Servo Solutions For Mobile Automation Challenges April 16, 2015
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events, Webinars.Tags: AMC, Automation, Motion Control, Servo
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Join us for a Live Webinar on April 21, 2015 @ 11:00am EST
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Servo Solutions For Mobile Automation Challenges
With automation expanding out of the factory, machine builders are faced with a varying set of new challenges. Mobile platforms, such as unmanned systems, are expected to operate in extreme environments and carry their own power source; all while being light weight and compact.
To meet the current and future needs of the market, enabling technologies need to be applied and discovered. At the forefront of the enabling technologies are servo drive controllers.
Servo controllers not only make a robot or mobile platform move, they can also be solutions to the other design requirements. A servo is an integral component to any mobile solution and can help with power efficiency, communication, agility and dexterity. This webinar will touch on the challenges presented to robot designers and how servo drives can make them successful.
Presenter: Shane Beilke, Advanced Motion Controls: Executive Team – Product Strategy
Tags: AMC, Servo2Go, Advanced Motion Controls, Webinar, Mobile Automation, Servo Drive, Servo Amplifier, Servo Controller, robot, mobile platform, servo, automation, motion control
Industry links to the IoT from product order to delivery April 1, 2015
Posted by Servo2Go.com in New Product Press Releases, News & Events.Tags: Absolute Encoder, Encoder, Fraba, Heavy Duty Encoder, Hybrid Encoder, Incremental Encoder, Internet of Things, IoT, IP68, IP69K, Magnetic Encoder, Multi-turn encoder, Optical Encoder, Posital, Posital Fraba
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Reprint of the Electronics in Automation Feature – Canadian Electronics magazine, page 16
http://www.canadianelectronics.ca//images/stories/Archive/2015/CE_Feb2015.pdf
Posital Programmable Encoders
While the 2015 International CES and its exhibitors may think they own the Internet of Things (IoT) based on the recent fanfare, factory automation is among the many areas besides consumer electronics that is poised to benefit from the connectivity provided by the IoT (CES coverage on pages 4, 12 and 13). In fact, for factories other commonly used terms include smart factories, smart production, Industry 4.0, cyber physical systems (CPS) and more.
Smarter factories mean increased automation with highly-connected intelligent production systems and processes. In the factory environment, the connectivity to the Cloud (the cyber system) from the physical system in the factory can be wireless or wired. Many industrial IoT applications start with wireless sensing monitoring and controlling production processes and providing that data to other locations within the company or by obtaining input from internal or external sources to improve the automation process…
Click on the link below and scroll to page 16 to read this complete article.
http://www.canadianelectronics.ca//images/stories/Archive/2015/CE_Feb2015.pdf
Click on the link below to view Posital’s encoder family-
http://www.electromate.com/pdf_lib/Posital%20Fraba/Posital_Catalog.pdf
For more information, please contact:
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Warren Osak
sales@servo2go.com
Toll Free Phone: 877-378-0240
Toll Free Fax: 877-378-0249
www.servo2go.com
Tags: Posital, Fraba, Incremental Encoder, Absolute Encoder, Magnetic Encoder, Heavy Duty Encoder, IP68, IP69K, Hybrid Encoder, Posital Fraba, Encoder, Multi-Turn Encoder, Optical Encoder, IoT, Internet of Things
Why Go Metric? March 3, 2014
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events.Tags: Imperial System, Metric, Metric System
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Reprint of article from Robert Lipsett, Engineering Manager , Thomson Industries, Inc.
The U.S. is a multi-lingual country, in its measurement units as well as its language. The rest of the world, however, uses one language for measurement, and that is metric. This makes the U.S. the only industrialized country that has not standardized on this system, even though it has had over 200 years in which to join the rest of the world. And this presents a few problems.
For example, in 1999, NASA engineers launched their Mars Climate Orbiter, a $125 million spacecraft designed to explore the surface of the red planet. For nine months, engineers monitored the spacecraft’s flight and altered its trajectory as needed. The engineers knew that two crucial programs spoke in different units of measure, one in metric and the other in English units. And a simple conversion check was set up to ensure that the data from one program was compatible with the other. However, that simple conversion check was not done. It was overlooked.
