Micron ValueTRUE Planetary Gearheads offer simple drop-in replacement for most common helical gearheads. ValueTRUE provides precise operation with just 4 arc-mins of backlash. They are available in eight frame sizes from 60mm-200mm, with inline and right angle configurations. Additionally, they are RediMount™ compliant for mounting to any motor in three easy steps -- simply align, mount and tighten. The gearheads are lubricated for life and require no maintenance and feature a stainless steel output housing that provides the durability required in harsh application environments.

Danaher Motion

DryLin® W linear guide systems are available in multiple rail configurations and styles to provide more design options. This extremely compact and easy to install solution is lightweight, self-lubricating, maintenance-free and contaminant-resistant. DryLin W has a very low overall height of 14 millimeters and is available as a combination of two supported round shafts in one profile, in a split rail configuration or with square rails. It is well suited for automation, packaging, textile, machine tool, printing and medical applications.

Igus, Inc.

THK has added a medium to low vacuum lubrication system to their LM guide line-up. Featuring stainless steel construction, vacuum grease and special seals, this new LM guide is designed for use in environments from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum of 10-3 Pa. Stainless steel and a heat resistant resin allow the LM guide to be used in high temperature environments. It can withstand operating temperatures up to 150°C, with a peak of 200°C.

THK America, Inc.

Stafford Solution™ Series Chrome Plated Shaft Collars are available in one- and two-piece styles and 47 standard sizes from 1/8" to 3" I.D. Developed for applications where aesthetics and corrosion protection are important, they have a bright finish and smooth bore to protect expensive shafts. Functional and attractive, the collars are supplied with stainless steel clamping screws. They can be customized to meet OEM design requirements for special threads, component mounting holes, flat or knurled O.D. surfaces, and other custom fea tures.

Stafford Manufacturing Corporation

The new Duff-Norton SCN Series SuperCylinders™ are suitable for critical applications demanding high capacities and high speeds. They feature speeds up to 379.5 in/min; capacities up to 25 tons; standard strokes up to 13 feet; helical gearing; continuous duty ratings; low power requirements; trunnion mounting. The SuperCylinder uses the combination of a precision guided translating tube system coupled to a motor and reducer via a trunnion housing. Three basic configurations are available: Offset, Parallel and Right Angle.

Duff-Norton Company

Helical has an extended range of miniature couplings as small as 6.35mm diameter to suit shaft sizes down to 2.38mm. The one-piece unit has zero backlash and can transmit rotational torque in angular, parallel, and/or skewed modes. Available in aluminum, stainless steel or plastic, the units can be used in precision engineering applications. They are especially able to accommodate tight or skewed connections.

Helical Products Company, Inc.

Hi-Tech UFD Hose is made from wire-reinforced thermoplastic urethane and exhibits high tear strength, puncture-, and abrasion-resistance with good flex-fatigue. Designed for severe service, this lightweight hose come in 2" to 18" I.D. sizes, with varying wall thickness, and in metric sizes. Featuring clear and translucent blue for easily seeing blockages and black or custom colours. The UFD hose also resists UV, moisture and oils, and operates over a ­65°F to 200°F temperature range.

Hi-Tech Hose, Inc.

Amacoil now offers a grease fitting option which attaches to the shaft wipers on Uhing rolling ring drive assemblies. When the drive is running the grease fittings facilitate automatic shaft lubrication while the wipers clean the shaft, removing dust and dirt and preventing the undue buildup of grease. At higher RPMs heat is generated between the shaft and the wipers. Mounted adjacent to the wipers on each end of the drive, the grease fitting assemblies contain felt rings which absorb and evenly dispense lubricant as the drive moves. This eliminates risk of overheating for OEM designers and production personnel wishing to use the drives for linear motion in various types of machinery such as winding machines, measuring probes and converting/packaging equipment.

Amacoil, Inc.

A new series of 67, 1/5" Pitch, timing belt pulleys for 3/8" wide belts features the patented Fairloc® integral hub fastening system. The Fairloc® rotating component fastening system helps phase adjustment, timing, position adjustment and frequent removal problems while adding positive metal-to-metal fastening strength along the entire width of the pulley to reduce wobble or misalignment. It is compact, self-contained and offers a small pulley hub envelope. Identified as the A6H3 Series, they are available in double, single or no flange styles.

