Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

Bodine Electric gearmotors have higher torque ratings

Bodine Electric Company recently upgraded the design of many of its type WX gearmotors to increase the output torque ratings while maintaining the same long-life rating. Two parts in the gearhead design were changed to accomplish the higher torque ratings: the rotor/armature shaft and the first-stage gear. This design change allowed Bodine to raise the output torque rating for any WX gear ratio where the first stage of the gearing cluster had been the "weak link." This included all of the two-stage ratios used in Bodine stock models and two of the three-stage ratios used in Bodine stock models.
Find out all the new capabilities and models in this Bodine blog.

Pick and Hold solenoid driver module designed for economy, extended life

Magnetic Sensor Systems (MSS) has released the Pick and Hold SDM950 Power Solenoid Driver Module. This "Made in America," compact, PWM driver module measuring just 2.950 x 3.000 in. is designed to consume less energy by first applying the voltage for a pre-determined period of time (pick time) necessary to activate the solenoid and then, when the plunger is seated, drop the voltage (holding voltage) to a level sufficient to hold the solenoid in the seated position. This conserves energy and extends the life of the solenoid.
Learn more.

High-precision micro-positioning actuators

For applications requiring sub-micrometer precision, PI's L-220 series linear actuators provide reliable, high-precision motion in a compact design. Engineered for demanding tasks in optics, photonics, semiconductor testing, metrology, and microscopy, select models are available with short lead times to support fast system integration. Their low backlash and non-rotating, linearly guided tips minimize tilt and eccentricity-caused errors, as is common with low-cost, rotating-tip type actuators.
Learn more and get all the specs.

How to convert from hydraulic cylinders to electric actuators and why

Hydraulic cylinders are traditionally the go-to technology for high-force linear motion. They deliver high force at a low cost-per-unit of force, are rugged, and are simple to deploy. However, electric cylinders with high-force capacities are now available, and they are more flexible, precise, and reliable than their hydraulic counterparts. This is a very detailed article, including lifecycle and power costs, force requirements, and data collection.
Read this informative Tolomatic blog.

Linear actuator from igus handles up to 600 kg

The drylin SLX-8060 from igus is a ready-to-install linear axis equipped with a dryspin lead screw drive. The corrosion-resistant system can handle axial loads up to 600 kg (1,323 lb), making it ideal for logistics, robotics, and manufacturing applications in packaging and automated material handling. Designed to simplify and accelerate assembly, the SLX-8060 can be mounted directly to aluminum construction profiles without pre-drilled holes. igus offers the SLX as a complete system with optional motor and control packages, ensuring fast deployment for automation and motion system developers.
Learn more.

Where do you get drone parts?

Based in Buffalo, NY, Allient is furthering its robust technology foundation to deliver advanced motion and power solutions for unmanned aerial systems, starting with COTS propulsion motors and extending to electronic speed controllers, gimbals, propellers, mission-ready kits, and power/electronic solutions. Across all product categories, the company manufactures more than 5 million motors annually.
Read the full article.

Kollmorgen Essentials™ System: Affordable, precise motion

Introducing Kollmorgen Essentials™ Motion Systems: High-performance, affordable, and precise motion for every industrial axis. These pre-configured systems enable simple sizing and selection, while multiple onboard communication protocols ensure seamless integration. Each system combines an optimally matched servo drive, a servo motor with integrated absolute multi-turn feedback, and a combined power/data cable. With ease of installation and commissioning, Kollmorgen Essentials ensures reliable performance across key industrial applications from packaging and warehouse automation to material handling and forming.
Learn more.

Motion Control Tech Tip: The 6 myths of stage error mapping

According to the experts at Motion Solutions, stage error mapping -- measuring absolute positioning error at a specified set of sampling points -- has gained a reputation for achieving high-accuracy motion control with lower-cost equipment. The theory is sound, but the problem is that there are a lot of misconceptions around stage error mapping that can lead to its use in unsuitable applications and disappointing results. Want to learn how you can use it for its maximum benefit?
Read the Motion Solutions blog.

ABB expands Baldor-Reliance SP4 motor line with shaft-grounded models for enhanced bearing protection

Companies can increase motor efficiency by as much as 20% by using units in the ABB Baldor-Reliance SP4 motor line, which features integrated shaft grounding technology. Designed specifically for variable speed drive (VSD) applications, SP4 shaft ground motors offer superior protection against electrical discharge damage, extending motor life and reducing costly downtime. SP4 motors are available in severe-duty cast-iron units covering a power range of 25 to 300 hp, and general-purpose rolled-steel models available in 1/4 to 20 hp.
Learn more.

What is Sensorless Closed Loop? Precise motor control without an encoder

Matt Sherman, eMobility Sales and Application Engineer at KEB America, runs through different options to drive an AC motor, including one called "Sensorless Closed Loop" that does not require additional hardware such as encoder, resolver, or cables on the motor.
Read the blog, which includes an informative video.

