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Product category: Linear Drives and Motors
News Release from: Baldor UK | Subject: Linear-motor-driven gantry
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 17 September 2002

Gantry aids high-throughput positioning
systems

Baldor has a new linear-motor-driven gantry it reckons will speed and simplify the building of ultra-high-throughput precision positioning systems.

Baldor has a new linear-motor-driven gantry it reckons will speed and simplify the building of ultra-high-throughput precision positioning systems Providing a ready-built x-y-z assembly offering move speeds of up to 3m/s and resolutions to 0.1 micron, the introduction provides a shortcut to the realisation of the benefits of linear motors for machinery and automation OEMs in markets including electronics, semiconductors and fibre optics

Known as the LSG family, the gantry can be provided in a range of sizes for working areas of up to 2 x 1.5m (with z-axis travels of up 250mm), with the capability to handle payloads of up to 20kg.

This provides more than enough flexibility to meet a wide range of applications ranging from electronics PCB component/solder placement, through semiconductor inspection and handling, to fibre optic alignment.

Based on cog-free brushless servo motors for ultra-smooth movement, the gantry's key mechanical specifications include move speeds of up to 3m/s, acceleration to 45m/s2, 0.1um resolution and 5um repeatability, and 5ms settling times.

This combination of speed and accuracy is considerably superior to that typically achievable with rotary-based positioning components such as ball-screws and belts.

By employing this technology, Baldor estimates that OEMs can boost machinery productivity by as much as 50%.

It additionally provides that benefit within a much smaller physical area.

This allows OEMs to build equipment with much shorter cycle times for increased productivity and throughput, and with smaller footprints - a feature that is particularly important for clean room applications.

In addition to product enhancements, users implementing linear motion can realise reductions in lifecycle costs, thanks to the elimination of the wear and tear that moving parts of traditional rotary systems are bound to have.

The only parts in this new assembly that are subject to wear are the linear bearings - potentially increasing mean time between failure by three or more times. Request a free brochure from Baldor UK ...

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