Stock Drive Products

HepcoMotion's new SBD Sealed Belt Drive introduces an innovative sealing method that keeps dirt and debris at bay. A stainless steel band runs across the length of the beam, which is held in place by a magnetic strip. The band and strip effectively enclose the linear motion system, minimizing the entrance of dirt and debris. SBD is offered in standard and clean room configurations, in 80 and 100mm beam widths, and in single beam lengths to 6m. Longer beam units may be created by joining. Units are equipped with HepcoMotion's high capacity LBG recirculating ball guides, which offer improved moment load capacity and extended life for high duty cycle applica tions.

Bishop-Wisecarver

The RLQ Series compact cylinder features a lock and air cushion. This cylinder series integrates a locking mechanism and a unique new style of air cushions while maintaining a short overall length. Typical applications include drop prevention, workpiece clamping, and emergency stopping. The RLQ series is available in four bore sizes: 32mm, 40mm, 50mm and 63mm. By using the same extrusion as the cylinder itself, the lock unit portion of the cylinder has a simple design without any necessary projections. Also, the simple one-way lock mechanism is lightweight and compact, allowing installation in tight spaces.

SMC Corporation of America

The APS Advanced Power Steering System is a quiet, reliable, low maintenance brushless system that consists of a permanent magnet AC motor with integrated speed reducer and an AC drive with I/O interface. It features a CANOpen interface for seamless integration and communication, and covers a wide variety of vehicle applications including Class I, 2 and 3 lift trucks. The system is available in four different power ranges with three gear ratios for maximum application flexibility. The APS offers an I/O interface that facilitates the direct connection of most steering sensors, while a stand-alone mode allows direct connection of most steering encoders.

Danaher Motion

The SMVector drive has applications in packaging machinery, food processing machinery, material handling/conveying systems and HVAC systems. With a power range of up to 25 Hp, the SMVector carries all the features required by demanding applications including four modes of operation (V/Hz, Enhanced V/Hz, Vector Speed, and Torque), high starting torque, auto-tuning, advanced low-speed control, and dynamic speed regulation. Three pop-in communication options have been added to the drive: RS-485/Modbus, CANopen, and DeviceNet.

AC Technology

The XtraDrive® servo system solves problems with system flexibility, tuning and compatibility inherently associated with high precision motion systems. The unique adaptive control structure eliminates difficult and time-consuming system re-tuning by automatically accommodating changing load requirements. The non-linear technology achieves zero settling time, optimizing non-linear gain control and overall system productivity. The system operates as a stand-alone unit or can be driven by an external PLC or multi-axis controller for step and directional input, analog velocity or torque control and networking capability.

YET US, Inc.

As visitors to Germany's Oktoberfest will know, many of the frothy style lager/beers served there are produced using a specific style of chilled micro brewing, a technique that is not traditionally shared ... until now. The easy-brew 'micro brewery' has been developed by Bayerische Brauhaus Consulting by using two Lenze smd micro drives, one to drive the fluid pump and one the stirring action. To help fit a complete brewery into one mobile unit, the smd drives provide reliability, simple programming and a high power capability from a compact unit.

Only the basic ingredients: malt, water, hops and yeast are needed to produce a first quality result from the easy-brew, the whole brewing process is taken care of, it will even chill and pressurize the beer ready for serving. In order to ensure that this process is completed without a hitch, one smd drive is used to drive the pump required to move hot wort from the brewing chamber to the fermentation chamber and then dispense the beer when it is matured. The second is used to drive the stirring mechanism through a Lenze combined motor/gearbox unit to ensure the temperature of the wort is kept even and the live yeast circulating; a crucial consideration during brewing.

Quality, reliability and competitive cost were the main objectives for the team who constructed the easy-brew; this resulted in a challenge to find components that matched all the criteria. The smd, however, fitted these criteria perfectly, being highly cost effective and based on a well proven and reliable design developed by AC Technology, a Lenze group company that specializes in small AC drives.

