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DURApulse GS30 AC Drives from AutomationDirect

Automation-Direct has added new high-performance DURApulse GS30 drives that support several control modes including sensorless vector control, closed-loop flux vector control, and torque control in a compact package. The GS30 series expands the DURApulse family by adding internal tension control loop expanded parameter sets for greater versatility, as well as optional EtherCAT and single- or dual-port EtherNet/IP communication cards. GS30 drives support up to four independent induction motor parameter sets or control of a single AC permanent magnet motor. Sizes up to 3 hp for a 230-VAC single-phase input, 50 hp for a 230-VAC three-phase input, and 100 hp for a 460-VAC three-phase input. This series offers PID control, built-in PLC functionality, and STO capability typically found with more expensive high-performance AC drives.
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Power steering systems for warehouse and autonomous vehicles

Allied Motion has introduced the electric power steering (EPS) series for steer-by-wire warehouse vehicles, autonomous AGVs, and similar material transport vehicles. This compact system includes a fully integrated motor, gearbox, controller, and optional output pinion. It is available in three frame sizes and 16 models to cover virtually any electric steering requirement in applications from small pallet lifters to AGVs/AGCs to multi-ton reach trucks. An optional, patent-pending feature, Turning Wheel Absolute Position Control, allows the controller to know the turning wheel position without external sensors.
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New brushless motors maximize power density

Allied Motion Technologies has introduced the KinetiMax 95 High Power Drive (HPD), an outer-rotor brushless motor. This frameless motor is designed to maximize power density for its volume with a nominal output torque of 2 Nm at 2,300 RPM, resulting in 480 W of continuous output power. At only 37 mm axial length, this compact stator-rotor set is an ideal solution for applications such as material handling systems, AGVs, mobile robots, handheld power tools, and more.
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Compact rod motors: Effective linear thrust generation

RDM-A Series rod motors from Akribis Systems are great for space-constrained applications requiring high motor forces and smooth linear motion. These compact motors feature a tubular design to distribute magnetic flux evenly along the circumference of the stator. They achieve continuous forces from 2.1 to 137.8 N and peak forces from 6.2 to 413.4 N. An air gap between the coil and magnet track enables non-contact axial linear movement and steady force production over the length of the stroke, and ironless construction ensures cog-free motion.
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NORD's heavy-duty drive systems tackle tough industrial applications

Industrial gear units from NORD DRIVE-SYSTEMS are used for a variety of heavy-duty applications, providing high output torques and long service life with minimal maintenance. Combining high-efficiency motors and dynamic VFDs, users get high performance and smooth operation. Learn which drive systems are used for which real-world applications in industries including grain, cranes and hoists, wastewater, food and beverage, and bulk material handling. Good info here.
Read the full article.

XYZ nanopositioning stage for scanning and positioning in photonics and microscopy

PI's P-616 XYZ Piezo Nanoposition-ing Stage, based on a parallel-kinematic design, features a single, lightweight moving platform for all three axes. It offers high precision (sub-nanometer resolution) and dynamics in a compact package. Known as the NanoCube^®, it is the smallest and lightest system with capacitive feedback, providing a 100-µm linear travel range in three degrees of freedom.
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Robot with longer reach handles heavier payloads

The new RV-35/50/80FR robot series from Mitsubishi Electric Automation is ideal for handling large workpieces and heavy objects. This series has a max reach of almost 83 in. (2,100 mm) and a max payload over 175 lb (80 kg), so it's a great solution for palletizing and machine tending. These robots have a wide range of safety functions, including position and speed monitoring, and simplified installation and programming when paired with Mitsubishi Electric's MELFA Smart Plus card.
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Linear servo press solutions from Tolomatic

Improve your pressing systems with electric linear actuators from Tolomatic. While hydraulic presses are a traditional choice in many manufacturing applications, a new generation of high-force Linear Servo Press technologies is now replacing high-maintenance hydraulics. They offer significant advantages in precision, programmability, energy efficiency, reliability, and flexibility.
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Tech Tip: What is a stepper motor linear actuator?

What is a stepper motor linear actuator (SMLA), what types are available, and what can they do for your linear motion designs? Find out in this informative Thomson video. Learn how precision lead screws can be combined with a stepper motor in a number of ways, and discover which type can benefit your linear motion applications.
View the video.

Brakes for high-speed SCARA robots and more

Precise positioning of semi-conductor wafers during SCARA assembly operations requires instantaneous braking and holding power while minimizing heat in the system. The latest compact and slender Miki Pulley BXR-LE brake models provide the needed, perfectly controlled braking in a confined area of the system using minimal power. The braking response and holding power of this power-off engaged brake makes it ideal for this and other high-speed applications. The BXR-LE brake uses 24 VDC for a split second to overcome compression spring inertia to open the brake, then consumes only 7 VDC by utilizing the BEM power control module.
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Automated piece-picking solution

The MI.RA/ OnePicker is a new and fully automated intelligent piece-picking solution from Comau. The easy-to-use, AI-backed, and collaborative solution reduces upstream process times, saving time, energy, and resources for warehouse, e-commerce, and other applications while increasing overall productivity and cost efficiency. Designed to autonomously pick miscellaneous objects from the same bin, it's a smart way to eliminate unsustainable sorting activities. Comes with Comau's Racer5 six-axis cobot.
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Unlock cost savings: Revolutionary GAM GPL Gearbox

The GPL planetary gearbox, when paired with your preferred servo motor, delivers a solution that can match the fit and performance of direct drive motors while offering significant cost savings. With <6 arcsec backlash, GAM says this gearbox outperforms all other zero-backlash gearboxes on the market, making it the ideal choice for your applications. Discover how one company realized significant savings by replacing multiple direct drive motors with the GPL gearbox in a modular housing.
Read the GAM application story.

