Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

drives

Danfoss supplies automation drives to limestone quarry

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Fearless of the difficult applications – dust and bad weather – the Danfoss VLT AutomationDrive FC 302 was chosen to ensure efficient production of 800,000 tons of hard limestone at the Roussas quarry (main picture).

With an annual cement production capacity of 60 million tons and 42 cement plants across four continents, Italcementi Group is a leading global supplier of construction materials.

The group is a major player in the French building-material market; in the cement business through Ciments Calsia, in the ready-mix concrete sector through Unibéton and in aggregates production and supply with GSM. [Read more…] about Danfoss supplies automation drives to limestone quarry

Invertek Drives boosts product testing with collaborative robots

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Invertek Drives, a designer and manufacturer of variable frequency drives (VFDs), has incorporated two Universal Robots UR5 collaborative robots into the testing phase of its production line.

Earlier this year, Invertek Drives opened the doors to its new 5,500 square metre global manufacturing and distribution facility in Welshpool, UK, enabling production of up to 400,000 VFDs a year.

Its VFDs are used to control electric motors in a variety of industrial, commercial and energy-saving applications, exporting to more than 80 countries. [Read more…] about Invertek Drives boosts product testing with collaborative robots

Growing factory automation driving servo motors and drives sales

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The global servo motors and drives market was valued at approximately $9 billion in 2014, and is expected to surpass $12 billion by the end of 2019.

The servo motors and drives market is expected to grow at a annual growth of approximately 8 percent between 2019 and 2029, and is estimated to reach a global value of approximately $28 billion by the end of 2029.

A new global market study on the servo motors and drives market, which includes the industry analysis for 2014-2018 and forecast 2019-2029. [Read more…] about Growing factory automation driving servo motors and drives sales

Parker Hannifin introduces new servo drive range

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Parker Hannifin, a leader in motion and control technologies, has introduced its PSD series of servo drives designed for use in central control applications.

All components utilise an Ethernet-based fieldbus system for communications with the controller via popular fieldbuses, currently in use in industry, such as EtherCAT, Ethernet IP and PROFINET.

Due to its flexibility, the new system can be used in a wide range of applications including highly dynamic packing and production machinery.

[Read more…] about Parker Hannifin introduces new servo drive range

Four key criteria for industrial drive specification

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Specifying the right industrial drives is crucial to machine and overall process performance, but with industrial automation shaping the landscape for drive selection, it is vital to keep abreast of defining specification criteria.

Paul Streatfield, strategic product manager for industrial drives specialist Bosch Rexroth, explores four of the most recent key criteria for industrial drive specification, which meet the challenges of today’s industrial requirements.

It can be challenging to continually update your specification choices in line with the rapidly evolving landscape of Industry 4.0 but in doing so, machinery manufacturers can offer their customers a wealth of financial benefits as well as better use of factory space, optimised machinery performance and improved safety standards. [Read more…] about Four key criteria for industrial drive specification

Timken to acquire precision drive company Cone Drive

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The Timken Company, an engineered bearings and power transmission products firm, has reached an agreement to acquire Cone Drive, a specialist in precision drives used in diverse markets including solar, automation, aerial platforms and food and beverages.

Cone Drive sales are expected to be slightly above $100 million for the full year 2018. It is headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, U.S., and has manufacturing operations in the United States and China. The company employs approximately 500 people.

The business produces a broad range of highly customisable precision drive products that include Cone Drive and H-Fang branded high-torque worm gears, harmonic solutions and precision slew drives.

[Read more…] about Timken to acquire precision drive company Cone Drive

Yaskawa America opens Solution Center

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Yaskawa America, Inc.’s Drives & Motion Division has launched the newest addition to yaskawa.com, the Solution Center. The Solution Center is a self-service knowledge database providing all the functionality and content customers need to resolve issues themselves, available around the clock.

The goal is to provide an online centre where customers can quickly find support solutions, managed by the technical support teams, along with documentation already available on yaskawa.com.

As The company’s technical support team solves issues, content is created and added as “Yaskawa Solutions” in the Solution Center. The answers are the same that the support teams use to resolve issues every day.

[Read more…] about Yaskawa America opens Solution Center

Control Techniques enhances Unidrive M drives

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General Purpose drives - nidec

Control Techniques has enhanced its range of Unidrive M general purpose variable speed drives.

The range, launched earlier this month, now offers much improved setup and installation methods, says the company.

Parameter settings on the drives are more accessible; users will now find information relating to each parameter on the front of the unit, while the keypad has been laid out in a way that makes setup easy.  [Read more…] about Control Techniques enhances Unidrive M drives

Spinea launches new servo actuator for precision motion

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Spinea_DS

Spinea has launched its new DS 095 DriveSpin servo actuator motor for precision control.

Recently announced by Spinea and available in the UK from Heason Technology, the DriveSpin DS 095 series integrates the industry leading TwinSpin high-load capacity trochoidal gear unit and a powerful AC servomotor with servo feedback for a cutting-edge rotary actuator solution for precision motion applications.

The inline (non-hollowshaft) design of the DS 095 fulfils the gap between the DS 70 and DS 100 models to provide a rated torque of up to 85 Nm and maximum lost motion and hysteresis values of less than one arc-min.  [Read more…] about Spinea launches new servo actuator for precision motion

Manufacturing: Benefits of universal peripherals

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Benefits of using peripherals
Even drives with onboard brake choppers are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application

John Mitchell, global business development manager of maintenance and repair specialist CP Automation, discusses the benefits of using a universal brake chopper that works with any inverter

There is a real danger in the specification of inverters for use in heavy-duty applications. Fresh from the manufacturer, most drives – even ones with onboard brake choppers – are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application.

Non-specialist engineers face an extremely complex task when asked to choose the correct inverter, resistor and brake-chopper combination for a project.

To help counteract this problem, CP Automation recommends using an external brake chopper unit that simplifies the process of inverter selection. Where an inverter doesn’t feature a built-in brake chopper, the new CP Automation unit, manufactured to the highest standards, supplies that functionality. It’s a universal model that works with any inverter, from any manufacturer.  [Read more…] about Manufacturing: Benefits of universal peripherals