As a 'mobile' brewery, both weight and size were also important design criteria; the complete measure, control and regulation unit, together with the pump and the boiler are located in the lower part of the polished stainless steel table between the two liquid vessels. The smd met requirements again with a compact size of just 146 x 93 x 83mm and a weight of just 0.5kg for a 0.25 kW drive. In testament to this, several different types of drive were tested until the Lenze unit was chosen, the smd corresponding to the designers' highest demands.

The easy-brew produces 100 litres of beer, each batch taking 8 hours in the brewing vessel, one week to ferment and can then be stored for up to three weeks. Once installed, units are expected to be in virtually constant use.

Due to a large international market potential and a demanding operating schedule, the ability of the drive and transmission supplier to provide an ultimately reliable product, but also one that was easy to use, fault-find and service was crucial. Lenze offers full technical support in every country that could provide a potential market for this product, while the smd also has a simple intuitive programming function from an LED screen and facia buttons that provide simple user faultfinding and fine tuning facilities. This feature is not only useful to the user, providing operating flexibility, but also to the supplier by allowing them to perform effective servicing.

In addition, the smd-operating program is stored on an EPM chip that is mounted in a small but tough plastic cover that plugs directly in to the facia of the drive. Software updates, or replacements can be copied to an EPM chip by the vendor and posted to the end user who simply removes the existing EPM and plugs in a new one. The drive is then ready to run immediately, providing highly effective, but low cost service and support for the drives product.

The EPM feature also cuts commissioning time for the manufacturer down to a matter of a few minutes, reducing overall assembly time and costs considerably

AC Technology Corporation

Kurt now offers a complete line of couplings and hose including over 375 coupling types and R12, 4SH, R13 and R15 hose. The spiral hose couplings have a maximum working pressure of 6000 psi. They are designed for non-skive SAE 100 R12 applications with superior connections for handling the higher pressures. These couplings also feature a corrosion-resistant, zinc-chromate finish and have a precision machined ferrule, which ensures leak-free operation. The hose is offered for high temperature and corrosive fluids.

Kurt Hydraulics

The PowerMAX™ Series PML tie-rod type hydraulic cylinders provide working pressure up to 2500 psi and Series PHM cylinders provide pressure to 3000 psi. All cylinders are 100% hydraulically tested up to 1.5 times working pressure. The hydraulic cylinders offer precision honed steel tubing for extended seal and cylinder life, and heavy-duty tensile tie rods prevent cylinder failure during extended high pressure use. Additional features include a ductile iron rod clevis that is threaded 350° for a full contact area, and a positive set screw locking device.

Delavan Ag Pumps, Inc.

These anti-backlash nuts are suitable for applications that require better positioning as they eliminate the minimal backlash between the lead screw and nut interface on HSI's external linear actuators. The nuts are manufactured from a proprietary self-lubricating polyacetal that, when combined with precision rolled stainless steel lead screws, provides low drag torque and smooth operation throughout the life of the assembly. For applications that do not require anti-backlash control, the N series free wheeling nut optimizes load carrying capability.

Haydon Switch & Instrument, Inc.

The Shaft Mounted Planetgear (SMP) reducers feature a modular design and interchangeable components which make it fast and easy to change ratios with minimal spare parts stock. Their compact size and light weight allow them to fit into applications where space is limited. Because they are mounted directly on the driven shaft, there is no need for a low speed coupling, chain drive or reducer mounting base. Their self-aligning gear train has at least six teeth in contact per reduction to share the load equally.

Rexnord Industries, Inc.

High-strength, lightweight roller conveyor sections are typically used in flow racks, work stations and storage racks/shelving, where the full width support offered by roller-style is best suited. Applications best handled by roller conveyors include soft-bottomed containers such as corrugated boxes, plastic totes with irregular shaped bottoms, and for situations where various sizes of containers are handled. The roller tracks feature steel side C-frames for rigidity and strength, while the rollers are lightweight aluminum along with plastic, low-resistance roller bearings.

