Precision slide system simplifies machine design
A
Hepcomotion product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Aug 23, 2006
Precision ring track and slide system simplifies the design on Lippert's special purpose interior glazing machine for sanitaryware.
Until last year the design that formed the basis of a Lippert special purpose interior glazing machine for sanitaryware resembled a Ferris wheel and although relatively efficient it was unacceptably costly to build.
A substantial order for several of these units prompted a rethink and the company's Chief Designer Martin Hutzler was charged with the responsibility of building a glazing machine that was compact, simple to operate and above all commercially viable.
As the final design called for the products to move firstly in a linear plane and then into an arc, a linear motion system was sought that not only provided this design flexibility but was also able to meet tough technical specifications.
As the glazing solution is corrosive, the system had to be corrosion resistant.
And as well as providing a high order of positioning accuracy it needed to be thoroughly reliable and immune from the ingress of the abrasive fluid.
For Lippert the answer was provided by a HepcoMotion PRT precision ring track and slide system.
For over 50 years Lippert has been building special purpose machines for the ceramics industry.
It principally serves the tableware, sanitary equipment and engineering ceramics sectors.
The glazing machine for toilet bowls and wash basins is just one of a broad range of equipment it produces.
The old design of this particular machine required the purpose-built manufacture of the arc-shaped segment in-house.
"Sourcing an alternative from HepcoMotion provided a ready-made solution that is not only more accurate but also less expensive", Hutzler confirms.
The two HepcoMotion PRT linear sections specified by Lippert are each 600mm wide and the arc-segment, 799mm with an angle of 90 degrees; its carriage is belt-driven by a geared motor.
PRT ring segments and slides are available in four widths from 12 to 76mm in diameters from 93 to 1033mm; straight lengths are available in one piece up to 4020mm.
Special diameters and individual segments are manufactured on request.
compared with recirculating systems the HepcoMotion V-principle offered Lippert many practical advantages.
The bearings are manufactured from highly durable carbon steel and are easily adjusted to be play-free.
As a result they run quietly and with low friction.
The system's specially designed carriage conveys the nozzle of the hose containing the glazing solution to the point of delivery at a speed of 200mm/s.
"Although the process isn't quick, smoothness of operation and positioning accuracy is important as we don't want to waste the fluid", Hutzler continues.
The V-shaped slide runs within the V-profile of the bearing providing a constant wiping action, effectively self-cleaning the track.
This is a major advantage in the process such as ceramic glazing as both the slide and bearings are kept clean whether or not the system is lubricated.
As Hutzler concludes: "Even in our harsh manufacturing environment the HepcoMotion PRT system remains largely maintenance free".
"We've certainly chosen the right product for the job".
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Contact Hepcomotion
Tel +44 1884 257000
Other Hepcomotion stories
-
Screw options increase PSD80's versatility
Hepcomotion's PSD80 screw-driven linear actuator is available with a range of screw options. -
Robot accuracy improved by Hepcomotion table
A robot used by Whitecroft Lighting for automatic direct wiring of standard components was recently fitted with a rotary table, improving connection accuracy by 99 per cent. -
Hepcomotion to attend Offshore Europe 2009
The reasons why Hepcomotion is so widely specified for marine and offshore engineering projects will be demonstrated on the company's stand at Offshore Europe 2009. -
Hepcomotion launches website redesign
The Hepcomotion website has been upgraded to provide the user with the information they need as quickly and efficiently as possible. -
Hepcomotion creates Dualvee washdown wheels
Hepcomotion has developed Dualvee washdown wheels to protect bearings within linear systems.
Browse by category
-
Capital Equipment (3,495)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (534)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,125)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (474)
- Production line blowers and fans (73)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (965)
- Consultancy and Services (919)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,108)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (813)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (188)
- Control and Instrumentation (2)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (296)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (203)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,197)
- Plantwide control (1,350)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (573)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (390)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,428)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (2)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,290)
- Industrial Motors (501)
- Linear Drives and Motors (119)
- Precision Motors and Gears (428)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,086)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,280)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (576)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (711)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (647)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (3)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (374)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (720)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (428)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (821)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,326)
- 2D CAD software (202)
- 3D CAD software (1,180)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (576)
- Data, document management software (321)
- Electrical design software (165)
- Engineering Design Software (17)
- FEA and structural analysis software (376)
- File conversion software, data capture (358)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (338)
- Materials design and moulding design software (152)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (324)
- PLM and collaboration software (659)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (269)
- Publishing and documentation software (234)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (206)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (949)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,200)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Conferences (435)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (849)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (575)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (365)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (636)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Seminars (414)
- Engineering Training Courses (457)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (180)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (285)
- Health and Safety Legislation (403)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (115)
- Machine Building (4,606)
-
Materials and Processing (3,021)
- Materials and components (2,259)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials processing and testing (291)
- Rapid Prototyping (466)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,624)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (486)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (503)
- Data loggers (425)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (641)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (757)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (448)
- Materials testing equipment (430)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (158)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (518)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,257)
-
Powertrain Design (3,698)
- Bearings (976)
- Chains and belts (333)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,470)
- Hydraulic Components (474)
- Lubricants (441)
- Powertrain Design (3)
-
Sensors (7,249)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (447)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (638)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (289)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (157)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (537)
- Linear Position Sensors (412)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (725)
- Pressure sensors (635)
- Proximity Sensors (711)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (559)
- Sensors (10)
- Temperature sensors (621)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,405)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (2,027)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,713)
