Contouring Control

The TNC7 control system from HEIDENHAIN (Schaumburg, IL) offers next-level user experience and process reliability for 5-axis machining. Its new hardware versions, available with 24-inch, 19-inch, and 16-inch monitors, make it adaptable to a wide range of applications. The TNC7 basic, designed for 3+2-axis machines, provides powerful features like MAS graphical 6D setup support, DCM collision monitoring, and OCM trochoidal milling. The new process monitoring function built into the TNC7 reliably detects irregularities in the machining process and ensures high process quality. The user can adapt this monitoring capability through simple Klartext syntax and an intuitive user interface. The newly developed graphical programming feature allows the user to draw contours directly on the touchscreen. It then converts the resulting drawing into a Klartext program. The component monitoring feature of the TNC7 can protect the spindle bearing from overloading or detect increased component wear in the drive train, all while the machine is running. It also provides valuable data for predictive maintenance and evaluation of the process capability.

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Ethernet Module

ATI Industrial Automation (Apex, NC) has developed the GBX 10 Gigabit Tool Changer Ethernet Module, designed to allow smart manufacturing processes to optimize performance and flexibility with timely, accurate communication. It excels in high-speed data and signal communication with vision, inspection, metrology, motion control, and fieldbus systems. The new Ethernet Module provides a variety of industries and applications with safe and reliable transmission of high-speed data, signals, and fieldbus communication for advanced automation, AI, and Industry 4.0. The module has plug-and-play M12 8-pin X-code connectors for safe and reliable pass-through of Cat6/Cat6a industrial Ethernet cables, saving time during integration, with no stripping, crimping, or soldering required. It also has configurable cable exit options between -90°, 0°, and +90° radial positions, allowing users to optimize cable dress and routing to reduce cable strain and maximize system uptime. It offers superior longevity, handling up to one million mating cycles to support applications in advanced industries such as automotive, aerospace, testing.

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Detachable Mobile Manipulator Robot

Rethink Robotics (Boston, MA) recently unveiled a full portfolio of new robotics products, including seven Rethink Reacher cobots, its Rethink Ryder AMR line, and the Rethink Riser MMR. Combining a Rethink Ryder AMR with a Rethink Reacher cobot and a portable battery box allows mobile manipulation to be performed at new levels of efficiency. The Rethink Reacher and Rethink Ryder, components of the Rethink Riser, each have their own battery packs, requiring separate charging. The Rethink Reacher offers an impressive 22-hour uptime. It can be charged in two ways: manually or wirelessly through inductive charging. Each Ryder comes equipped with three or four battery units based on its size. The control box that comes with Reacher is a compact and integrated unit designed to manage and control the robot’s operations. This control box houses the essential electronics, including the robot’s processor, power supply, and communication interfaces. It serves as the central hub for executing commands, processing sensor data, and coordinating the robot’s movements.

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Amplified Piezoelectric Actuators

Lightweight and compact precision piezo actuators and grippers from PI USA (Auburn, MA) provide high speed and nanometer resolution in a small package. The piezoelectric effect directly converts electrical energy into mechanical motion. PI uses this effect for high precision, solid-state based actuators and grippers. Embedding a piezoceramic stack in a flexure-based arrangement can increase the motion range of the piezo actuator while providing protection, precision guidance, and a mounting interface at the same time. These motion amplified piezo actuators are energy efficient and provide millisecond fast response and virtually unlimited positional resolution. Compared to traditional piezo stack actuators, amplified piezo actuators provide extended motion ranges and can be easily integrated in OEM applications, such as precision instrumentation, grippers for micro-optics and medical devices, high speed valves, biotechnology, microfluidics, and life-sciences. At the heart of all actuators is a PICMA® multilayer piezo ceramic element, of the same patented construction as the ones used on the Mars rover for their extreme reliability and lifetime beyond 100 billion cycles.

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Motion Control Platform

Aerotech Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) continues to develop its powerful, user-friendly Automation1 motion control platform. Automation1 version 2.8 introduces more compatibility with the competitively priced iXA4 PWM servo drive, tools to speed up deployment of HMI solutions and improve CNC machine builders’ user experience, and a restructured help file. With new flexible linear gantry support, users can configure flexible linear gantry devices in Machine Setup. Additional compatibility with iXA4 PWM servo drive configurations — including 4-axis, DC power supply (100 VDC) and expansion board options — gives users access to MachineApps and Automation1 APIs, STO for integration with safety controllers, EtherCAT and MODBUS support, and more. New data collection presets make it easy to quickly switch between presets, saving users time. Custom T-codes (for the Aerotech G-code dialect) allow users to create custom Aeroscript and tool selection routines. With cutter and work offest compensation tools, users can compensate for a cutting tool’s X, Y, and Z offsets or program motion relative to a fixed point.

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Ultra Accuracy

ABB Robotics (Ann Arbor, MI) has launched Ultra Accuracy, a new feature for its GoFa cobot family that delivers the highest level of precision available in cobots, enabling over 10 times greater path accuracy vs. other cobots on the market. With its superior performance, Ultra Accuracy meets the demands of applications where exact positioning is crucial for maintaining product quality and operational efficiency. Applications include gluing and sealing in consumer electronics production, laser welding of car parts, composite material layers in aerospace manufacturing, and precision laser cutting in metals fabrication processes. It can also be used for accurate positioning of additive layers in building prototypes in 3D printing, and for performing precision quality checking in metrology applications. Additional benefits include the combination of precision with speed and a full range of motion. GoFa with the Ultra Accuracy feature can be introduced into production with minimal installation and deployment time, as the calibration is done in the factory prior to delivery.

