Posted to News on 20th Jan 2014, 11:26
SMAC introduces high-performance CBL Series electric cylinders
SMAC is launching the CBL series electric cylinders that offer high-speed performance and long operating life at competitive prices starting below $500. SMAC's 'Snap Together' design controls tight tolerance stack-up, assures high product quality and allows for competitive pricing. According to the company, the CBL series moves voice coil actuators into areas that were previously the domain of pneumatic devices.
The CBL35 electric cylinder is the first model in the series. This has a diameter of 35mm and stroke lengths of 10mm and 25mm, and is available now. Additional models, including the CBL50, will be available later in January, with the CBL15, CBL25, and CBL75 to follow in the coming months.
CBL Series electric cylinder performance
CBL Series electric cylinders offer a long cycle life at high cycle rates: over 100 million cycles, which compares very well with many conventional pneumatic cylinders that have a working life of only around 10 million to 20 million cycles. Carriage-free designs and built-in linear bearings, including SMAC lube rings, help to provide longer life. The design and construction of CBL electric cylinders allows for cylinder acceleration up to 50 'g'. They can operate at over 2000 cycles per minute, whereas pneumatic cylinders rarely exceed 1000 cycles per minute.
CBL electric cylinders are designed for fast, easy stroke adjustment via an electrical interface; the user simply types in the required speed, position, acceleration and force. This allows for precise adjustments in a fraction of the time that pneumatic cylinders require, with no manual readjustments required. This results in large savings of time and cost, and increases throughput due to a significant reduction in equipment downtime.
As with all SMAC actuators, the CBL line offers the ability to enable free and independent control of velocity, position and force simultaneously. SMAC's patented 'Soft-land' function provides for accurate sensing of product location and ensures precise force control. These cylinders also provide 100 per cent data feedback for all operations as a standard feature. No external switches or sensors are required to validate cylinder movement or position, enabling a radical reduction in external wiring and a significant reduction in installation costs.
In addition, CBL cylinders offer more consistent actuation times, with as little as one millisecond of variance in cycle times, compared with the 20ms or more variances that conventional cylinders produce. With more consistent and accurate actuation comes improved high-speed performance.
Energy-efficient electric cylinders
CBL electric cylinders are also environmentally friendly. CBL35 power consumption is as low as 1.5A and 24V, compared with the air consumption of air cylinders and the inefficiencies of producing and transporting compressed air. Since the primary wear item in the CBL electric cylinder is the guide bushing, they can be easily and quickly repaired in the field at the end of their initial service life. This means less waste compared with the frequent complete replacement of air cylinders.
When compared with pneumatic technology, CBL cylinders are far quieter, and because they are electric, they produce none of the dirty process exhaust that pneumatic cylinders do. This makes the CBL suitable for clean room environments and where Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations have to be complied with.
Follow the link for more information about the CBL series electric cylinders from SMAC.
