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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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AFRL researchers demonstrate record-breaking RF isolator performance in ultra-compact device

As the Department of the Air Force continues with the unrelenting pursuit of driving down the size, weight, and power of radio frequency (RF) components, the inherent challenges in these types of technologies are compounded. The typical difficulties of making smaller mechanical and physical components, however, are dwarfed by the challenges posed by making the required onboard electronic equipment smaller, lighter, and less power hungry.

Working toward the aim of developing game-changing RF technology, Air Force Research Laboratory scientists led by Dr. Michael Page, with Dr. Piyush Shah and Dr. Derek Bas, recently patented a new tunable RF filter design that can replace the currently used YIG (yttrium iron garnet) based device. Using a layer of piezoelectric material (a material that changes shape when subjected to an electric field) coupled with a very thin film of permanently magnetized material, the new RF filter has a small fraction of the size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) of the older, bulkier, and more expensive technology.

Now the same team of Air Force researchers is leveraging this technology to create "giant nonreciprocity" in similarly small microwave transmission devices.

"The novel device in our work," said Page, "is essentially an RF isolator."

From the left to right: Drs. Derek A. Bas, Piyush J. Shah, and Michael R. Page. In the tweezers, Bas is holding a chip that contains an array of four isolators. A state-of the-art commercial RF isolator has a much greater size and weight than the AFRL device. [Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Dr. Michael Wolf]

 

 

 

 

An RF isolator is a device that keeps unwanted radio frequency energy from reflecting back into a transmitter. This is an important factor in wireless devices like radar systems -- or even cell phones -- where a common component both sends and receives signals. By forcing the energy's path to move in one direction only, an isolator prevents signal distortion and equipment damage. This single-direction movement is known as "nonreciprocity."

In current technology, nonreciprocity is achieved by using isolators with powerful magnets that create a strong magnetic field. Transmitted or received radio frequency energy is forced to flow in one specific direction only, which is along the direction of the magnetic lines of flux. Although this system works well, its size, weight, and power requirements make it impractical for small platforms.

Page's research team has been working on replacing these bulky, power-hungry components with miniature, energy-efficient devices based on composites of magnetic and piezoelectric materials. Isolators currently in use are about the size of a racquet ball. Not only is the AFRL-developed device one-sixth that size, but it also far exceeds the performance of current isolators.

"The core area of the science of our technology is called acoustically driven ferromagnetic resonance phenomena," said Shah. Research was begun in this field about 10 years ago by a group of German scientists. Looking at the increased number of publications dealing with the subject in the last year alone, Shah is confident that it is getting "significant interest" in the academic community.

Page's team reported on their research in the December 2020 issue of Science Advances, one of six respected, peer-reviewed journals published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In their report they explain that versions of their experimental device, an "acoustic isolator," have been under investigation since the 1970s. However, although nonreciprocity has been observed, the observed effect was far too small to be relevant in real-world applications.

In this work, what Page's team has achieved is giant nonreciprocity.

"Until now," said Shah, "the best observed isolation behavior is in the range of 15 to 20 decibels. What we have achieved is closer to 48 to 50 decibels. In our device, the signal is essentially completely blocked when returning or reflected in the opposite direction."

The device's operation is enabled by an intense interaction between the vibrating piezoelectric crystal and the oscillating magnetic material described by the magnetoelastic interaction.

Shah added that this technology is a building block for developing another class of state-of-the-art RF device called a circulator. A circulator is very similar to an isolator in that it ensures the movement of RF signals in one direction only. Shah expects that the team's exploration of an acoustically driven circulator "is on the horizon."

The team is also looking to improve on some other important metrics for their isolators. For example, they are exploring the possibility of using different materials for the device.

"We want to investigate the structure-property relationships of design variables and materials and their impact on the device performance," said Shah.

The choice of materials for the device goes beyond just making it function well. To be useful in the field, it also must be mass produced in a manufacturing setting. Making it from scarce or uncommon materials would make producing the devices more difficult. The advantage of this device's design is that it is based on materials that can be readily and inexpensively mass produced, as well as on acoustic wave technology that has been previously developed for other applications.

The AFRL team recently started working with Sandia National Laboratory. "Sandia has a strong capability in RF acoustic devices," said Shah, "which is a strong complement to our magnetic material and device expertise."

Having recently been awarded a patent for their tunable RF filter, the team has also filed a patent application for their RF isolator.

"The combination of the extremely high isolation in a readily manufacturable and small size package makes this technology very attractive for the next generation of microwave technologies," said Page.

"This has been an area of interest for our branch for several years," added Page. "So far, we have demonstrated the proof of principle in a working device and are working toward refining and extending the applicability of these devices for the warfighter."

Source: U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory

Published April 2021

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