Cam actuators can replace expensive ball screws

A simple AC or DC motor can be used to provide direct linear transfer motion with guaranteed high accuracy, smooth gentle jerk-free motion, automatically locked in station and low cost.

A simple AC or DC motor can be used to provide direct linear transfer motion with guaranteed high accuracy, smooth gentle jerk-free motion, automatically locked in station and low cost.

It may be that you do not need an expensive servo-motor, controller and ballscrew in order to achieve linear position guaranteed to better than 50 microns.

The transfer motion will be fast if required and the control system is idiot proof.

There's one restriction - the transfer stroke must be always the same between 2 (or more) fixed positions.

Consider the normal (simple concept) of a ball screw.

The helix angle of the thread is everywhere the same along the thread.

Thus one revolution of the ball screw advances the carriage by the thread pitch.

In our case, the helix angle changes from place to place.

In certain pre-arranged positions, the thread helix angle is zero.

This zero thread pitch extends for (typically) one third of a revolution.

Thus during this one third revolution, the carriage is at a pre-determined, very accurate rest position.

The 'screw' can be stopped anywhere in this one third of a revolution to give a perfect position result.

The carriage is locked in position without brake or shot-pin because the thread helix angle is zero.

This can be very important for lifting applications.

Our standard range is for loads from 0.5kg up to 1 ton and for strokes from 50mm to 3m.

Well proven in high production environments.

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