Motion System Trends 2021

MARCH 2021

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS Hollow Shaft Meets Solid Stepper Performance

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ENGINEERING DOESN’T ACCOMMODATE PERSONAL OPINIONS ONE OF

the most refreshing things about the field of engineering

is how the laws of physics underpinning the technologies we create are not up for debate.

Acceleration due to gravity? Not up for debate.

Speed of light? Not up for debate. Nuclear forces? Not up for debate. Conservation of mass and energy? Not up for debate.

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In this — our beloved extension of applied physics — we are blessed with the existence of cold hard facts … complemented by how there’s very little payoff for anyone ridiculous enough to challenge fundamental realities related to our field.

Absolute facts exist in other arenas of course. Unfortunately, there are often big payoffs in non-engineering fields for those willing to swindle others with stories posing as truths — especially if the person or group being influenced doesn’t have or prefer or know how to directly access truths for themselves. One clue that this is happening is when an event doesn’t involve any violent crime or theft that truly occurred ... but the source still manages to embellish facts and weave them into an emotional tale about villains, victims, and heroes. If a source turns something into such a narrative, it means that source has an agenda to shape your identity and allegiance with a movement through opinion on that subject — and certainly not to supply unvarnished facts so that you may have your own emotions and thoughts about the matter. Either that, or you are watching an action movie.

Of course, one refreshing option when confronted with narratives (and even basic facts) is to temporarily or even permanently refrain from forming any opinion at all about it.

Engineering provides innumerable opportunities to practice this tranquil nonresponse. Design engineers working together regularly and dispassionately accept a great number of physical parameters as fact before proceeding with the building of machines to operate within those parameters. There’s

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no room for personal preference here: Any engineer who feels offended by Newton’s second law for example probably has limited career options as well as underlying problems entirely unrelated to mass and velocity.

There are two other fantastic aspects to engineering.

1.

Designs demand prioritization of top design objectives. In many nonengineering fields, an excessive amount of attention is given to anomalies, exceptions, surprising stances, dramatic contradictions, wild efforts, fantastical encounters, and other exotic issues. In contrast, the foundation of good engineering is seeing “the big picture” — with design effort allotted to a given element that’s more or less proportional to that element’s effect on the design at hand. During their work, engineers also maintain a keen understanding of how all builds require design concessions and compromises. That isn’t evidence of deep-seated prejudice against efficiency, compactness, or cost ... it’s just the logical pragmatism of design optimization.

2.

All engineers understand there’s complex interplay between design parameters. Such interplay demands realistic understanding of the problem to be solved and a nuanced mapping of inextricable factors. Only with these parameters collected can engineers define realistic machine output capabilities. What’s more, design challenges aren’t met with suspicion: For example, engineers building machines for washdown settings don’t cite the rusting of metal as evidence of some vast material-scientist conspiracy to sabotage the automation industry. It’s simply accepted — corrosion and oxidation just happen, man.

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EDITORIAL STAGES & MULTI-AXIS MOTION ACTUATORS MOTORS LINEAR MOTION MOTION CONTROL CLASSROOM — COUPLINGS BALL SCREWS & LEAD SCREWS PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS IIoT: NETWORKING, CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES BELTS & PULLEYS BRAKES & CLUTCHES CONTROLLERS CONVEYORS COUPLINGS ENCODERS GEARS AND GEARMOTORS BEARINGS SENSORS DRIVES AD INDEX

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ON THE COVER: NEXSAFE ROTARY AND LINEAR BRAKE OFFERINGS FROM NEXEN GROUP SATISFY IIoT AND FUNCTIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. “PREVIOUSLY, MACHINE BUILDERS DESIGNING LINEAR AXES NEEDING BRAKES TO HOLD THE LOAD WOULD EITHER USE RAIL BRAKES ON THE AXIS’ LINEAR GUIDE RAILS OR A SERVO BRAKE ON THE AXIS’ SERVOMOTOR. IN THE FUTURE, NEXEN EXPECTS MORE MACHINE BUILDERS TO CONSIDER USING BOTH BRAKE TYPES IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER FOR APPLICATIONS DEMANDING MAXIMUM SAFETY,” SAYS JUSTIN HILLUKKA, LEAD ENGINEER OF POWER TRANSMISSION AND CUSTOM PRODUCTS AT NEXEN GROUP. 6

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS courtesy Beckhoff Automation

GROWING TREND: PLANAR MOTORS IN PRACTICAL USES LINEAR MOTORS

are often described as rotary motors cut open and rolled out

flat, so they produce motion in a straight line along one axis. Their construction is relatively simple, with a primary part (also referred to as a forcer) that contains windings, and a secondary part that contains magnets. The primary part is typically the moving part, and the secondary part is typically stationary. In iron core linear motors, the secondary part is laid out like a track, and in ironless designs, the secondary part is often constructed with two magnet tracks facing each other and the primary part riding between the two magnet tracks. Support for the moved load is provided by recirculating linear guides or air bearings.

Planar motors are built on the same basic principle as traditional linear motors, but a key difference between traditional linear motors and planar motors is that the planar design allows the moving part — often referred to as a tile — to travel in two horizontal directions, X and Y (hence, the term “planar” motors). And instead of moving only in straight lines, the tiles can move in free-form patterns that include diagonals and curves.

In some planar motor designs, the tiles can also tilt and rotate and even make small movements in the vertical (Z) direction.

Two designs of planar motors exist. In the first design, the tiles (also referred to as movers or floaters) contain iron cores embedded in epoxy,

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with windings and permanent magnets, while the stationary stator contains a toothed structure with sets of teeth arranged at right angles to each other in the X-Y plane. The tiles also include nozzles for an air bearing system, which provides support for the tiles and the moved load. Although this design is relatively simple to implement, each tile requires motor and feedback cables, as well as pneumatic lines for the air bearing system, so cable management is necessary for each tile.

Another planar motor design uses a 2D coil matrix in the stator to produce 3D magnetic fields, which lift the tiles 1 to 5 mm above the stator surface. Because the tiles can levitate, this design is sometimes referred to as a “maglev” motor. The benefit of this planar motor design is that the tiles are completely passive — all the required cabling is connected to the stator, leaving the tiles free of the constraints of cables and cable management.

In both planar motor designs, there are no moving parts, so reliability is excellent, and the systems can be designed for extremely demanding environments, such as cleanrooms, vacuum environments, and hygienic applications. And planar motors can use multiple stators connected in virtually any pattern, from squares and rectangles to complex paths that traverse around other equipment or obstacles — much like the configurability of a conveyor system. Some designs can even be used in overhead (upside-down) and vertical (wall-mounted) orientations.

With virtually unlimited travel configurations and tiles that can move with six degrees of freedom, planar motors are being used as conveyors for light payloads and in assembly, inspection, and semiconductor and electronics applications.

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STAGES & MULTI-AXIS MOTION MORE PERSPECTIVE ON TRENDS

In a recent podcast interview, we got the chance to talk with Jeff Johnson of Beckhoff Automation about linear-motor conveyors (also called linear transport systems) as well as the planar-motor system from Beckhoff called the XPlanar. Search for Design World Network wherever you listen to your podcasts to listen in on the original conversation. Planar motors are a new and fairly glamourous technology often drawing crowds at tradeshows — at least when a pandemic isn’t causing the cancellation of such events.

As mentioned, some planar motors include coils in stationary tiles and magnets in their free-floating movers. Special capabilities of such planar motors include the ability to limitlessly tilt and rotate movers. Developed in the early 2000s, the technology until now hasn’t been practical for real-world use. But a series of planar-motor offerings from Beckhoff (the XPlanar series) is now in production.

Some designs using these planar motors maintain traceability while providing an

infinite number of paths that products or packages can travel … levitating magnetic movers with six degrees of motion up to 5 mm above planar motor tiles — for contactless operation.

Several real-world applications could soon use planar motors and their unique six degrees of motion. Applications benefitting from parallel execution of tasks (and not single-strand serial execution of tasks) will benefit most from XPlanar-based designs.

That’s especially true of operations outputting lot sizes of one.

Consider lab automation for the handling of many COVID test vials or really any type of testing involving vials. Depending on the involved processes, vials might need to go to different stations and even different pieces of test equipment. Such laboratory installations using XPlanar-based systems can take vials from station to station with maximal efficiency and accuracy. Plus they’re very flexible … which (as COVID has taught the automation industry) is important.

After all, what was known about COVID in February 2020 is totally different than what is known now.

Consider how engineers designing vaccine production and testing machines started designing their equipment months before vaccine production. Machines involved in such dynamic global efforts and based on the XTS as well as the XPlanar can be rapidly adapted to what the final product is going to look like.

Johnson reports that XPlanar-based designs do exist in the field, and Beckhoff showed one at the last SPS to demonstrate the XPlanar on a plasma-treatment machine made by a machine builder in Verl, Germany. Several more European OEMs are in their final proof-of-concept design stages of machines based on the XPlanar … and designs for packaging are on the horizon as well.

These and other planar-motor systems support modularity and quick machine design that will continue to be key in an array of applications — including the advancement of COVID testing, treatment, and prevention.

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS Linear actuator screw designs, like those offered by Thomson, remain a good choice for applications where space is at a premium.

INTEGRATED MOTION DESIGNS SEE MORE ELECTRIC ACTUATORS TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

in electric actuator design continue

from years past, influencing manufacturers offerings to designers. For instance, electric actuators are easier to specify and install, with more application-specific models on offer. This tracks with other trends including the move to more integrated motion designs, opening up more and varied applications for electric actuators.

Here’s what a few actuator manufacturers told us about these trends, and what else they are seeing in the industry.

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HAVE YOU SEEN ANY NEW LINEAR ELECTRIC ACTUATOR APPLICATIONS RECENTLY? EDWARD NEFF, PRESIDENT •SMAC MOVING COIL ACTUATORS

We’ve seen a number of new applications. For instance, increased replacement of air cylinders due to our new LDL and CD actuators lower price - in the range of $300. Cycle life is ten times that of air cylinders and cycled rates are twice as fast. Most of the applications are in packaging where cycle life, programmability, and cycle rate is important, as is price. This is in the US, Europe, and Asia.

We’ve also seen many electronic pick and place applications, particularly in Asia. Our linear rotary actuators are being pushed motioncontroltips.com

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS from 16-mm pitch to 8-mm and will be equipped with our HT 7.5 mm brushless motor, direct drive, with 25-mNm of torque and no gear.

Lastly, we’re seeing new applications

replacing pneumatic LVDTs for part measurement where programmable soft-land on a surface then press with programmable force results in better measurement accuracy and faster operation.

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In these cases, the cost of the actuator is the same as the pneumatic solution.

ARE YOU SEEING AN INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR MINIATURIZATION OR INTEGRATION OF FEEDBACK DEVICES IN LINEAR COMPONENTS? EDWARD NEFF, PRESIDENT •SMAC MOVING COIL ACTUATORS

Our actuators have always had real-time feedback of time, position, and result of applying a force/torque. Capping and auto-thread check with feedback telling thread presence, number of turns, and linear distance travelled is now the norm. We’re also seeing new applications for smart screw driving as well as smart drill and tap – again, the feedback on quality is required. These all require extreme force control, so yes, realtime work feedback is definitely a trend.

SAURABH KHETAN, PRODUCT LINE MANAGER – LEAD SCREWS • THOMSON INDUSTRIES, INC. Yes - there appears to be a general theme amongst OEMs to shift toward the usage of smaller components where available.

Utilizing smaller components for new programs or new generations of existing platforms allows for more installation flexibility, and the additional cost for doing so is not as high as it was in the recent past.

This shift has translated to an increase in demand for miniature components, but the increase is not evenly spread across all customers, industries or applications.

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Machines are becoming more precise and efficient, all while taking up smaller footprints than those we saw 3 to 5 years ago. This trend is especially prevalent in the medical device industry where decreasing the size of the equipment allows for more testing capacity per square foot or linear foot in the lab. This shift is causing designers to look more at compact linear guides, which are ideal for small design envelope requirements.

We’ve also noticed an increase in

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ACTUATORS automation integrated into material handling.

Previously, robots were stationary and limited to a static working envelope. Recently, we’ve seen designers incorporate linear motion to allow robots to move up and down an automated line or work between two automated cells.

SO, HAS YOUR COMPANY SEEN INCREASED ACTIVITY OR DEMAND FROM CUSTOMERS IN ANY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES OR APPLICATION AREAS?

EDWARD NEFF, PRESIDENT • SMAC MOVING COIL ACTUATORS

We develop application-specific GUIs for customers and due to the lowered price of our new units, we’re simplifying these for customers used to using pneumatics. We also offer MCA inside actuators custom sized for customer requirements. Our printed coil technology and laser cut part machines allow us to develop these actuators with a tool-up cost of under $1,000.

EDWARD NEFF, PRESIDENT •SMAC MOVING COIL KYLE THOMPSON, PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGER • THOMSON INDUSTRIES, INC. ACTUATORS We know design engineers are busier than Electronic assembly machine builders are now buying our commercial actuators instead of buying a bunch of parts and making their own.

With the drop in price, packaging and food processing machine builders are now buying our electric actuators instead of pneumatic.

The reasons are programmability, longer cycle life with no slamming and no seals to wear out, and twice the cycle rate. We’ve also seen an uptick in robotic end effector business, for linear, linear rotary, and 2-axis grippers. We’ve also developed a prototype robot finger that acts like a human finger and hope to turn this into a complete hand this year.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SELECTOR, SIZING, OR SALES SOFTWARE YOU USE OR OFFER TO CUSTOMERS? OR ANY VALUE-ADD SERVICES OR IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OEMS OR CUSTOMERS? HOW ARE THESE TOOLS CHANGING HOW DESIGN ENGINEERING IS DONE?

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

ever with trends toward shorter design cycles, smaller teams and more complex design projects. They need to design a part, get a quote and move on. That’s where the new Thomson 3D Instant Quote tool comes in.

In the past, if an engineer wanted to customize a shaft, roller or pin, they would need to design in 3D CAD, create a corresponding 2D drawing, and then send that off to a vendor to wait for a quote. With the Thomson 3D Quote Tool for 60 Case shafting, engineers can take their 3D model and upload it directly to the tool to get an instant quote. Shafts can be designed for optimum integration into the overall machine - custom holes, journals, flats, etc. Engineers can select from different materials to fit the application like carbon steel, chrome-plating and stainless steel. Instant pricing, delivery and shipping costs are available in the tool. And if it’s a project that requires a quick turnaround, there’s even the ability to request expedited delivery.

3 • 2021

ANY PROGRAMS IN TRAINING OR E-LEARNING THAT YOU USE OR HAVE DEVELOPED FOR INTERNAL USE OR THAT AID CUSTOMERS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS? THANIEL SMITH, MANAGER – APPLICATION ENGINEERING • THOMSON INDUSTRIES, INC.

In response to recent social distancing requirements, Thomson added a self-paced e-learning section to its website. The section is grouped by product family, and partners can freely explore particular products they’re interested in or all of them without the need for a login. The information for each product can include history, details, installation instructions, maintenance information, and design and theory. The training web pages utilize a combination of text, animations, pictures and videos to convey the information.

