October 2019

70 n NEW PRODUCTS October 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com NSK has developed a series of ballscrews with service lives said to be about three times longer than standard ballscrews when subjected to high loads. NSK has also introduced a series of ballscrews that do not need individually matched nut-and- shaft combinations, but instead use interchangeable, randomly matched nuts and shafts. The long ballscrew lives have been achieved by using a surface texture that improves oil film formation. Damage to ballscrew surfaces can be traced back to inadequate lubrication, leading to direct metal-to-metal contact between shafts and nuts. To tackle this, NSK has developed a treatment that produces a flat surface texture with micro-recesses. Even the tiniest oil deposits can settle in these recesses and prevent inadequate lubrication. The nut moves constantly on an oil film, reducing wear, especially during slow and short strokes. The new texture also reduces breakaway and stick-slip effects. The long- life ballscrews will be available in pitches from 10–50, in accuracies of C5 and higher. NSK’s other development – ballscrews with interchangeable nuts and shafts – will make it easier to stock or buy high-quality ballscrews in small batches. The interchangeable nuts and shafts mean that ballscrews can be taken from stock, and cut to length either in-house or by a dealer. This increases flexibility and makes ballscrews in individual dimensions available rapidly for special machines or prototypes. The high-speed, low-noise ballscrews are available in shaft diameters from 15–32mm, with pitches from 5–20mm, and in accuracy class C7. They are shipped little axial play, and specific preloads can be achieved by changing the size of the balls. NSK Europe www.nskeurope.com Motion Control Products is offering four series of high-force electric linear actuators, for standard and cleanroom applications. Either belt- or ballscrew-driven, they provide high dynamic response times and acceleration, with precision control of speed using servo or stepper motors. The actuators can be factory-configured in a wide range of stroke lengths and motor mounts. The LE ballscrew-driven actuators can be mounted horizontally or vertically. Offering accurate, smooth movements with low noise, they can replace pneumatic actuators, providing a safe, energy-saving alternative with better positioning control. Loads can be up to 120kg, with stroke lengths up to 1m and duty cycles up to 100%. With high rigidity and strong impact resistance, the self-unlocking actuators offer a repeatability of ±0.02mm. The LEC ballscrew series actuators are suitable for cleanroom applications and have similar specs to the LE models, but with a maximum load of 80kg. A magnetically-sealed stainless-steel band excludes contaminants and retains lubrication. The belt-driven LB series have a maximum stroke length of 4m, while the sealed LBC series for cleanroom applications have a maximum stroke of 3m. Both handle loads of up to 50kg and have efficient steel drivebelts. Precision position control provides a repeatability of ±0.04mm. Motion Control Products 01202 599922 www.motioncontrolproducts.com Eaton has extended its easyE4 family of control relays to include 240V AC devices, in addition to the existing 24V versions. It says the new versions are suitable for applications, such as building automation, that previously needed PLCs. They also offer enhanced communications, allowing the use of Ethernet via Modbus TCP for both programming and networking. The easyE4 can be programmed using four languages: function block diagram; ladder diagram; structured text; and easy device programming. Once the programs are written, they can be loaded onto various devices, either centrally, via a network, or via a built-in micro-SD slot. Up to 11 extension modules can be added to a base unit to support up to 188 digital I/Os, and up to eight base units can exchange data within a network. The easyE4 has 12-bit analogue outputs, allowing more precise control than the 10-bit standard. Integrated Ethernet interfaces allow the relays to be connected to LAN/WLAN routers, repeaters or DLAN systems, and to be integrated into IIoT networks. The relays can send email warnings based on information from sensors. Eaton’s easySoft 7 programming software can be used to implement simple control tasks, as well as more complex configurations. Eaton www.eaton.com Omron has announced a series of optical sensors with long detection ranges which it says are particularly effective at identifying black, transparent, reflective and other hard-to-detect surfaces. The B5W-LB light convergent reflective (LCR) sensors can be used, for example, to detect transparent cups in vending machines, diffuse surfaces that scatter incident light, black surfaces that absorb light, as well as mirrored surfaces. The sensors are claimed to detect target objects more reliably than reflection photosensors. Their convergent light beams can be set to be triggered by objects in tightly defined target areas, and to ignore any objects in the background or foreground. The sensors offer enhanced performance compared to Omron’s previous B5W-LA devices, and are available in miniature and or“super miniature”formats. The B5W-LB2101 and LB2112 miniature models come with analogue or digital outputs, and a sensing range of 10–55mm for white objects, or 10–40mm for black. The super-miniature B5W- LB1112 model measures 26 x 8.4 x 13mm and offers a sensing distance of 2–10mm for white surfaces, and 3–8mm for black. All are available in light-on or light-off versions, and are sealed to IP50. Omron Electronics Components 00 31 235 681 296 http://components.omron.eu Surface-treated ballscrews ‘last three times as long’ High-force linear actuators include cleanroom versions Networkable 240V control relays promise a cost-effective alternative to PLCs Long-range optical sensors handle awkward targets