New Industry Products

90N to 160N Tubular Linear Motors Integrate Position Sensors

April 19, 2019 by Scott McMahan

Anca Motion introduced the company's latest addition to the LinX® range of motors supporting demanding automation applications. The LinX M Series, which will be available in Q2 of 2019, increases efficiency compared to previous models.

The company created the LinX M-series Linear Motor in a variety of different sizes to allow for application-specific solutions. The high speed and acceleration, standalone thermal stability and ability to achieve high IP67 protection make LinX M series a suitable solution for machine tools, food processing, and other automation industries.

The LinX M-series linear motor has an integrated position sensor with 10μm of resolution, thereby eliminating the need for an external encoder. This elimination of an external encoder also simplifies the system design and reduces the overall cost.

The modular heatsink and end-caps enable flexibility in system integration. The motor produces a constant force range of 90N to 160N and a peak force range of up to 1,200N. Anca Motion designed the series to deliver excellent performance for high dynamic applications. It delivers a velocity up to 10m/s and features a maximum acceleration of greater than 30G.

Due to the motor's integrated position feedback and pneumatics compatible mounting design, the M-Series motor range is a suitable replacement to pneumatic cylinders and can simplify system integration, commissioning and maintenance.

According to Anca Motion, the LinX motor provides a reduction in operating costs when compared with a pneumatic system. This cost reduction is due to reduced energy consumption and maintenance, the company says.

The company contends that the LinX motor design itself improves machine life. It also reduces wear on guideways or rails, eliminating the downforce associated with flatbed motors due to the zero net attractive forces, the company says.

Furthermore, the magnets within the LinX motor's stainless steel cylinder allow much easier alignment to the motor, translating to faster and safer builds.

"With a fully potted motor body and sealed stainless steel shaft, IP67 protection level can be achieved by the motor, making it ideal for food and beverage packaging applications. Automation is advancing at a dramatic pace and that is good news for manufacturers. The buzz of Smart Factories and Industry 4.0 isn't just noise as automation drives efficiencies, reduces cost and improves quality. This latest product by ANCA Motion has been designed to offer manufacturers a better solution than what was previously available and our linear motor technology has proven success in the market place with customers raving about the improved performance of their machines," Naveen Nadesan, Global Marketing Manager said.

"For example, an Australian customer Sutton Tools reported a 10% improvement on its surface finish on their tools after moving to a machine using the linear motor. This change was achieved by moving away from the traditional ball-screw movement on machines to a linear motor and we have taken this technology and extended its capabilities so that more manufacturers can benefit," Naveen concluded.

"By really focusing on how we could improve the surface finish, and with the added capabilities of the linear motor, we have created a product that is delivering significant productivity gains for our customers. The team are now consistently achieving longer tool life and faster cycle times in the machining of the higher strength-high temperature materials such as titanium and inconels which is a great result," Jeff Boyd, Export Manager at Sutton Tools said.

Features and Benefits

  • Highly dynamic
  • Continuous force range of 90N to 160N
  • Peak force up to 1,200N
  • Pneumatics retrofit friendly
  • Modular heatsink
  • Integrated position feedback
  • The motors are fully sealed rated to IP67, ensuring they are suitable for automation and machine tool, with IP69K coming soon for food processing systems
  • Cylindrical linear motor design provides improved performance at a lower cost when compared to conventional flat linear and rotary motors.
  • Zero net attractive forces improve efficiency with no downforce, extending machine life.