In calculating the thrust of rocket firings, engineers used feet per second. The spacecraft’s program, however, interpreted those instructions in the metric measure of thrust, Newtons per second. The difference between the two measures of unit is 4.4 feet per second. Therefore, each time engineers ordered a rocket firing, the spacecraft’s orbiting error increased, resulting in a critical problem – NASA lost the spacecraft. After months of analysis to determine what happened, engineers discovered the conversion problem and concluded that the Climate Orbiter either flew too low and crashed into the planet or it glanced off into outer space. Either way, they have not heard from it since. This is an example of what can happen when metric and English units are mixed without proper conversion.
Click below to download this complete article.
https://www.servo2go.com/support/downloads/Why_Go_Metric.pdf
Reshoring’s a Reality – Manufacturing’s Coming Back February 12, 2014
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events.Tags: Manufacturing, Reshoring
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Reprint of 2/4/2014 DesignNew Article by Rob Spiegel, Senior Editor, Automation & Control
Looks like North America has once again become a prime location for manufacturing. Researchers at A.T. Kearney have been studying reshoring and how it affects companies in all phases of decision making. The researchers have identified several forces that are driving companies to keep their manufacturing in North America or actually bring it back from Asia.
The top reason is the time involved. Weeks of shipping means companies have to maintain additional inventory. Another factor is the cost of shipping. While domestic energy costs have come down in the US, the price of shipping is still high. Wages are also rising in Asia, plus the quality of goods produced in Asia has become an issue.
All of these factors are making reshoring an attractive option for manufacturers, so the decision on whether to bring manufacturing back to the US after decades of producing goods in cheap-labor markets “is now beginning to loom large for US companies,” according to A.T. Kearney.
Manufacturers ran into a host of difficulties in Asia. Cultural differences were difficult, and the need for manager engagement was more than expected. Many managers complained about the amount of travel required to make offshoring work. “There are many reasons that manufacturing was hard in China, and that caught executives by surprise,” Patrick Van den Bossche, a partner and leader of American Operations at A.T. Kearney, told Design News. “They found themselves going to remote areas with unusual diets and unusual cultural differences.”
Cultural differences were just the beginning of prolonged offshore headaches. “There have been hiccups such as bad dog food or toothpaste, so there’s a growing interest in seeing ‘Made in US’ labels,” Van den Bossche told us. He also pointed to increased inventory needs when the product is produced 4,000 miles away. “Managing a vast supply chain that starts here with innovation, goes to China, and then comes back adds complexity and adds inventory. You have to add more inventory because of the time it takes to move goods across the ocean.”
There are also positive reasons for taking a new look at North America. “Energy costs are cheaper here. Anything that takes a lot of energy in manufacturing should be here,” said Van den Bossche. “The cost of making energy is low with natural gas. That’s the driver. A lot of electricity is shifting to gas and that helps with the energy costs in manufacturing.”
Those companies that are coming back to the US are looking for low-cost solutions. “The manufacturers that have come back, came back to existing buildings,” said Van den Bossche. “They say, ‘We have this building we haven’t used in 15 years and it’s a low capital solution.’ They’re avoiding putting new metal in the ground.”
Galil Motion Control Receives ISO 13485:2003 Certification – It’s a Big Deal For Medical Device Companies! November 21, 2013
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events.Tags: Automation, certification, Galil, Galil Motion Control, ISO, ISO13485, Motion Control, Motion Controller, Motor Control, Servo System, Servo2Go, Stepper System
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Galil Motion Control is proud to announce certification for ISO 13485:2003. ISO 13485 is the stringent quality standard which must be met for the design and manufacture of medical devices. Even more demanding than Galil’s ISO 9001:2008 certification, this rigorous quality standard requires the total commitment to design and manufacturing excellence. Galil’s accreditation demonstrates our commitment to provide motion and I/O controllers that meet or exceed our customer’s requirements for medical device and other exacting markets.
“We are proud that Galil’s dedication to provide the highest quality products and support has been recognized through ISO 13485 certification. It is our determination to provide our customers with the products and support that will make them successful.” Wayne Baron, President, Galil Motion Control.