We’ve found this content to be a perfect way for partners to absorb much of the same material they would have through our onsite trainings.

Voice coil actuators, like this model from SMAC, offer quiet operation with an active life of over 100 million cycles.

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

MOTORS - THE HEART OF MOTION CONTROL SYSTEMS ELECTRIC MOTORS

are the engines of motion control and automation. A

vast range of motion applications makes use of all kinds of motors, from stepper and servo motors to traditional brushed dc motors.

Manufacturers are seeing a number of trends in motor design, based on changing industry demands. Below you’ll find what some of the top motor suppliers shared with us about the state of the industry and the trends they’re seeing.

ARE YOU SEEING ANY NEW TRENDS IN STEPPER MOTORS OR STEPPERBASED ACTUATION SYSTEMS? ERIC RICE NATIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR • APPLIED MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.

Stepper motor-based solutions continue to be a solid, lower-cost alternative to servo motors for precise positioning and velocity control applications.

Closed-loop control of stepper motors further blurs the line between choosing a servo or stepper motor for a given axis. While adding some complexity for the end user in terms of product selection, the tradeoff is a better fit in terms of price and performance. Closed-loop stepper systems provide greater acceleration rates, more torque, and higher overall system accuracy than conventional, open-loop step motor systems, while retaining most of the cost advantage compared to servo motors. Additionally, the inclusion of multi-turn, absolute encoders; functional safety features like Safe Torque Off (STO); and on-board industrial Ethernet networking, are keeping stepper motors relevant for many machine builders.

DUNKERMOTOREN

The main trend we see is that customers want to ensure availability of stepper motors independent of global restrictions or trade barriers.

Dunkermotoren is offering a new range of NEMA steppers which are designed and manufactured in Europe. We have the ability to combine these steppers with gearboxes and well as feedback devices for an economical servo system substitute.

WHAT ABOUT TRENDS IN THE USE OF BRUSHED MOTORS? DUNKERMOTOREN

We see a high demand for brush-type motors, which are robust and simple in commissioning. Our product improvements have focused on increased power density, high environmental protection classes, longer life and suitable controllers.

JAMES GALLANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS • ISL PRODUCTS

We’ve seen a significant uptick in brushed motor usage for a variety of applications. As more applications and processes become automated, brushed motors and gear motors are the most cost-effective option.

WHAT KINDS OF CAPABILITIES DO YOUR COMPONENTS OR ENGINEERED DESIGNS INCORPORATE TO SUPPORT FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) OR THE INDUSTRIAL IOT? ERIC RICE APPLIED MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.

The central tenet of the Industrial IoT is connectivity between devices, from the simplest sensor to the most sophisticated machine controller.

Motion control solutions must provide this connectivity to the system designer as well. To support users we offer a range of industrial Ethernet protocols to choose from when using our motors and drives. Major protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, EtherCAT, and Profinet are supported directly by the motor and drive, with no gateway or protocol conversion needed between the axis and the network.

DUNKERMOTOREN

Like many field-level components, Dunkermotoren drives are becoming increasingly intelligent. Dunkermotoren uses its many years of experience in smart motor solutions and customer applications to offer suitable IIoT solutions based on these - without customers having to worry about connecting and analyzing motors. The software provided for Edge takes on the function of connecting the various motors to the

ISL Products offers an intuitive “DC Motor and Gear Motor Selection Guide” that allows users to find the optimal motion control components for your application.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS cloud or providing data for customer applications. At the same time, a device cloud is currently being created that will function as a remote platform independent of location. This enables analytical functions such as the prediction of failure probabilities and remote firmware downloads.

JAKE HATZFELD APPLICATIONS ENGINEER • ISL PRODUCTS

We have the capability to incorporate various controllability methods such as encoders and hall effect sensors to allow the motor to be controlled and monitored by other components within the IoT.

HAS YOUR COMPANY SEEN INCREASED ACTIVITY OR DEMAND FROM CUSTOMERS IN ANY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES OR APPLICATION AREAS? ERIC RICE APPLIED MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.

Warehouse and fulfillment automation is growing rapidly with a surge in ecommerce. The trend of ecommerce was already rising steadily when the coronavirus pandemic accelerated that rise significantly.

Warehouse and fulfillment centers are working hard to keep up with the trend, which is translating into the development and use of more automation in various areas. We are seeing increased activity in mobile robots, automated storage and retrieval systems, end-of-line packaging machinery, and equipment that augments human labor such as semiautomatic baggers.

DUNKERMOTOREN

There is a strong increasing demand for online orders across all industries. More and more warehouse automation is used in logistics and package handling. Our smart motors with integrated electronics and the hub style gearboxes are used for AGVs. There is also a trend for more automation in the agricultural section due to the rapid global population growth. We see similar trends in the medical sector, not only for direct patient care but also in various medicine delivery systems and pharmaceutical automation.

light technology to eradicate unwanted pathogens and viruses that may be found in the air, surface, and water applications. This technology has existed for decades, but we have seen a drastic spike as of last year where many companies and start-ups are involving themselves in the use of these light waves. We have found UV robotics boom in many applications such as healthcare, sports, commercial, and residential. This, in my opinion, has been one of the most fascinating technologies to arise in the past year.

DUNKERMOTOREN

Dunkermotoren products have been known in the medical industry for many years in diagnostic and direct patient care. Through the pandemic we also had the chance to deliver our products for PPE production.

Our sister company MAE in Italy manufactures the perfect product for respirators in the treatment of Covid patients with our advanced BLDC blower technologies.

DO YOU OFFER ANY SELECTOR, SIZING, OR SALES SOFTWARE TO CUSTOMERS? OR ANY VALUE-ADD SERVICES OR IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OEMS OR CUSTOMERS? ALSO, HOW ARE THESE TOOLS CHANGING HOW DESIGN ENGINEERING IS DONE? ERIC RICE APPLIED MOTION PRODUCTS, INC.

One of the most important services we offer to OEMs has always been our motion control expertise, which we offer as a free service to complement our motion control products. Our team of motion control experts originates in California and spreads out across the United States. This means we can offer local expertise and support to our OEM customers, wherever they are located. This is not something every supplier can provide, especially overseas suppliers with limited personnel in the US. Sometimes this support is something as simple as assistance with product selection. Other times it means the development of a custom product that is tailored to the OEM’s exact requirements. Approximately 1/3 of the products we ship every year are customized to fit an OEM application.

HAS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IMPACTED YOUR BUSINESS IN ANY DUNKERMOTOREN With our Dunkermotoren online configuration tool, we are offering the SIGNIFICANT WAYS? possibility to easily configure motors, controllers, gearboxes, brakes and MARIA ROJAS MECHANICAL ENGINEER • ISL PRODUCTS

ISL Products has been successful during this difficult time with our adaptation to relevant industries that would help combat the spread of COVID-19. Although we have been involved with countless industries for many years, we have seen a particular spike in the robotics industry as well as the HVAC industry. Due to the work-from-home mandates and limited occupancies in offices worldwide, the use of robotics has allowed for production to remain continuous especially in industrial applications.

We have seen many new innovations in this industry.

As of more recently, we have also been seeing more hybrid technologies involving the robotics and HVAC industries. The coronavirus outbreak was an unavoidable topic of 2020 and we here at ISL wanted to do our part in combatting the spread of the virus.

We have been working closely with companies involved in disinfection and purification technologies. We have seen a trend on the use of UV-C

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encoders. Technical data sheets and 3D models of combinations can easily be generated – that supports engineers to find solutions quickly. Whenever needed, a human consultant is available for chat online. And for our OEM customers we do offer also on-site consultation and commissioning.

JAMES GALLANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS • ISL PRODUCTS

We offer value-added electo-mechanical components that are designed to meet each customer’s specific requirements. We understand that not all applications are the same, so we work with you to design components that are unique to your application. We do this by working within the confines of pre-existing designs, no NRE fees! Our all new “DC Motor / Gear Motor Selection Guide” is a quick and streamlined way for our customers to spec out their exact requirements. Our entire RFQ process has been automated and digitalized to ensure a quick response time.

motioncontroltips.com

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

MORE INTEGRATION IN LINEAR MOTION DESIGNS THERE ARE

many intertwining trends driving developments in the

broad field of linear motion systems – from the push for more integrated systems to new applications incorporating linear motion components to better performance and efficiency. Not to mention the coronavirus pandemic, which has touched every facet of life including manufacturing. We surveyed some leading linear motion manufacturers about trends in the industry, and this is what they told us.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE INCREASINGLY COMMON PROCESS FOR OUTSOURCING THE DESIGN OF MOTION SUBASSEMBLIES SUCH AS STAGES, GANTRIES, AND XY TABLES? EMERSON FLORENT ORGET, PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, ACTUATORS AT FLUID CONTROL & PNEUMATICS

The demands on handling systems are rising while design and construction times are crunched. Outsourcing the design of motion assemblies can help meet those demands while saving engineering time and costs. For example, Emerson’s AVENTICSTM Series Easy-2-Combine Interface is a standardized mounting interface that simplifies machine design and construction. Easy to operate, the interface makes it possible to combine mini slide, rodless cylinders and rotary modules into multiaxis systems without additional connection plates.

BOSCH REXROTH RICHARD VAUGHN – AUTOMATION ENGINEERING MANAGER

Over the past 5 to 10 years, machine builders have transitioned from buying linear components to buying more completed modules. This allows these customers to buy one part number from one source as a solution as opposed to multiple part numbers from various venders.

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The IMScompact measuring system from Bosch Rexroth fully integrates the measuring sensor in the runner block, saving installation space.

SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

With regards to outsourcing motion subassemblies there are several options that make this a worthwhile decision on the customers’ part.

When seeking lowest total cost of ownership, using an experienced partner not only can save critical internal resources but also uses the experience and knowledge of the engineering teams.

This also ensures correct sizing controls the actual cost of the products. It can also protect the customer from overpaying for the product and helps keep them at a competitive market price. Plus, life calculations will drive the company’s safety and warranty guidelines. It will also allow for proper understanding of the ongoing maintenance requirement relating to lubrication and installation techniques.

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LINEAR MOTION ARE YOU SEEING AN INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR MINIATURIZATION OR INTEGRATION OF FEEDBACK DEVICES IN LINEAR COMPONENTS? SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

Miniaturization is a focus in those applications requiring smaller, space saving linear motion components. We now offer a new 5-mm linear guide, with applications in the semiconductor and life sciences fields.

Feedback devices are in many applications as tighter accuracies are expected. Positioning scales ground onto the rail or bonded to the side of the profile rail offer more accurate readings and higher tolerances than traditional encoders located on the rear shaft of the motor or others. Glass scales have many issues from protection in dirty environments to expensive costs. Schneeberger offers our optical Miniscale system and AMS Magnetic Monorail guide

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which are integrated into the rails which offer reduced instillation time, greater accuracies, less maintenance and longer life.

NIPPON PULSE ALLIE KUESTER

Absolutely, the linear shaft motor technology decreases size and increases power per square inch for linear motion due to its efficiency of magnet utilization.

BOSCH REXROTH VOLKER DESCH – VP LINEAR MOTION TECHNOLOGY

Integration of feedback devices has become more common in linear components, an example of this would be the IMS-C. With IMS-C, there is no additional measuring device required. Traditionally, the measuring device is difficult to add because of the machine alignment, but IMS-C makes this seamless with the sensor integrating into the runner block.

3 • 2021

EMERSON FLORENT ORGET, PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, ACTUATORS AT FLUID CONTROL & PNEUMATICS

We are seeing an increased demand, like for our AVENTICS SM6-AL distance measuring sensors. With a measurement precision of ± 0.1 mm, SM6-AL distance measuring sensors ensure the reliability of processes and precision in automation applications. A control element on the sensor allows for intuitive setting of the zero point and variable selection of the distance measurement range.

ARE YOU SEEING ANY RECENT DESIGN TRENDS IN LINEAR GUIDES, SLIDES, AND WAYS? BOSCH REXROTH VOLKER DESCH – VP LINEAR MOTION TECHNOLOGY Yes. One trend we’re seeing is that customers are looking to purchase components in a bundle instead of individual parts. This offers a more complete solution to their needs than

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS the individual parts. An example of this would be the Smart Function Kit, which includes not only the mechanical components, but also the electrical hardware and software, ready for integration.

Schneeberger’s MINISLIDE MSQscale combines guiding and measuring functions, in the form of an incremental optical measuring system, in an integrated design.

SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

After 22 years and over 11 million guide carriages we have supplied, Schneeberger is constantly improving and increasing customer satisfaction in our product offerings. Some of the changes we have implemented are focused on the following improvements; longer life, less maintenance, decreased lubrication interval, lower friction, smoother motion and ultimately lower cost to our customer base.

BOSCH REXROTH VOLKER DESCH – VP LINEAR MOTION TECHNOLOGY

• Serviceability: Our newly designed carriages are equipped with doublelipped wipers all around. This new version is easy to service, especially on older versions: After first removing the steel front plate, the cross wipers can be exchanged by pulling them up and over the rail in an axial direction.

• Application-oriented lubricant distribution - configuration visible from outside pressure-tight lubrication channels - lubrication at standstill shock resistance • Rigidity-optimized carriage steel body • Sturdiness: A robust front panel made of stainless-steel, stable fastened front panels, and an advanced double-lipped cross-wiper offer exceptional smooth running characteristics.

HAS YOUR COMPANY SEEN INCREASED ACTIVITY OR DEMAND FROM CUSTOMERS IN ANY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES OR APPLICATION AREAS? NIPPON PULSE ALLIE KUESTER

The largest growth area has been in the field of life sciences. However, we’ve also seen growth in moving high amounts of load in food processing and conveyor systems. There is also demand for high-precision motion for optics on COVID digital pathology imagers as well as for scanning ultrasonic heads for semiconductor wafer fabrication.

SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

Emerging markets like life sciences and medical are growing exponentially, due to the COVID pandemic along with the baby-boomer generation. This should continue in the coming years and are focused markets for Schneeberger. We have built a brand-new plant for these products to enhance our capacities in order to support this industry.

Another faster growing market is 3D additive manufacturing and bio-printing. To address the demands of these market segments, Schneeberger has designed and engineered products to address these requirements. Smaller, faster and smoother movement along with less vibration are a few factors that are required in this fast-paced market.

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We saw increases in need for semiconductor products and medical products. In the semiconductor industry, electric vehicles and other devices continue to have need in this area. Additionally, medical automation saw an increase due to needs from the coronavirus and engineering responding accordingly.

SPEAKING OF THE CORONAVIRUS, HAS THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED YOUR BUSINESS IN ANY SIGNIFICANT WAYS? NIPPON PULSE ALLIE KUESTER

COVID 19 has effected many business in many ways although due to the many life science applications and NPA providing increased product solutions it has balanced out slowing businesses in other fields.

SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

The Pandemic has obviously impacted all companies globally. Many industries like machine tool have been affected negatively but other industries as mentioned, have doubled or even tripled in volume.

Schneeberger has always been a primary vendor for many of these companies, which have required a shift in our manufacturing to address the need for increased capacity.

BOSCH REXROTH RICHARD VAUGHN – AUTOMATION ENGINEERING MANAGER

Although business slowed in some areas, we saw increases in the needs of the semiconductor industry and medical industry. Areas most affected were automotive, machine tools, and aerospace.

EMERSON FLORENT ORGET, PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, ACTUATORS AT FLUID CONTROL & PNEUMATICS

Absolutely. As an essential manufacturer, we’re dedicated to supporting the critical infrastructure industries we serve, both in the fight against COVID-19 and those that provide the essentials people need worldwide. For example, we’ve expedited our Series G3 Fieldbus electronics and Series 502 valve systems to help our customers increase face mask production. motioncontroltips.com

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LINEAR MOTION Show to online learning resources, we’re finding new ways to keep our customers informed, connected and educated during the pandemic.

Monorails from Schneeberger with high rigidity, large dynamic and static load carrying capacity, and high-running smoothness with a completely sealed carriage are seen here in a robotics application.

We saw an immediate and significant increase in demand from our customers and OEMs who manufacture breathing therapy products including portable oxygen concentrators and ventilators. We produce a series of miniature instrument level valves for analytical and medical equipment predominately in the manufacturing of oxygen therapy devices. Demand for our Branson ultrasonic welders that are used in the manufacturing of PPE also significantly increased. In addition, we have and still are receiving calls from OEMs for our Branson laser, pulsetaking and ultrasonic plastic welders used in the material joining of medical grade plastics in a vast variety of patient care products ranging from microfluidic devices to in-vitro diagnostic tests, infusion pumps to syringes.

To ensure the safety of our employees and customers, we’ve transformed the ways we engage. From the virtual Emerson Road

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

DO YOU OFFER ANY SELECTOR, SIZING, OR SALES SOFTWARE TO CUSTOMERS, AND HOW HAVE THESE TOOLS CHANGED HOW DESIGN ENGINEERING IS DONE? ANY VALUE-ADD SERVICES OR IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OEMS OR CUSTOMERS? SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

Schneeberger has over the past 95 years focused its priorities on sizing and calculating proper products for our customers. We offer a sizing and selection software program along with many online tools that provide our customers with the most updated information to help in their design process. The value add is our ability to cross sell products allowing our customers to rely on us as part of their installation process and in many cases save time and money. When a customer has a pain point in their design criteria, they often call on our engineering team to assist and evaluate problems and then offer various solutions.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS BOSCH REXROTH VOLKER DESCH – VP LINEAR MOTION TECHNOLOGY From the beginning of the customer journey, we offer sizing, selection, and configuration tools across all products. We offer different software options like LinSelect and LMD (Linear Motion Designer). The next trend here is eliminating software for commissioning, as the Smart Function Kit for pressing already offers software.

EMERSON FLORENT ORGET, PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, ACTUATORS AT FLUID CONTROL & PNEUMATICS

Interactive online tools are common ways manufacturers aim to simplify design.

For instance, Emerson’s CylinderFinder helps users find the perfect cylinder for their application by describing their application in terms of loads, cycle times, system pressure, mounting orientation and more. CylinderFinder provides recommended cylinder sizes and versions that meet those parameters. What’s more, results can be filtered out to consider the environmental requirement of the application, like working temperature, corrosion resistance, plus recommended valve sizes and hose dimensions.

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The free Emerson CylinderFinder is an interactive online tool that helps users find the perfect cylinder for their application. To use the tool, users describe their intended application in terms of loads, cycle times, system pressure, mounting orientation and more. Then, CylinderFinder provides recommended cylinder sizes and versions that meet those parameters. Results can be filtered out to consider the environmental requirement of the application, like working temperature, corrosion resistance, plus recommended valve sizes and hose dimensions. By simplifying pneumatic cylinder selection (it searches 18 product series with a total of 1,700 possible cylinder variations), users can confidently get the most appropriate cylinder they need the first time, saving time and money. We have other free calculation tools, including air consumption calculators, available online, too.

WHAT ABOUT ANY PROGRAMS IN TRAINING OR E-LEARNING THAT YOU USE OR HAVE DEVELOPED FOR INTERNAL USE OR THAT AID CUSTOMERS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS? SCHNEEBERGER ROSS BLUMENTHAL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES AND MARKETING

Schneeberger has internal e-learning and internal training programs for our staff and external sales group. Our internal sales, engineering, customer service and manufacturing representative teams are constantly being trained and updated on various product improvements and services to better assist our customers.

Additionally, we offer our customers several programs such as nocost webinars, lunch and learns, and engineering support for their R&D and design teams.

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BOSCH REXROTH RICHARD VAUGHN – AUTOMATION ENGINEERING MANAGER

Yes, we have internal tools for training and e-learning. We believe that these tools are important for understanding and use of different products. For some of our component products, we have YouTube videos available online of product how-to’s that are available to the public.

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WWW.DESIGNWORLDONLINE.COM/MC2

CURATED COLLECTION OF COUPLINGS REFERENCES COUPLINGS IN

the context of design engineering are mechanical components that connect

rotating shafts in equipment powered by electric motors and other drives. All transmit torque and angular velocity.

For power transmission (as in motors for pumps and large materialhandling setups) common choices are gear, disc, elastomeric tire, grid, jaw, and Oldham couplings because of their ruggedness and ability to

FORMS OF LOST MOTION AND THEIR EFFECTS UNDER INCREASED LOAD

• Couplings for PT and motion designs: Technical summary • What do you know about gear gouplings?

• Flexible-coupling considerations for OEM motion-control designs • What are bellows couplings? Technical summary • How to size and select bellows couplings for motion applications • Nine considerations when picking servo couplings • Six factors to remember about couplings in a motion system

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transmit very large torques.

Motion-control applications (with axes employed in precise positioning of loads, for example) typically employ couplings capable of oft-more modest but far more precise torque transmission. These include courtesy Ruland Mfg. curved-jaw, beam (slit), bellows, disc, and other zero-backlash couplings.

Now in a new MC2 installment at designworldonline.com/couplings-motion-control-classroom, Design World has collected information from the Design World library about these two major classes of mechanical couplings. Topics include:

A major function of all couplings — both motion control and power transmission — is to address misalignment. However, the tackling of misalignment in motion applications while concurrently delivering precision motion or controllable positioning with the electric-motor mode of actuation requires careful design work. Any misalignment that couplings accommodate should be what’s otherwise unavoidable even after proper machine-axis squaring and installation adjustments. Flexible couplings for motion control are often less forgiving of misalignment than those for more straightforward power transmission … and rely on specialty design features to resolve misalignment.

Read more about this topic at designworldonline.com/couplingsmotion-control-classroom. Also be sure to access other MC2 installments at designworldonline.com/MC2.

3 • 2021

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

Precision ground ball screws, such as those manufactured by Dynatect, feature high precision, repeatability, and lead accuracy.

SCREWS SEE NEW APPLICATIONS A NUMBER

of trends continue to drive developments in screw actuators. For instance, developments

in screw materials and manufacturing methods have boosted ball screw performance, leading to greater load densities with higher load capacities. On the design front, more designers/engineers are looking for customized designs, but screw manufacturers are also offering more integrated designs, which can be seen in all-in-one packages such as ball-

changes and saving money by reconditioning used ball screws. This reconditioning approach, complemented by new ball screws, creates a cycle where replacement ball screw inventory can be less expensive.

Dynatect, for one, is seeing more spindle-rebuilders/onsitemachine-rebuilders who previously declined to address ball screws, seeking to partner with the company to repair or refurbish so they can provide a comprehensive portfolio of services to their customers. While Dynatect provides ball screws across a wide size spectrum, it’s the long and large-diameter ball screws that draw unique applications. The

screw-based linear actuators, which can reduce design time and simplify assembly. And as these new offerings continue, ball screws are being adopted into new applications, such as some medical applications.

One manufacturer of precision ground ball screws, Dynatect, has seen an increased interest in replacing ACME ball screws with precision ground ball screws when refurbishing and upgrading older machining equipment to modern CNC technology/precision. Some of the benefits of upgrading include more precise and repeatable positioning with low backlash and minimal dead-band associated with precision ground ball screws. There’s also increased efficiency using ball screws that can result in smaller sized drive motors.

Plus, more industries are focusing on increasing the uptime of their machine tools. In many cases this includes migrating from run-tofailure on ball screws to a more proactive approach with more frequent

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Friction-slip clutches like the Dynatect Polyclutch series shown here are finding uses in medical devices such as blood centrifuge machines. motioncontroltips.com

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

Package delivery vehicles, which have experienced increased demand with home delivery growing during the pandemic, often use aluminum slatted roll up doors combined with drop-in prepackaged designs.

company recently manufactured precision ground ball screws that are 67 ft long for precise positioning in a military aerospace application. Wood routing machines, coil winding, and large machining centers have also seen an uptick in demand.

Dynatect has also seen an uptick in many pandemic-related applications. For instance, one perhaps obvious area is medical devices, particularly ones that use slip clutches including blood centrifuge machines, feeding machines, and medication dispensing machines. There’s also increased demand for specialty bellows meeting medical requirements of being anti-microbial and cleanable applied to respirators, diagnostic equipment, and patient beds.

Other applications include package delivery vehicles, which have experienced explosive demand with home delivery increasing. These often use aluminum slatted roll up doors combined with drop-in prepackaged designs. But also, companies are using the pandemic time to invest in automation applications, especially automotive and Tier 1 suppliers. This continues to present strong demand with material handling, robotic applications, palletizing, and end of line processes.

More broadly, Dynatect reports that the coronavirus pandemic has created much larger swings in both demand and capacity. The orders from their customers have become more irregular as they are trying to urgently react to their own uptime/consumption in a

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dynamic environment. On their end, the company has more tightly engaged their supply chain with pro-active purchasing to buffer against extended lead times.

The intermittent lighter order periods have also freed up their staff to evaluate work flow, machine maintenance, and even expanding the capabilities of certain equipment so they’re better prepared to handle future high/variable demand while minimizing lead-time impact.

Another pandemic-related development is that, recognizing that more customers are working remotely, Dynatect has further invested in their online resources with updated content including significant expansion of video.

The company also recently developed an online CAD configurator for their cable carrier offering so that engineers can select and design their own metal or plastic cable carrier. Regardless of what time customers are working, the CAD drawing are downloadable in 22 different formats to immediately drop into their designs.

Along those same lines, Dynatect, like other manufacturers, has increased their investment in product quoting configurators built into their ERP system. These allow their inside sales staff to quote a wider variety of custom products without engineering involvement. Similarly, they’ve invested in an online product/application knowledge database covering 90 major products, with author-users across their engineering, inside- and outside-sales teams.

3 • 2021

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

The EXCM mini planar surface gantry from Festo integrates a number of actuation methods, including a recirculating toothed belt moved by two electric motors, as well as a pneumatic slide.

RESILIENT PNEUMATICS KEEP PACE WITH CHANGING DEMANDS PNEUMATIC ACTUATION

has long been a tried-and-true

motion method in many industries and applications. But today’s pneumatics companies are not your grandfather’s pneumatics – they are changing along with broader industrial and manufacturing trends, and continue to evolve their product offerings in line with new industry demands.

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Fluid power actuation, like pneumatics, is not going away. But it is evolving. Case in point; servo pneumatics. As Frank Langro, Director of Product Market Management for Pneumatic Automation at Festo North America, points out, “the servo pneumatic application range has narrowed as the cost and ease-of-use of servo electrics has become more economical.” He cites the company’s Simplified Motion Series of low-cost electric actuators as an example of electric motion becoming interchangeable with pneumatics in simple two and three position applications.

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PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS DGST mini slides from Festo feature precise roller bearing guides.

Still, proportional pneumatic solutions are not going away. As Langro points out, “servo press, for example, is an area where servo pneumatics deliver the price and performance that is ideal for the application.

Intelligent pneumatics such as the Festo flexible valve VTEM, which changes functionality via downloadable apps, utilizes servo pneumatic control in a host of various ways to provide OEMs with new solutions for improved performance.”

Pneumatics manufacturers are also seeing changing demand from different industries.

Tim Sharkey, Director of Product Market Management for Electric Automation at Festo North America, says that he’s seen warehouse and distribution centers pushing the automation envelope. “Some of the motion innovations developed for warehouse/distribution will be useful in other applications benefiting from smart, flexible material handling and mobile automation,” says Sharkey. Examples of other applications include meat processing, especially with the effects of the coronavirus impacting worker density and the need to increase space between workers. The farm industry may also be on the cusp of further automation, although some significant technology hurdles remain, including motion, vision, AI, and cost issues.

There is also increased demand for miniaturization and even integration of feedback devices into many linear components, especially with the trend toward smart manufacturing. “Smart manufacturing implies that more information about the machine’s condition and operation is available,” says Langro. “With the Festo

HANDLING THE PANDEMIC The coronavirus pandemic has impacted every business in one way or another. We asked how the pandemic has effected Festo’s business and here’s what they told us.

COVID-19 has dramatically changed our presales process. We simply cannot visit customers and introduce them to new products the way we practiced pre-COVID-19. This is a challenging situation for field sales and applications engineers. We will have to develop new, effective means of serving customers during the new machine R&D cycle.

Frank Langro, Director of Product Market Management for Pneumatic Automation at Festo North America To Tim’s point about the difficulty of introducing new products to customers, online design tools, which were already important pre-COVID-19, will become even more so. Within these tools, the newest solutions can be seamlessly integrated and introduced as well as describing new capabilities. Suppliers that offer an intuitive online design and ordering environment will gain a competitive advantage not only for themselves, but also for their OEM and end user customers. With Festo’s Handling Guide Online, for example, OEMs can design and order a single-axis system, linear gantry, planar surface gantry, or three-dimensional gantry in about 20 minutes. At the end of the design session, they will have a quotation for the system and CAD drawings. The pandemic served to speed up the trend toward the use and development of online parameterization tools.

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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3 • 2021

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

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SDAT position transmitter, for example, the controller has data on the actual distance traveled by the cylinder. Minute changes in the length of extension may indicate that the cylinder requires maintenance or replacement, a part may be damaged, or the part does not meet quality specifications.”

Smart manufacturing capabilities like these contrast with a situation where there is no insight into a manufacturing process. Here, for instance, a maintenance technician at the end of a shift may have to examine a bad batch of product, trying to determine the root cause of a failure. With smart manufacturing, greater insight into processes can improve competitiveness.

What’s more, there’s a trend toward an increased demand for absolute encoders, spotlighting one of their key advantages; “during a power loss or with an external force applied, the system is capable of moving the load.

The servo system will already know its position rather than performing a homing routine,” notes Sharkey.

