Products and news More speed in linear technology

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FAULHABER Drive Systems

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

The news from linear technology: Two new solutions promise more speed under high load; others score with easy applicability or robustness.

Record-breakingly fast guide carriages

With the new Rexroth Highspeed carriages, larger loads can now be moved faster. The new sizes from 45 to 65 with high load capacity are up to 100% faster than the standard carriages. With peak speeds of up to 10 m/s, the linear guides in size 45 almost reach the current world record in the hundred-meter dash of under 9.6 seconds. The sizes 55 and 65 move at a high load rate with up to 7.5 and 5 m/s, respectively.

The guide carriages complement the existing range of sizes from 15 to 35. The larger guide carriages allow for higher load capacities and thus longer maintenance intervals, which increases the lifespan of the entire system.

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The new Highspeed carriages are designed to enable users in many areas to further accelerate processes, thereby increasing productivity and economic efficiency. Typical fields of application for the new sizes include feed and removal axes on plastic injection molding machines and presses. Other examples are crash test devices, fast handling units for large loads, as well as applications with crank drives or linear motors.

Like all guide carriages from the manufacturer, the high-speed variants can also be selected via an e-tool and ordered online. A configurator supports the selection and configuration process. The manufacturer's guide carriages and rails can be exchanged independently of each other. An exchange service offers the opportunity for upgrades to higher accuracy classes.

Heavy-duty ball screw drive for high travel speeds

Another provider that has addressed the issue of speed despite high loads is Thomson Industries. The company has expanded its range of heavy-duty ball screws to include a high-speed option. With a diameter of 50 mm and a pitch of 100 mm, the new ball screw supports high travel speeds. It is suitable for applications requiring a dynamic load capacity of up to 202.4 kN.

"The new high-speed ball screw has a much higher pitch, which increases the distance traveled in a full rotation and consequently increases the travel speed. Even under extremely dynamic requirements, high loads can now be moved quickly, which increases potential machine throughput and productivity," explains Thomas Schwertner, Product Manager for Ball Screws at Thomson Industries.

The new high-speed ball screw drives of size 50 x 100 mm are particularly suitable for motion applications where high forces for lifting, pushing, or pulling are required while simultaneously needing high speeds. Examples include:

• Winding machines that require fast lateral movements to ensure tight winding of steel cables, large cables, or sheets.

• Machine tools for high-speed machining processes.

• Injection molding machines and metalworking machines where ball screw drives move high loads over short strokes.

• Metal presses and forming, including riveting presses, servo presses, pipe and sheet bending machines.

• Punching machines that require short strokes and high speeds.

According to the manufacturer, the new model is characterized by high load capacities, smooth operation, precision, and long service life over long travel distances. The high-speed ball screws are available with either single or double nuts. Pre-tensioned versions are available on request, as well as special versions customized for specific applications. The pitch accuracy goes up to 12 µm over 300 mm.

There is also an innovation in the stepper motor linear drives with driven nut from the same manufacturer: these products are now available with an encoder as a standard option. "This extension completes our offering, as we also offer integrated encoders for our configurations with driven spindle and actuator designs," explains Ojesh Singh, Product Manager for Screw Drives at Thomson Industries. Thomson SMLAs use a stepper motor in combination with a screw drive to convert rotational movement into linear motion. They are available in three configurations: closed-loop linear actuator, driven spindle, and driven nut. Previously, designers and engineers who needed position monitoring for their actuator or rotary spindle configurations had to order a custom-made encoder unit. For the configuration with driven nut, a custom encoder version was not available at all. However, increasingly complex machines and systems frequently require the monitoring of speed, travel distance, and position. Therefore, an integrated encoder was the most requested SMLA special version at Thomson. Given this strong demand, the company has decided to offer encoders for all three SMLA configurations as a standard option. SMLAs with pre-installed encoders are now available in all NEMA motor sizes and spindle thread shapes listed in the manufacturer's product catalog. The online selection tool for stepper motor linear drives will soon include encoders, the company announces.

Sliding linear guides with individual positioning

RK Rose+Krieger expands its range of single-tube linear axes for manual adjustment with two sliding guides:

• RK Lightunit-G and

• RK Lightunit-G Telescope.

The spindle-driven single-tube linear axis RK Lightunit was specially developed for easy manual adjustment. It has an aluminum spindle and plastic sliding bearings, making it relatively light, so the guide carriage can be moved with little effort. The company is now expanding these single-tube linear axes with two new sliding guides with adjustable locking positions.

The aluminum guide profile of the RK Lightunit-G can be freely selected in lengths up to 1,500 mm. For precise manual positioning of the guide carriage, so-called positioning elements are attached in the groove of the open C-guide profile. When moving, the locking bolt of the guide carriage automatically engages with these positioning elements. What sets it apart from other solutions is that the aluminum positioning elements can be loosened at any time using an Allen key and then locked again at another location. This allows users to realize any number of locking positions without drilling.

Unlike the RK Lightunit-G, the telescopic version has a guide tube that can be positioned by hand. As with the other axis, any number of locking positions can be defined.

The sliding guides are suitable, for example, for format adjustments on conveyor lines, positioning of sensors and light barriers, saw stops, and fixture construction. The plastic guide carriages are available in three different versions. If the application requires it, various types of guide carriages can be used on a single guide profile. Each individual element of the new sliding guides can be obtained separately by the user.

Rack and pinion drives: Efficiently manufacturing plastic packaging

The thermoforming process enables the cost-effective production of plastic packaging in large quantities. A leading manufacturer of the machines installs rack and pinion drives from Leantechnik in its pneumatic molding machines and drop-through punches, according to the supplier. The components guarantee a process-safe operation of the systems, even when the specified technical data are fully utilized.

Short molding cycles, high output performance, and low investment costs: Thermoforming systems have significant advantages over other plastic processing methods. Central elements of the pneumatic molding machines are the pre-stretcher and the clamping frame. These devices pre-stretch the heated plastic, secure it, and thus define the desired contour of the thermoformed part. A renowned manufacturer of these machines uses Lean-SL rack and pinion drives as the drive for both parts of the system.

The supplier developed these rack and pinion drives for simple synchronous positioning tasks where a guide is already in place and no lateral forces need to be absorbed. They are available in various sizes and in two variants, can handle lifting forces from 800 N to 25,000 N, and achieve lifting speeds of up to 0.6 m/s. The drives come in various designs: standard, with two racks, extra compact, or extra strong for high lifting forces.

In the drop-through punches of the thermoforming specialist, a product from Leantechnik is also used: A gearbox from the Lifgo series takes over the ejection of the molded parts from the punching tool in the so-called ejector drive. These rack and pinion drives are characterized by high robustness and are particularly suitable for the precise, synchronous positioning of heavy loads. The manufacturer produces the gearboxes in various series with lifting forces from 2,000 to 25,000 N and lifting speeds up to 3 m/s. The Lifgo rack and pinion drives position with an absolute accuracy of ±0.05 mm and a repeatability of ±0.02 mm. (dm)