Included among the hundreds of products being displayed at the 2008 Machine Building, Drives and Automation Show (13-14 February, Birmingham NEC) are dozens of new products, including those outlined below.
Several new items will be shown by HepcoMotion, among them the recently extended Utilitrak linear motion system. This economical linear guide provides a narrow, compact profile that is well suited to a variety of production environments where smooth high-speed motion is required. And now, thanks to the introduction of standard bridge connections, parallel Utilitrak systems can be installed with ease.
Utilitrak is an excellent choice for running two systems in parallel where one slide uses DualVee guide wheels and other MadeWell crowned rollers. As precise parallelism is difficult to achieve, it is not uncommon for mounting surfaces to be slightly out of true. However, the Utilitrak design compensates for these mounting errors and does not require absolute parallelism for accurate operation.
The introduction of a long carriage version of the HepcoMotion SBD Sealed Belt Drive considerably widens the scope of DualVee technology. As well as offering higher capacity, it is more rigid and therefore has greater positioning accuracy.
Igus will be exhibiting a comprehensive display of fieldbus cables, cable-carrying energy chains. In addition, the company will spotlight its new stock bar, made from high-performance iglidur bearing material. This means users can benefit from using high-quality, self-lubricating polymers in machined components. It also means customers can now order machined-to-order bearings from igus in low quantities.
Newport Corporation, a worldwide leader in laser and photonic systems, will be launching its UZS80 Vertical Linear Stage. As part of the UZ series, the new stage offers high-precision vertical translation for applications requiring sub-micron resolution.
The UZS80’s low-profile design makes it particularly suitable for space-limited XYZ positioning applications such as scanning, topography measurements and focusing. Its high-resolution vertical motion is achieved with a precision inclined-plane design that consists of two opposing wedges moving past each other via inclined, ball bearing races. A precision lead screw translates the lower edge horizontally, and this motion is converted into vertical translation by the inclined ball races between the two wedges. To avoid unwanted side motion, the upper wedge is constrained by vertically-mounted precision ball bearing slides. For repeatable return to a pre-determined level height, all UZ series stages feature a central home position.
Rittal will be exhibiting its electrical automation software, EPLAN Electric P8, that offers the latest in CAE with optional graphical and object orientation, sophisticated technology and complete data transfer from EPLAN 5 and 21 - enabling applications to communicate directly with each other.
Building on the proven time-saving benefit of EPLAN macros, Electric P8 now offers Macro variant technology with the ability to insert sections of circuits (macros) with up to eight graphical variants containing pre-engineered data. The macros are easily administered and, with new projects, the modification and re-dimensioning of circuits has been eliminated.
EPLAN Electric P8 allows users to make last minute changes by simply selecting the suitable variant rather than having to redesign; data record remains constant and potential errors are minimised. Users will also, for the first time, be able to work simultaneously on the same project and instantly view the changes made by others in real time.
Schunk will show a variety of new products after recently entering a strategic partnership with Vision and Control. The intelligent Vision Sensor SRV is a development from the successful Camat series of products from V & C; it is a complete system that can be used without additional peripheral devices and can be utilised for practically all tasks in industrial image processing.
SRV performs assembly and feature checks, recognises damage on edges, detects the position of fastenings and labels, and sorts and removes defective components. In pick-and-place applications, it ensures that parts in all kinds of rotary positions and even flexible objects such as cables and hoses are gripped securely. SRV offers a high resolution of 720 x 480 pixels (WVGA) and a frame rate of 60fps.
Schunk will also introduce the new size 60 Beta series of linear axes, which provide even finer graduation in its portfolio of precise linear modules. The size B 60 is intended for economical axis applications with high demands on dynamic and smooth running.
Also expected to be popular are the new polyamide gripper fingers and adapter plates. Manufactured in a laser forming process by LMD, a technology partner of Schunk, the components feature complex geometries that cannot be produced by metalcutting technologies. The complex air feed-through can be routed through a one-piece workpiece in all three dimensions without having to machine bore holes from the outside. As a result, adapter plates with complicated internal channels can now be produced as a single unit without drilling.
Schaeffler will be displaying a variety of products for the machine building and automation industry on stand 2004. Visitors will be able to see the extensive portfolio of INA and FAG products and services, as well as complete linear systems, rotary table bearings, plain bearings and high-precision spindle support bearings.
R A Rodriguez will present its own range of linear components, including linear guideways, ball bushings, bearings housings, shaft supports and shaft blocks. In addition, the company will show Werner linear motion systems, modules and controllers, plus Framo Morat slip-on geared motors, linear actuators and custom drive products.
Aerotech will be demonstrating its Probot automated seven-axis pick-and-place system that combines direct-drive and ball screw-driven linear stages, tightly synchronised by a distributed network of Ensemble panel-mounted intelligent drives and communicating with an Allen Bradley PLC using an Ethernet/IP network.
This demonstration unit will be used to showcase Aerotech's capability to produce fully engineered systems, with the machine featuring a three-jaw gripper, base, enclosure and full cable management.
Beakbane will be exhibiting a selection of its vast range of products, including folded covers, bellows and flexible connectors. New to the range are composite structures and high-temperature pressure bellows moulded in silicone rubber.
MiniTec UK is exhibiting several new components from its Profile System and Linear System machine framing and modular positioning ranges. Heavily featured on the stand will be the innovative and patented Powerlock fastener that allows rapid assembly with no pre-machining or pre drilling, just a turn of an Allen Key. In addition, MiniTec will be showing more of its new stainless steel profile range.