The addition of a linear feedback device on the actuator plus one on the motor is another important development trend, Sharkey points out. The actuator-mounted device forms an outer feedback loop that can help detect a failure in the motor coupling or a break in the drive belt. By monitoring both the motor encoder and the feedback device on the actuator, an OEM will have redundant positioning feedback that can help ensure that the system is functioning properly. Feedback on the actuator, as well as on the motor, achieves higher positioning resolution and accuracy.

Furthermore, simply reading the position of the linear system on the motor fails to consider any backlash from the coupling, belt, or ball screw. “Festo, for example, developed a belt actuator that has an integrated linear feedback device,” adds RIAL Sharkey. “This actuator provides 2.5 microns MATE of resolution and it gives OEMs the speed, low cost, and simplicity of a belt actuator with the precision of a more expensive and maintenance-intensive ball screw.”

There is also a move towards outsourcing the design of certain motion subassemblies, such as stages, gantries and X-Y tables. The reasons for outsourcing include economic and performance advantages, not to mention lowering risk.

As Sharkey points out, “purchasing a motion subassembly frees the OEM to focus on its core competencies. For example, an OEM in the high-throughput biological-sample screening market is freer to explore the biology of high-speed screening when it does not have to allocate resources to developing a mechatronic system for handling sample vials. Subassembly suppliers are likewise incentivized to develop ever more effective SORBOTHANE® stages, gantries, and XY tables. It is a win-win MADE IN THE U.S.A. for both OEM and supplier.”

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SPE AND REAL-TIME DATA TOP THE NEEDS FOR QUICK CONNECTIVITY FOR CABLE

manufacturers, trends toward faster and more compact systems continue to reign. Suppliers

to motion control systems, such as Helukabel, respond with cables for industrial automation that can transmit data in real time.

“We supply multiple motor manufacturers worldwide with feedback and signal cables in all variations — stationary, continuous flex and torsion rated. In distributed motion control we carry a wide range of products for that market, which includes Industrial Ethernet, PROFIBUS and PROFINET, Mod Bus, CC-Link, DeviceNet and CAN bus to name a few. Our latest offering is ISOBUS for use with trackers and their implements in the agriculture industry. We support various system architectures that are designed for use with Rockwell, Siemens, Schneider, Danaher, SEW, Lenze and many others,” said Neal Allen, Vice President of Engineering.

Additionally, the company has begun to manufacture Category 6 cables with combined power and data conductors, as well as hybrid I/O cables, said Gordon Post, Regional Sales Manager – Michigan.

When it comes to the IIoT and increasingly networked manufacturing, Horst Messerer, Product Manager – Data, Network, Bus, said that the general trend is faster acceleration and higher speed with more bending cycles. “Also, more small machines are requiring cables with smaller bending radius or lightweight constructions, e.g. single pair Ethernet, where only one pair of conductors is required to transmit data up to 1Gbit depending on cable constriction and transmission length.

Messerer noted that new mating interface standards, such as ix Industrial and SPE, are the latest connectivity standards shaping the market. For example, Post added that there is growing interest in Helukabel’s TOPSERV PUR Hybrid, which is the company’s offering for single cable motion control applications that require the use of servo motors.

“Smaller sockets on the devices allowing smaller PCBs mean less material and smaller housings,” Messerer said. “Additionally, both of motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

them provide better protection against vibration compared with the traditional RJ45 connectors. In the case of SPE, the cable will have only one pair which will reduce weight, and provide smaller bending radius due to the reduction in materials used.”

Over the past few years, the need for hybrid cables has continued to grow, where data and power/control is combined in one cable (onecable solution or technology). “In the past all drive manufacturers had two cables: one for data and one for power. Today, all new motion control systems are using Ethernet protocols, which is allowing for the transmission of data in real-time. In the past they used either analog or bus technology, which is not capabilities to transmit in real-time," Messerer said.

"Furthermore, there is a clear trend to halogen-free solutions where there is less fume or toxicity compared to PVC compounds. Finally, the theme of being able to recycle compounds is coming more and more into play.”

Helukabel | www.helukabel.com

HELUKABEL TOPSERV Hybrid combines the existing power and feedback cables into a single cable.

3 • 2021

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

33

IP67 RATED

I/O SYSTEM FIELD A MODERN APPROACH TO IP67 RATED DISTRIBUTED I/O • • • •

Fieldbus Communications – PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, Modbus, IO-Link IIoT Protocols – MQTT, OPC UA, HTTP(S), Bluetooth Integrated Load Management – Monitor power consumption, set alarms, and adjust output current Ready for the Future – Made for TSN

www.wago.us/systemfield

IO Field Ad.indd 1

2/5/21 2:17 PM

IIoT: NETWORKING, CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES

PC-BASED CONTROLLERS ENABLE EASY IoT CONNECTIVITY, PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE RATHER THAN

traditional standalone

systems, modern motion systems are integrated into the overall machine environment, making for easier connectivity and IoT implementations.

Here, Daymon Thompson, U.S. Software Product Manager and Sree Swarna Gutta, U.S. I/O Product Manager, Beckhoff Automation LLC, weigh in on how their technologies are enabling this transition.

1. WHAT EDGE DEVICES DO YOU SUPPLY OR SUPPORT TO ALLOW FOR USE OF FEEDBACK SIGNALS OR DISTRIBUTED MOTION CONTROL? DAYMON THOMPSON: Any Beckhoff machine controller with motion control capability can be very easily and quickly configured to process feedback signals, status and many other pieces of information locally. They can also send this valuable data to another edge device or directly to the cloud. Any of these devices also support distributed motion control, even across multiple controllers using real-time protocols such as EtherCAT, EtherCAT Automation Protocol (EAP) or other real-time publishersubscriber (pub/sub) mechanisms.

2. HAVE YOU BEGUN TO SELL (OR SEEN USE OF) GATEWAYS TO GIVE NEW AND LEGACY EQUIPMENT MORE CONNECTIVITY? SREE SWARNA GUTTA: Beckhoff supports more than 30 different fieldbus systems. This helps

customers connect with legacy devices, especially in brownfield sites. A single Beckhoff controller can even act as sort of a “Swiss Army Knife” of protocols.

The controller could serve as a gateway to legacy protocols, such as DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, Modbus, Serial, CANopen, etc., to modern IoT protocols, including MQTT, AMQP and HTTPS/REST, and industrial Ethernet protocols like EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and so on.

Also, I/O devices like IoT bus couplers give customers the flexibility to add new technology to existing machines without having to do a complete redesign. For example, engineers could add the EK9160 IoT Bus Coupler from Beckhoff directly to the I/O segment and establish communication via a simple configuration page rather than programming. Combined with new sensors to collect power, vibration or other data, this retrofitting for IoT strategy could add completely new optimization and predictive maintenance capabilities to existing machines without having to change the existing controls.

3. DO YOU OFFER ANY NEW I/O OPTIONS?

Beckhoff offers a full line of high-end measurement modules that are well suited to motion applications. Traditionally, high-end measurement modules were limited to test and lab environments, partially because of their high price points. In particular, the new ELM series delivers high-resolution and high-accuracy data measurement on an industrial machine through affordable, compact, EtherCAT-integrated modules. With machine builders moving more toward predictive maintenance, the need for data collection is more important

Modern motion systems, including those for advanced mechatronic technologies like XPlanar, are fully incorporated into the main TwinCAT software environment, making it easier to add IoT capabilities for performance optimization or predictive maintenance. motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

3 • 2021

High-end measurement modules, including the Beckhoff ELM series, allow machine builders and end users to collect better data for predictive maintenance, performance optimization and more. than ever. Any data analysis is only as good as the quality of data you can collect. With the Beckhoff high-end measurement modules, machine builders and end users can collect a wide range of data at up to 50 ksps at 24-bit resolution and 100 ppm accuracy.

4. HOW ARE THE IIoT AND INCREASINGLY NETWORKED MANUFACTURING PROMPTING CHANGES IN THE WAY MOTION SYSTEMS ARE INSTALLED? DAYMON THOMPSON: Using PC-based control, modern motion systems are no longer seen as standalone platforms. Today, wide-ranging motor and drive technologies are fully integrated with the overall machine control environment. This integrated approach enables simple configuration for enhanced vertical connectivity and IIoT implementations. As such, engineers have to consider not only the capabilities of the individual components but also the automation software that enables a fully integrated engineering and runtime. Users should seek out software platforms that can handle as much of the programming as possible under one roof – including, PLC, motion control, safety, HMI, measurement and monitoring, machine vision and, of course, IoT.

Beckhoff Automation LLC | beckhoff.com/ethercat beckhoff.com/industrie40 DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

35

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS The semiconductor industry that Hine Automation serves is poised for strong incremental growth as the demand for artificial intelligence accelerates. Shown here is the SL-200C Vacuum Cassette-to-Cassette-Wafer Handling System that employs the Concentric Maxi Torque assemblies.

WAFER-HANDLING MACHINE USES SPECIALLY CLAMPING BELT-PULLEY AND BUSHING ASSEMBLY IN ONE

recent machine redesign, Florida-based machine builder Hine Automation added precision

engineered pulley-bushing assemblies to their SL-200C Vacuum Cassette-to-Cassette-Wafer Handling System for a boost in performance. This machine’s function is to transfer silicon wafers from a wafer cassette to a wafer process module under vacuum.

The moves are commanded by computer controls.

Shown here are Concentric Maxi Torque assemblies from Custom Machine and Tool Co., Inc. 36

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

08 Belts & pulleys CMT story with Hine Automation LE — MC HB 03-21 V3.indd 36

Hine Automation specializes in building modular and versatile designs for thin-film automation and serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the semiconductor, solar, flat-panel display, and related industries worldwide.

3 • 2021

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

4/9/21 2:03 PM

CMT - MC HB 03-21.indd 37

4/9/21 4:04 PM

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS Hine’s forward-thinking philosophy lets their engineers proactively seek out new and innovative (as well as cost-effective) ways to improve their products and enhance customer-service flexibility.

Shown here is a detail of the axis inside the SL-200C that uses the Concentric Maxi Torque assemblies.

Within the SL-200C, the new pulley-bushing assemblies operate on an axis that horizontally moves a robot arm that transfers the silicon wafers into the machine’s process module.

The pulley-bushing assemblies are Concentric Maxi Torque assemblies from Custom Machine and Tool Co., Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of precision timing pulleys, drive systems, and other motion-system components.

Here’s how the mechanical design works: Custom Machine and Tool Co., Inc. sells the pulley and bushing together as an assembly. A mechanical shrink fit clamps down on the shaft via a setscrew axial to the shaft — which serves as a lever to force the tapered bushing into the matching taper in the hub. As the lever forces the two tapers together, the slot in the bushing compresses, thus clamping the pulley to the shaft with a mechanical shrink fit.

If needed, that same setscrew can be removed and used in the bushing’s opposite hole to act as a jack — releasing the shrink fit and allowing for removal or repositioning.

Hine Automation holds sacrosanct their long-standing commitment to strong relationships with their OEM customers.

Close collaboration from the design phase to manufacturing ensures fast delivery — usually within an eight to 12-week window. Their robotic components’ quality environments satisfy a wide range of needs … including everything from flexible R&D to stringent manufacturing environments.

HOW THE COMPONENT SUPPLIER AND MACHINE BUILDER CONNECTED

Hine Automation regularly exhibits at and attends industry conferences and tradeshows to explore new opportunities to innovate. At one such event, Hine engineers discovered the potential afforded by the Concentric Maxi Torque System — to be a real gamechanger by eliminating backlash. Before this encounter, Hine’s vacuum load-lock machines had a pulley on their main shaft that introduced the possibility of detrimental play (lost motion) during high-torque operation. In contrast, the Concentric Maxi Torque bushing system entirely avoids this problem by steadfastly holding the shaft — in turn boosting the performance of Hine Automation machines.

When Hine acquired and installed the Concentric Maxi Torque bushing system, they got an immediate increase in machine performance with enhanced repeatability and reliability.

This in turn supports the demanding accuracy and throughput requirements of semiconductor-related automation.

For more information, visit www.hineautomation.com and www.cmtco.com.

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

08 Belts & pulleys CMT story with Hine Automation LE — MC HB 03-21 V3.indd 38

3 • 2021

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

4/9/21 2:03 PM

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

FUNCTIONAL SAFETY (AND IIoT CONNECTIVITY) FROM LINEAR BRAKES IN A RECENT DESIGN WORLD FEATURE, WE COVERED THE BASICS OF HOW FUNCTIONAL SAFETY IS QUANTIFIED … AND WHAT CONSTITUTES A SERVO-BRAKE OPTION WITH FUNCTIONAL-SAFETY CERTIFICATION. HERE WE SHARE MORE DETAILS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFETY BRAKES FOR LINEAR AXES AND THE INTERSECTION OF BRAKE SAFETY AND IIoT CAPABILITIES.

BY LISA EITEL • EXECUTIVE EDITOR

MACHINE SAFETY

F1 S1

F2

P2 P1 P2 P1

S2

F1 F2

P2 P1 P2

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

such as palletizers or machine tools including

to

punch presses. That said, components

nearly all industries for ensuring danger-free

and subsystems having functional safety

automation and satisfaction of regulatory

certification are increasingly indispensable

requirements. 13849-1 functional safety

on dangerous machines involving automated

standards are top-level standards covering

slicing, stamping, pushing, crushing, or

design protocols for various machine types —

shredding motions. Industries with such

in contrast with industry standards dictating

machinery lead in new deployments of ISO

safety requirements for specific machines

13849 risk-mitigation techniques.

PLr P1

is core

LOW RISK

a

FUNCTIONAL SAFETY RISK ESTIMATION

b

To calculate the performance level required (PLr) ...

c d e

All functional safety analyses begin with risk assessment to determine the required Safety Integrity Level or Performance Level.

S S1 S2

Severity of injury slight (normally reversible injury) serious (normally irreversible injury or death)

F F1 F2

Frequency and/or exposure to hazard seldom to less often and/or exposure time is short frequent to continuous and/or exposure to time is long

P Possibility of avoiding hazard or limiting harm P1 possible under specific conditions P2 scarcely possible

HIGH RISK 3 • 2021

motioncontroltips.com

|

designworldonline.com

BRAKES & CLUTCHES PL

10-4

MEAN TIME TO FAILURE AND SAFETY RATINGS MTTFd

a

10-5 3x10-6 10-6

low

MTTFd

b

medium

c

high

MTTFd

d

10-7 10-8 PFHD

e DC

DC

none

none

Cat. B

Cat. 1

DC low

DC

medium

DC low

Cat. 2

DC

medium

Cat. 3

DC

high

You don’t need to be an expert in clutches, brakes or torque limiters.

Cat. 4

EN/ISO 13849-1 values for Category, Diagnostic Coverage, and Mean Time to Dangerous Failure for PL levels are interrelated.

Because we are.

Brakes certified to the highest levels of functional safety — especially for 13849-1 Categories 2 through 4 and Performance Levels c thru e — must have sensor feedback. Such brakes must also undergo certification by an international third-party certification body. Upon any loss of external energy source, the brake engages in its safe mode. If the PLC or PC controlling the brake condition commands a safe mode, the brake also defaults to locked failsafe position.

