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Valin’s Bruce Ng continues the conversation on what happens to the lifespan of an actuator when important moment-loading information is omitted in Episode 25.

We've talked about loading and moment loading and what we need to know in order to size and select an actuator properly. Interestingly enough, what we do as Application Engineers is to help you fill in all the gaps, all the what-you-don’t-knows. So, I've asked one of our Senior Application Engineers, Kent Martins, to go through a sizing and show you what he does.

Recent events with the COVID-19 Virus has placed a spotlight on disinfecting and cleaning our personal areas and our work areas more frequently with reliable solutions. Actril™ is a ready to use cold sterilant, hydrogen peroxide based disinfectant solution.

What happens if you use the incorrect terminology?  What if you say “accuracy” but need “repeatability”?  We interview Ray Marquiss in Episode 23 to find out.

Iwaki self-priming SMX series pumps are an ideal alternative to air operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps when pumping chemicals. 

How do you mitigate your risks when sizing, selecting and designing mechanics?  How do you decide whether to make or buy your mechanics?  Here are some considerations.

You may be at the point of looking at adding feedback to your mechanics in order to make them more precise or to capture some of the errors I discussed last episode in Episode 20. But, you may also be wondering about some of the problems that can cause.

Concerned about COVID-19 Coronavirus? Cantel recently had a third-party laboratory verify the efficacy of its Actril™ and Minncare™ Cold Sterilant on hard, non-porous surfaces. The test demonstrated a complete inactivation of the 229E human coronavirus strain in 5 minutes at room temperature when used according to label instructions.

I have a question for you:  Do you embrace linear encoders?  Or do you avoid them whenever possible?  Or are you wondering what a linear encoder even is?  After all this sizing and selecting of mechanics, and even designing your own mechanics, you might be considering putting a feedback device on there and whether you should or not.

LOSTPED is an acronym where LOSTPED stands for Load, Orientation, Speed, Travel, Precision, Environment and Duty Cycle.  But, what does it REALLY mean?

Frameless Kit Motors are the ideal solution for machine designs that require high performance in small spaces.  Kit motors allow for direct integration with a mechanical transmission device, eliminating parts that add size and complexity.  Use of Frameless Kit Motors results in a smaller, more reliable motor package.

This video highlights Omron unique landmark technology and integrated vision in Omron collaborative robot to simply  pick and place the products when the products  are not presented in the same position. 

A common topic when putting together a motion control system and a gantry is whether to use end-of-travel limit switches, home sensors or absolute encoders. This really depends upon the application. So, let's talk about the pros and cons.

The new LD-250 mobile robot from Omron can handle a payload of 250kg and is the strongest and newest addition to their LD series of mobile robots.

When we size, select, and design gantry systems such as this one, we must make sure that we take into account the whole framing that this is going to be mounted on.

You cannot just start on the mechanics, pick the motors, pick the drives, pick the controls, pick the HMI.  First you must understand everything all together.  Since we're talking about mechanics, there's a few things we need to kind of jump on right off the bat.  To figure out the holistic approach, there's a lot more to it.

One of the things that can really trip people up with sizing and selecting a gantry system is whether they need one or two motors for the X and X-prime. In this video we will shed some light on this topic.

A very important factor to keep in mind when sizing your gantry system is the cable management and cable lengths you'll need. If you think about it, we're going to need cables to span throughout every axis of motion.

Back in Episode 6, I explained to you the different types of linear mechanics.  This included ballscrews, belt & pulleys, linear motors and even rack & pinion.  I get the question all the time: which linear mechanics do I use?

After taking a break from mechanics for a few episodes, we're returning to the idea of a gantry. But, you may wonder what a gantry looks like. For an explanation of that, we're going to turn to Valin’s own Michael Reynaud with a special animation by Valin’s Cassidy in order to show you what a gantry looks like.

I am continuing my conversation with you about EMC installation. We talked about electrical noise, where it comes from and how we control it. We talked about the reasons for Mains filters. Now I'm going to talk a little bit about how to select Mains filters and unfortunately, it's a real black art.

