pre-engineered solutions are you offering to satisfy this change in the marketplace?

Tom Quartararo
Ultra Motion

We’ve seen a steady increase in requests for turnkey actuator solutions that are robust, reliable and easy to use. The ideal actuator solution in many applications is one that will interface directly with existing PLCs, have flexible communication protocols for future system augmentation, and not require extensive learning curves or actuator specific expertise. In a market dominated by smart motors, we saw a need for a “smart actuator” that had built-in absolute position feedback and control electronics designed specifically for electromechanical actuation and ease of integration. This theme is what drove the development of our Servo Cylinder, which integrates our proprietary Phase Index absolute position feedback with a high performance brushless dc controller and robust mechanical components.

Aaron Dietrich
Director of Marketing
Tolomatic

Yes, motion systems can be complex, with many moving parts and the combination of many different product technologies. The more suppliers can combine products and technologies into solutions to simplify the usage and deployment, the better it is for the end-user. Tolomatic does several things to help customers with design simplicity. Examples include easy solutions such as mounting a motor on an actuator. Tolomatic’s online “Your Motor Here” program is a large database of most brands of servomotors. Once the specifier selects a motor, Tolomatic provides motor mount, coupler, belt/pulleys, and mounting hardware. Another example are Tolomatic’s integrated servomotor actuators that are integrated into any feedback device and mimic any servomotor connector such that standard cables can be used from the drive manufacturer. Further integration involves the servomotor and drive into the actuator that eases setup, configuration, tuning and deployment because the drive/controller already knows everything about the actuator.

Ben Lutz
LinMot

In the U.S., we see a strong demand for design simplicity, our pre-guided axes like the P04 and F-Guide feature an extrusion profile and integrated guide rail allowing customers to directly mount loads without stumbling over alignment. The F-Guide system allows for a bolt together gantry from stock parts, making 3 or 4 axes of motion possible with no teach-pendant.

Our customers have also shown preference for control systems that require minimal drive intelligence and communication setup. PVA and NC streaming both allow axis control to stay within the PLC for tighter machine synchronization and a familiar programming environment.

David Basken
Misumi

Yes, and we are expanding our standardization of customer custom machined products into our standard configurable products, kitting services, and exploring light sub assembly services.

Ultra Motion’s new A2 Servo Cylinder is a ruggedized, IP65 (IP67 static) electromechanical linear actuator with integrated Phase Index absolute position feedback and advanced brushless dc control electronics. Made in the USA, the A2 Servo Cylinder is designed for simple integration into applications requiring robust motion control in harsh environments.

Has your company added or expanded services to provide more in-house engineering support and upfront customization for your customers or their end users? Tell us about that and what problems you are eliminating for your customers by doing some of the integration for them.

Tom Quartararo
Ultra Motion

The analog signal operation mode of the Servo Cylinder has proven to be extremely popular and effective in applications that require precise motion control over the entire range of travel. The combination of long life mechanical components, control electronics, and absolute position feedback greatly reduces cabling, system complexity, and the number of vendors associated with a project. Our Phase Index absolute position sensor is contactless and batteryless, which increases system reliability and eliminates the need for external sensors like limit switches, Hall effect sensors, encoders, and linear potentiometers.

Aaron Dietrich
Director of Marketing
Tolomatic

Tolomatic has always worked with customers wants and needs to provide customized engineering solutions. In fact, an increasing trend for Tolomatic is to modify existing designs to meet unique customer demands. Simple modifications such as integrating specialized mounting features are common, but more complex requests involve integrating position and force sensors into actuators.

Ben Lutz
LinMot

Our company has hired more engineers for the support role, and we maximize their time through remote sessions and virtual meetings. The creation of AOIs and other programming function blocks have made digital motion accessible to a wide range of PLCs and Numerous short tutorials have also been produced to reduce the strain on new integrators.

David Basken
Misumi

Yes, we have expanded the in-house engineering team to meet the demand of our rapid growth as well and further deepen the level of application and component selection support we offer. We find that designers are having to work on shorter timelines, and therefore are looking for more support from suppliers to offset some of that work.

Keith Knight
Product Line Design Manager
Haydon Kerk

Over the past couple of years, we have experienced a trend that more and more of our customers have benefited from releasing some portion of their design to a qualified motion control partner. In many cases our customers have a great deal of expertise in their specific field, but that field is not necessarily motion control. By teaming up with a qualified motion control company they can reduce their development timeline, risk, and ultimately release their product to the market sooner and gain more market share.

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions and Pittman are groups within Ametek’s Advanced Motion Solutions division (AMS) that are built on providing a high degree of support and customization. An engineering group within the company focuses on higher-level systems projects apart from the core product offering. These projects range from highly customized single axes of motion that simplify overall assembly to larger scale multi-axis solutions that incorporate multiple technologies for load guidance, mechanical drive mechanisms, motors, and customized feedback.

What industries are most changing motion-component design? What industries or applications are using more custom components than in the past and why?

Tom Quartararo
Ultra Motion

Motion control in UAVs/UGVs often uses electromechanical rotary actuators, but a linear system can increase overall performance while reducing linkage complexity, cost, and weight in many applications. The Ultra Motion Servo Cylinder includes a mode to move to a proportional position as commanded by an RC-PWM (1 to 2 msec pulse) signal, which is offered as a standard servo control output in many commercial autopilots. Phase Index absolute position feedback eliminates the need to home the actuator at startup, which is a critical feature for control surface applications since homing is intolerable in the event of a power glitch. The native RC-PWM control mode coupled with high reliability Phase Index absolute position feedback and the extremely dynamic motion capability of the Servo Cylinder offers a great combination for unmanned vehicle applications. Detailed control and diagnostic information is available through the Servo Cylinder’s RS-232 command interface for telemetry purposes or for more sophisticated control and decision making. The Servo Cylinder has successfully replaced rotary actuators on unmanned vehicles in applications such as control surface manipulation, throttle control, and landing gear deployment.

Aaron Dietrich
Director of Marketing
Tolomatic

We see a lot of change happening in the food and beverage environment, with the continued increased enforcement and effect of the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). This has driven customers to demand more hygienic designs from all the components they use. Due to the increased demand for more hygienic designs, Tolomatic is taking more standard product and customizing into hygienic designs that meet their requirements.

Ben Lutz
LinMot

Very few industries can tolerate frequent changing motion components. In fact, new technology like the LinMot tubular linear motor technology takes many, many years to become an adopted and accepted alternative to traditional point-to-point motion. Europe is leading here as the European OEMs adopt new technology more readily and drive their business through new motion component technologies, creating faster, smarter and more flexible machines. Custom components are used in all industries but many customers find it easier to select from standard dimensions to reduce concern about replacement parts.

David Basken
Misumi

Automotive is introducing different materials and technologies into automobiles faster than ever, and this brings with it unique engineering challenges for the automation equipment to handle these. The most influential now are aluminum body panels for vehicles, and the rise of the Electric Vehicle and the battery-based powertrain.

You can read Part 2 of this series on linear actuator trends here.