Category Archives: Application Note

Motion Control Application – Lab automation is getting even smaller

Motion Control Application – Lab Automation

Motion Control Application – When you need the accuracy but don’t have the room or the budget.

moption control - miniature motors

motion control - maxon

 

 

Fall River, MA – Motion Control Application – UK Robotics has recently launched a new liquid handler to shake up the lab automation market. Feedback from small biotech companies and big pharmaceuticals has been beyond the company’s wildest expectations.

The Bolton based company specializes in building integrated systems for lab automation for life sciences. They have now used their 15 years of experience in the industry to create a new two valve nanolitre microplate reagent dispenser.>/span>

Motion Control Application – Maxon Motors Are in A New Docking System for Space Rendezvous!

Motion Control Application – Docking System for ISS!

Motion Control Application – The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on a new system to enable easy docking between two spacecraft. maxon developed two special drive systems for this purpose.

motion control - ISS docking system

motion control - maxon motor

 

 

 

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Application – Even though it’s been done many times before, the docking maneuver between two objects in space is always a delicate and potentially dangerous procedure. The speed is extremely high (about 28,000 km/h in case of the ISS), and corrections are difficult. For example, when the two objects are about to meet, maneuvering thrusters can no longer be used, since their exhaust plumes can cause damage. To prevent harm, cargo transporters are caught by a robotic arm installed in the International Space Station (ISS) and berthed manually. Manned spacecraft on the other hand dock directly in a computer-controlled process.

Motion Control – From soaring heights: Camera stabilization with maxon drives!

Motion Control – Camera stabilization System!

Aerial images can be beneficial for many businesses and industries. Often things are revealed from above that are hidden to the observer on the ground. Drives from maxon are used in camera stabilizer systems.

motion control - drone application


motion control - maxon motor

 

Taunton, MA — Motion Control – Application – Mining companies, for example, survey mines from the air, oil and gas suppliers monitor their drilling rigs, and energy utilities monitor their overland lines. All these applications have one big challenge in common: In these often rough operating environments, the camera needs to be protected against wind, turbulence and the vibration of the carrier aircraft while being kept in a stable position. This is the job of a high-precision stabilization camera gimbal. These gimbals provide users with a stable and level platform that allows them to capture high-quality aerial images.

Motion Control – Linear Motion – How Do You Move Articles of Antiquity?

Motion Control – Linear Bearings Application
motion control - engineering edge
Motion Control Application – How Do You Move Articles of Antiquity?

“Very Carefully” With A High Load Rail System from LM76!

motion control - application

E. Longmeadow, MA – — Motion Control – Application -The Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) has to move articles of antiquity from one location to another. In this instance, they are moving a 5000 year old relief (hieroglyphics) weighing 8000 pounds to a new location in the Museum. Here is a frontal photo of the Relief from The Tomb of Senenuka.

motion control - linear motion products

Part of wall from tomb of Senenuka; nine stones fitting together and including two niches; lower left piece smooth limestone; upper far left preliminary black ink sketch; right of this sketch is a complete relief showing two seated figures; central piece has large scene of seated male on the left and other smaller male figure to the right; upper far right male figure relief outline; left of this again a scene of two seated figures at a table.

Senenuka Time of Khufu or Khafre (Maybe Dyn 5?) Overseer of the Pyramid-town of Khufu, Director of King’s wad-priests, Boundary official of a settlement, etc.

Motion Control – Parvalux – Hires Keller Industrial Products, Inc.

Motion Control – Parvalux Company News

Motion Control – In today’s marketplace it is important for suppliers to broaden their reach and expertise in multiple industries. Hiring the right sales representatives can not only increase a company’s capabilities but provide additional services as well.

motion control - maxon -parvalux

Maxon- Parvallux logo

 

 

Motion Control – Parvalux (by maxon), is the UK’s largest manufacturer of fractional horsepower, geared, electric motors. The company provides components and systems to OEMs worldwide in markets such as industrial automation, materials handling, and building automation.

