Motion Control Products

Advanced motion control and automation

UK/Asia: enquiries@motioncontrolproducts.com
+44 1202 599922
USA: usa@motioncontrolproducts.com

Sijun Meng

High-power Density Digital Servo Drive FlexPro

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Motion Control Products Ltd, the Bournemouth based solutions provider for the automation market, has introduced our new FlexPro™ drive series digital servo drives with multiple network interface options (RS 485 /232, EtherCAT, CANOpen, EtherNET IP) and cont. current up to 60A from ADVANCED Motion Controls USA, which is designed specifically for high power density in tight spaces with the innovative IMPACT™ architecture.

IMPACT™ stands for “Integrated Motion Platform And Control Technology™” and it is an architectural design for digital servo drives that allows for the highest performance and power density available. Drives with IMPACT™ can easily become self-contained control systems with no need for an external controller.

FlexPro™ digital servo drive range is only 38.1 x 25.4 footprint in size. This tiny drive runs on 10-55 (or 20 - 90) volts DC, communicates over RS485 / 232, EtherCAT, CANOpen, EtherNET/IP and supports incremental encoder and BISS C-Mode feedback. The Flexpro drive offers now 5 different continuous current ratings:

  • models can run 5A, 10A, 25A and 50A with the peak currents of 10A, 20A, 50A and 100A respectively, and
  • latest models support continuous and peak current at 45A & 60A (no foldback)

FlexPro™ drive can be used in stand-alone format or soldered to a developer board for test and configuration purposes. These new servo drives are designed to operate within a network, but like previous digital drives, they can also operate stand-alone via stored indexes and sequences with I/O. They are capable of running brushed, brushless, stepper, and linear motors. Our FlexPro™ drives are ideally suited for tightly integrated systems found in all types of robotic applications such as industrial robots, cobots, warehouse automation, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), palletisers, automated fork lifts, autonomous delivery vehicles, AGVs, electric mobility, lab automation and more.

For more technical information, please visit our website https://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/drives/servo-drives/advanced-motion-controls/flexpro-servodrive/  or contact our sales team at +44 (0)1202 599922.

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Cutting-edge precision Piezo Motors without pricy tag

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Motion Control Products Ltd has announced a strategic collaboration with Piezo Motion Corp, a leader and innovator of precision motor technology, to provide viable motion control answers for manufacturers throughout the United Kingdom.

Citing Piezo Motion’s forward-thinking technology, Motion Control Products is expanding its diverse automation applications with Piezo Motion’s versatile linear and rotary piezo motors. Piezo Motion’s precision motors are designed and engineered with just a few parts enabling economical manufacturing volume yielding a stable and reliable result that will now be in line with Motion Control Products’s optimal solutions. Designed explicitly for manufacturers that require precise control in a small and economical package, this new lightweight, powerful and energy-efficient piezo motor product line is the solution to Motion Control’s industry needs.

“Not many people know the amazing capabilities of a piezo motor and the technology,” explains Steve McKay, Managing Director at Motion Control Products. “We want to change that. We feel the partnership with Piezo Motion is opening up a large market for Motion Control to bring an innovative product range to compete with mainstream coreless motors, stepper motors and BLDC motors at extremely competitive pricing.”

These motor designs use a patented configuration of a single monolithic piezoceramic drive element and a novel excitation method which only requires one connection to simultaneously excite the piezoceramic to oscillate along and perpendicular to its axis. The technology uses simple electronics and depending upon the specifications the applied voltage to the piezoceramic resonator is between 50V and 80V which is lower than typical existing Piezomotors.

Piezomotors have very fast response times: from the applied signal they commence motion within 30 to 50 microseconds. The Motors can achieve very precise position control. A single incremental step on linear motors is under 50nanometers. The rotary motors achieve rotary increments down to 10 microradians which is over 600,000 steps per revolution. For precise positioning such as in optics and laser assemblies for mirror and lens control this avoids the complexity and expense of gearing systems.

Another advantage of using piezomotor is from its high energy efficiency feature. With no command signal the piezomotor will hold position with zero power and a force equal or higher than the maximum driving force.