What’s rather fortuitous is that sensors in such brakes can serve a secondary purpose of imparting Industry 4.0 (IIoT) functionality. Such capabilities can allow machine-condition monitoring, machine end-of-life predictions, and the prevention of brake-related threats to machine uptime and throughput.

HOW SENSORS INTEGRATE INTO BRAKE SYSTEMS

When it comes to high-performance, custom-made clutches, brakes and torque limiters, we aim to please. Which is why you’ll find Engineering, Production, Sales, and Product Support all under one roof. All to put you at ease, knowing that we’ll deliver the perfect solution for your applications.

The Mach III Advantage: Rapid Custom Solutions From slight design modifications to unique, clean-sheet creations, we can present you with a customized design solution in about 48 hours.

Built To Order

Just consider how some linear brakes based on spring-set pneumatically released friction action achieve higher functionalsafety ratings by integrating one or two magnetic proximity sensors. These default to a lock (safe) position thanks to spring engagement. Their sensors can detect disengagement that occurs upon application of the brake’s rated air pressure to separate the friction surfaces’ piston and facing pair. Otherwise, the sensors serve to detect engagement — when the brake’s friction facings come under the control of spring arrays to clamp the actuator’s linear rail. A simple sourcing PNP mode generating a normally open (NO) or closed DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

We Are Your One-Stop Shop For Motion Control Solutions.

41

We specialize in high variation, low quantity production. All products are built-to-order, allowing even catalog models to be bored to fit the exact shaft and key size required.

Reliable Ship Dates Every purchase order we receive is confirmed with a ship date that we meet or beat 98% of the time. Lead times for Standard Products: 2–5 weeks and Custom: 3–6 weeks.

To learn more, contact us at 859–291–0849 or email us at engineering@machiii.com

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS (NC) signals typically pairs with a PLC or other control’s sinking input. Otherwise, a simple sinking NPN mode (generating NO or NC signals) typically pairs with PLC or other controls’ sourcing input.

Two example linear-motion applications for such sensor-equipped brakes include motor-based linear actuators and linear brakes for pneumatic rod cylinders.

LINEAR BRAKES FOR MOTOR-BASED LINEAR ACTUATORS

Most functional safety certified linear brakes for motor-based linear actuators employ spring-set pneumatically released friction action. Some of these brakes achieve higher functional-safety ratings by integrating one or two magnetic proximity sensors.

Arrangements sporting two sensors can be setup to have one sensor serving a failsafe redundancy function, or the sensors can independently register engaged and disengaged brake states.

These brakes work for position holding as well as emergency stopping. Options abound to pair with most common linear-motion profile rail variations — including 15 to 55-mm linear rail options, which constitute about 95% of all rail used in today’s motion designs.

One place where linear brakes are already finding use is on vertical axes deemed highest risk — posing Category 4 risk to human life or limb. Here, OEMs add linear-axis failsafe rail brakes equipped with sensors to prevent gravity-induced equipment and load freefalls.

Nexsafe brakes (including the Rail Brake shown here) meet ISO 13849-2 safety standards. The brake can include a sensor “backpack” that mounts on its end; this backpack’s magnetic field sensor(s) provide continuous feedback on the brake state.

LINEAR BRAKES FOR PNEUMATIC ROD CYLINDERS

Most functional safety certified linear brakes for pneumatic rod cylinders employ spring-set pneumatically released friction action. Here the friction surfaces clamps (via a friction element called a clamping collar) the assembly’s linear rod for safe holding or emergency stopping. As with brakes for motor-based linear motion, some of these linear brakes achieve higher functional-safety ratings by integrating one or two magnetic proximity sensors.

An additional benefit to these brakes is how the linear brake uses the same disengagement power source (that of pneumatics) as the rod actuator… allowing use of similar components. What’s more, linear brakes in cylinder-mount configurations let OEMs setup the axis to let one common controller execute commands over both components.

Scan this QR code to listen to a related podcast on brakes with functional safety.

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

The four SIL levels of EN/IEC 62061 list values for the Probability of Dangerous Failure per Hour as well as a Risk Reduction Factor. ISO and IEC standards have been shifting to standardizing more robust riskmitigation techniques … with new standards iterations released every few years. Europe has traditionally led in machinery safety, though the U.S. has reached comparable adoption levels in recent years.

SIL

PFH

PFH (power) -5

1

0.00001 to 0.000001

10

2

0.000001 to 0.0000001

10

3 4

0.0000001 to 0.00000001 0.00000001 to 0.000000001

3 • 2021

-6 -7

10

-8

10

-6

-10

-7

-10

-8

-10

-9

-10

RRF 100,000 to 1,000,000 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 10,000,000 to 100,000,000 100,000,000 to 1,000,000,000

motioncontroltips.com

|

designworldonline.com

BRAKES & CLUTCHES

Nexen Rod Lock brakes are available for all common pneumatic-rod and cylinder sizes.

Rod Lock linear brakes can also include sensor feedback for IIoT functionality as well as functional safety Certification for Categories B thru 4 and Performance Levels a thru e.

EXTEND BEARING LIFE

SINGLE-TURN WAVE SPRINGS REDUCE

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Single-Turn Overlap-Type Single-Turn Gap-Type

Free Samples on over 150 sizes in stock Call (866) 478-9757, or visit expert.smalley.com/DW/Bearing

3 • 2021

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

43

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

Nexen Group’s NexSafe Rail Brakes mount on linear guide profile rails to provide holding and stopping functions.

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

3 • 2021

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

CONTROLLERS To aid in reducing machine setup time and effort, a quick tuning function in Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSERVO-J5 Series lets users quickly and reliably tune their servo mechanism in approximately 0.3 sec. The servo amplifier sets the speed loop gain and suppresses machine resonance through the servo on command.

IoT CONNECTIVITY ENHANCES CONTROLLER PERFORMANCE THE CONTROLLERS

available today to design engineers have more built-in functions, are more powerful, and are being used in a wide array of diverse applications. We asked some of the top controls manufacturers what trends they’re seeing in the industry. Here’s what they told us.

DO YOU SEE AUTOMATION CONTROLLERS IN ANY NEW USES? WHERE DO PLCS ENDURE AND WHERE ARE THEY YIELDING TO PLC FUNCTIONS ONBOARD OTHER CONTROLLER OPTIONS? MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC LEE CHEUNG, PRODUCT MARKETING ENGINEER Some of our OEM partners are investing in new machine-as-a-service business models, using cloud technologies enabled by our IoT

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

Gateway product. End users are beginning to see how the technology can help them reduce overall costs by lowering the upfront capital cost and providing a plan for predictable operational costs.

The choice of which technologies to adopt depends on where the customer wants to be today, and where they want to grow into 5, 10, 15 years from now. Certainly, you can go from none to all the IoT capability you want, or you can start small and grow into it. It becomes a question of your specific goal for your IoT project, what kind and how much data do you want to collect, and what is the most efficient way to do it.

OMRON CARRIE LEE, PRODUCT MANAGER – CONTROLLERS AT OMRON AUTOMATION AMERICAS Our Sysmac controllers are being used more and more for data collection thanks to their connectivity to open protocols that simplify 3 • 2021

the process of securely gathering meaningful data from the plant floor. Instead of yielding to PLC functions onboard other controller options, the Sysmac platform is increasing the number of technologies under its umbrella.

With the recent incorporation of robot controls into Sysmac controllers, the Sysmac platform continues to expand the disciplines of automation that it contains.

HOW HAS THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) AND THE INDUSTRIAL IoT IMPACTED CONTROLLER DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY? MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC LEE CHEUNG, PRODUCT MARKETING ENGINEER We have several products and functions that allow our customers to immediately capitalize on the benefits of IoT. At a high level, IoT is about the networking of devices for interconnectivity and the ability to get data. A very simple IoT system would be at DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

45

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

the field level. Connectivity starts with Ethernet onboard controllers, and should include very easy networking functions for communication between field level devices. That allows PLCs to talk to each other and communicate to and control other devices on the network. Some field devices now have built-in PLC functions, like our own line of VFD products including our newest FR-E800 series micro drives, which enhance the functionality of individual drives and complement traditional PLCs very well. You can get additional benefits when the PLC includes a web server like our iQ-R and iQ-F series controllers. Web servers allow any connected device with a web browser, like a smartphone or PC, to quickly access maintenance data without any special software. Our GOT2000 series HMIs with the GOT Mobile feature also offer the same functionality and more, with additional visibility into peripheral devices like servos, VFDs, and robots as well as the option to view work instructions or follow troubleshooting video guides.

More complex IoT systems involve the integration of large network systems.

We’re highly active in helping our customers integrate their enterprise level IT and manufacturing level OT network systems through our OPC and MES options and ICONICS supervisory systems, which enable companies to make operational data accessible across the organization and help business leaders make faster and more informed decisions.

One servo drive for any ethernet!

The new servo drive CMMT-AS offers connectivity of the hardware and software, great efficiency, compact design and easy operation.

• • •

For point-to-point and interpolated motion with focus on dynamic motion and precise positioning Direct fieldbus integration Quick and easy commissioning with the Festo Automation Suite

festo.com/cmmt-as

OMRON CARRIE LEE, PRODUCT MANAGER – CONTROLLERS AT OMRON AUTOMATION AMERICAS

Our Sysmac controllers simplify the process of getting data out of the plant floor. Controllers with embedded SQL clients providing a direct and secure connection to a SQL database eliminate the need for middleware software and programming. The Sysmac architecture inherently provides time series data from controllers without the need for additional programming or add-on software. In

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DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

CONTROLLERS

addition, users can leverage function blocks for MQTT communications. An OPC UA server is built in as a standard feature to many controllers to simplify communications for visualization and traceability applications.

WHAT ABOUT TRENDS IN WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS AND MACHINE DESIGNS? MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC ROB BRODECKI, SERVICE PRODUCT MANAGER Customers often want to implement IoT capabilities but face a common challenge in older facilities that do not have existing communication wiring. The cost to install this cabling can be expensive depending on where it needs to be run. A great way to solve this issue is to leverage wireless and cellular technologies. We have also seen an

The CP2E Series all-in-one controller from Omron Automation Americas provides advanced control that enables IIoT connectivity for compact machines.

The controller improves manufacturing productivity and quality by making it easy to visualize the performance and data of connected machines through simple programming.

increase in customers looking to have data at their fingertips anywhere at any time. Generally this involves a cell phone, tablet, or computer on a wireless system. Many customers with these needs find the GOT Mobile feature on our GOT2000 series HMI to be the perfect solution, with WiFi provided directly on the HMI. Drag and drop visualization allows them to easily customize the type of data they want to see. Similarly, the iQ-R and iQ-F controllers offer instant visibility with built-in webpages.

More and more end users are also beginning to consider secure cloud connectivity through cellular networks with our IoT Gateway.

As well, in machine tool shops we are seeing more adopting machine monitoring protocols such as MTConnect. We offer an MTConnect solution via our integrated machine analytics IMA Adapter and Mobile app that allows users to monitor their machines without having to be in front of the machine. Also through monitoring, users are able to boost productivity, find additional availability, and improve the quality of their parts. We have seen larger shops adopt this technology faster than smaller shops. The industry is moving in the monitoring direction and if users do not adapt they will be left behind and lose a competitive edge in the marketplace.

ARE YOU SEEING THE APPLICATION OF MOTION CONTROLLERS, MICROCONTROLLERS, AND INTEGRATED CONTROLS AND DRIVES IN NEW APPLICATIONS FOR MOTORS? GREG DIECK, PRODUCT MANAGER – MOTION AT OMRON AUTOMATION AMERICAS

We are seeing more additive manufacturing and some expansion in subtractive manufacturing.

Semiconductor has seen an uptick that is expected to last a few years.

We are also seeing more packaging and assembly use motors in cases where pneumatics and hydraulics were previously used.

3 • 2021

OMRON PAM HORBACOVSKY KLANCEWICZ, FS ENGINEER (TÜV RHEINLAND) PRODUCT MANAGER – SAFETY • OMRON AUTOMATION AMERICAS

We are seeing more end users who want to reduce the number of dedicated tools required for commissioning and maintenance. This leads to the implementation of an integrated development environment, the benefits of which go beyond basic control and motion to also simplify safety solution development by including safety from the very beginning as opposed to adding it to the final machine later. Features like embedded diagnostic, safety networks, and the flexibility to modify machinery in the future are the things that end users and machine builders are considering before they start a new design.

HAS YOUR COMPANY SEEN INCREASED ACTIVITY OR DEMAND FROM CUSTOMERS IN ANY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES OR APPLICATION AREAS? MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC ROB BRODECKI, SERVICE PRODUCT MANAGER

We’ve seen much higher demand in packaging applications, particularly those in food & beverage markets, as the COVID-19 pandemic drives more food consumption at home. Our customers have been able to quickly meet the higher demand thanks to our cost-effective and scalable integrated motion solutions.

In machine shops, we saw a number of IMA projects get put on hold as they were deemed not critically needed at the time. Customers soon found that with more workers working remotely, machine monitoring was going to be essential and activity and demand for machine monitoring picked up as companies realized the value in this investment. We are also seeing robust sales of our service agreements for CNC machines. Companies were taking advantage of the fixed maintenance costs, next day service and parts availability to ensure they could keep their operations going. Service agreements are a great way to assure machine uptime at a known cost.

DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

PALLET-HANDLING CONVEYORS: HARNESSING THE POWER AND SAFETY OF ALL-ELECTRIC PERIPHERAL COMPONENTS

PALLET-HANDLING CONVEYORS OPTIMIZE MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLY, AND TESTING PROCESSES BY CONVEYING PRODUCT ON WORKPIECE PALLETS. THE WORKPIECE PALLET PROVIDES CONSISTENT AND STABLE CONVEYING — REGARDLESS OF THE PRODUCT’S CURRENT SHAPE AND FUTURE EVOLUTION DOWN THE LINE.

BY KATE NADEAU • mk North America

PALLET-HANDLING

conveyor systems are reliable, durable, and highly intelligent

systems that integrate and connect production lines. These conveyor systems allow for product to interact with robots and cobots in very specific ways. They also provide more ergonomic workspaces for their human operators. These conveyors can accumulate and store product, or they can be used to precisely position and locate products — or they can do both of these things. The ways in which pallet-handling conveyors can improve, optimize, and modernize manufacturing lines are nearly limitless.

The problem is that many of these very systems are rife with inefficiencies.

What’s more, these inefficiencies can affect a variety of industrial automation components — not just conveyor systems.

mk North America is well suited to support all-E (all electric) builds, says Gene Shaw, North America sales and business development manager for mk North America. The VersaMove-E pallet-handling system has all the features and durability of the company's traditional pallet-handling systems — combined with the energy and environmental benefits only attained by using electric stops, locates, and transfers. “We understand the need to meet market demands and keep customers and their ever-changing needs the focus of our various product lines,” adds Shaw. The accumulating roller-chain conveyor shown here features a pallet stop, which in turn employs an electrical separator with damping from Asutec.

PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS ARE THE CULPRIT

Compressed air plays a crucial role in pallet-handling conveyor systems and is found in the majority of U.S. production facilities. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, 70% of all manufacturing facilities in the U.S. have some form of compressed energy.

Despite compressed air being “just air” it’s an expensive form of energy to use for two main reasons.

1.

The way in which compressed air is created means about 90% of the generated energy is lost to heat — leaving only about 10% of energy converted into usable compressed air.

2.

Compressed air is also expensive because only 50% of the air generated is actually consumed during production operation. That’s according to

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CONVEYORS COMPRESSED AIR CONSUMPTION 25 to 30% LEAKS

10 TO 15% ARTIFICAL DEMAND 5 TO 10% INAPPROPRIATE USES 50% PRODUCTION

better products. better solutions.

CONVEYOR EXPERTS.

Compressed air is expensive in part because only 50% of the air generated is actually consumed during production operation. That’s according to compressed air dispensation data from the voluntary industry collaboration known as The Compressed Air Challenge — online at compressedairchallenge.org. Note that the item labeled “artificial demand” is the extra airflow lost to system over-pressurization.

You’re an expert in what you do. So it only makes sense to work with an expert in conveyors. Whether it’s a single conveyor or a complete conveyor system, mk has the answer.

compressed-air dispensation data from the voluntary industry collaboration organization known as The Compressed Air Challenge.

In conveyor systems — specifically, pallet-handling conveyor systems — compressed air is typically used to power various pneumatic modules and accessories.

These items include but are not limited to:

mk North America is the conveyor expert you need. mk provides not only a better product, but also a better solution.

CONVEYORS

PALLET-HANDLING SYSTEMS

FLEXIBLE CHAIN CONVEYORS

• Pallet stops • Vertical transfer units • Right angle transfer units • Pallet locating devices • Pallet rotation devices These are the very devices that make pallet-handling conveyor systems as productive, streamlined, and versatile as they are known to be. Without these modules, pallets and thus product wouldn’t be able to transfer between conveyors, change travel direction, or move up and down between conveyor levels. Without these modules, pallets couldn’t be positively located for precision applications … nor could they be separated during accumulation.

As we’ve alluded though, these devices (which ultimately are what bring a conveyor system to life) are the very devices directly impacted by the inefficiencies of compressed air systems and related additional energy costs.

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(860) 769-5500 info@mknorthamerica.com

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

mk North America has developed an all-electrical device to locate and rotate pallets on a conveyor system. This system is based on a variety of motors, timing belts, and precision-threaded rods.

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However, there is an alternative — allelectric pallet-handling conveyor systems.

In all-electric pallet-handling conveyor systems, not only are the conveyors’ motors electric (as they traditionally are) but so are all the peripheral devices. Pneumatic stops are replaced with electric ones. Pneumatic actuators that provide vertical movement in the various transfer units are replaced with electric linear actuators or motor-driven timing-belt linear modules. Rotate devices are redesigned using timing belts and smart motors, or with rotary indexers.

It’s true that pallet-handling systems featuring electric modules may have a higher initial cost than traditional pneumatic platforms, but operational savings and benefits are not to be overlooked.

“Electric stops and transfers offer a wide range of advantages to control systems,” says Steve Sicard, an automation engineer for the machine-integration company Plastimation.

Compared to their pneumatic counterparts, electric stops and transfers have higher precision and a wider range of controllability.

Electric components are also a simpler solution … and in the long run, can really decrease the cost per part produced,” adds Sicard.

Electrical actuators offer the highest precision control for positioning in the industry. Some electrical positioning actuators boast an accuracy range of ±0.000315 in. with a repeatability of less than 0.0000394 in.

“Air can become a very expensive commodity in a manufacturing environment.

Machines with a large number of pneumatic devices having the occasional air leak here and there make for hidden operational costs that can really add up,” adds Sicard.

Further cost savings with an all-electric system can also be found in the need for fewer system components. “With electric stops and transfers, you are able to negate any hardware related to pneumatics — including manifolds, air preparation systems, plumbing, and so on,” explains Sicard. “Plus, electric components allow direct feedback — in contrast with positional sensors for such feedback from pneumatics.”

This direct feedback is immediate and serves both diagnostic and maintenance purposes. Because of the speed in which feedback is received and how it works seamlessly with the system’s controls, downtime can be dramatically reduced. motioncontroltips.com

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CONVEYORS air. This background hiss is so commonplace that one often doesn’t realize how loud it is at the end user’s facility until it has stopped.

European companies have led the charge in adopting all-electric pallethandling systems, because their environmental and noise regulations are much more pronounced. That’s according to Orlando Sanchez II, engineering manager for VersaMove of mk North America. “Our customers in the U.S. have been slower to adopt all-electric (E-only) systems,” Shown here is a vertical transfer unit from mk North he notes.

America. In this unit, a timing-belt-driven linear However, as the American motion module and a gearmotor vertically move a consumer clamors for more wide conveyor between conveyors of varying heights. eco-friendly products (that are also produced in eco-friendly ways) U.S. manufacturers will have the option to transition Additionally, less personnel may be required from traditional pneumatic-heavy palletfor troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair handling systems to electrified systems. due to the direct feedback.

Today’s highly competitive manufacturing Lower component counts also mean sector demands conveyor systems that faster and easier routine maintenance. Should optimize material flow and keep workers safe. something go wrong, troubleshooting is far As mentioned, electrified pallet-handling simpler thanks to the direct feedback from the systems are quieter than their pneumatic electric components already mentioned … and counterparts. According to the National Center due to the fact that there’s no need to check for Biotechnology Information, 25% of current auxiliary hardware (such as tubing, fittings, workers had a history of occupational noise filters, and manifolds) to see if it’s the culprit. exposure — with 14% exposed in the last The lack of this auxiliary hardware has year. In addition, 12% had hearing difficulty, additional benefits. Aside from the cost savings associated with not needing these items at start-up, there is no need to stock them for spare and replacements parts … which saves space at the end user’s facility.

24% had hypertension, and 28% had elevated cholesterol … with 58%, 14%, and 9% of these cases attributable to occupational noise exposure, respectively. Plus compressed-air systems (while not the only noise factor in industrial and manufacturing spaces) are the most prevalent. The actual noise to which an employee is exposed depends on a wide variety of factors including but not limited to: • The brand of air compressor used • Where the employee usually works in relation to the compressor • The quality and arrangement of the plumbing and devices, and • How well the compressor is maintained.

These factors make it difficult to place exact values on the noise savings.

In conclusion, pallet-handling conveyor adoption continually increases with the exponentially growing need in the U.S. to optimize material flow. This combined with demands from customers for ecologically produced products (along with increased focus on worker safety) mean it’s no wonder certain conveyor manufacturers are offering and promoting all-electric solutions. “When the pneumatic devices are replaced with electrical ones, the overall result is a much cleaner and more reliable system,” summarizes Sicard.

mk North America | www.mknorthamerica.com

ELECTRIC COMPONENTS ARE QUIET — WHICH MAKES FACILITIES SAFER

Besides being a greener solution, pallethandling conveyor systems employing electric instead of pneumatic modules are also a quieter solution. Pneumatic devices contribute to the overall noise pollution in a facility. Electric devices themselves operate at a lower volume than their pneumatic counterparts. In addition, they avoid the background hiss of compressed

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

This is an end view of a VersaMove Ultra heavy-duty pallet-conveyor system from mk North America.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

COUPLING TRENDS: NEW APPLICATIONS AND IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING SUPPORT THROUGHOUT 2020,

the pandemic disrupted the business of coupling

end-users in myriad ways. To tackle the diversity of issues these end-users were facing, coupling manufacturers had to adapt on the fly. We spoke with industry-leading companies to learn more about how they handled new applications and offered new levels of in-house engineering support. Here, Ringfeder’s Engineering Manager Ed Cole; NA Director of Sales, Brandon Guse, and Ruland Manufacturing’s Director of Marketing, Chris Gumas, weigh in with specific application examples.

RULAND NEW MECHANICAL COUPLINGS AND APPLICATIONS

We brought slit couplings, stainless steel Oldham couplings, and an expanded range of universal joints to the market this year. Slit couplings fill a need in our product line as well as the U.S. market. For example, slit couplings have comparable torque and stiffness to that of a stainlesssteel beam or single disc coupling with misalignment capabilities close to that of an aluminum beam coupling. This combination allows slit couplings to be a suitable alternative to stainless steel beam couplings with high inertia and can be a challenge to use in highly responsive systems such as those found in robotics. Slit couplings can also be an interchange for single disc couplings which have no accommodation for parallel misalignment.

Single disc couplings are commonly used in space-constrained applications where it is the only style that fits the envelope. Becuase slit couplings have short and long styles, they can often drop into the design without the need for changes to the motor, screw, gearbox, or their housings. Slit couplings also have specialized features such as bore sizes down to 1.5 mm and speeds up to 70,000 rpm for use in miniature precision applications found in medical equipment and scientific instruments. Ruland is partnering with Reliance Precision Limited in the

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3 • 2021

Slit couplings have comparable torque and stiffness to stainless-steel beam or single disc couplings with misalignment capabilities close to that of an aluminum beam coupling. This combination allows slit couplings to be a suitable alternative to stainless steel beam couplings which have high inertia and can be a challenge to use in highly responsive systems such as those found in robotics.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

Stainless steel Oldham couplings are suitable for high corrosion or temperature applications such as those found in food, additive manufacturing, and medical.

UK to bring this coupling to a wider market.

They are supplying us with pilot bore coupling, and we are doing the rebore work in-house to ensure we maintain our lead times of 1-2 weeks.

Stainless steel Oldham couplings are suitable for high corrosion or temperature applications such as those found in food, additive manufacturing, and medical.

Designers have the option of selecting an acetal disk for high torque and long service life, a nylon disk for shock absorption, and a PEEK disc for maximum corrosion resistance and the highest temperature capabilities. There are few standard alternatives available in the coupling market that satisfy these performance requirements. One factor that differentiates these stainless-steel couplings from others on the market is using a stainless-steel screw for consistent corrosion resistance.

Stainless steel beam couplings, the most common stainless alternative in the market, use alloy steel screws due to their higher tensile strength allowing for increased torque capacity. The higher torque was a requirement in the early days of beam couplings when zero-backlash bellows and disc couplings were not common in the North American market. The alloy screw does not provide adequate corrosion protection for use in washdown environments commonly found in food or high-temperature applications such as additive manufacturing. Stainless steel Oldham couplings fill this need and have other advantages such as high parallel misalignment capabilities and a highly customizable design

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with users able to select bores in inch and metric sizes with or without keyways.

Lastly, we made a significant expansion in our universal joint offering (universal joint picture). Universal joints are a legacy product in the industrial market that has not seen innovation in standard product offerings, with most manufacturers offering 300-500 standard SKUs and a limited range of metric and step bores. To meet these odd combinations, manufacturers sell kits that can be bored to size by the end-user or OEM. We are treating universal joints the same as we would any other coupling product line by offering over 3,000 standard SKUs with inch, metric, and inch-metric bore combinations with or without set screws and keyways while maintaining our standard lead times of 1-2 weeks. This is a significant improvement in service that will directly benefit end-users and OEMs who will have reduced lead times and costs for these universal joints. Belden Universal is supplying the components, and Ruland is doing the finish work. When we partner with a manufacturer, we look for values in service and craft that reflect our own. Partnering with Belden makes sense as we have owned an office in Germany together since 2007, and their joints have the best performance, quality, and lifespan in the industry. We have plans to expand this line even more as we better understand the market.

costs. They approached us to bring ideas on how the engineering team could do this with the coupling. This relationship is a partnership, and they were not asking us to simply drop the price. They wanted engineering-based solutions for their application that would not impact performance while reducing cost.

This customer buys 10 different part numbers making this a substantial project for both companies. As we worked with them, it was evident that most of their existing designs did not need the anodize or shorter/longer lengths (standard v special picture).

We evaluated each coupling with their engineers, provided samples, and converted most into a standard Ruland product. This had a dramatic impact on price in two ways. First, designing with a standard is less expensive

VALUE-ADDED SERVICES

We have a large OEM customer that came to us 10 years ago when they were struggling with delivery from their beam coupling manufacturer, causing them to ship products late to their customers. Miniature servo couplings are usually no more than 10% of the total system cost. When a customer is consistently missing deliveries for a small value component relative to the overall system, they may look elsewhere.

Most of the couplings were specials in our beam coupling line — anodizing and different lengths. This significantly increased the coupling’s cost; however, missing deliveries to their customers was more important for this OEM. Over time, they adjusted to the new cost and expressed higher satisfaction with availability, consistency, deadlines, and sales/ customer support. Then COVID hit.

Like many manufacturers, demand for their products fell in the short-run, and they began reviewing their products to drive down 3 • 2021

While working on a special project with one of its customers, Ruland noticed that most of the company’s existing designs did not need the anodize or shorter/longer lengths. Here we see an example of one of Ruland’s special beam couplings (in black) and one of their standard couplings.

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TITLE TITLE TITLE COUPLINGS TITLE

OVERCOMING NYLON COUPLING FAILURE

than a special, which is a direct cost savings. Second, they could move closer to JIT ordering since standards do not have minimum order quantities, and we often have them available in inventory. This lowers the cost per unit and the overall financial commitment as large blanket orders were no longer needed. This allowed them to order as demand for their products went up or down. We enjoy working with customers on these types of projects where there is mutual benefit and we can provide value to engineering, purchasing, and their customers.

RINGFEDER

Couplings play a critical role in energy equipment — especially wind turbines. These durable components, which connect the gearbox to the generator, ensure the rotor blade system is operating as it should. Without the right coupling, a wind turbine can’t function properly, driving up maintenance costs and downtime. These scenarios are not welcome — maintenance tasks must be performed several hundred feet in the air.

In one application, an energy services company switched from a traditional keyed coupling to a custom, torsionally rigid disc coupling with a shrink disc. This latter component overcame several challenges related to design and material construction—minimizing maintenance, saving costs, and improving installation service life within the wind turbine.

This application initially involved a keyed, torque-limiting coupling. Installed on the drive-end of the shaft was the sprocket, which also mated with a nylon base inside the coupler hub. The hub then mounted to the generator.

However, this nylon ring was a point of frequent failure in the installation, causing the energy company to pursue another, more durable coupling option.

The solution was a custom-engineered, torsionally rigid disc coupling with a shrink disc that excelled in the wind turbine for the following reasons: Metal construction improved installation lifespan.

In place of the failure-prone nylon ring, engineers delivered a rigid disc coupling constructed entirely from steel. This rugged component achieved a nominal torque capacity of 12,650 Newton-meters and avoided premature failure — all while withstanding harsh environmental conditions. Engineers designed the first wind turbine rigid disc couplings in 2008 — and 13 years later, no modifications have been necessary.