Bosch Rexroth new linear motor modules

Fast, compact, and precise. These properties characterize the new linear motor modules (LMM) with integrated screw-free direct drive from Bosch Rexroth. The axes are available in sizes 140, 180, and 220 mm and feature a zero-backlash direct drive. They complement the existing linear motion technology portfolio as a ready-to-install solution offering excellent value for money. The linear motor modules are available in all sizes with iron-core linear motors. Standard strokes are up to 1,540 mm and forces up to 2,400 N.
Learn all the specs and options.

OnRobot doubles payload capacity of its grippers

OnRobot's new 2FG14 and 3FG25 electrical grippers for heavy-duty, collaborative applications are now launching along with the new machine tending solution AutoPilot powered by D:PLOY, developed in collaboration with Ellison Technologies. The new three-fingered 3FG25 gripper provides users with 25 kg (55.1 lb) of payload power in a compact, all-electric, lightweight form, unlocking the potential of the latest cobots. Ideal for CNC machine tending, the 2FG14 is a lightweight parallel-finger gripper with a payload of 14 kg (30.8 lb). It doubles the payload and gripping force of OnRobot's popular 2FG7 gripper while also providing 30% more total stroke.
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Linear guide system corrects misalignments

Bishop-Wisecarver's UtiliTrak^® linear guide system includes vee rails for precision and open rails for misalignment float to provide smooth and accurate motion on inaccurate structures. Because precise parallelism is difficult to achieve, it is not uncommon for mounting surfaces to be slightly out of parallel. UtiliTrak's design compensates for mounting errors and does not require absolute parallelism for accurate operation. Genius.
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Air Force Research Lab improving processes for fabricating aircraft engine inlet ducts

The Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie is an experimental stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed and built by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions for the United States Air Force Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator program, under the USAF Research Laboratory's Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology project portfolio. [Photo: AFRL]

 

 

 

 

By Donna Lindner, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Aircraft engine inlet ducts provide the engine compressor with a constant supply of air to prevent the compressor from stalling. Since the inlet is directly exposed to the impacting airflow, it must create as little drag as possible. The smallest gap in airflow supply can cause major engine problems as well as significant efficiency losses.

Part of the Air Force 2030 Science and Technology strategy includes the deployment of low-cost Unmanned Aerial Systems in mass to assist in future near-peer engagements. In order to realize this vision, new manufacturing strategies need to be identified that can support the rapid manufacturing of high-quality aerospace components at costs that are lower than what are currently available using legacy manufacturing processes.

If the inlet duct is to retain its function of providing sufficient air with minimum turbulence, it must be clean and flawless.

The Air Force Research Laboratory's Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division and the contractor team of Cornerstone Research Group, A&P Technology, and Spintech LLC conducted research to quantify the benefits of replacing legacy manufacturing processes with novel processes for the fabrication of an 11-ft-long, S-shaped engine inlet duct.

An 11-ft-long unmanned aircraft system inlet duct preform is shown prior to resin infusion. [Photo: AFRL]

 

 

The legacy fabrication process for the inlet duct consists of composite material preimpregnated with a synthetic resin, applied by hand, to a multi-piece steel mandrel. The mandrel is packaged and placed in an autoclave for processing. An autoclave is essentially a heated pressure vessel that supplies heat to activate resin curing and pressure to ensure there is minimal absorbency in the fully cured composite part.

The approach replaces the hand-applied composite prepreg with an automated overbraid process that applies dry fiber to a mandrel. The very heavy multi-piece steel mandrel was replaced with a light-weight, single-piece shape-memory polymer (SMP) mandrel, and the dry braided carbon fiber was processed with a low-cost epoxy resin using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process.

One of the primary goals of this program is to understand part cost and production time benefits from introducing the new tooling and processing solutions.

The team completed element analysis finalization of the overbraid architecture, fabrication of a shape-memory polymer forming tool, and construction of the SMP mandrel that will serve as the tool during the preform overbraid process.

Because of inlet duct geometrical complexity, multiple iterations will be necessary to optimize the overbraid machine settings and thus minimize composite material wrinkling. A total of four inlet ducts will be fabricated, and legacy part cost and production time will be compared to the new design.

"We believe that the introduction of a reusable shape-memory polymer mandrel together with the automated overbraid process and an oven-based VARTM composite cure will lead to significant cost and cycle time reductions," said Craig Neslen, manufacturing lead for the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology Initiative in the Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division. "Quantifying the manufacturing benefits and validating structural integrity will be critical to establishing a positive business case and convincing designers and manufacturers that the new materials and processes should be incorporated into future low-cost engine inlet duct designs."

The final inlet duct will be delivered to the government for further integration into the Aerospace System's Directorate's complementary airframe design and manufacturing program. Personnel at the Aerospace Vehicles Division will conduct static ground testing of the integrated braided fuselage and inlet duct structure.

"While we have yet to define all of the implications of attrition tolerance on design criteria and the resulting manufacturing materials and processes utilized, we do have a baseline with threshold requirements for strength and stiffness which we will assess via full-scale airframe ground tests," said Ray Fisher, aerospace engineer in the Aerospace Vehicles Division.

Published June 2020

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