July 1, 2007
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Surfing the web but tired of the same old sites? Then stop by and visit us! Motion System Design's website is home to a vast amount of knowledge on all...
Fly like an eagle: Side B
In the May issue, I wrote about a study on the state of U.S. manufacturing produced by the National Association of Manufacturers. Since then, I've received...
Looking through rose-colored glasses?
I'm confused regarding your editorial extolling how healthy our manufacturing industry is (May 2007). Minnesota has lost 5,500 manufacturing jobs over...
In response
Patent protection necessary I read with interest the previous remarks by your reader. This kind of thing has been proposed but I'm not sure that it would...
Elevator tech on the rise
The view from the top is wonderful, but getting there can be a real pain. For people who live or work in tall buildings, it's no fun when the elevator...
Twisting and turning on the track
It's not the tallest or the fastest roller coaster in the world, but it just may be the most fun, thanks in part to the linear synchronous motors that...
ITT acquires International Motion Control
ITT Corp., White Plains, N.Y., has announced it will acquire International Motion Control (IMC), Buffalo, for $395 million. IMC is a global developer...
Danaher Motion establishes SynqNet interest group
To promote the architectural and technological advances of the SynqNet motion network, Danaher Motion, Wood Dale, Ill., has established the SynqNet Interest...
Making the connection in wafer development
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a system for manipulating and precisely positioning individual nanowires...
PTDA names new director
The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) Foundation, Chicago, appointed Phyllis Russell to executive director. She is responsible for all...
Bosch Rexroth consolidates divisions
Bosch Rexroth Corp., Rochester Hills, Mich., is consolidating its branch offices in the Detroit area, moving 120 local employees into a 57,000-ft2 facility...
Software helps deliver safe landings
Engineering company LMS, Leuven, Belgium, has introduced a dedicated simulation solution for landing gear systems based on the company's Virtual.Lab Motion...
Beating traffic wins the race
Navigating through traffic is difficult enough for even the best of drivers, but imagine having to do it without your hands on the wheel and your eyes...
Juggling many functions
These days, everything from hand soap to candy bars comes in multiple versions. Behind all this variety are smart manufacturing plants that have the ability...
Commanding new heights
Almost all motion controllers on the market today can synchronize two or more axes. But too many times, this merely means that the controller has the...
Nailing down the limits of your leadscrew assembly
If you've specified radial bushings or slides in a recent design, you may have sized them using a pressure-velocity (PV) factor a measure of pressure...
Keeping pace with displacement sensors
Linear encoders by their very design overcome various mechanical machine limitations by providing a direct source of positional feedback. They can monitor...
Proximity sensing
HOW DOES THE CHOICE OF PROXIMITY SENSORS AFFECT THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF MOTION-CENTRIC AUTOMATION SYSTEMS? Alex Baumer: Proximity sensors, through...
Delta robot redesign picks up the pace
The packaging industry's most successful rapid transfer robot the Delta robot was developed in Switzerland during the early 1980s by Reymond Clavel. Since...
Illumination information
Machine vision is a key control element for countless robotics and automated systems, as well as the basis for a wide variety of systems that measure...
Encoder disc functions
Shaft motion can be tracked by incremental encoders for analysis and use by system controls downstream. Rotational direction is monitored with an encoder...
Pulling their weight: Timing pulley
A modular gearbox design integrates gearing into a timing pulley for dynamic linear motion systems, including gantry robots, high-speed packaging machinery,...
Product spotlight: Vector drives
Unidrive SP includes an encoder-equipped ac induction motor that accurately controls speed and position for a wide range of loads. Features & benefits...
Products
Servodrive XtraDrive-DL servo system features a dual-loop design that addresses instability issues inherent in high-speed precision motion systems requiring...
Optimizing precision and accuracy
Remember the dartboard analogy? Darts landing near the bull's eye mean accuracy, whereas misfires landing close together, but far from the bull's eye,...
A stupid dream
Finagle J. Wurme is getting ready to live one of his lifelong dreams auditioning for a spot on David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks. Finagle's been training...
