The global site of the UK's leading magazine for automation, motion engineering and power transmission
29 March, 2024

LinkedIn
Twitter
Twitter link
News » Product News 

Modular HMI mounts in a standard 22mm hole

22 August, 2013

The Japanese HMI and communications specialist, Prof-face, has announced a modular controller and operator interface which installs in standard 22mm round holes – the same size used for switches and indicator lights. The LT4000M series combines a 3.5” or 5.7” display with a DIN-rail-mounting controller.


Rotary drive ‘sets new standards for performance’

20 August, 2013

Festo has announced a cost-effective semi-rotary pneumatic drive with twin pistons that, it says, offers good precision, stiffness and loadability. The DRRD actuator uses an innovative bearing system to handle high loads with high accuracy.


Single-axis motion control chip is ‘world’s cheapest’

20 August, 2013

Trinamic Motion Control, the German developer of motion control technologies, has developed what it claims to be the world’s lowest-cost single-axis motion control chip. The TMC4210 motion controller IC, which costs just over $2 in quantities of 1,000, performs real-time position and velocity stepper motor calculations, simplifying the design of software to implement motor control on host microcontrollers.


Four-core vision system is ‘fastest of its type’

16 August, 2013

Omron has announced a compact vision system which, it claims, is the fastest of its type, resulting in shorter machine cycle times combined with precise operation, even in difficult operating conditions, such as poor lighting, and out-of-focus, rotated or overlapping target objects.


Compact PLC offers Ethernet and analogue I/O

16 August, 2013

Mitsubishi Electric has released a compact PLC with embedded Ethernet facilities, two analogue inputs (0-10V DC or 4-20mA) and an analogue output (0-10V DC or 4-20mA). It says that these facilities will open up the Melsec FX3GE CPU to a wider range of applications than other models in the FX3G family.


Motion controller works with brushed DC motors

15 August, 2013

The Californian controls company, Specialty Motions Inc (SMI), has developed a motion controller that provides variable speed control, direction control, and oscillating and jog-able motion, using standard 12V or 24V brushed DC motors. The D-Con controller is designed to be an low-cost and easy means of achieving such motion without needing to learn programming languages, or using expensive motors, complex drives, PLCs or computer controls.


Controller offers ‘shortest move and settle times’

12 August, 2013

The Israeli motion controls manufacturer ACS Motion Control has developed a combined control module and EtherCat master which, it claims delivers “ultimate servo performance, the shortest move and settle times possible, minimal jitter, and outstanding smoothness”.


Revamped CompactRIO controllers are ‘four times faster’

07 August, 2013

National Instruments has announced a new CompactRIO controller that is four times faster than the previous generation. The cRIO-9068 has been redesigned completely, but is still compatible with the CompactRIO system's reconfigurable I/O and with NI’s LabView software.


Machine operation is ‘as convenient as a smartphone’

06 August, 2013

The German controls and automation manufacturer Schleicher Electronic has developed a hand-held operating device that it claims is the first to control machines with the convenience of a smartphone. It predicts that the device will revolutionise the operation of handling systems, industrial robots and machine tools.


Integrated brushless AC motors offer ‘servo-like’ performance

06 August, 2013

US-based Mechatronics Systems has developed a family of brushless AC motors with integrated drive electronics that, it says, offer variable speed operation with servo-like performance. It claims that the 191mm-long 2.2kW version is the smallest package of its type on the market.


Tool-free push-in connectors handle currents up to 232A

05 August, 2013

Phoenix Contact has developed a range of high-current terminals that make it easy to connect and wire rigid or flexible ferruled conductors up to 95mm² without needing tools.


XY stages incorporate direct-drive linear motors

05 August, 2013

Aerotech has announced a range of two-axis linear motor stages that, it says, offer good geometric and dynamic performance in low-profile packages. The Planar DL stages are optimised for high dynamics and stiffness and can achieve velocities to 1m/s, accelerations to 1.5g, straightness to ±0.4µm, and flatness to ±1µm.


High-inertia motors have longer stall than start times

26 July, 2013

ABB has announced a range of high-power motors designed to accelerate high-inertia loads, such as axial fans. With standard motors, the long start times of such loads can lead to overheating. The new motors have been designed to withstand the increased temperature rise during start and stall conditions, and have stall times longer than their start times.


Motion controller links third-party controls to servos

26 July, 2013

Mitsubishi Electric has released a motion controller that allows users to combine Mitsubishi’s servo motion systems with third-party control systems. The Q170MCPU-EIP controller allows users to create positioning applications within their existing programming environments and to use these with Mitsubishi servo platforms.


Integrated servomotors incorporate EtherCat ports

26 July, 2013

Dunkermotoren has announced a range of compact brushless DC servomotors with integrated control electronics and EtherCat connections. There are ten models with power ratings from 50–500W in square frames with sizes ranging from 45–75mm.


Magazine
  • To view a digital copy of the latest issue of Drives & Controls, click here.

    To visit the digital library of past issues, click here

    To subscribe to the magazine, click here

     

Poll

"Do you think that robots create or destroy jobs?"

Newsletter
Newsletter

Events

Most Read Articles