Drives & Controls September 2022

DTS+ uses a high-strength timing belt to drive the carriages around the system, together with a special-design heavy duty clamping mechanism between the carriage and drive belt that will not disengage due to higher drive forces, thus allowing swift transmission of higher payloads compared to the original DTS system by a factor of ten. DTS+ is of particular interest for high speed and high duty conveyancing applications that require significantly better accuracy than traditional conveyor and transport systems can offer. For example, DTS+ is currently being used in a system manufacturing cutting-edge LCD screens; with a challenging payload of 50kg and a required speed of 0.5m/s, the DTS+ was ideally suited. DTS+ is well suited to working with industrial robots and provides a quick and accurate assembly station feed system. DTS2; for high speed and rapid indexing The final system within the DTS range is designed for high speed applications. Featuring a scroll drive, DTS2 is able to accept high driving forces, allowing rapid indexing with high accelerations and superior positional accuracy of +/- 0.2mm as standard (+/-0.05mm with the carriage locking system), without the risk of carriage disengagement. Importantly for many applications, the speed of the carriages is the same on the curved segments as it is on the straights, providing a consistent, smooth motion of up to 3m/s. DTS2 allows more freedom with the carriage pitch as carriage spacing is not restricted to the 10mm pitch of the belt and can be adjusted to within mm’s. This can be useful if there are space restrictions as the pitch can be fine-tuned to reduce the overall footprint of the system. For example, 40 carriages at 300mm spacing means a chain length of around 12000mm, if the spacing is reduced to 293mm this brings the chain length down to 11720mm reducing the size of the system by around 140mm per side. A corrosion resistant version is also available, with all track, bearing, springs and fasteners in stainless steel. Of course, being a family of track systems, the DTS, DTS+ and DTS2 all share some common features advantageous to a durable production system. Reliability A key requirement of all modern process lines is the need for low maintenance solutions to reduce unwanted downtime. All DTS systems (DTS, DTS+ and DTS2) are based on proven V guide technology, capable of hundreds of thousands of cycles with only minimal maintenance, even in highly dynamic or heavy applications. Low friction, self-cleaning and adjustable eccentric bearings keep maintenance to a minimum. Automated Bleed Lubrication HepcoMotion’s bleed lubrication system ensures lubrication is constantly supplied, negating the need to stop the system at regular intervals for re- lubrication. An automated bleed Lubrication system allows lubrication to be controlled accurately, delivering the required amount to meet the needs of the application. Lubrication is provided through a dispensing hole directly to the V edge of the slide where the lubrication is most beneficial. This maximises system life by preventing the risk of an unlubricated system whilst reducing over lubrication. Small footprint maximises space In an environment where space is a premium, a compact, space-saving production cell is high on the agenda. The benefits of an oval or rectangular track system over a straight linear system are clear to see, with oval or rectangular systems able to effectively reduce the footprint by up to 50%, by turning back around on themselves. The curved ring sections are effectively used as a return, guiding the carriages back to the straight section where processing work is done. Equipment can be located inside or outside of the track shape, again, saving valuable production space and creating a compact, space saving production cell. Hepco’s DTS and DTS+ are available as either an oval or rectangular circuit. The DTS2 is available as an oval, triangular, rectangular or multi sided circuit to suit specific application requirements. With extensive experience designing thousands of solutions over many years, HepcoMotion has a dedicated technical team to support customers in selecting the right track system for their application. If you would like more information or would like to discuss details of your application, our teams are here to support you. Integrated bleed lubrication reduces maintenance intervals, keeping the system running for longer.