Electrical isolation prevents unwanted arcing. Despite the steel construction, engineers had to ensure the new coupling couldn’t transfer electricity. Because the installation included bearings on either side of the coupling, an all-metal unit could transfer current, leading to dangerous arcing. Arcing could easily burn out the bearings, adding maintenance costs and reducing the lifespan of the installation.

To overcome this challenge, instead of incorporating solid metal spacers into the coupling, engineers designed a pressed-fit glass composite spacer between the two metal flange ends to break up the continuous metal chain. This design disrupted the end-to-end electrical connection, effectively preventing arcing between the bearing.

Keyless design facilitates installation and removal. Since being integrated into the wind turbine, the rigid disc couplings paired with a shrink disc have sped up the installation and removal of the generators, as no additional alignment is required to install the drive-end. The rigid disc coupling mounts to the generator and slides over the splines of the high-speed pinion (drive-end). Eliminating keyways via the shrink discs, eliminates the need to align keys and keyways during installation in a potentially challenging environment.

The rigid disc coupling’s keyless design is beneficial for several other reasons as well. For one, it offers an even distribution of locking forces compared to keyways, which tend to concentrate stresses around the key. In addition, the keyless connection: • Reduces maintenance • Improves energy savings • Increases equipment efficiency • Boosts component value • Reduces potential for flexing of disc packs extending coupling life

motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

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ENCODERS

PROGRAMMABILITY KEY ENCODER DESIGN TREND

ENCODERS ARE

central to motion

control applications, providing feedback in order to increase system accuracy and reliability. As other components in motion systems evolve, encoder manufacturers are making sure that their offerings keep pace with these broader technological changes.

For instance, the rise in high-performance networks for motion control is in part driven by the increased power of controllers, especially PLCs. These changes in turn have been propelled by the rise in more sophisticated automation systems. motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

As Christian Fell, Head of Posital’s North American operations and Director of Technology for Posital’s parent company, Fraba B.V., puts it, “we have responded by continuously upgrading our product portfolio to offer more connectivity options and to deliver enhancements such as self-diagnosis and programmability.” He points out how this combination is synergistic. “Networks based on high-performance industrial Ethernet such as Ethernet IP or ProfiNet can be used to collect sensor data in real time, while also enabling operators to fine-tune their sensors’ performance characteristics by adjusting software parameters.

IO-Link is an example of a flexible communications protocol that is simple to implement, but powerful in terms of encoder setup.”

Howard Salt, Senior Business Manager of Encoder Systems at Renishaw, sees a similar situation with regards to networking, and along 3 • 2021

These 22-mm multiturn kit encoders from Posital are high-precision multiturn absolute position feedback devices. Their easy adaptability means they can meet a wide range of requirements, particularly for miniature motors and drives.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS ABSOLUTE ENCODERS WITH IO-LINK

Smart Encoder Ready for Industry 4.0

Simplify Your Communications System Magnetic Multiturn Sensing Without Gears or Batteries Perfect for Factory and Process Automation Applications Condition Monitoring via Vibration and Temperature Sensor

The Versatility Champs

www.posital.com

with that more interest in functional safety.

“While we work with our customers individually, functional safety (SIL) is an area which we’re concentrating on to ensure international certification and that we deliver the safest encoders on the market,” notes Salt. “Suppliers can be intent on delivering some of the most technically advanced encoders in the market, but they’ve got be reliable and safe too.”

Along similar lines, designers are showing more interest in modular and user-formatted or custom designed encoder offerings. As Salt notes, “many manufacturers don’t want their designs hampered by traditional off the shelf encoder packages. Something we’ve developed to help customers in this process is a “knowledge center” on our magnetic encoder web site, where engineers can directly interface with our design engineers to design or modify encoder platforms to their OEM requirements.”

Posital’s Christian Fell concurs, noting that the company’s encoders have a modular design, making it easier to meet a wide range of their customer’s requirements. “A modular approach is also evident in our ‘kit encoders’ – lower-cost unbundled versions of our electronic packages that can be built into customers’ products without requiring separate housings, shafts, and bearings,” notes Fell, adding that “many of our products are field-programmable, so that customers can fine-tune performance characteristics by modifying software parameters. This has been especially popular with incremental encoders, where our customers can set the resolution

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The diagram shows the internal optical construction of Renishaw's FORTiS encoder.

The encoder scale features an absolute scale code of full-width contrasting lines, which is imaged via a lens onto a detector array inside the readhead. (pulses per rotation) and communications interface characteristics they need with simple firmware updates.”

Such flexibility is an asset, especially when it comes to satisfying the needs of customers in new application areas. For Posital, “an area that is changing more rapidly is mobile machinery, where there is growing interest in automated and/or remote-control systems for off-road vehicles, agricultural machinery and construction equipment,” says Fell. AGV and other automated mobile robots are also a growth area. “For floor cleaning machines, for example, demand is being fed by advances in autonomous guidance systems, combined with a COVID-driven need for more frequent cleaning cycles and less worker exposure.

Encoders and other position sensors are used in these machines to provide feedback to the guidance systems on steering angle, wheel rotation and the location of various actuators.”

Renishaw is seeing similar trends, with robotics a growth industry. As Howard Salt notes, “agriculture is becoming more automated, as are off-highway and autonomous vehicles of course. Medical robotics is a large growth area as well.”

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ENCODERS

And growth in these areas “brings with it the increased requirements for us to deliver reliable, safe product – often with short notice.” This is where vertical integration, along with equipment designers working hand-in-hand with production engineers, designing custom ASICs for instance, all help the company manage increasing demand and demand spikes.

A large contributor to variability of demand has been the coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted businesses in varying ways. “We see uncertainty in the business environment, causing customers to shorten their planning horizons,” says Christian Fell of Posital. “This has meant some reduction in long-term, high-volume orders,” continues Fell, but “Posital’s build-to-order manufacturing model is well positioned to respond to shorter production cycles.”

Manufacturers also took the time to re-think their own manufacturing processes as well as how best to support customers. As

Renishaw’s Howard Salt remarks, “Like many manufacturers, our manufacturing and support groups needed to re-think and reorganize assembly cells and machine shops to ensure safety and social distancing. This took some time, however the new working conditions and increased production capabilities resulted in us being capable of meeting demand cycles.”

The pandemic has also brought into sharp focus the importance of the internet and online design tools. These can include product selectors with access to data sheets or 3D CAD models, as well as more one-on-one support. Christian Fell mentions one of Posital’s recent online offerings, an Encoder Match tool, “that allows customers to find replacements for older incremental encoders, based on manufacturer name and model number. This is aimed at the MRO market and is intended to identify a Posital product that is functionally equivalent to older devices – regardless of the original manufacturer.”

For Renishaw, Howard Salt remarks: “We find that having regional engineering

support across the country with a direct “hot line” to our design and production engineers is extremely important. Renishaw engineers are able to work with our customer’s engineers, select, modify or in some cases, design encoders to suit their applications.

Sure, we use CRM and design software packages; however, we still find “engineer to engineer” (often under NDA) discussions much more powerful and timely, especially when discussing new designs.”

For Motion Feedback in Industrial Automation, EPC has your solution.

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Draw Wire Encoders

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Standard lead time: 4 - 6 days 2/12/2021 11:59:32 AM

MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

GEARS AND GEARMOTOR TRENDS — MORE CUSTOMIZED DESIGNS GEARING AND

mechanical power transmission, in its

fundamentals, remains virtually unchanged. However, innovative variations are becoming increasingly common and include more custom gearing, compact designs, and better gearboxes and servo-gear sets.

Manufacturers are offering designers more customized solutions via more in-house engineering resources, simplifying the design process. More custom solutions also means greater integration with other components in a design, better connectivity and fewer compatibility issues.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, business has changed in many ways across the board for many industries. Gearing and mechanical power transmission is no exception. Manufacturers are reporting a rise in new applications. For example, Bonfiglioli, a manufacturer of gears and gearmotors and other mechanical power transmission components, notes that they have seen an increased demand for factory automation and electrification of off-highway machinery.

They have been able to supply many different types of solutions from the gearbox to the motor and inverter or control system. They’ve even often developed unique gear motor solutions which offer the OEM a more compact, efficient and reliable package. They’ve’ even crossed platforms by using rotating case gearboxes often found in wheel or track vehicles being applied in industrial environments for cranes and hoists. Other unique applications include tunnel boring machines, energy kites, large platform AGV’s, and most importantly an automation application for mass assembly of COVID-19 test kits.

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The new Bonfiglioli EVOX gearmotor and AxiaVert VFD/Servo combo features advanced digital and open communication protocols complying with automation and industry 4.0 standards, including a wide range of fieldbus protocols and OPC-US protocol.

3 • 2021

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YOUR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS ARE CGI STANDARD PRODUCTS

Advanced Products for Robotics and Automation CGI Motion standard products are designed with customization in mind. Our team of experts will work with you on selecting the optimal base product and craft a unique solution to help differentiate your product or application. So when you think customization, think standard CGI assemblies. Connect with us today to explore what CGI Motion can do for you.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

The company also has developed gearing for high-load robotics applications. Their TQF series flange-mount servo planetary gearhead features high positioning accuracy, high compactness, high tilting moment and overload capacity. The backlash is as low as 3 arcmin and has extremely high torsional stiffness.

The gearhead fits perfectly in applications with high dynamic load changes where precise positioning is still required.

Gearing and gearmotor manufacturers continue to make improvements in efficiency as well. In fact, most gearmotor manufacturers are continuing to improve electric motor efficiency per regulations. As Bonfiglioli sees it, motor regulations are fine for direct drive applications, but when applied to a system, the regulatory governing bodies need to also take the overall performance into consideration.

That’s why the company takes a complete view of the customer’s machine and necessary

performance and applies the product that best meets the requirements combined with the total cost of ownership.

At the same time, with the increased interest in IoT and automation among manufacturers, gearmotor manufacturers are adding capabilities to support these functions.

For Bonfiglioli, their new EVOX gearmotor and AxiaVert VFD/Servo combo features advanced digital and open communication protocols complying with automation and industry 4.0 standards, including a wide range of fieldbus protocols and OPC-US protocol.

Plus, their new AxiaManager software can be accessed using a mobile device app or Bluetooth module for an enhanced user experience. The most crucial innovations are condition monitoring and predictive maintenance which are included in every model. The system collects and analyzes gearmotor data using algorithms to provide

real-time results. The available measures are gearmotor residual useful life, lifetime/wearing prediction, gearmotor duty-cycle monitoring, trend analyses, energy monitoring and optimization and many more. A dashboard is also provided to visualize the data in real-time in order to diagnose problems quickly and create alerts.

It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site So much happens between issues of R&D World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit rdworldonline.com and stay on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the design engineering community.

rdworldonline.com

NEW IDEA. NEW GEAR.

BETTER MOTION

Designing a new automation application? You need a new geared solution!

The Motus Labs M-DRIVE series of precision geared solutions offer a higher torque density than competing strain wave gearing with no compromise in performance. The patented design utilizes a series of CAM-driven blocks that engage over 80% of the output ring surface area at all times. This design distributes load stresses over a much larger surface area, delivering a much greater torque per unit size than other technologies.

Better Price to Performance HIGH PRECISION | LESS WEIGHT | COMPACT SIZE

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BEARINGS

PANDEMIC OR NOT, IoT, PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE, AND MATERIALS REMAIN THE TREND FOR 2021

Components like the Regal Power Transmission Solutions’ Perceptiv wireless sensor help facilities apply condition monitoring to essential assets. Industrial facilities are using these technologies to manage their inventory for spare parts more efficiently and to reduce preventive tasks.

THE COVID-19

pandemic was nothing if not comprehensive in its disruption throughout 2020. From politics and economics to social interaction and communications — scarcely anything has escaped its influence. You could be forgiven for thinking 2021’s bearing industry trends would follow suit and show a marked departure from previous years. But that’s not necessarily the case according to the several bearing experts we contacted for this year’s trends issue. motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

While the pandemic has undeniably altered logistics and distribution, demand for essential components like bearings has remained stable. Customer requirements for bearing quality and safety are as resolute as ever. Manufacturers have kept their foot on the gas by focusing on stalwart enduser priorities: predictive maintenance, IoT connectivity, and material advances. Here, some of the leading bearing industry experts weigh-in on the last year and what might be in store in the year to come.

3 • 2021

IoT

“Condition monitoring has generally been applied to the most critical assets in a facility,” said Dan Phillips, CMRP, Technical Director, Monitoring and Diagnostics, Regal Power Transmission Solutions. “However, as the mega-trend of the internet of things evolves, and sensor technologies become readily available with lower price points, facilities are applying condition monitoring to important and essential assets.” Phillips said industrial facilities now use these technologies to DESIGN WORLD — MOTION

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS better handle spare part inventory and limit preventive tasks.

This technology adoption leads to facilities integrating condition monitoring technologies with plant historians, maintenance and ERP systems, and an increasing reliance on cloud computing.

Seeing IoT functionality in action has also influenced endusers on the purchasing end. “When predictive maintenance is part of a facility’s overall asset management strategy, functional groups outside of the maintenance department start to see the value of what those technologies can provide. We are combining our digital tools for managing MRO inventory with our condition monitoring and IoT devices,” said Phillips.

Tools like these may increase plant function efficiency through inventory consolidation, instant access to product information, and service history. The cumulative effect is a complete streamlining of replacement part purchasing.

Sergio Santo Domingo, R&D and Innovation Responsible at Fersa Bearings, said the company has noticed not just an increase in buying process efficiency but an overall change in when to buy and why. “We see the market moving from preventive maintenance, in which the component is changed after a certain number of hours of use, to predictive maintenance, in which the life of the bearing is extended by predicting and anticipating its possible failure. This enlarges the lifespan of the product, evolving to more efficient bearings and even reducing fuel consumption,” said Santo Domingo.

Fersa notes that not all industries are responding to IoT, predictive maintenance, and condition monitoring with the same level of interest. The company sites its MOSS Bearing system, incorporating sensors into bearings to measure variables such as temperature, vibration, humidity, loads, or speed, as an example.

Sergio Santo Domingo is responsible for R&D and Innovation at Fersa Bearings. He says the company has noticed not just an increase in buying process efficiency but an overall change in when to buy and why.

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“While automakers are still a bit reluctant to use the bearing as a sensor, we see many opportunities on the industrial market for sensoring and mechatronics, from the agricultural business to mechanical drives for the wind industry,” said Santo Domingo.

Additionally, electric power will alter the bearing requirements in the future. An electric vehicle can have up to 90% fewer moving parts compared to its combustion engine counterpart. Santo Domingo explains, “The mechanics are simplified, which implies a change in the way of working.

Energy efficiency and reduction of fuel consumption are aspects increasingly demanded by users and manufacturers. We’ll see in the short term more and more efficient bearings, which may even be different from the standard versions of the product in terms of dimensions and assembly.”

MATERIALS

This year, materials garnered the most frequent mentions among the experts we contacted for this article. That’s not to say materials necessarily represent each company’s primary strategic focus, but it seems everybody had at least something to say on the subject. Coatings and add-ons are a primary focus, with hybrid bearings and other innovations following behind.

