Machine Building

Stepper motors: advanced techniques

In a previous article, Gerard Bush of INMOCO explained the fundamentals of stepper motor design and usage. Here he delves into some advanced control techniques that improve their motion smoothness and stability.

25th January 2013

Microcapsules in adhesive dispensing technology

These days, we can find microcapsules in almost every industrial sector, where they take numerous roles. However, dispensing these fragile materials can be a problem since clearly it is important that the microcapsules be undamaged by the dispensing process.

15th January 2013

Disc Couplings 101 - Making the World go round

As with most of the components that keep high-power industrial transmissions running smoothly and efficiently, most of us probably do not notice the spinning cylinder mounted between the torque supply and the driven device. While high-quality couplings can be left to operate problem free for decades, knowledge of how a disc coupling works and how designs differ is invaluable to ensure that when it comes time to specify a new component, the right equipment is selected; after all, a disc coupling's job is to protect the expensive connected equipment.

10th January 2013

Bespoke bearings for energy-saving electric drives

Throughout industry, there is a growing focus on the energy efficiency of electrically powered machinery and equipment. The chosen bearings also affect energy consumption. It may prove worthwhile for machine manufacturers and operators to draw on domestic appliance producers' and carmakers' experience of using reduced-friction bearings. Tailoring bearings individually to the specific application is the only way to achieve optimum efficiency.

21st December 2012

Engineers should no longer oversize motors

Engineers have traditionally oversized electric motors to allow for worst-case operating conditions and to provide an extra margin for 'peace of mind.' However, Stuart Harvey of Softstart UK explains why this is no longer wise, given today's need to reduce energy consumption.

18th December 2012

Servo couplings for a wide variety of applications

Ruland Manufacturing Co., Inc. manufactures a diverse line of servo couplings for applications such as stepper and servo systems, linear actuators, ball screws, lead screws, encoders, and valve actuation. Industries including medical, printing, packaging, machine tools, linear motion, semiconductor, and solar benefit from having a variety of couplings to choose from. Each application has performance requirements that must be met for the system to function properly. Understanding the different characteristics of each coupling is critical when making a selection.

12th December 2012

Mitsubishi Electric improves PLC-based data logging

In the push for increased overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reduced energy usage, improved traceability, analysis of key performance indicators and more, the vital ingredient is data. Barry Weller of Mitsubishi Electric discusses why data logging has become an essential feature of the modern production line and why it is often best performed within a PLC platform.

12th December 2012

How to calculate point-to-point SCARA movements

Gerard Bush at servo motion specialist INMOCO explains what machine builders need to know about motion control for SCARA robot arms.

12th December 2012

EN ISO 13849-2, validation of safety-related control systems

This article from TUV SUD Product Service explains the requirement to validate the design of the safety related parts of a machine's control system following the recent publication of EN ISO 13849-2.

11th December 2012

Explaining the different types of AC electric motor

The myriad motor technologies all have partially overlapping functionalities, so how does an engineer choose the right type of motor for a given application? Jerry Hodek, Technical & Operations Director at Regal, offers this guide for applications requiring precisely metered torque, speed or positioning.

11th December 2012