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Discrete Input/Output Transmitter

Emerson (Shakopee, MN) released its Rosemount™ 802 Wireless Multi-Discrete Input or Output Transmitter, which has eight discrete input/output (I/O) channels, each one configurable as an input or an output. WirelessHART® capability allows the transmitter to connect to a wireless gateway, which can in turn link to a host, such as a control system or asset management system, via a wired connection. This allows the host to monitor and control assets remotely over a WirelessHART network. The wireless capabilities of the new Rosemount 802 dramatically reduce the costs associated with monitoring and controlling field-installed assets, such as motors, valves, and pumps, which traditionally require time-consuming field visits from technicians or a hardwired connection. For installations where multiple assets are located in one area and each must be monitored and/or controlled, the 802 transmitter is a more cost-effective solution than the Rosemount 702. Power options include 10-30V direct current external line power or an Emerson SmartPower™ module.

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Linear Voice Coil Servo Motors

Moticont (Van Nuys, CA) has released two 15.9 mm (0.625 in.) diameter Linear Voice Coil Motors, the LVCM-016-019-01M (Metric) and the LVCM-016-019-01 (Imperial). These miniature brushless high-speed linear servo motors have a 12.7 mm (0.5 in) long stroke, and a high-force-to-size ratio of 1.7 N (6.1 oz) and a peak force of 5.4 N (19.3 oz) at 10 percent duty cycle. These low inertia and high acceleration/deceleration miniature linear servo motors are efficient, clean, quiet, and as true DC Servo Motors have high accuracy and high repeatability when operated in a closed servo loop. They are only 30.2 mm (1.19 in) long at mid-stroke. The LVCM-016-019-01M (Metric) Linear Voice Coil Motor has M2.2X0.45 threaded mounting holes on a 6.4 mm (0.250 in.) bolt circle on the housing and the coil ends, and the LVCM-016-019-01 has 2-56 UNC-2B threaded holes for easy integration of these linear servo motors into a new or existing application. Known also as moving coil motors or linear actuators, these high force-to-size servo motors are ideal for haptic feedback, dispensing, work holding, and clamping, assembly, testing, wafer handling, animation, dynamic vibration absorption, scanners and laser beam steering and filtering.

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Easy IT/OT Integration

Softing Inc. (Knoxville, TN) has released its tManager® industrial PC (IPC), which extends the tManager portfolio offering, providing a solution to users that don’t have a spare PLC slot and to Siemens PLC users that either don’t have Rockwell PLCs or have a mixture of Rockwell and Siemens PLCs. As a powerful digital transformation solution, all tManagers across the portfolio directly connect PLCs to upstream SQL databases and cloud-based services to leverage IT dashboards, analytics and business metrics. Also, all tManagers connect to downstream Logix, Siemens, and Modbus PLCs. Previously, tManager was solely an in-chassis PLC module for ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs. Now since the tManager IPC is a built-for-purpose industrial PC and can be DIN rail mounted outside the PLC chassis, it allows users to take advantage of all the traditional tManager applications like track and trace, high-speed sorting and recipe management without consuming a spare PLC slot. Like its PLC module counterpart, tManager IPC is simple to set up and requires no coding or OPC protocol translation.

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Linear Axis Track System

Güdel’s (Ann Arbor, MI) offers a cylindrical roller bearing mounted on a stud that rides on the guide rail, providing significantly increased resilience to harsh industrial environments compared with traditional profile guides commonly used in 7th axis tracks. Adding linear motion to articulated robots is now a widely adopted solution to extend flexibility. But these benefits only apply if the robot runs smoothly on a track that in many production environments will be exposed to dust, soot, and abrasives. Güdel tracks feature a wiper/scraper combination on the block that scrapes the rail clean of debris including paint and weld spatter. The roller’s bearings are completely enclosed to keep out contamination while their larger size also enables the track to better roll over debris. Usually when manufacturers need access to service roller bearings, they need to remove the entire carriage, robot, or payload away from the track, often needing a crane. When servicing Güdel’s cam followers, all the user needs to do is slide out the cartridge containing the bearings on the side of the rail.

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Distributed I/O Box

The EP3751-0260 EtherCAT Box from Beckhoff (Savage, MN) provides extremely accurate detection of acceleration and rotational motion. With this IP67-rated module, engineers can optimize positioning and measurement in wide-ranging applications. As a replacement for multiple previously separate devices, the machine-mountable EP3751-0260 connects an acceleration sensor with an inertial measurement unit, such as a gyroscope, in a housing that measures just 30 × 86 × 22 mm. As such, this unit can detect shock, vibration, and tilt, and deliver all measured data as pre-processed values and raw sensor data. The module integrates an ultra-low-noise, three-axis accelerometer with a 20-bit resolution and an adaptable measuring range of ±2, ±4, and ±8 g. The built-in sensor is suitable for applications where low frequencies need to be monitored with as little noise as possible – e.g., monitoring building work, bridge monitoring, robotics, or condition monitoring.

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