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.

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.

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Motion Control – High Speed Linear Bearings

E. Longmeadow, MA – Motion Control – LM76’s high speed, “Black Racer,” ceramic coated linear bearings out perform linear ball bushing and linear polymer bearings in high speed and high acceleration/deceleration applications. These drop in replacement linear bearings are designed to be used in standard open and closed pillow blocks. “Black Racer” linear bearings are ideal for: Rocket sleds, crash test systems, and other high speed, high acceleration application.

Motion Control – Miniature Voice Coil Motor

Van Nuys, CA – Motion Control Components – The miniature Linear Voice Coil Motor, LVCM-022-013-01, from Moticont features a high force-to-weight ratio of 14.5 oz. (4.0 N) continuous force and 45.7 oz. (12.7 N) peak force in a compact 0.875 in. (22.2 mm) diameter x 0.50 in. (12.7 mm) long package. This clean, quiet, efficient, low inertia, high acceleration, high speed motor has zero cogging and features high accuracy, and high repeatability to less than1 μm (0.00004 in.) when operated in a closed loop as a DC servo motor.

Motion Control – Frameless Servos for Robots

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control Components — Kollmorgen has introduced the new TBM2G series of frameless servo motors, introducing features that simplify the design of collaborative, surgical, aerospace and defense and other robots while delivering optimal performance in a lighter, more compact package. These new motors will complement Kollmorgen’s existing TBM and KBM series of frameless motors.

Resulting from several years of research, testing and customer feedback, the TBM2G series offers high-performance torque in an extremely compact electromagnetics package. These next-generation motors enable robots with lower joint weight, higher load-carrying capacity, improved energy efficiency, lower thermal rise, and faster, smoother movements.

Motion Control – Open Aperture XY Alignment Stage

Van Nuys, CA – — Motion Control – New high resolution and high repeatability Alignment Stages have been released by Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc. (OES). Supplied with a standard 4 mm-per-turn ground lead screw, the AU200-200×200 Alignment Stages feature 200 mm (7.874 in.) of travel in both the X and Y axes. These low profile 80 mm (3.179 in.) high XY stages have a 250 mm x 250 mm (9.842 in. x 9.842 in.) open aperture.

Motion Control – Open Aperture Voice Coil Stage

Van Nuys, CA – Motion Control Components – The compact HCDS-025-038-02-B1-01 Voice Coil Stage from Moticont has a foot print of just 2.000 in. (54.0 mm) wide by 5.000 in (127.0 mm) long and features a positioning resolution of 1 micron and a 0.125 in. (3.175 mm) open aperture. This precision cross roller stage has a 0.97 in. (24.6 mm) range of motion with 1.0 lb. (4.4 N) of continuous force and 3.2 lb (14.2 N) peak force. The zero cogging, clean, quiet, efficient, low inertia, high acceleration, high speed voice coil driven stage has a built-in home switch for accurate initialization.

Motion Control – Application – Maxon Goes to Mars!

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 – 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!

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.

Motion Control – Light and Lnvisible e-bike system!

Motion Control – First, maxon’s drives flew on Mars in the NASA helicopter – now they’re letting bike riders lift off.

Taunton, MA — Motion Control – After several years of development, the company presents the BIKEDRIVE Air – a light and invisible e-bike system consisting of a mid-mounted motor, integrated battery, and control element. It can be used to build extremely lightweight racing, gravel, urban, and mountain bikes. The first bicycles made by maxon customers will be introduced to the market this year.

Motion Control – Miniature Voice Coil Motor

Van Nuys, CA – Motion Control Components – Smaller in diameter than a United States quarter, the miniature Linear Voice Coil Motor, LVCM-019-016-02, from Moticont has a high force-to-size ratio! It produces 8.9 oz. (2.5 N) of continuous force and 28.0 oz. (7.8 N) of peak force in a compact 0.750 in. (19.1 mm) diameter x 0.94 in. (23.8 mm) long envelope (at mid stroke).

Motion Control Application – Truck Wheel Buffing Machines

The Application –

Motion Control – Polishing Aluminum Truck Wheels is done with a polishing machine that has a 36″ vertical stroke indexer, having a 2500 pound load moving @ 4″ per second. The polishing media is like toothpaste with glass in it. It is extremely abrasive, and sticky/tacky.

The Problem –

The industrial buffing system is chewing-up motion control linear ball bearings and spitting them out every 2 weeks! This is the situation one of customers found themselves in while for years accepting lost production and costly maintenance shutdowns. When LM76 got a call from a proactive new maintenance manager, we were eager to try a scraper seal design we had recently had success with on another application.

