New Danfoss VLT® Decentral Drive E cient, reliable and powerful
New Danfoss VLT® Decentral Drive E cient, reliable and powerful
New Danfoss VLT® Decentral Drive E cient, reliable and powerful
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LINEAR MOTION<br />
Electric axes<br />
show a<br />
clean pair<br />
of heels<br />
LPW makes wide use of<br />
electric actuators in its hightech<br />
cleaning machines<br />
A German machine-builder is using electric linear axes to transport <strong>and</strong> feed parts into<br />
cleaning <strong>and</strong> drying chambers, ensuring high positional accuracy, reliability <strong>and</strong> speed<br />
under often harsh operating conditions.<br />
The German company LPW<br />
Reinigungssysteme specialises in<br />
designing <strong>and</strong> manufacturing<br />
advanced aqueous cleaning systems. It<br />
produces a variety of spray degreasing <strong>and</strong><br />
cleaning systems, using technologies such as<br />
high-pressure <strong>and</strong> ultrasound cleaning,<br />
coupled with advanced drying processes<br />
using filtered air. These systems are used in<br />
the automotive, mechanical engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
aerospace sectors.<br />
An essential element of these systems is a<br />
<strong>reliable</strong>, easy-to-use method for transporting,<br />
transferring, separating <strong>and</strong> feeding the<br />
products <strong>and</strong> components – which can range<br />
from small parts to bulky objects such as<br />
gearbox or engine assemblies, often<br />
weighing as much as 400kg.<br />
To integrate its cleaning systems with up<strong>and</strong><br />
down-stream production equipment<br />
<strong>and</strong> to deliver optimum performance <strong>and</strong><br />
productivity, LPW has developed customised<br />
transport mechanisms, typically based on<br />
pneumatic <strong>and</strong> electromechanical<br />
technologies, with advanced inductive<br />
sensing <strong>and</strong> control systems.<br />
For example, its modular PowerJet series<br />
provides high-pressure flooding at up to<br />
18bar <strong>and</strong> incorporates up to five cleaning<br />
stages. Components to be cleaned are<br />
transported in special cages that are moved<br />
manually or automatically on heavy-duty<br />
accumulating roller conveyors that<br />
compensate for fluctuations in feed flow <strong>and</strong><br />
cycle rates. Pneumatic piston rod cylinders<br />
mounted between the conveyor rollers<br />
separate the cages <strong>and</strong> queue others until a<br />
cleaning station is free. Once separated, each<br />
cage is lifted from the main conveyor <strong>and</strong><br />
fed to the entrance of the cleaning chamber.<br />
At this stage, LPW uses high-performance<br />
electric linear drives with integrated heavyduty<br />
guides <strong>and</strong> stroke lengths of 2m to<br />
feed heavy or large components (such as<br />
engine blocks <strong>and</strong> gearbox housings) safely,<br />
gently <strong>and</strong> accurately into each cleaning<br />
chamber. For this application, it has chosen<br />
Parker Origa’s OSP-E BHD drives which can<br />
withst<strong>and</strong> high loads <strong>and</strong> moments, even<br />
when positioning products accurately <strong>and</strong> at<br />
different speeds.<br />
The linear drives also allow the rate <strong>and</strong><br />
speed of the feed process to be adjusted to<br />
match the weight, size <strong>and</strong> cleaning<br />
requirements of each batch of components.<br />
In addition, the compact devices can be<br />
driven indirectly, allowing their motors to be<br />
isolated beneath the roller conveyor.<br />
Once the cleaning <strong>and</strong> rinsing processes<br />
are complete, the chamber door opens <strong>and</strong><br />
the linear drive moves back into the chamber<br />
to raise the component cage before drawing<br />
it out on smooth-running rollers. When the<br />
component has been lowered back onto the<br />
main roller conveyor, it continues on to<br />
further cleaning chambers (if required),<br />
before being moved to the drying chamber.<br />
Similar linear drives are used at each stage.<br />
The system allows cleaning <strong>and</strong> drying<br />
stages to be carried out concurrently, to<br />
maximise throughput in high-volume<br />
applications.<br />
®<br />
Reliance<br />
Precision Mechatronics LLP<br />
A complete source for<br />
precise motion control<br />
• Linear Slides • Leadscrew Assemblies • Linear Actuators •<br />
• Gearboxes • Motors • Leadscrews • Intelligent Motion •<br />
• Couplings • Precision Gears • Fasteners •<br />
Call our Sales Team on +44 (0) 1484 601002<br />
Visit us at www.rpmechatronics.co.uk<br />
Unique Solutions from Proven Concepts<br />
24 November/December 2010 www.drives.co.uk