Cool Tools: Piezo Components Calculator

The PI Piezo Component/ Transducer Calculator is an online engineering tool designed to help users estimate key performance parameters of piezoelectric ceramic products quickly, for both static and resonant behaviors, based on user-defined inputs. Users can model piezo transducer behavior, evaluate electrical characteristics, analyze resonance and dynamics, and optimize designs. Includes material and geometry inputs.
Check out the PI Piezo Calculator.

Melexis latch slims down motor applications

Melexis has unveiled a variant of the MLX92211, a three-wire Hall-effect latch. This new device is designed for lateral magnetic position sensing and boasts high ESD protection and a high output current limit. This latest addition enables motor miniaturization by providing enhanced integration and cost-effective performance, ideal for automotive compact motors used in applications such as seat motors, sunroofs, and thermal expansion valves.
Learn more. Samples available now.

5 Tips: Motion systems for step-and-settle applications

Step-and-settle motion is a fundamental support technology for a variety of critical systems such as diagnostic imagers, but OEMs need to properly specify the motion stages if the system is going to succeed. The process is trickier than it sounds. Thankfully, the experts at Motion Solutions are here to help you find the complex balance between performance and cost while avoiding critical pitfalls.
Read the Motion Solutions blog.

How to maximize and optimize stepper motor control

Engineers from Performance Motion Devices take a comprehensive look at how to control two-phase stepper motors, beginning with the basics (operations, strengths, and weaknesses) and moving on to traditional and updated advanced techniques for control including closed loop. A very thorough presentation.
Read the Performance Motion Devices technical article.

Marine-grade electro-hydraulic linear actuator

The Thomson H-Track actuator, which is known for its innovative combination of heavy-duty, hydraulic performance and the electromechanical advantages of a compact, maintenance-free design, has expanded its capabilities with marine-grade corrosion resistance and underwater functionality. Upgrades include: a sealed motor housing, 316 stainless steel components, long-term exposure cert., IP68 dynamic rating for underwater operation, and a refined design.
Learn more.

NASA begins work to build quieter supersonic passenger jet

This is an artist's concept of a possible Low Boom Flight Demonstration Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) X-plane design. The award of a preliminary design contract is the first step toward the possible return of supersonic passenger travel -- but this time quieter and more affordable. [Credits: Lockheed Martin]

 

 

 

 

The return of supersonic passenger air travel is one step closer to reality with NASA's award of a contract for the preliminary design of a "low boom" flight demonstration aircraft. This is the first in a series of ‘X-planes' in NASA's New Aviation Horizons initiative, introduced in the agency's Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced the award at an event Feb. 29 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, VA.

"NASA is working hard to make flight greener, safer, and quieter -- all while developing aircraft that travel faster, and building an aviation system that operates more efficiently," said Bolden. "To that end, it's worth noting that it's been almost 70 years since Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 as part of our predecessor agency's high-speed research. Now we're continuing that supersonic X-plane legacy with this preliminary design award for a quieter supersonic jet with an aim toward passenger flight."

NASA selected a team led by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Palmdale, CA, to complete a preliminary design for Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST). The work will be conducted under a task order against the Basic and Applied Aerospace Research and Technology (BAART) contract at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.

After conducting feasibility studies and working to better understand acceptable sound levels across the country, NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology Project asked industry teams to submit design concepts for a piloted test aircraft that can fly at supersonic speeds, creating a supersonic "heartbeat" -- a soft thump rather than the disruptive boom currently associated with supersonic flight.

"Developing, building, and flight testing a quiet supersonic X-plane is the next logical step in our path to enabling the industry's decision to open supersonic travel for the flying public," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission.

Lockheed Martin will receive about $20 million over 17 months for QueSST preliminary design work. The Lockheed Martin team includes subcontractors GE Aviation of Cincinnati and Tri Models Inc. of Huntington Beach, CA.

The company will develop baseline aircraft requirements and a preliminary aircraft design with specifications, and provide supporting documentation for concept formulation and planning. This documentation would be used to prepare for the detailed design, building, and testing of the QueSST jet. Performance of this preliminary design also must undergo analytical and wind tunnel validation.

In addition to design and building, this Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) phase of the project also will include validation of community response to the new, quieter supersonic design. The detailed design and building of the QueSST aircraft, conducted under the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Integrated Aviation Systems Program, will fall under a future contract competition.

NASA's 10-year New Aviation Horizons initiative has the ambitious goals of reducing fuel use, emissions, and noise through innovations in aircraft design that departs from the conventional tube-and-wing aircraft shape.

The New Aviation Horizons X-planes will typically be about half-scale of a production aircraft and likely are to be piloted. Design-and-build will take several years, with aircraft starting their flight campaign around 2020, depending on funding.

Source: NASA

Published March 2016

Rate this article