The comprehensive machine building ranges are now supported with a new 372-page hard-cover catalogue covering well over 600 items.
As well as several new profiles and positioning system components, clever new products as diverse as telescopic guides for workbench height adjustment and cross connectors for fixing all types of profile will be available to view. A new range of rails and shaft-supporting profiles for positioning systems, together with several handwheel adjusting units, are also planned for demonstration.
Another highlight of the Machine Building, Drives and Automation event is a special Industrial Networks for Automation conference programme discussing the choice, design and use of AS-Interface products and networks - including functional safety systems - as well as an overview and practical demonstration of Profibus and Profinet systems.
Robot demonstrations, supported by BARA, are being staged by Motoman and Kawasaki. More details about this can be found at www.machinebuilding.net/n/n0767.htm.
Mtec - Sensors, Measurement and Instrumentation
Most people visiting the Machine Building show will also spend some time at Mtec in the adjacent hall at the NEC. Some of the products on show likely to be of interest are as follows.
Inertial Aerosystems will be spotlighting its MTi-G, a MEMS IMU (inertial measurement unit) with integrated GPS. The Mti-G is based on the highly successful Mti and MTx attitude and heading reference systems, with the -G designating that it incorporates an embedded GPS, Kalman filter and development software. In addition to corrected outputs from the MEMS inertial sensors, the unit provides outputs of position, velocity and altitude.
Another product to be featured on Inertial Aerosystems' stand is the VisTrak, a miniature six-degrees-of-freedom inertial measurement unit combined with an 85-degree field-of-view camera lens. As the Vistrak moves, it monitors a constellation of fiducials (reference points) pre-mounted in rooms or building-wide. Other products to be shown include accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt sensors, magnetic compasses and dead reckoning navigators.
Micro-Epsilon will be giving 'live' demonstrations of sensors to illustrate how the products solve real-world measurement problems. Featured on the stand will be the company's miniature confocal sensor, the optoNCDT 2402, which is claimed to represent a 'world first' in optical sensor miniaturisation, with a diameter of just 4mm making the sensors suitable for measuring inside confined spaces, including narrow cavities, drilled holes and bores. Visitors to the stand will also be able to look at the new controller for the 2401 confocal series, the IFC 2401.
Other notable products on the Micro-Epsilon stand include a new range of controllers for its non-contact capacitive displacement sensor range, the optoNCDT 1700DR non-contact displacement sensor for direct reflecting targets, and the optoNCDT 1810-50 and optoNCDT 2210 sensors, which are suitable for long range or large standoff applications.
National Instruments will demonstrate the latest innovations in virtual instrumentation and graphical system design. In particular, the company will be highlighting the new features in LabVIEW 8.5 - such as full support for multicore processors, a Statechart Module and improvements in textual maths - and hardware for PC-based data acquisition.
Mtec will also be the UK trade show debut for the NI Smart Cameras. The NI 1722 and NI 1742 Smart Cameras are high-performance, low-cost devices that combine an industrial controller with an image sensor and integrate with NI vision software to offer image processing directly on the camera, making them suitable for applications such as locating parts, inspecting packaging, verifying assembly and reading 1D and 2D codes. Most importantly, the new cameras are shipped with National Instruments Vision Builder for Automated Inspection.
Pickering Interfaces will be showcasing several new additions to its comprehensive line of PXI and LXI products. For example, the new generation PXI precision resistor module family is the first in a new range of precision resistor modules. The 40-260 is a three-channel variable resistor module covering the resistance range of 90 ohm to 8kohm with exceptional resolution and accuracy in the PXI form factor. The 40-260 provides a resistance setting resolution of better than 10mohm over the entire resistance range and an accuracy of better than 0.1 per cent for all resistance settings. The 40-260's combination of resistance range and fine setting resolution means it offers the equivalent of better than 20 bits of resolution of resistance setting. It uses a patented design that combines fine and coarse control mechanisms with a calibration system to achieve its excellent performance. The requested resistance value is simply provided by the use of resistance calls (in ohms) to the module instead of the alternative approaches that are based on setting patterns of relay settings.
Sensor Technology will unveil a major innovation at Mtec 2008. This is the Torqsense RWT 330/340 series sensor, which is designed for applications where space is restricted. As with other Torqsense units, the RWT330/340 provides non-contact measurement of torque, speed, power and position of rotating shafts. However, the Torqsense RWT 330/340 series sensor is a two-part device with a compact sensing head and separate enclosure for the control electronics. Typical applications include machine drives, drive shafts for pumps, fans and mixers, and in the critical axes of test rigs.
Fischer Connectors will be launching a new low-profile receptacle and panel plug. The low-profile DBPLU receptacle and SFPU panel plug, designed to maximise the available space in the device housing, have been engineered to make installation and servicing much simpler. They are suitable for communication equipment, handheld instrumentation devices, probes, sensors and battery systems. Fully compatible with Fischer's popular push-pull high-performance connector series, the DBPLU and SFPU are able to withstand harsh environmental conditions, achieving IP68 (2m/24h) even when unmated. Fully hermetically sealed versions, designated DBPLE and SFPE, are available and are suitable for continuous immersion to 80m.
Visit www.machinebuilding.co.uk for further details, including up-to-date exhibitor lists and conference/education programmes, and to register for your free entry ticket as well gain as online links to all exhibition websites.
