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Motion Control, Motors & Drives Portal: Products, News & Resources
Motion Control, Motors & Drives Products, News, Articles, Events & Resources
Welcome to Automation.com's portal for Motion Control, Motors & Drives with valuable information and resources for controls and automation engineers to create reliable automation systems. The portal provides information on the latest advancements in all types of motors, drive technology and mechatronics. Keep up on the rapidly advancing mechatronics technology that combines mechanical, electronic and information technology into a single discipline. Subscribe to our e-Newsletter or get the latest information on Motion Control, Motors & Drives sent to your desktop as soon as they are published on this page.
Articles
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Share the load, reap the benefits
- 03/10/10 Plant Engineering, February 2010 By Edward Tom, Yaskawa Electric America Load sharing with multiple motors provides many advantages over single motor systems, but care must be taken in design to ensure maximum performance. When tight speed control is required for the motors in a load sharing system, individual control of each motor via its own adjustable speed drive is recommended. |
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DC motors: Why are they still used?
- 03/10/10 Plant Services. February 2010 By Bob Simon Why has the DC motor continued to be used from 1888 until today? A primary reason is the motor’s variable speed characteristic. |
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The Beat Goes On
- 03/10/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, February 2010 By: Dr. Edwin Becker And Florian Buder “Beating” generated by two neighbouring machines can lead to enormous vibration damage and even machine failure. Here's an example of what to do about it. |
White Papers
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Motion Control Components and System Architecture
By Erlendur Kristjansson, Performance Motion Devices This 24-page paper compares how motion control solutions based on chips, cards, and drives fit into different machine requirements, and how they affect the outcome of a machine design. This paper also examines motion system architectures to illustrate the design trade-offs. Examples discussed include medical/biotech equipment, a 3D printer, and an industrial paper-cutting machine. |
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Mechatronics Machine Design Guide
By National Instruments With this comprehensive machine design guide, learn step-by-step best practices for designing your next machine. Throughout the guide, in-depth application examples illustrate the approaches successful designers have implemented. |
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Inexpensive Methods to Measure the Performance Characteristics of a Linear Motion Device
By Rob Steves, Zaber Technologies Once you've determined the requirements of your linear motion application, how can you qualify a linear motion product to ensure it meets your application's needs? This article describes a series of tests that can be performed by the average user to quickly determine the most important performance characteristics of linear motion systems. |
Application Stories
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On-Line Motor Test saves Expensive Downtime
- 03/10/10 Maintenance On Line, February 2010 By Michael Herring, Whitelegg Machines Whitelegg Machines diagnosed a problem motor at a UK power station – an 11kv, 2400kw motor, driving a cooling water pump used on a condensing unit. Tests using an on-line motor monitoring unit found the problem. A simple adjustment fixed it, saving the cost of removing the pump and motor for inspection. |
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B&L converts press from shafted to shaftless drive
By Siemens B&L redesigned the entire gear train, from a standard line shafted unit, to accept dual motor servo control, using a Siemens Simotion D445 motion controller, Sinamics S120 drives and 1PH7 servo motors. By doing this, over 60 components were eliminated. |
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Volvo Aero Turns Machine Tool into CMM
By using a Zimmermann FZ42 portal milling center and Siemens CNC controls, Volvo Aero uses the machine tool for cutting, then uses it as a coordinate measuring machine for inspection. |
Resources & Literature
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ISA publishes book on Reasoning Machines in Factory Automation
- 03/07/10
The authors predict future production platforms will adapt to market changes with a minimum of human involvement. The book targets reasoning machines that are able to collaborate and automatically reconfigure themselves. |
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Poll Question - How many different networks do you have in your facility?
How many different communication networks do you have implemented in factories and/or plants? The list of available networks includes, but is not limited to: Foundation Fieldbus, ControlNet, PROFIBUS, Interbus, AS-Interface, CanOpen, CC-Link, PROFINET, HART, Ethernet, EtherCAT, Ethernet Powerlink, SERCOS, Modbus, LonWorks and DeviceNet. |
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Gotcha Stick - Safe Distance Scale for Machine Guarding
Is that Hard-Guard Adequately Protecting your Machine Operators? Based on revised anthropometric data, the "Gotcha Stick" from STI is a three-segment safe distance scale used to verify that openings in machine hard-guards will not allow the point-of-operation to be accessed by the operator. |
Training & Seminars
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Opto 22 Remote I/O for Allen-Bradley Logix seminar
Half-day technical seminar, hosted by Opto 22, shows how to add intelligent remote I/O to Allen-Bradley PLC/PAC systems without programming. |
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Mechanical Components E-Learning Course
- 10/18/09
PMMI introduces "Basic Mechanical Components," an online self-study course to help operators, mechanics and technicians identify and care for all types of basic mechanical components. |
Featured Products
Product Announcements
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Siemens introduces SD100 IEEE841 low vibration motor
- 03/10/10
SD100's frame, bearing housings, stator and rotor surpass the demanding vibration requirements of the IEEE Std 841 2009. |
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Danfoss Drives introduces VLT PROFINET MCA120 card
- 03/10/10
Card expands communication capabilities of the VLT AutomationDrive to PROFINET-based networks. |
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ABB announces DCS800-EP Panel Drive
- 03/08/10
Available up to 150 HP, the drive is a pre-engineered solution with all required peripheral components included on a space-efficient back panel. |
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Company & Organization News
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January manufacturing technology consumption up
- 03/08/10 January U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $130.96 million, down 40.3% from December but up 26.2% from the total of $103.77 million reported for January 2009. |
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ARC says prices are coming down on automation products
- 03/07/10 One element contributing to the price erosion is that controllers are rapidly becoming an automation commodity in some sectors. |
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ISA selects Automation.com as advertising sales partner
In addition to daily and weekly digital and online content, ISA will publish 6 print issues of InTech magazine in 2010. ISA selected Automation.com as the advertising sales representative for InTech magazine’s print, digital, and online editions. |
Project News
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ABB to automate water transmission system in Abu Dhabi
- 03/01/10 Products to be supplied include pumps, energy-efficient drives and motors, and the System 800xA control platform. |
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Cotton ginning firm invests with APAG
- 01/24/10 Process and Control Engineering, January 2010 By Sarah Falson Atlantic Pacific Automation Group (APAG), will upgrade safety and motion control systems at Namoi Cotton Commodities in Australia. Equipment includes Parker Hannifin HMI panels, 30 Parker Variable Speed Drives, a PLC for process control, and Pilz’s PNOZmulti system for safety control of plant and equipment. |
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ABB to automate mill and pipe production plant in Saudi Arabia
- 01/06/10 ABB will supply a System 800xA control system, plus a switchgear substation, medium- and low-voltage switchgear, motors and variable-speed drives. |
Events
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