Motion Control – Maxon partners with MassRobotics to Support the Advancements of Drive Technology in Robotics

Motion Control – Maxon Partners with MassRobotics

Maxon is teaming up with MassRobotics and other companies, organizations, and leading research centers  to create new innovations across a wide range of applications.

motion control - maxon robotics

Fall River, MA — Motion Control – MassRobotics and maxon announce a partnership to support the robotics innovation ecosystem through collaboration and exploration of motion control technologies around automation and manufacturing-related applications. With maxon’s extensive expertise and knowledge of electric drives, this partnership will support and advance the latest innovations and technologies in motion control with automation-focused companies in the robotics sector.

motion control - maxon

Based in the Boston area, MassRobotics is the first and largest independent nonprofit robotics startup escalator in the world whose mission is to grow and support robotics innovators and entrepreneurs.

Motion Control – Giant Solar-Powered Butterfly Puts the Focus on Climate Change Solutions

Motion Control – Maxon to Host the Solar Butterfly

Motion Control – Seeking climate change solutions, the world’s largest sustainability tour is coming to Taunton, Massachusetts. The solar-powered butterfly is a 30-foot-long tiny house in the shape of a butterfly, which charges the electric vehicle it tows

.

motion control - combating climate change

motion control - maxon motors

 

 

Motion Control – The SolarButterfly is focused on reaching millions of people, alerting them to the companies and individuals that are integral in transitioning societies away from fossil fuels toward clean energy technologies. Presently on a four-year journey around the world, the SolarButterfly plans to identify, record, and publicize at least a thousand climate protection pioneers and their solutions.

Motion Control Application – Robotic Rib Spreading Tool to Help Patients Hurt Less and Heal Faster!

Motion Control – Medical Application

One advanced technology company is taking on the challenge of developing hand-held, robotic surgical instruments to help patients hurt less and heal faster.  High torque maxon motors ensure jerk-free movement of the tool.
motion control - maxon application
Fall River, MA — It may sound unbelievable, but some tools that physicians use to perform invasive surgery were originally developed in the 1930s and have gone through minimal updating since.

motion control - maxon

 

Most often, these tools have been efficient enough to do the job, even if patients took a long time to heal.

Motion Control – Tutorial – When to Choose A 4pole DC Motor

Motion Control – Maxon’s 4pole DC Motors
motion control 4 pole motor tutorial

Selecting a DC micromotor for use in applications from aerospace through to downhole drilling inspection, a 4pole motor has advantages. A 4pole design is stronger than a 2pole equivalent but can also fit within the same space and weight envelope.
motion control - maxon

Fall River, MA — Motion Control – For DC motor applications that require high torque in a light weight and compact space envelope, 4pole motors can be the optimum choice. A 4pole motor can fit within the same footprint as a 2pole design but they are able to generate more torque. Importantly, a 4pole motor is also stronger than a 2pole motor of equivalent size, meaning that it more closely maintains its speed when a load is applied.

Motion Control – Application- Vacuum Compatible Maxon Motors for Extreme Conditions!

Motion Control – Motors for High Vacuum Application

Motion Control – Maxon Motor spent several months working alongside Instrument Design Technology (IDT) to customize a small, brushless motor to perform in the extreme vacuum conditions of the synchrotron. This article highlights the challenges in the design.
motion control Application - Maxon Motor
motion control - maxon logo

 

Fall River, MA — Motion Control – Application – The Diamond Light Source particle accelerator in Oxfordshire has been used for projects as diverse as analyzing the effects of strain on aircraft wings, studying the behavior of the HIV virus, and even reading ancient letters without opening them.

Motion Control – Application – Finding The dark energy of the universe.

Motion Control – Application – Searching for “Dark Energy”!

Motion control – Application- The HETDEX project is the first major attempt to find “dark energy” in the universe. With special spectrographs, the three-dimensional positions of one million galaxies are recorded. In the summer of 2012, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope started scanning the universe – aided by maxon motors every step of the way.

motion control application- hetdex project

Hobby-Eberly Telescope: View of the mirror. The University of Texas at Austin/ A. Sebring. © 2012 HET


motion control - maxon motors

 

Taunton, MA — Motion Control – Application – The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is located at the McDonald Observatory in West Texas. Its spherical primary mirror consists of 91 identical hexagonal segments, each one meter in size. Together, these individual mirror segments form a mirror with a diameter of almost 11 m, which makes it the largest in the world. The effective aperture of the primary mirror currently amounts to 9.2 m at an opening angle of four arc minutes*.

