All-in-One MACs, and more...

Lean Manufacturing Lends to Lean Automation Lean automation is catching on, but what is it? Borrowing concepts from lean manufacturing, it eliminates wasted design effort by allowing a single automation system to be used for a range of machines. It downsizes or simplifies every system or component possible, including slimming down control panels, reducing wiring, increasing data transparency, trimming requirements for commissioning. The aim, of course, is performance improvement and cost reduction. But, value is easier to talk about than to achieve. This feature examines the practical side of lean automation, and pursuing the two principal required changes: a switch to bus-based control wiring and to integrated HMI/PLCs.   Texas Instruments DRV8312-C2-KIT Motor Control Evaluation Kit, Now at Digi-Key Digi-Key Corporation Haydon Kerk IDEA Drive with RS-485 Protocol Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions, Inc. The DRV8312-C2-KIT from Texas Instruments is a motor control evaluation kit developed to spin three-phase brushless DC and brushless AC motors. The high-performance DRV8312-C2-KITprovides power-efficient, cost-effective sensorless FOC to speed development and time to market. Applications include driving motors in medical pumps, as well as industrial and consumer robotics. The Haydon Kerk IDEA stepper motor drive platform now has the capability of communication using an RS-485 data protocol. The RS-485 protocol overcomes the limitations of other drive communication methods making the RS-485 IDEA drivemodule perfect for industrial applications. Choosing the Right Sensor for Your Application — Video MTS Sensors Linear and Tilting Voice Coil Actuators Equipment Solutions, Inc. See the MTS Sensors' industrial product line in this straightforward video explaining when different sensors are using in different applications. Applications include steel mills, plastic injection molding, paper slitters, motion simulation, and wind turbines. Watch video... Equipment Solutions, Inc. (ESI) is a recognized leader in the field of voice coil motors and actuators and have innovated many important improvements that have advanced usability, reliability, and cost/performance. Any application that includes limited linear or tilting motions and requires high accelerations or positioning resolution carefully review our benefits. Read more.
Powerful Solutions . . .
New Automation Controller Industrial Indexing Systems, Inc.
The Emerald Automation Controller is an open architecture high performance multi-axis motion controller designed for demanding industrial applications that require close synchronization of up to 32 servo motors, I/O, and auxiliary equipment. Company Web site.
Positioning & Sensing . . . Learn More Hall Sensor for Auto Transmissions Engineers have long wanted to devise a sensing system that measuresspinning gear teeth. Mechanical systems were tried, but doomed due to wear. Now, a UK company has succeeded in developing a magnetic Hall effect sensor suited for automotive environments. This video discusses use of the devices for speed sensing of transmission gear teeth. Explosion Proof Encoder It should play well in the North American and other markets, but this industry-first sensor that is both UL and ATEX rated was initially developed to meet EU specsfor equipment in explosive environments. It can serve in areas which contain the most volatile concentrations of flammable gases, vapors, or liquids. Motion System Hardware . . . Learn More When Less Means More in Precision Designs for nanometer precision multi-axis motion systems over the last decade favored hexapods, especially for vibration isolation. But achieving equal or better precision with larger loads called for something less. Basic physics and an assist from counterbalanced linear motorsgive this tripod greater stiffness, larger load potential, and precision that piezo-driven tripods and hexapods can't achieve. New Shapes for Frictionless Motion Designers often turn to air bearings for frictionless motion and accuracy well beyond what the finest mechanical bearings can sustain. Easing their commitment to air bearings are product lines like this one, which offers several shapes, including round or rectangular, with or without vacuum, and many housing materials — stainless steel, aluminum, glass, graphite, nickel, PEEK, and others.   