In this video, we'll show you how to set up and get motion from IAI's Elecylinder.

A new way of thinking about nitrogen. A new source of sustainability. Advanced on-site generator producing nitrogen gas from compressed air to produce all the nitrogen you need.

Continuing on talking about electrical noise, I often times have suggested mains filters to customers and they say, “Well I'm not shipping my system to Europe so I don't need it.”  But there are very good reasons for putting a mains filter on your system even when you're not shipping it to Europe.  Let's take a look at this.

Today we're taking a break from all the mechanical topics we've been talking about and let's talk about an electrical one: electrical noise.

What is specmanship?  Why do we care?  Well, in case you haven’t noticed, the catalog specs are not always straight forward as they appear.  Let's look at a couple examples.

The AlphaStep AZD-K Stepper Motor Drivers offer 24/48 VDC input voltage, high functionality and closed loop control.

Oriental Motor's AlphaStep closed loop control systems perform accurate positioning operations with ease.

We're continuing to talk about terminology and this time we're talking about rotary mechanics.  I’m Corey Foster of Valin Corporation.  Let's talk about this.

Are your sensors regularly coming into contact with cutting oil, causing them to break down quickly?

This overview will help you to understand the differences between industrial automation manufacturers, representatives, distributors and integrators…and who you want to reach out to for help.

You may be wondering what the main components are that you need to make a motion control system. What are the minimum number of components you need?

Before we dive into the meat of the matter of sizing and selecting mechanics, there are some basic concepts we need to understand: namely the force, torque, moment, inertia, and axes of motion.

As we dive further into sizing and selecting mechanics, there are a couple of terms that are extremely important in understanding the requirements of an application.

We're continuing on with talking about some of the basic terminology and things you need to know in order to be able to size your own mechanics and gantry. We cover motion requirements and a summary at the end of the last several episodes.

We've been talking about a lot of different basic terminology.  Now we're going to talk about just some basic types of linear mechanics.

In this video, Omron shows us how to use the built in camera in the integrated vision system for your application.

Omron’s new FHV7-series smart camera features the world’s first multi-color light alongside a best-in-class 12-megapixel high-resolution image sensor to achieve the industry’s highest standards of precision in vision inspections on a high-mix production line.

The Iwaki Pump Engineering Team, originators and holders of many pump patents, proudly introduces their newest design innovation. After years of thorough testing and successful operation, Iwaki Air has now completely re-designed the Air Motor to include the new Looped C Spring Spool.

Wzzard Mesh Gen 2 models have the ability to monitor temperature, humidity and vibration, and can accommodate virtually any industry-standard external sensors.

STOBER, a recognized leader in reliable engineering and uncompromised support. Their gearboxes for motion control and power transmission applications are built on German engineering and are specified, assembled, painted and shipped right here in Kentucky. But the true mark of reliability is proven over time.

If you are involved in manufacturing or packaging, you know that implementing and maintaining a robotic automation solution is no small task.

In this video, Omron demonstrates its ongoing focus on innovative packaging solutions that advance manufacturing and productivity through integration of robots with sensing, control, motion and safety capabilities.

The Omron PackXpert Solution brings together Omron’s complete line of robotic automation products into a single, fully integrated packaging system.

This process is where soy milk and brine are mixed in the tofu manufacturing line.

In this video Rich Wilbur demonstrates how you can use tubing that you can measure, mark, layout, and bend. Check it out!

This video takes you step by step from deburring a piece of tubing, marking the tubing, making up the fitting, and pressurizing the fitting to show that it only takes one and a quarter turn to properly seal a fitting from leaks.

Schmalz is one of the world’s leading suppliers in automation technology, handling technology and clamping technology. This video demonstrates Schmalz Jumbo Ergo, Jumbo Sprint and Jumbo Flex products.

Inventek Engineering presents The Fully Automatic Flexible Bottling System.