34 n LINEAR MOTION May 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com Electric actuators add flexibility when handling materials Electrically powered linear actuators are raising material-handling capabilities to new levels. As digitisation increases the number of automated axes in factories, and electric linear actuators handle heavier loads, materialhandling system designers are increasingly converting hydraulic and pneumatic motion control applications to electric power, especially in new projects. Linear actuator suppliers are responding with innovations that extend the scope of material-handling automation in terms of load management, sizing, intelligence, durability, energy e ciency, safety and ergonomics. Electric actuators oer increasingly sophisticated capabilities for automating material-handling. Whether in the peripheral intralogistics of conveying and transporting, or supporting production processes such as feeding and lling, material-handling is increasingly vital to industrial operations. (Fig 1) In assembly operations, for example, linear actuators might feed materials, manipulating them to optimise access to work surfaces or diverting objects from one conveyor to another. In food packaging, setting up can occupy as much as half of the work cycle. Linear actuators can reduce this time by, for example, automating the unfolding of cardboard, or the cutting of lms. Electric actuators can also carry materials towards, or away from, processing operations. For example, they can support motion on forklifts, AGVs, telescopic lifts or overhead conveyors. Automating material-handling motion requires careful consideration of the following factors: n Physical properties Developers must consider the shape, weight, size, position, and directional stability of packages moving through plants or along conveyor systems. They also must consider how the materials aect their rollability, slide-ability, stack-ability, surface sensitivity and stiness. n Environmental parameters Equipment designers need to consider parameters such as room layouts, machine size limitations and available degrees of freedom. n Motion parameters Like most motion control applications, material-handling applications need to take account of the weight and inertia of the payload as determined by speed and acceleration within cycle times and the required accuracy. Special attention may also need to be given to kinematic factors such as drift, overshoot, stabilisation time and interchangeability – with particular attention paid to the drive, power transmission system, position measuring system and bearings. Friction can lead to play in bearings, poor resolution of positionmeasuring systems, and structural static deformation. Dynamic exibility can lead to errors and failures. Equipment designers must address all of these factors in the context of maintenance, safety and durability. Electrification qualifications Electric linear actuators have been used in material-handling applications for many years, and during that time, there have been advances, optimising them to support new industrial operations. These advances include: Load handling Electric actuators can now handle heavy-duty loads up to 25kN, which were previously restricted to hydraulic or pneumatic technologies. These improvements are due, in large part, to component improvements and advances in ballscrew technologies, such as ball-bearing implementations. Stroke lengths Electric linear actuators are now also capable of longer stroke lengths, tackling applications that were previously dominated by hydraulics and pneumatics. Electric linear actuators are increasingly taking over applications that previously relied on hydraulic or pneumatic technology. This article, from Thomson Linear Motion, argues that the electrically powered devices oer many attractions including intelligence, compactness, eciency, cleanliness, safety and durability. Fig. 1 Modern factories incorporate multiple interconnected machines and devices that can take advantage of advanced actuator functions to enable smooth, synchronised and safe manufacturing. Actuators can be found in forklifts, assembly stations, AGVs and components that need to be adjusted rapidly on the y.
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