Current design and automation news

Electric hygienic rod-style actuator

RSH electric hygienic rod-style actuators deliver clean, continuous control to automation machinery, improving repeatability, enhancing quality, reducing contamination potential, and increasing flexibility of hygienic machine designs.

The RSH is clean-in-place (CIP) compatible, allowing designers to achieve open machine designs, and rated IP69K to withstand high-pressure washdown. The front-face sealing O-ring ensures a hygienic design from top to bottom. Design engineers can leverage the Tolomatic Your Motor Here database to select from a variety of stainless-steel motor manufacturers for a complete all stainless hygienic package.

The RSH is designed for forces up to 7,943 lb·f (35kN), speeds up to 20"/sec (498mm/sec) and stroke lengths up to 48" (1,200mm). Available in ball screw and roller screw options, ball screws are an economical option with medium life and force capabilities, roller screws (manufactured by Tolomatic) provide higher force capability, increased life, and improved accuracy.

Universal Robots reports record annual revenue

The Danish producer of collaborative robots (cobots), Universal Robots reported record annual revenue of $311 million for 2021, an increase of 41% from 2020 and 23% from pre-pandemic 2019.

“In a company like ours, which manufactures sophisticated hardware to high quality standards, this sort of growth requires tremendous commitment from all involved. Our production team in Denmark has broken internal records for the number of cobots built, producing 400 cobots in a single week in Q4. Our supply chain experts have worked hard to keep our business running smoothly despite global supply challenges,” says UR’s President Kim Povlsen.

Q4 2021 revenue also broke records, up 22% compared to Q4 2020 and 28% from Q4 2019.

The company expects strong growth in 2022, as Povlsen notes, “Demand for collaborative robots is set to grow and our unique ecosystem is growing with it.”

High-speed BLDC motors

Delta Line’s high-speed series of slotless, brushless DC (BLDC) motors enable manufacturers to achieve speed, power, size, and efficiency without compromise as the design enables them to operate at speeds of 70,000rpm, with options available for more than 100,000rpm.

These speeds are possible because of a specific design of the magnets and windings, which ensures a low temperature rise. The mechanical design includes balancing and the use of a preloaded bearing system, which also contributes to thermal management, extending the life of the motor and reducing the temperature of the motor housing. The specific rotor balancing, along with the slotless motor design, also ensures the motors have low noise emissions.

The high-speed series BLDC motors are available with power ratings up to 100W in a 16mm diameter size and up to 150W in a 22mm diameter size. And with efficiencies up to 92%, they’re suitable for battery-powered applications where long charge and battery life are critical. In addition to their high-speed capabilities, the motors have a mechanical time constant as low as 1ms to 2ms for fast responsiveness and high acceleration.