Motion Control –  Right Angle Gearheads

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control — ADVANCED Motion Controls has released a new 60A continuous FlexPro servo drive model FM060-60C-CM. This model is the second “machine embedded” version in this power range adding CANopen communication to the previously released EtherCAT version.

The 60A continuous current rating means the servo drive can operate at the 60A peak rating continuously with no need for current foldback.  This feat is impressive because the new model is in the same package size as our “micro-sized” FlexPro models meaning up to four units can fit within the footprint of a business card.

Motion Control – Precision Manual XYZ!

Van Nuys, CA —– Motion Control – This manual crossed roller XYZ-axis positioning stage is made of aluminum alloy with an black anodized coating. The table size is 25 x 25 mm has a body weight of 0.16 Kgf. The maximum load of this super thin table is 1 Kgf. The movement accuracy is Straightness 5µm ,Vertical yawing 30″ and Parallel yawing 25″.

Motion Control – Voice -Coil Stage

Van Nuys, CA – Motion Control – Components -– Moticont’s VCDS-051-032-01 series of linear motion control voice coil stages features a voice coil motor, a ball bearing linear slide, home switch, and an integral optical quadrature encoder with differential outputs. Measuring 5.000 in (127.0 mm) long x 2.00 in. (50.8) wide x 2.875 in. (73.0 mm) high, the VCDS-051-089-01 series stages have a linear travel of 0.97 in. (24.6 mm); a continuous force of 6.3 lbs (28.2 N) and a peak force of 20.0 lbs (89.9 N) (at a 10% duty cycle).

Motion Control – Flat BLDC Motors for Robotics Applications!

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Products –

High-torque External-rotor Motors

Maxon presents another innovation in the area of BLDC motors: the ECX flat product family. These external-rotor motors can be configured online and are optimized for maximum performance thanks to the special winding technology, as well as segmented magnets. The ratio of torque to weight and size is second to none and is ideal for use in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) and robotics applications.

Motion Control – Custom Machined Linear Shafting

Motion Control – 1.0 Inch Diameter Voice Coil Motors!

Van Nuys, CA – Motion Control Components – Moticont has added to it’s line of Linear Voice Coil Motors, LVCM, two 1.000 in. (25.4 mm) diameter motors. The LVCM-025-022-01 has a stroke length of 0.375 in. (9.5 mm) a mid-stroke length of 1.30 in. (33 mm) and it has a high force to size ratio of 16.9 oz (4.7 N) and a peak force of 53.5 oz. (14.9 N) at 10% duty cycle. The LVCM-025-029-01 has a stroke length of 0.625 in. (15.9 mm) a mid-stroke length of 1.68 in. (43 mm) with a continuous force of 18.2 oz (5.1 N) and a peak force of 57.7 oz. (16.0 N) at 10% duty cycle.

These compact, high-force-to-size ratio motors are ideal for: work holding and clamping, medical devices, assembly, testing, laser machining and drilling, wafer handling, optical focusing, dynamic vibration absorption, scanners and laser beam steering and filtering.

Motion Control – High Speed Block and Rail Sets

E. Longmeadow, MA – Motion Control – Two new series of high speed, low cost, compact linear guide systems called, “Speed Guides,TM” have been introduced by LM76. The Speed Demon OSG type and Speed Demon SG type linear guide systems are designed for speeds up to 10 m/sec. (32.8 ft/sec.), accelerations to 50 m/sec.2 and loads up to 5600 N. (1259 lbs.). These quiet, low profile guide systems are ideal for: High speed assembly and sorting operations, pick and place robots, industrial, office, and packaging machines, vacuum applications, and medical equipment (including patient care devices).

Motion Control –  1500 Watt Integrated Servo Motor!

JVL presents a new AC Servo Motor with built-in controller, Nano-PLC and direct AC mains supply with same capacity and length as traditional servo motors.

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control Products — JVL, the European leader in the development of integrated servo and stepper motor technology, has now again developed a new and unique product in the field of integrated motor control.

Motion Control – Vertical Lift Stage

Van Nuys, CA – — Motion Control – The AT10-120 Motorized Vertical Stage from Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc. (OES) is a high resolution, low profile, high load vertical lift stage that can be easily integrated into almost any application. The large 220 mm x 140 mm (8.7 in. 5.5 in.) drilled and tapped platform has a vertical travel of 110 mm (4.3 In.).