Kevin Mues, Manager, Application Design Engineering for Regal Power Transmission Solutions, said they are continuing to research new economically viable coatings or materials for harsh washdown environments. “We recently developed the first out-of-the-box washdown mounted spherical roller bearing using phosphorus nickel plating on the rings, which is an extension of our PN Gold mounted ball bearing suite of products.”

But economic viability is a crucial distinction for coatings.

There is only so much that can be done to counteract the material and basic geometry performance of bearings.

“Single bearings are reaching their limits in terms of material, heat treatment, or geometry performance.

BEARINGS

Dry-running, maintenance-free components like those from igus are shown in this example. “Eliminating contamination risks are foundational for the company,” said Nicole Lang of igus.

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To go beyond those physical limitations, bearing makers are developing add-ons such as coatings and thermochemical processes. Coatings like DLC or Zirconium Carbonitride are aimed to increase wear resistance, fatigue durability, or reduce friction during the bearing motion,” said Santo Domingo. He also points out that new mechanical processes such as surface texturing could make the bearing work in more aggressive environments and dry lubrication conditions.

For example, igus is currently using felt seals as an option for engineers who face dirty or dusty environments. Dry-running, maintenance-free components that eliminate contamination risk are foundational for the company. Nicole Lang, iglide Product Manager for igus, North America, said, “Although igus bearings are corrosion resistant and dirt and debris does not impact them, there are conditions and times where other components such as shafts or housings will face damage due to particulates getting into the application.”

Environments like this keep igus products in use in all areas and markets, but automation is primarily strong for the company. “The benefits of using igus products are tremendous. Virtually everything is getting automated these

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Ceramic hybrid bearings like this, from Emerson Bearing, have many benefits — up to 2-5 times greater service life than steel bearings, running speeds up to 50% higher, low “adhesive” wear, and low temperature rise at high speeds.

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days, and having a self-lubricating, maintenance-free product is key. Some areas we focus on are packaging, automotive (including EV vehicles), agriculture and construction, robotics, medical and laboratory equipment, just to name a few,” said Lang.

While coatings and add-ons are of particular importance, hybrid bearings are still a strong trend for 2021. Components’ materials are affected by the introduction of electric motors. This implies new requirements as they can rotate faster than a combustion engine, and any electrical leakage can lead to bearing failure. Santo Domingo said it’s necessary to design new bearings that can withstand these conditions comfortably. “At Fersa, we are working on the Hybrid Bearings range, which incorporates ceramic components that adapt to the unique needs of this type of vehicle, such as electrical insulation, rotation at higher speeds, and reduction of vibrations.

Steve Katz, president of Emerson Bearing, said he also sees a significant increase in the use of “Ceramic Hybrid Bearings.” These are bearings in which the traditional steel balls are replaced with Silicon Nitride balls, while still using steel inner and outer rings. Katz said that while more expensive than traditional bearings, their performance and increased availability have made them a viable alternative in more applications. “They have many major benefits, up to two to five times greater service life compared to steel bearings, running speeds up to 50% higher, Low ‘adhesive’ wear, and lowtemperature rise at high speeds.” Katz also notes that electrical currents are one of the major causes of bearing failure. “Ceramic Hybrid bearings eliminate this issue as they are nonconductive and eliminate electric arcing or fluting by insulating the bearing.” Engineers are specifying ceramic hybrid bearings for applications as varied as Electric Motors, Traction Motors, Power Generation, and High-Speed Machinery including Routers, Lathes, CNC machinery, and all forms of spindles.

3 • 2021

COVID: MOVING FORWARD

Many bearing companies saw Covidrelated financial challenges tempered by a demand for their products because they are critical components in the manufacture of Covid-related equipment. Phillips explains that Regal products are used in many of the essential industries that had to manage increases in consumer demand related to COVID-19.

“These include food and beverage processing, paper converting for N95 masks, and toilet paper, and the packaging and sortation equipment used in shipping. As more people moved from brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce, Regal products were regularly used on equipment to meet the demand increase.”

Igus has been busy handling the demand for their products in medical applications and Food & Bev. “We have supplied many components for machinery dedicated to addressing COVID-19. All igus products have been used in multiple areas, including UV sanitation stations and robots. In addition, igus components are perfect in medical and laboratory equipment where we have been used for many years. Dry-running, maintenancefree components eliminating the risk for contamination are ideal for these types of areas. Also, we are being used in many restaurant automation applications as the foodservice arena is changing to keep patrons and staff safe from COVID.” As of this writing, the pandemic remains widespread and far from under control. At the same time, the global vaccine rollout — as protracted as it’s been — has at least begun, daily death counts are decreasing, and there are at least a few reasons to indulge in some hope for 2021.

Companies may eventually drop some of the new Covid-born measures they needed to adopt. But others may become permanent fixtures in the companies’ business models. Time will tell.

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SENSORS

SENSORS ON THE FRONT LINES OF CHANGING INDUSTRIAL WORLD SENSORS PLAY

a key role in many types

of automation systems and machines, helping ensure they perform at their optimal level.

Sensors are also at the core of the trend for increased condition monitoring and the larger program of predictive maintenance, which aims to reduce or eliminate sudden and catastrophic machine failure by actively monitoring those components that are critical to machine function such as motors, fans and pumps, among others.

The other part of the condition monitoring equation is robust networks, which is where the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial IoT comes in. Here, sensor manufacturers are adding capabilities to support IoT functions.

For example, such capabilities help sensors increase safety, extend system life, and avoid critical failures.

“In comparison to a reactive maintenance strategy, IoT remote monitoring and predictive maintenance strategies give our customers a more complete picture of how equipment is

operating and how long it will last,” says Artur Rdzanek, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Dodge Sensored Products. “Rather than relying on generic product information or opinion for equipment life-expectancy, users can track exactly how equipment is reacting to specific processes. With this analytical approach, operators can log exactly how many hours their equipment operates before they must lubricate the bearings, replace the motor, or exchange oil in the gearbox,” adds Rdzanek.

Hand in hand with sensor trends in IoT are interest in wireless connectivity. Sensor manufacturers are offering easy-to-use wireless sensors that monitor the health of machine components. “Hardwired solutions create several challenges for plant and maintenance managers, including safety concerns, warranty issues, additional wiring around factory, and wasted installation time,” notes ABB’s Rdzanek.

“IIoT wireless sensors completely change the approach to condition monitoring because installation take minutes (often less time than a lunch break). Due to wireless open architecture, scaling of solutions is almost unlimited.”

To aid in installation and setup, mechanical

The ABB Ability Digital Powertrain web-based solution connects drives, motors, pumps, bearings and gearing, taking uptime and productivity to new levels. The data insights gained from the digital powertrain better connects customers with their assets and helps them make even better decisions for safe, reliable and efficient operations. The digital powertrain lets users digitally see operational variables and health indicators through an integrated, one-stop portal – including availability, environmental conditions and fault events.

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3 • 2021

products offered by ABB come sensor-ready with drilled, threaded and plugged installation holes. Sensors are installed by removing the plug and threading into a receptacle, making installation easier. Sensors can also be easily attached to existing motor frames.

Machine safety is also enhanced by sensors.

Safety is critical to discrete industries such as food and beverage and logistics. A malfunction or mechanical problem in an application can create a serious safety hazard for the machine and for those working around it. Condition monitoring means that production managers and operators can remotely identify malfunctions and support safe operations. Reliability for process industries, such as mining and metals, oil and gas, and pulp and paper means operations have minimal downtime. And a process failure in any of these industries can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in unplanned downtime.

But it isn’t just mechanical problems that can cause a disruption in operations. As the world has learned, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has impacted manufacturing in a number of ways. Among other things, the pandemic uncovered many needs related to safety, reliability, and remote monitoring. “Precoronavirus maintenance practices required nearly daily work on equipment built inside boxes or fully covered by safety covers, making it impossible to access the equipment while it’s running,” says ABB’s Rdzanek. “Over the past ten months we’ve proven this no longer needs to be a limiting factor because wireless sensors can provide a way to remotely monitor the health of equipment,” adds Rdzanek.

What’s more, by giving warnings on decreasing health status, they allow users to plan their maintenance before a serious problem arises and takes the system down. The ability to monitor equipment remotely allows maintenance teams and operators to safely get a health check without touching the equipment or exposing themselves to risky, unpredictable or unhealthy working conditions.

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MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS

SAFETY, INCREASED CONNECTIVITY TOP DRIVE TRENDS DRIVES CONTINUE

to evolve, responding to broader industry trends

in automation with new features. Some of those drivers include rising interest in IoT functionality, the integration of safety features into drives, as well as some newer application areas that are seeing drive manufacturers respond in new and innovative ways.

Some advancements are clearly visible in VFDs, with the expansion of the range of protection classes beyond the standard UL Type 1 to include UL Type 12 and 4/4X, all of which lead to reduced size and costs relative to mounting VFDs in a separate enclosure.

And there’s more, as explained by Larry Gardner, Drives Product Manager for Yaskawa. “Industry-specific versions of VFDs streamline commissioning and maintenance by building in terminology and parameter settings appropriate to the VFD application,” notes Gardner. Plus, “newer Matrix VFDs, designed specifically for low harmonics, are helping users meet guidelines set by IEEE 519 without incurring the extra expense, space, and energy consumption of older solutions, such as multi-pulse and harmonic filters. Additionally, newer VFDs can now be programmed without the need to connect main three-phase power using either a wired or Bluetooth connection to a PC or smart mobile device.”

There has also been more interest in safety drives. So for instance, while safe torque off (STO) has been implemented in many servo drives, there are also requests for other safe motion features including safe limited speed, safe stop, encoder redundancy, and other motion safe events in drives. As Mike Wolfe, Business Development Manager of Motion Control for Nidec/Control Techniques notes, safe functions are becoming more important to produce machines with higher safety protection levels such as SIL3 and PLe. “Control Techniques has taken a modular approach to safety in our drives,” adds Wolfe. “This allows the customer to purchase one common drive family and add a safety module when they determine which axis and/or machines might require safe motion features.”

Interest in the IoT and related industrial IoT (IIoT) has manufacturers adding capabilities and support functions to their drive offerings. As Larry Gardner of Yaskawa explains, when it comes to the IoT or IIoT, there are two main items that need to be addressed; 1) connectivity and 2) data. “With the variety of different

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The new PTi210 module from Control Techniques (part of the Nidec group) is designed for use with the company’s Unidrive M and Digitax HD servo drive platforms. The module offers five high-speed digital I/O points (three in, two out) that expand on the drive’s onboard I/O. Programming can be done via a Modbus RU serial port or on-board Ethernet, using point-and-click, dropdown menus and drag-and-drop programming. controllers that are available in the market and the protocols that they support, Yaskawa offers a variety of different network protocol options ranging from the traditional fieldbus networks of Modbus RTU, DeviceNet, and PROFIBUS to the Ethernet-based protocols like Modbus TCP/IP, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET. This flexibility gives users the ability to keep their current control system and focus the integration of the drive onto their controller. When integrating the drive onto their controller, the data that can be accessed can play a large role in the overall capability of the system.”

Mike Wolfe of Nidec/Control Techniques adds that “As of today, all Control Techniques drive products have the capability of connecting to an Ethernet network using a variety of fieldbus options. This agnostic approach to communications allows Control Techniques drives to interact with most motioncontroltips.com

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DRIVES

factory automation systems and not lock customers into a specific brand or fieldbus.”

What’s more, in 2021, Control Techniques is launching a new compact, low-power general purpose drive that’s fully configured using a smartphone or tablet using near field communications (NFC) which is built-in to many smartphones and tablets. This will provide an easy to use interface app, simplifying the setup of conveyors, pumps, and fans.

Ease-of-use is also at the heart of new drives from Yaskawa, particularly the new keypad. “It is easier to use, provides more information, and allows the user to self navigate. Menu-driven programs take the guesswork out of programming, eliminating the need to reference manuals,” notes Yaskawa’s Larry Gardner. “Our customers love the new DriveWizard Mobile app, which allows them to program the drive without power. Each improvement added to Yaskawa’s GA800, GA500, and HV600 drives were designed to get the drive running as fast and as easy as possible, saving time and energy on every installation.”

Drive manufacturers are also seeing motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com

increased activity across a range of different industries and applications, including factory automation in general. For example, Mike Wolfe of Nidec/Control Techniques notes that “the automation of materials handling is in full force, specifically in automated guided vehicles (AGV).

These mobile robots either follow a specific path or are guided using sensors and artificial intelligence from point a to point b. From warehouse fulfillment to automotive assembly, automating the materials handling process is improving the efficiency of manufacturing and fulfillment across the globe.”

In fact, some of the impetus behind the surging interest in factory automation is a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But the pandemic has also given drive manufacturers time to reevaluate their customer relationships.

For example, as Larry Gardner points out, “Yaskawa has taken this as an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with our customers, reaching out more to educate our customers, better understand their needs, and continuously improve our customer experience.”

Mike Wolfe of Nidec/Control Techniques 3 • 2021

Yaskawa Compass is a software user interface tool for advanced manufacturing applicable to multiple applications in 3D printing, shape cutting, machine tools and robotics. Coupled with the company’s MP3300iec motion controller, Compass provides advanced plug-in features that can simply be dropped onto a screen. describes how even before the pandemic began last spring, the company had started building more e-tools. “We started building a selfguided e-learning system to provide additional learning opportunities to our in-person training sessions,” notes Wolfe. “Once we were no longer able to host in-person classes, we spent the rest of the year adding and improving our online courses that offer beginner to advanced training on drive products.”

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AD INDEX M OT I O N S Y ST E M T R E N D S Ace Controls............................................................... 31 AllMotion...................................................................... 4 Beckhoff Automation................................................... 5 Bishop Wisecarver........................................................ 9 CGI Motion................................................................. 61 Chieftek Precision...................................................... 23 CMT ........................................................................... 37 Del-tron...................................................................... 13 Diequa.......................................................................... 1 Digi-Key Corporation................................................... 3 Encoder Products Company...................................... 59 FAULHABER MICROMO......................... Cover, 19, IBC Festo........................................................................... 46 GAM........................................................................... 29 Intech.......................................................................... 28 Lee Spring Company..................................................BC Mach III....................................................................... 41 maxon......................................................................... 17 mk North America, Inc............................................... 49

Motus Labs................................................................. 64 NSK............................................................................ 14 Parvalux...................................................................... 63 PBC Linear.................................................................. 27 PI (Physik Instrumente) LP.......................................... 11 PM B.V........................................................................ 67 POSITAL FRABA......................................................... 58 Pyramid Inc................................................................. 24 Renishaw.................................................................... 56 Ruland Manufacturing Co.......................................... 53 SEW Eurodrive............................................................. 7 Smalley Steel Ring...................................................... 43 Sorbothane................................................................. 32 Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument.................. 39 THK America, Inc.......................................................IFC Ultra Motion............................................................... 21 WAGO Corporation................................................... 34 Zero-Max, Inc............................................................... 2

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