Motion Control – Application – FDA/Washdown System Excels with Special Linear Motion Shaft Assembly from LM76!

Motion Control – FDA/Dairy Washdown System

motion control - shaft & pillow block
motion control - lm76

 

E. Longmeadow, MA – — Motion Control – Application  – Dairy machinery manufacturers are under intense scrutiny by FDA inspectors when it comes to FDA material and caustic washdown compliance. Recently, LM76 was called by a large US dairy packaging company to review a problematic portion of their filling line. After each shift, the filling line is washed-down, has a caustic foaming agent applied to kill bacteria and then is final rinsed. The caustic foaming agent was destroying – literally eating – the aluminum shaft supports while shafting exhibited pitting and showed signs of minor corrosion. Additionally, there were areas where product got trapped and these locations were havens for bacterial growth. Because this system was in-place and our customer was the end-user, LM76 engineers had to use direct drop-in replacement com¬ponents. What to do?

Motion Control – Application – Maxon Motors in Surgical Robots for Minimally Invasive Procedures!

Motion Control – Motors for Surgical Robots!

Motion control – The latest, next generation surgeries are being performed today using Intuitive Surgical Inc.’s (Sunnyvale, CA) da Vinci™S HD Surgical System, which allows surgeons to perform the most minimally invasive procedures to date. The system incorporates the height of motion control technologies so that every motion provides the smooth, accurate movements reminiscent of a skilled surgeon – even at slow, calculated speeds.

motion control - robot


motion control - maxon logo

 

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Products – The surgical system itself requires only the use of two 8- and one 12-mm wide hole in a patient, for insertion of the two surgical manipulators and a camera. Only the robot and surgical assistants stand over the patient, while the surgeon, the system operator, can be across the room at the Surgeon’s console where even the look and feel of the open surgery is duplicated with precision.

Motion Control – Application – LM76 Jet Rail Linear Motion Bearings & Shafting

Motion Control Application – How Would You Position Components Of An Experimental Reactor Vessel Weighing 33 Tons?

Easy … Using Custom made LM76 Jet Rail Bearings and Shafting!

LM76-TAE-Jet-Rail-Bearings-and-Shafting-01

motion control - lm76

 

 

E. Longmeadow, MA –Linear Motion Control Application – When a privately funded research company was ready to move from their original Proof of Concept to a sustainable fusion reactor to produce clean sustainable energy, they realized that extremely heavy components would need to be assembled and disassembled and reassembled again for design modifications and maintenance. The completed assembly would be the length of two buses and easy alignment of the individual components would be critical.

Motion Control – The world’s lightest electric mountain bike features maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR

Motion Control – Application – Mountain Bike

With the new Lightrider E Ultimate, Swiss bicycle manufacturer Thömus is launching the world’s first full-suspension cross-country electric mountain bike weighing less than 15 kilograms. This record-breaking weight is made possible by the small and efficient maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR drive in the extremely lightweight Thömus ultra-high modulus carbon frame.

motion control - lightest mountain bike

Taunton, MA — Motion Control – The partnership between Thömus and drive specialist maxon that began in the winter of 2021 is delivering results not only in World Cup racing. Behind the scenes, a lot of work has been done on a new, ultra-lightweight electric mountain bike in recent months, which, together with the maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR drive, heralds a new era for electric mountain bikes.

motion control - maxon

Weighing less than 15 kilograms in total and with a slim, rigid frame, the Lightrider E Ultimate is a real racing bike that can be maneuvered easily and agilely over any terrain.

Motion Control- Application – Underwater inspection on twelve wheels.

