April 2019

64 n NEW PRODUCTS April 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com PI (Physik Instrumente) has announced a family of linear stages for precision automation and positioning applications involving medium loads and travel ranges of 52–610mm. The ballscrew-driven L-412 and linear-motor-driven V-412 stages provide high-speed motion and high push/pull forces for vertical applications. They are aimed at dynamic applications with short settling times and low tracking errors, such as laser cutting, scanning, digital printing, electronics assembly and inspection, and flat panel manufacturing. Cover strips on the side, and purge air connections, prevent particles from contaminating the working components. The ballscrew model has a synchronous servomotor and can be re-lubricated without disassembly. An optional holding brake is available for Z-axis applications. The higher-speed V- 412 uses an ironless linear motor, and offers the option of an absolute linear encoder. The three-phase, frictionless magnetic direct drive provides a peak force of 151N. The non-cogging motor design provides smooth, vibration-free motion. PI 01234 756360 www.physikinstrumente.co.uk Linear stages offer a choice of ballscrew or linear motor drives Robust draw- wire sensor is ‘the world’s smallest’ Micro-Epsilon has launched a series of miniature draw-wire sensors (cable transducers) for displacement, movement and position measurements over ranges from 40–130mm. There are three wireSensor MT devices, including one that weighs 8g and measures 19 x 19mm, making it the world’s smallest draw-wire sensor, according to Micro- Epsilon. The sensor (MT10) has a range of 40mm and a possible cable acceleration of up to 60g. Draw-wire position sensors – also known as cable-extension transducers, string potentiometers, yo-yo pots and string encoders – convert linear movement of a cable attached to an object into rotary movement. An encoder or potentiometer translates this movement to produce an analogue or digital signal. The wireSensors are protected by robust aluminium housings. Two through-holes in the housing, and a ring eyelet at the end of the cable, allow fast, easy mounting. The MT33 model has a measuring range of 80mm, while the MT56 has a measuring range of 130mm. They have stainless- steel measuring wires. Linearity is ±0.4% FSO, and the sensors offer typical service lives of a million cycles. Micro-Epsilon 0151 355 6070 www.micro-epsilon.co.uk Harting ’s Mica edge computer is now available with a secondary Ethernet interface that can be used to exchange and process data between two Ethernet protocols. For example, it can be used: as a wired-to-wireless gateway for collectingmaintenance data from PLCs; as a processing node for RFID readers connected viaWLANs; or to monitor remote systems via Ethernet and transmit the data in a compressed format via LTE. An extra USB interface adds further capabilities or can host a USB storage device. Unlike a router, Mica can also carry out complex data transformations onboard. www.harting.com/UK/en-gb Heidenhain is now offering Etel’ s TMB+ frameless torque motors with optional cooling jackets that, it says, could double the motors’ performance. Until now, cooling management was the responsibility of the user, who had to design a machine structure to accommodate the motor and ensure water tightness. The cooling jacket option removes these burdens, and leaves room for different machine layouts and material selections, which can cut costs. The jacket is available for more than 60 sizes of motor, with either radial or axial water inlets/outlets. www.heidenhaingb.com RS Components is offering Rexroth ’s EFC 5610 high-torque frequency converters in ratings up to 160kW.The energy-saving drives provide vector control and high starting torques, and can be expanded using I/O and fieldbus modules.They incorporate control panels with parameter copy functions, aModbus interface, and an STO (Safe Torque Off) option that complies with Cat 4/PL e, SIL3. Firmware and parameters can be updated easily via USB or Ethernet.The free ConverterWorks software can be used to commission the drives and control them remotely. www.rs-online.com Aerotech has introduced two high-performance, single-axis, digital controllers for brushed or brushless DC motors, moving- coil actuators and stepper motors. The XC4 and XC4e PWM (pulse width modulation) controllers operate at up to 340V DC with peak currents of 30A. The controllers support position-synchronised outputs (PSOs) and are compatible with Aerotech’s A3200 automation platform, using its HyperWire fibre optic drive bus. Digital current and position control loops ensure good positioning and synchronisation accuracy, a control bandwidth of up to 20kHz, processing of digital and analogue I/Os, and real-time encoder interpolation. Square and sine wave, and absolute encoder signals, can be processed. The maximum input frequency for square-wave encoder signals is 40 million pulses per second. With the additional MX1 function, the controls can interpolate sinusoidal encoder signals up to 14 bits. For the XC4e, the optional MX2 and MX3 functions enable interpolation to 16 bits. With the MX3 option, two encoder signals can be processed for improved position and speed control. Three encoders can be tracked in real time via the three- channel PSO, or a complete axis system can provide a PSO signal. Safe Torque Off (STO) is standard. Both variants can be equipped with optional I/O expansion cards, which increase the number of inputs and outputs. The cards also have a dedicated PSO output and PSO synchronisation input, which can be used to synchronise with a mode-locked external frequency. Aerotech 01256 855055 www.aerotech.co.uk High-performance motor controls can handle currents up to 30A