Piezo Motion motors are perfect for a wide range of applications. Thanks to its NON-MAGNETIC structure, our piezo motors can be operated in strong magnetic fields, making them ideal for MRI applications. Other typical applications include laboratory instruments, biomedicine, optics, semiconductor, nanotechnology industries, and industrial electronic and automotive systems with an expanding portfolio of products that combine performance with dramatically lower costs than conventional piezo solutions.

For more technical information, please visit our website https://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/electric-motors/piezo-motors/  or contact our sales team at +44 (0)1202 599922.

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The most hygienic Tolomatic stainless-steel integrated servo actuator

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The Tolomatic IMA-S stainless-steel integrated servo actuator is designed for the most demanding of food and beverage processing applications.

Tolomatic IMA-S integrated electric servo actuators are designed to hygienic standards for eliminating harborage points and preventing bacterial growth. The 316 stainless-steel construction provides excellent corrosion resistance and withstands high pressure, high temperature and caustic wash-down. With its hygienic design and IP69k ingress protection rating, the IMA-S meets clean-in-place requirements, allowing machine designers to achieve open machine designs and eliminate shrouding required to house standard actuators.

The hollow rotor servo motor is integrated into the actuator housing. This creates a compact, hygienic motion module that facilitates conversion of pneumatic and hydraulic cylinder systems by increasing efficiency, motion control and eliminating product contamination risks.

The hygienic IMA-S series servo actuator offers forces up to 11.1 kN (2500 lbf), stroke lengths up to 450 mm (18 inches) and options for planetary roller screws or ball screws. A proprietary lubrication feature helps extend service life.

Feedback options include multi-turn absolute encoders (Hiperface DSL, Hiperface Sin-Cos, EnDat 2.2), incremental encoder, and a resolver to integrate with most PLC or control system. Motor files for Rockwell Automation (Allen Bradley) Kinetix motion platform are also available for quick integration. Flexible mounting options include front face, front flange and rear clevis. Additional options include a replaceable IP69k seal cartridge, approved FDA seal material, and EHEDG fasteners.

"The IMA-S actuator from Tolomatic Inc. was designed to meet food and beverage industry trends towards more open machine designs requiring hygienic, clean-in-place, linear motion solutions," said Steve McKay, MD of Motion Control Products Ltd. "Throughout the design process, Tolomatic analysed and incorporated feedback from industry-leading OEMs into the design, ensuring the IMA-S eliminates many of the challenges and concerns the industry sees with standard actuators and historical fluid power motion solutions that have traditionally been implemented."

For more technical information, please visit our website https://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/linear-electric-actuators/tolomatic-electric-actuators/ or contact our sales team at +44 (0)1202 599922

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The smallest high-precision absolute encoder from Netzer

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Motion Control Products Ltd. is proud to introduce a new DS-16 fully digital absolute encoder, a new family member of Electric Encoders™ based on Netzer Precision Motion Sensor proprietary technology.

The Electric Encoder™ is unique in being holistic: its output reading is the averaged outcome of the whole area of the rotor. This feature makes the Electric Encoder™ forgiving to mounting tolerances, mechanical wander etc. Its non-contact technology relies on an interaction between the measured displacement and a space/ time modulated electric field. The absence of components such as ball bearings, flexible couplers, glass disc, light sources and detectors, along with very low power consumption makes the Electric Encoder™ virtually failure-free.

Our DS-16 absolute encoder from Netzer is the world’s smallest precision encoder with a diameter of Ø16mm and low profile of 8mm in length. Featured with high performance and rugged design, it has a 16-bit resolution. It is DC operated, semi-modular, that is, its rotor and stator are separate, with the stator securely housing the rotor. Its accuracy can reach 0.035° and it supports BiSS-C & SSi absolute encoder feedback, which is compatible with all MCP’s flagship servo drives.

The DS-16 absolute encoder is a revolutionary position sensor originally developed for harsh environments and critical applications. It is happily operational between -40°C to +85°C and has high tolerance to shock, EMI, RFI and magnetic field. This makes it suitable in a broad range of applications, including defence, homeland security, aerospace, and medical and industrial automation such as smaller robotic arm joints, accurate miniature camera gimbles etc.