To see the certification for ISO13485 and 9001, visit http://www.galilmc.com/about/iso.php
Click on the link below to view Servo2Go’s family of Programmable Motion Controllers from Galil Motion Control.
http://www.servo2go.com/supplier.php?id=1031080104
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Warren Osak
sales@servo2go.com
Toll Free Phone: 877-378-0240
Toll Free Fax: 877-378-0249
www.servo2go.com
Tags: Galil, Servo2Go, ISO13485, Motion Control, Motion Controller, Motor Control, Automation, Servo System, Stepper System
Step-motor-based systems stay competitive July 8, 2013
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events.Tags: Motion Control, Servo2Go, Step Motor, Stepper Motor, Stepper Systems, technology
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Motion control: Traditional stepper-motor systems represent the only motion-control technology able to operate in open loop—although the addition of position feedback to enhance performance is on the rise. Simpler controls, lower cost components, and other innovations keep stepper systems competitive with servo motion systems in numerous applications.
An article by Frank J. Bartos, PE
Control Engineering 04/22/2013
Click on the link to view the article-
More information on the Stepper Motor & Drive Products from Servo2Go can be found at the link below-
http://www.servo2go.com/category.php?cat=10021
For more information, please contact:
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Warren Osak
sales@servo2go.com
Toll Free Phone: 877-378-0240
Toll Free Fax: 877-378-0249
www.servo2go.com
Servo2Go.com Featured in MICROManufacturing’s Jan/Feb 2013 Issue March 7, 2013
Posted by Servo2Go.com in About Us, News & Events, Technical Support Information.Tags: Integrated Controller, Integrated Drive, integrated motion control systems, Integrated Motor, Integrated Servo Systems, Integrated Stepper Systems, Micro Manufacturing, technology
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MicroManufacturing Smaller Footprint Article
Servo2Go.com is featured in the article, Smaller footprint, in MICROManufacturing’s January/February 2013 issue. The article discusses the development of more compact and integrated motion control systems and challenges faced by manufacturers in the production process.
The article is available online here (or click on the link below)
http://www.micromanufacturing.com/content/smaller-footprint
Editorial Contact:
Warren Osak
sales@servo2go.com
Toll Free Phone: 877-378-0240
Toll Free Fax: 877-378-0249
www.servo2go.com
Join the New LinkedIn Group ‘Motion Control Fundamentals’ March 4, 2013
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events, Product Video's, Technical Support Information.Tags: Automation, High-Tech Systems, Linear Motion, Machine Control, mechanical motion control, Mechatronics, Motion Control, Motor Control, Robotics, Rotary Motion, Servo Systems, Stepper Systems, technology
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Motion Control Fundamentals LinkedIn Group
Created by Electromate.com, this Technical Group strives to advance the knowledge of the fundamentals of Electro-mechanical Motion Control. We welcome regular posts by group members of any Technical Notes & White Papers, Video’s, Webinars, Podcasts, Engineering Formulae, Sizing Software, etc., related to the discipline of Motion Control. We appreciate your participation and encourage your comments.
If you are novice or technically proficient user of Motion Control products/systems, please join this group. No Job Postings please.
Click on the link below to join now.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Motion-Control-Fundamentals-4883684/about
Tags: Motion Control, Motor Control, Machine Control, Mechatronics, High-Tech Systems, Robotics, Automation, Servo Systems, Stepper Systems, Linear Motion, Rotary Motion
Galil Controller Used to Help Paraplegic Surgeon Perform Operations Again July 24, 2012
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events.Tags: Automation, Galil Motion Control, Motion Control, Motion Controller, Motor Control, Motor Controller, Servo2Go
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Every so often, Galil is given the opportunity to support an application that can truly change the life of others. This last spring, Galil was contacted by a group of students from the University of Wisconsin asking for us to help them create SPOT. SPOT, which stands for “Standing Paraplegic Omni-directional Transport” is a project aimed to help Dr. Garret Cuppels, a 37-year-old orthopedic surgeon, return to the emergency room after a tragic fall in 2010 that damaged the thoracic region of his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Since the SPOT device is to be used in the emergency room it had a specific set of requirements that other standard wheel chairs could not satisfy:
- That it could comfortably place Dr. Cupples in a standing position leaving his arms free to perform surgical tasks.
- That the design was small and extremely mobile; specifically, that the device could “side-step” or move left or right.
- That the system be easily controlled via joystick.
- Lastly, that brakes on each of the four wheels be automatically turned on when the device is not in use
These requirements drove the University of Wisconsin team to utilize the unique properties of Mecanum wheels1 and to seek out Galil’s small, easy-to-use, and flexible DMC-4143 four-axis motion controller. The operator of SPOT will control the vehicle using a simple joystick. The joystick outputs two 0-5V analog signals proportional to how far the user is pushing the joystick either left-and-right and up-and-down. The analog signals are connected into two of the 8 available 12-bit analog inputs on the DMC motion controller. The DMC-4143 is programed to jog each of the four Mecanum wheels motors different directions and speeds depending on this simple operator input.