Multi-axis Cable Carriers for Robots igus® inc. Lead Screw Accuracies — 10 Microinches Per Turn Universal Thread Grinding Company Triflex® R cable carriers are designed for automated robotic machinery, and deliver 3D and 6-axis movement. Triflex R rotates 360 degrees and provides fast, easy access to cables. Its smooth contours will not snag on any protruding edges of a robot. Watch Triflex® R in action now. Universal lead screw assemblies meet accuracies of 10 microinches/turn and 25 microinches/in. — the best in the industry. Standard lead screws offer accuracies of 50 microinches/turn, 100 microinches/in. Patented nut design maximizes repeatability. Custom lead screw applications using our lead screws welcomed. More details. Precision Planetary Rack and Pinion Drive Systems Atlanta Drive Systems, Inc. Wire and Cable for Precise Motion Control Alpha Wire ATLANTA has a standard range of thePrecision Planetary Rack and Pinion Drive Systems available, with helical or straight (spur) teeth, to meet any application requirements. Thrust force capacities up to 28,000 lbs possible, with backlash levels down to one arc-minute. Alpha Wire manufactures premium-grade wire and cable for advanced Motion Control systems. Alpha's flagship Xtra-Guard® Flex line is ideal for all flexing applications and features Alpha's renowned Supra-Shield® shielding system for advanced EMI/RFI protection. For servo motor applications, look to Alpha's rugged Industrial Series SF Flexible Servo cable. Motion Controllers . . . Learn More Expanding to 10-axes of Ethernet Control Engineers appreciate the kind of consistency they find in this controller lineup. Each model maintains footprint of the original, but the newest squishes height to 1.6 in. More important, the new unit expands capability to 10-axes of motion and adds more input/output to 16 TTL I/O, four channels of analog input, and two analog outputs. New Class Leader in All-in-One MACs Product pitches heralding a "new class" in a category often overstate their case. Not so for this controller, a single device that integrates motion, logic, sequence, vision, operator safety, and RFID tracking. Differing from other controllers, it utilizes a real-time scheduler to simultaneously manage network, motion, and user applications — and update 32-axes in a millisecond. Drives & Actuators . . . Learn More Ballscrew Drives Spindles Directly   Building on drive technology it introduced two years ago, Germany's Stober has unveiled two new compact servo ball screw motors. One is designed to drive rotating spindles, the second aimed at driving spindle nuts directly. The PipeDrive features high copper fill orthocyclic windings that produce significantly more power than conventional windings. Synchronizing Motion, Safety, and Servo Driving When synchronized movement of larger machines and multiple axes is the order, this controller could suit. It combines motion control, servo amplification, and safety functions management — useful in such operations as multi-branch packaging and semiconductor manufacturing. Parallel operation of two CANopen networks shortens cycle times, and an FPGA chip frees it up from field bus communication.   Product Additions from Techno Linear Motion  Designatronics, Inc. Full Line of Linear Bearings LEE LINEAR® Extensive Motion Controller Options: including, iMC-P1 multi-axis stepper controller and our line of Servo Motion Controllers and download your LabVIEW software drive compatible with Techno Motion Controllers. For Linear Motion Systems rely on Techno for industry leading gantry tables, linear slides, actuators, rotary tables, and more... View all our new featured products here... LEE LINEAR® offers a full line of linear bearings. Whether you are looking for the LEE Roller Bearing Pillow Block, linear ball bearings, or plain composite bearings, LEE LINEAR has them in stock. Linear bearings available as sleeve or pillow block component. You can count on Lee for quality products and on time delivery. Next Generation Field Programmable All-in-One Encoder AVG Automation Group Precision Gearheads Made in America CGI, Inc. Configure Smart Encoder™ right on the machine in seconds without a laptop or software! Find out more... •  Position / RPM 4 digit LED display •  Incremental and Absolute •  NEMA 4, Class I Div II, Size 15, 25, and 40. Industry Standard Configurations •  Network Capable Get a complimentary Encoder handbook herewww.autotechcontrols.net/globalspec. CGI's precision gearheads give you competitive advantages and tremendous value in precise positioning gear solutions. Servo gearheads designed to meet critical requirements for precision, stiffness, torque density, and quiet operation. Thousands of successful applications in many industries with a comprehensive 3D CAD library. — Get the best solutions for your motion control needs. Register Today!  GlobalSpec's Medical Equipment Design — March 7, 2012 Join your peers and leading manufacturers for this free, informative, and interactive ONLINE conference and trade show — right from the convenience of your desktop. Participate in any or all of the educational sessions, network with peers, and meet with manufacturers eager to showcase their latest products, services, and new technology offerings. Learn more about the educational sessions offered to meet your information needs, and register today! Attend Current On-Demand Events: Aerospace Technology Material Handling & Supply Chain Technology Solar Energy