For more technical information, please visit our website https://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/encoders/netzer-electric-encoders/  or contact our sales team at +44 (0)1202 599922.

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Voice coil motor outperforms in medical ventilator application

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Motion Control Products Ltd. successfully introduced their space-saving, high precision and reliable voice coils from Akribis, which can be used in medical ventilator applications to fight COVID-19.

The world of medicine is an ever-changing landscape. As technology changes, medical device manufacturers are turning to lighter, smaller components that can improve the reliability, longevity and performance in the life-saving products and applications. One example is the increasing use of voice coil motors to control the valves in ventilators for patients who have difficulty in breathing.

The construction of a traditional ventilator is straightforward: with only a few components, ventilator machine uses solenoid valves to control the flow of air. It gives an on/off device that requires a spring to activate bi-directional movement.

Now, after being strictly tested, the voice coil motor outperforms solenoids in every aspect. High precision, acceleration and lightweight design have come together to revolutionise the way ventilators are made. Hysteresis is also much lower when using voice coil motor, which allows greater repeatability- an important factor to a medical device.

In circumstances when a ventilator is needed, lightweight components are a necessity, as healthcare workers often need to move the device quickly from one room to another. Voice coil motors can be built to the size of a thimble. Typically, our AVM motor series from Akribis can be as small as 12.7 millimetres in diameter but still offer a peak force of 3.5 Newtons with a weight of only 12 grams!

Our voice coil motors have different sizes with a diameter from 12mm to 250mm. So it is easy to customise a ventilator with the size, weight and force. With exceptional designs and high manufacturing capacity, these necessary devices can be ordered in a short lead time.

It is important to stay on the front lines as medical technology changes. By taking voice coil actuators out of sound systems and putting into ventilators, more lives can be saved in more efficient ways.

Motion Control Products Ltd. have a wide range of voice coils with various sizes from as small as diameter of 12mm to large size of diameter 250mm. Integrated shaft (bearing) versions are also available with associated drive electronics to control them precisely. For more information on our full range of voice coil motors, please visit our webpage https://www.motioncontrolproducts.com/electric-motors/specialised-motors/voice-coil-actuators/ or contact our sales team at +44 (0)1202 599922.

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Innovative integrated torque motor with harmonic gearbox

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Motion Control Products Ltd. introduces innovative integrated torque motor with harmonic gearbox.

Offering high levels of torque and precision, the latest torque motors have an integral strain wave (harmonic) gearbox. With high efficiencies and compact sizes, they are available in four series: MAS, MAT, MAH and MGM.

The all-in-one MGM series has an integral torque motor, encoder, brake and servo drive. Delivering a high precision of up to 60 arc sec, their high torque of up to 557Nm makes them ideal for a host of application, demanding low noise, high torque and precision control, such as collaborative robot applications for loads of up to 25kg. Integrated servo drives for EtherCAT or CANOpen enable the units to interface with most mainstream controllers on the market. A hollow shaft simplifies system design by allowing the passage of cables, pipework etc.

The other series of low cogging, low noise motors have an integrated strain wave gearbox and frameless motor with a range of encoder options. One series is the MAH, which have a standard hollow shaft and frame sizes from 60mm to 145mm diameter. Rated torques of up to 800Nm are available and precision is up to 30 arc sec.

The MAT series have a wider hollow shaft and offer a precision of up to 40 arc sec, while the MAS series have a solid shaft and a precision of up to 50 arc sec.

Across the whole series, all the models are flexible, reliable, low maintenance and compact. Gear ratios are available from 51:1 to up to 161:1. All models are fully enclosed and self-cooled and can be specified with IP67 ingress protection when operation is required in harsh environments.

Standard input voltages are 48VDC, 110VAC and 220VAC, and input voltages can be customised on request, as can the torque etc.

As well as robotics and factory automation, applications for the versatile motors include electronic and semiconductor equipment, medical equipment, precision measuring instruments, machine tools, laser processing and spray-painting equipment.

For more technical information, please visit the product page Integrated Harmonic Gear Motors or contact our sales team at +44 (0)1202 599922.

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