Creform Corporation

The True Torque™ Fluid Coupling incorporates a brake disc into the fluid coupling mounting arrangement. The couplings with double delay chamber can achieve 40 second starting profiles, while limiting torque to 120% of nominal load. Adjustable metering orifices regulate the passage of fluid from the delay chamber into the working circuit. Startup characteristics of the fluid coupling are easily field adjusted, simply add or drain fluid to accommodate site variables. A fill angle finder is furnished with each coupling.

Falk Corporation

Interroll has developed a series of belt drives, ranging from 80mm to 216mm, that improves work environment efficiency and safety. Specifically designed for material handling applications, the belt drives are completely enclosed and sealed inside a steel shell, preventing environmental conditions such as water, dust, grit, chemicals, grease and oil from affecting the performance of the belt drive. Also, because the drive unit and bearings are mounting within the protective shell, the belt drive takes up less room.

Interroll Corporation

A new generation of Baldor servo motor drive with both CANopen and Ethernet Powerlink interfaces is offering a powerful migration path for modern automation builders currently using positioning drives compatible with the CANopen DSP 402 standard. It offers the potential to upgrade the network to a much more sophisticated and higher bandwidth standard (100Mbits/sec rather than 1Mbits/sec maximum), with minimal disruption to the way OEMs build systems and to the control software.

Baldor Electric Company

One way clutches are stainless steel with oil-impregnated bronze bearings. These over running spring wrapped type clutches are available for clockwise or counterclockwise direction with shaft sizes from 1/8 to 5/8. Typical applications include unidirectional stepping, automatic flywheel decoupling and backstopping. Nordex also offers a variety of slip clutches including: spring-wrapped, adjustable and miniature. Applications for Pin hub mounting include transmission overload protection and tension control of film or tape drives.

Nordex Incorporated

The Smooth-Start™ UniModule electromagnetic clutch/brake unit provides extremely consistent, smooth starting and stopping performance throughout its entire torque range, even in the most challenging range from zero to 50% of the unit's maximum rated torque. They are ideal for conveyor lines -- including unit handling conveyors -- where starting and stopping at full torque can cause conveyed objects to slide, tip, or otherwise be misplaced or damaged. The Smooth-Start unit enables operators to tailor clutch/brake torque to their application's specific starting and stopping requirements, while keeping the line running at peak capacity.

Warner Electric

In recent years, the DC drive market has changed and retrofits have become an important market for DC drive manufacturers.

Sprint Electric recently provided DC drives for a cold rolling steel mill at Graham Perry Steels. The rolling mill at the site reduces high carbon steel to strips that are used for applications in a wide range of industries. The original drive system of the mill was based on two resistor-based DC drives. The drives were functioning, but obsolete, and were becoming time consuming and expensive to maintain. One drive controlled a 110 kW motor powering the main rolling mill through a right angle reducer gearbox and a two-way splitter box. The other drive controlled a 80 kW motor used for the winding-on assembly that recoils the rolled steel coming out of the mill. This second motor was failing and needed to be replaced along with the drives.

Initial analysis had shown the control system as a whole was operating at less than 50 percent capacity, making complete replacement the optimum solution when maintenance time and projected increases in output were considered. A completely new control system was designed by industrial products and services supplier Wyko. The drives and motor specialists choose DC drives from Sprint Electric to replace the old DC drives. Two 185 kW regenerative, digital PLX DC drives were fitted into two new control panels, in addition to a new DC motor.

The upgrade of the drive system resulted in a five-fold increase in production. The control and power upgrade has increased the steel throughput from 80 ft per minute to a rate of 300 ft per minute and will run up to 1,000 ft per minute after additional scheduled service work has been completed on the main splitter gearbox.

Increase in productivity and lower energy consumption make DC drives ideal for retrofits when a more cost effective, modern drive system is required. "Retrofits have become an important market for DC drive manufacturers," says Gary Keen, export sales manager with Sprint Electric.

Besides the metal processing industry, other applications that can equally benefit from retrofits include the pulp and paper industry, rubber and plastic processing, lifting equipment, food processing, pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing.

Sprint Electric

Canadian Industrial Equipment News November 2006

Back to Contents