Novel production track cuts assembly time
A
THK product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Apr 16, 2004
An all-new and innovative carriage and rail production system can be used by assembly, process and manufacturing companies to reduce costs and increase productivity.
An all-new and innovative carriage and rail production system can be used by assembly, process and manufacturing companies to reduce costs and increase productivity.
The new system is called the HMG multi-motion guide, and essentially comprises a series of modular track or rail sections with the latest specification THK linear motion guide technology.
Track sections are available in a wide range of lengths, widths and straight and curved formats, enabling almost any configuration of production track to be constructed, with single or multiple carriages or blocks being used to move and position workpieces allowing variable capacity.
Unlike traditional production track equipment, the HMG system uses purpose designed linear motion components to ensure that each carriage moves consistently and accurately regardless of the setup of the rail.
This eliminates potential variations in tolerances between different sections of track and ensures a smooth, almost friction-less motion, with positional accuracy of within +/-0.1mm.
Typical track configurations are circular, U-shaped, L-shaped or S-shaped.
In each case, it is possible to make considerable savings in design and construction time and cost.
For example, a conventional rectangular production track typically incorporates a turntable at each corner to re-align pallets or workpieces; using the HMG system the turntable units can be replaced with a simple curved section of track, allowing the linear motion carriages to move in a continuous path.
Similarly, several rails can be mounted in parallel, and heavier loads can be accommodated by using multiple rails or carriages.
The linear motion guides are robust, high performance units and are capable of being loaded in radial, reverse-radial and lateral directions, with a maximum static load rating of 66.7kN on a single carriage.
They are low maintenance and have a long operating life; a range of options including scraper seals is also available.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact THK
Related Stories
- Actuator system for sampling applications
- Jena Tec offers ballscrew repair discount
- Q-Sys provides custom-designed motion systems
- IFM releases safety monitors for AS-interface
- Hepcomotion rings produced in dedicated cell
Browse by category
-
Capital Equipment (3,533)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (546)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,133)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (478)
- Production line blowers and fans (74)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (978)
- Consultancy and Services (927)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,142)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (818)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (190)
- Control and Instrumentation (3)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (297)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (204)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,210)
- Plantwide control (1,354)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (577)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (393)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,451)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (2)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,293)
- Industrial Motors (502)
- Linear Drives and Motors (121)
- Precision Motors and Gears (434)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,097)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,328)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (588)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (724)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (653)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (377)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (722)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (430)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (830)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,388)
- 2D CAD software (203)
- 3D CAD software (1,199)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (583)
- Data, document management software (324)
- Electrical design software (168)
- Engineering Design Software (17)
- FEA and structural analysis software (377)
- File conversion software, data capture (358)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (340)
- Materials design and moulding design software (153)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (325)
- PLM and collaboration software (665)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (269)
- Publishing and documentation software (234)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (208)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (965)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,199)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (273)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Conferences (438)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (851)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (578)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (354)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (635)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Seminars (421)
- Engineering Training Courses (458)
- 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 (4,633)
-
Materials and Processing (3,041)
- Materials and components (2,272)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials processing and testing (292)
- Rapid Prototyping (472)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,682)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (491)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (505)
- Data loggers (428)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (645)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (766)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (449)
- Materials testing equipment (439)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (159)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (522)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,723)
- Bearings (986)
- Chains and belts (334)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,482)
- Hydraulic Components (475)
- Lubricants (441)
- Powertrain Design (4)
-
Sensors (7,324)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (450)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (650)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (292)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (158)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (539)
- Linear Position Sensors (418)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (733)
- Pressure sensors (644)
- Proximity Sensors (715)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (567)
- Sensors (12)
- Temperature sensors (626)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,417)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (2,059)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,732)
