CHARLOTTE, NC—Precise motion controllers are certainly important in advanced manufacturing equipment. But just as the performance of a super athlete depends on a combination of brains and physical ability, so do high-precision linear motion systems. Without mechanical systems capable of taking full advantage of the instructions supplied by the motion controller, many processes would be impossible.
Wind energy is green and sustainable. However, the wind-turbine towers that generate wind energy are built using traditional manufacturing techniques, such as welding.
SCHAUMBURG, IL—Many motion control applications such as machining spindles and scanning equipment require more than just position values from the motion feedback device. It is also imperative to know what velocity the axis is running, as there may be a need to control the velocity from one speed to another rapidly, or to maintain a constant speed because other operations and triggers need to occur based on the constant velocity.
Fifty milliseconds may not seem like a lot of time. Indeed, the human eye takes between 300 and 400 milliseconds to complete a single blink. And yet in the context of a high-speed automated assembly system, in which a single linear actuator might make more than a dozen moves per minute, 50 milliseconds here and there can really add up.
Engineers have developed several ways to detect extension or retraction of a pneumatic cylinder. Anisotropic magnetoresistive and giant magnetoresistive sensors are smaller, faster and reliable alternatives.