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Linear actuators automate shampoo-bottle filling with less drips
Consider the equipment that fills shampoo bottles. Such filling machines use conveyors to transport empty bottles to sensor-tracked wait positions. Then they insert shampoo-dispensing nozzles into the...
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What are the differences between incremental and sine-cosine encoders?
Encoders that provide incremental position measurements (whether rotary or linear) output two signals, or channels, typically termed “A” and “B,” to provide position and direction information. These...
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Nanopositioning controller for piezo stages boasts 270-W peak power,...
A high-power version of PI’s (Physik Instrumente) E-727 family of multi-axis piezo nanopositioning controllers provides 270 W of peak power – close to 10X of the standard version. The enhanced...
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New ball screw selection tool streamlines online product selection
Thomson Industries, Inc., has launched a new online selector tool that simplifies and streamlines the purchasing experience for its precision ball screws. The tool helps design engineers zero in on the...
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What is stepper motor resonance and how can it be avoided?
The discrete, step-by-step movements that give a stepper motor its accurate positioning capability can also lead to some undesirable performance characteristics — namely, vibration and audible noise...
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How to calculate bearing life for a ball spline
Image credit: Nippon Bearing A ball spline is much like a linear ball bushing and shaft, but with axial grooves along the outer diameter of the shaft and the inner diameter of the nut. These grooves...
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How to size a spline shaft: Shaft strength in bending and torsion
Choosing a shaft for a traditional linear ball bushing is relatively easy — choose the appropriate diameter, material, and hardness, check the dimensional accuracies and tolerances, and if the shaft is...
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What are low outgassing materials for linear motion components in vacuum...
Outgassing can damage sensitive products such as semiconductor wafers, lenses, and microelectronic components.Image credit: WaferPro Outgassing — the release of gas or vapor from a material through...
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When should you use a bronze lead screw nut?
Lead screw manufacturers offer nuts in a wide array of materials, including various plastics and grades of bronze. And while plastics garner a lot of attention for their versatility and range of...
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What factors contribute to air bearing stiffness?
According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), stiffness is: The capacity of a mechanical system to sustain external loads without excessive changes of its geometry (deformations)....
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What are capacitive sensors and where are they used?
Linear position feedback devices — also referred to as linear encoders — typically measure travel distances ranging from a few dozen millimeters to several meters. But when a positioning system has a...
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Ride the wave of electrification: Off-highway designs with linear actuators
The transition of mobile machinery and off-highway equipment away from fossil fuels may be a long-term goal, but electrification is already delivering real benefits in the sector. By Tarek Bugaighis •...
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Three easy ways to specify application requirements for linear motion systems
The first step in any automation project is to clearly define the objective — what process are you trying to accomplish or what output are you trying to produce? Once the process or output is defined,...
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Ultrasonic sensors for linear position and distance measuring
In nature, some animals — such as bats and dolphins — analyze the echo of a sound or call (a process known as echolocation) to navigate or to find prey. In industrial applications, ultrasonic sensors...
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How is an LVDT similar to a resolver?
Both LVDTs (linear variable differential transformers) and resolvers are measuring devices that convert displacement into an electrical signal. As its name implies, an LVDT is used for linear...
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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...
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What’s the difference between a vertical lift stage and a Z axis actuator?
In many applications that require vertical motion, a Z axis actuator is combined with one or two horizontal axes in a Cartesian or gantry-style arrangement. In these multi-axis configurations, the...
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The benefits – and drawbacks – of linear motors for dynamic applications
Linear motors can achieve high acceleration rates and long travel lengths with good thrust forces and extremely high positioning accuracies, while other drive mechanisms, such as belts, screws, or rack...
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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...
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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...
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