Motion Control – Application – Underwater Inspection

Motion Control – Application – Inspecting flooded pipes of power plants requires skilled, high-precision handling. And the robotic vehicles have to be optimized accordingly, for example to dive 20 m deep. The new seawater manipulator is capable of maneuvering underwater in pipes, where it can be used to perform inspections. RE motors by maxon are responsible for the dynamic drive of the robot.

motion control - application

motion control - maxon motor

 

 

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Application – In robotics, manipulators are those devices that enable physical interaction with their surroundings. For this interaction, the robotic vehicles are equipped with appropriate tools, gripper systems or measuring devices. In the case of the seawater manipulator, this equipment largely consists of high-performance cameras used for pipe inspection. Ibass, from Augsburg in Germany, develops, manufactures and distributes manipulators for various in-pipe applications: inspection, grinding, welding, retrieval or suction.

Innovative Motion Control – Mars helicopter receives Collier Trophy

Innovative Motion Control – Mars Helicopter!

Innovative Motion Control – The Mars helicopter team is awarded the Collier Trophy for being the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flies with electric motors from the Swiss company maxon, a provider of precision drives. This prestigious award was presented on June 9th in Washington DC by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA)

innovative motion control - collier award

The Swiss specialist for quality drives maxon is a developer and manufacturer of brushed and brushless DC motors, as well as gearheads, encoders, controllers, and entire mechatronic systems. maxon drives are used wherever the requirements are particularly high: in NASA’s Mars rovers, in surgical power tools, in humanoid robots, and in precision industrial applications, for example. To maintain its leadership in this demanding market, the company invests extensively in research and development. Worldwide, maxon has 3,059 employees at nine production sites and is represented by sales companies in more than 30 countries.


motion control - maxon motors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taunton, MA — Innovative Motion Control – Application – Sachseln, Switzerland – NASA’s Mars helicopter is the first controlled aircraft in history to be used on a planet other than Earth, laying the way for future airborne exploratory missions to other planets. The pioneer project has been developed by a team of engineers, including from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), AeroVironment and maxon.

Motion Control Innovation – Maxon Flat Motors used in Solar Powered Drone

Motion Control Innovation – Solar Powered Drone

Motion Control Innovation – XSun designs and manufactures a drone that is both energy-independent and can make its own decisions, for fully-automated missions. The company needed reliable, high-performance sub-assemblies to design it’s SolarXOne. This is why the start-up approached maxon for the propulsion system.
motion control innovation - solar power ed drone

motion control - maxon

 

Fall River, MA — Motion Control Innovation -Benjamin David, benefiting from a decade of experience at Airbus Defense & Space, created the company XSun based on a rather simple idea: Adapting space technologies for use at lower altitude. This approach produced SolarXOne: A solar-powered, electrical, self-contained drone with a tandem wing design. SolarXOne, with its dragonfly-like design, has excellent aerodynamic performance and a large surface area of solar panels, to collect as much solar energy as possible. This is all within a very high-performance, fully-electric environment.

To see YouTube video click HERE

Motion Control – Application – maxon drives are used in the rover and in the first Mars helicopter

Motion Control – Application – Maxon Goes to Mars!

 

motion control - mars helicopter and rover


motion control - maxon motors

The Helicopter is Still Flying …

… 28 Trips and Counting!

Taunton, MA — Motion Control – Application – DC motors from maxon have been used in virtually all successful robot missions on Mars. More than 100 of these drives from Switzerland are already on the Red Planet and the number will go up again when the Perseverance rover starts its work. Its mission is to collect soil samples on Mars that will be analyzed on Earth later. The rover also carried the Ingenuity helicopter drone, which will be performing the first flights on the Red Planet. maxon’s precision motors and gearheads are used in numerous mission-critical tasks.

Motion Control – Application Story – LM76’s JET Rail Linear Bearings and Engineering Exceed the Challenge!

Motion Control – JetRail Linear Bearings Application

Motion Control – Because LM76 understands workplace environments, manufacturing processes, and offers a complete line of linear bearing systems, LM76 was able to solve a problem and eliminate downtime!
motion control - linear bearings
motion control - linear motion products

 

 

E. Longmeadow, MA –  Motion Control — When profile rail guides fail within a week bring production to a standstill LM76 was called on to supply a linear bearing system that would stand up under extreme conditions. This application story is not claiming that LM76 Jet Rail Systems are superior to profile rail guide systems. However, in this harsh environment the LM76 Jet Rail System proved to be the correct engineering option.