Motion Control and Automation

After all this education and talking about sizing and selecting electric linear actuators, you probably are wondering what tools you have available for you to take a crack at it yourself.

Valins 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.

Technology is changing so rapidly these days that we can be constantly feeling behind.  The terms IIoT and Industry 4.0 are being thrown around way too easily.  I've been looking for a one-size-fits-all solution for customers I talk to, but it just does not seem to exist.  Even at the oil wells, which seems like the most cookie-cutter of all applications, there just is not a one-size-fits-all 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.

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.

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.

Valin is at ATX West February 11-13, 2020. Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim CA.

In this video you will see just a few of Valins custom engineered solutions. A complete list of solutions includes integrated automation, electrical subassemblies, motion control subassemblies, robotic solutions, custom gantry systems, custom server solutions, control panels, valve assemblies, nitrogen generators, filtration systems, and custom heating solutions. 

Are you implementing automation at your company? Do you need technical education and expert advice to make major business decisions? Whether you're an engineer working in aerospace, a C-suite executive in manufacturing, or any other type of professional looking for solutions to streamline operations, the Automation Technology Expo (ATX) West will give you the education and connections needed to make the right choices for your projects or business.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.