The multithreaded capabilities of Galil’s products allow both analog signals to be read simultaneously allowing the jog speeds for each motor to be updated in ultra-tight loops. The team also utilized four of the 8 opto-isolated digital outputs to control the brakes. A single command, the BW (brake wait) command, is issued which automatically enables the brakes when the motors are turned off—an important safety requirement for the application. 
The team’s use of engineering to assist another in need has beckoned industry wide support and national attention. The SPOT project was recently featured on WGN news which can be viewed at http://youtu.be/ipNWTfnqVV0. As the team continues to move forward on their application they continue to receive both help from Galil Support Team and from other industry leaders. To follow the team’s progress or to make a contribution, go to the SPOT’s website at http://bmedesign.engr.wisc.edu/websites/project.php?id=464
or their sponsorship page here http://www.fundly.com/uwbiomedicalengineeringdesign.
Galil owes a special thanks to the University of Wisconsin Team for allowing us to be involved with their project to help get Dr. Cupples back in the ER. Thank you Professor Amit Nimunkar, Michael Konrath, Bret Olson, Justin Cacciatore, Blake Marzella, and James Madsen.
For more information on the motion controls from Galil Motion Control, click on the link below:
http://www.servo2go.com/supplier.php?id=1031080104
For more information, please contact:
Editorial Contact:
Warren Osak
sales@servo2go.com
Toll Free Phone: 877-378-0240
Toll Free Fax: 877-378-0249
www.servo2go.com
Expanded PCB Mount Servo Drives from AMC March 3, 2011
Posted by Servo2Go.com in News & Events.Tags: CANopen, Motion Control, Motor Controller, Servo Amplifier, Servo Systems
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ADVANCED Motion Controls, of Camarillo, CA USA expands it’s highly successful PCB mount, Z-drive servo amplifier family. New digital ‘DZ’ products are now available with higher power, greater thermal efficiency and lower operating voltages. Network choices, fast baud rates and multiple stand-alone command options greatly increase these servo drives’ capabilities for all torque, velocity and position mode applications. Designed to be completely compact, DZ’s take up little space, eliminate wiring hassle and still deliver unparalleled performance. Check out the newly expanded global standard in PCB mount servos drives – the fully digital DZ series!
AMC's DZ Servo Amplifier
Highlighting just a few of the features of these very capable servo drives:
- Considered µ-sized, DZ’s have an incredibly small footprint (smaller than a business card!) and weigh a mere 100 grams or less, including heat sink!
- All DZ’s can be configured to operate in torque, velocity (encoder or Hall) and position modes for brushed, voice coil or brushless motors.
- DZ’s have extremely high current loop bandwidth for quick response times as needed or when used in critical or demanding applications.
- DZ networks include CANopen or RS-232/485 (up to ~1 Mbaud!). Input commands can come over the network, such as PVT (position/velocity/time) or through direct inputs for: ±10V analog, Encoder Following, Step & Direction, PWM & Direction – to operate any mode.
- Some DZ’s capacity includes 10 – 80 Vdc operation while delivering 4 Amps continuous / 40 Amps peak. This provides up to 3 kW peak power when needed and can achieve up to 98% efficiency!
- DZ’s have an optional mounting card available for quick prototyping and documented interface reference designs for quick circuit integration.
- DZ’s common PCB pin out platform allows OEM’s to design to any power capacity but choose from the smallest power size to largest power size, everything from today’s available products to even higher powered future release versions!
With multiple product choices, implementing DZ’s increased product functionality to meet many application needs will result in a dramatic reduction of system complexity. Yet, DZ’s are also cost-effective by themselves to further minimize overall system costs.
As more applications require smaller mounting spaces or become completely mobile, designing with DZ’s would be the perfect match and choice. High power density, high operating efficiencies and low cost, what more could you ask for?
Information on AMC’s DZ series of servo amplifiers can be viewed at the following webpage-
AMC’s DZ Series Product Information
For more information, please contact:
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Warren Osak
warren@servo2go.com
Toll Free Phone: 877-378-0240
Toll Free Fax: 877-378-0249
www.servo2go.com
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