Intelligent design offers impressive performance: the many benefits of tubular linear motors

By Bhalchandra Chorghade, Editor, CNCTimes.com

Growth in the global linear market is being driven by both increased demand across key industries and the clear advantages of linear motors over conventional motors. Within this segment, the contribution of ANCA Motion’s LinX® M-Series linear motor has expanded the market and stands out above ball screw and flatbed motor options due to a number of design intricacies that simplify installation and use and push quality performance even further. Designed for function, the tubular construction of the LinX® has several key benefits over flat linear motors.

Easy to install and retrofit

Simplicity is a key element of any great design and whether new or retrofitted, tubular linear motors are simple to install. Robust and thermally efficient they provide drop-in replacements for ball screw and pneumatic cylinders.

As an ideal replacement to retrofit pneumatic cylinders, the LinX® M-series motors are optimised to ensure the minimum effort and impact to end customers. A key feature is that mechanically the motor is designed to be fully compatible with standard pneumatics accessories, such as mounting plates, linear guides and coupling pieces.

For retrofit projects, this means the LinX® M-series motors can be easily integrated, while for new machines this allows machine builders access to a wide range of standard accessories.

Effortless retrofits contrast with the technical challenges usually presented when retrofitting traditional pneumatics with flatbed linear motors.

Precision and thermal stability

Going from flatbed to tubular actuation significantly improves thermal stability. With less expansion, components and the overall system perform with higher accuracy. The LinX® M-Series linear motor also offers high levels of positional accuracy, with 10 micrometre resolution based on an integrated position sensor.

With the M-Series, explains Product Manager Heng Luo, “Because the motor is floating in the machine structure, that enables us to put a water-cooling jacket around the motor and completely take the heat out of the motor.”

Given the trend for increasing automation in motion control technology, the requirement for positioning accuracy is essential.

Energy efficient

Both the economic and environmental impacts of energy efficiency in machinery continue to increase in importance. Energy efficiency should be designed into a machine or component to best harness the benefits.

With LinX® motor’s tubular structure design, the magnetic flux, generated by the permanent magnets contained in a stainless steel shaft, can be fully utilized by a forcer which covers the full shaft surface. This design enables the optimal energy efficiency.

https://motion.anca.com/News/Product-News/the-many-benefits-of-tubular-linear-motors

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