Thomson Industries, Inc has added superior controllability choices to its Electrak LL line of long-life electrical linear actuators.
Along with the 600 km of maintenance-free life and 100% obligation cycle efficiency inherent to all of the Electrak LL fashions, machine designers can now get absolute place suggestions, CAN bus integration, diminished present move and better speeds.
“OEM designers utilizing our long-life actuators in functions that may in any other case require hydraulic or pneumatic programs can now additionally get extra management over the place, load and pace. Our new configuration choices allow them to maneuver actuators into place extra easily, know immediately the place they’re and use that information in movement profiles,” says Travis Gilmer, product supervisor – linear actuators at Thomson.
Along with resistance towards environmental hazards akin to daylight UV, Thomson Electrak LL high-duty-cycle electrical actuators now provide extra digital management choices.
Lengthy life fundamentals
Key to the Electrak LL’s long-life structure is a brushless motor, a high-load ball screw meeting, a brake resolution that doesn’t put on, and IP69K (static) and IP66 (dynamic) compliant sealing. This mix allows obligation cycles of as much as 100%, as much as 600 km of journey life, and as much as a million cycles – greater than ten instances that of electromechanical actuators with out these options. The brand new configuration choices for the Electrak LL increase its business main sturdiness with superior management, integration, greater voltage and better pace choices.
Absolute place suggestions
As a substitute of calculating place from sensors and encoders, customers of Electrak LL actuators can get direct absolute place data by programming its embedded microprocessor to rely mechanical turns inside the gearbox. This allows an instantaneous, precise studying of place for using superior management logic. A design engineer may, for instance, use it to synchronize actions of a number of cylinders to outlined positions at designated speeds
One other benefit of absolute place suggestions is that will probably be calibrated throughout meeting and doesn’t should be recalibrated. This improves effectivity in functions akin to railway and agricultural controls the place actuators are often shut down for prolonged durations of time when the autos aren’t in use. If the place shouldn’t be absolute, the actuator will want recalibration on restart. Additionally, the Electrak LL absolute place measurement doesn’t require mechanical contact, which minimizes put on to the system.
CAN bus communication
Superior management sequences want a solution to share change directions and information, and Thomson long-life actuators present this as properly. Electrak LL customers can construct functions round both CANopen® or SAE J1939 communications. This offers most flexibility to combine actuators with different parts or productiveness and enterprise functions.
Greater voltage
Excessive-duty-cycle functions, akin to cell robots, are often battery powered as low present draw might be a bonus. Electrak LL customers can now meet software energy necessities by configuring their programs with a 48 V energy provide. Compared to the 24 V model, the 48 V will scale back resistive energy losses, which allows thinner, cheaper wiring.
Greater speeds
Thomson additionally has added a 2 kN (450 lbs) load choice to the Electrak LL. This optimizes the actuator to deal with greater speeds with longer service life.
Functions
The brand new configuration choices of the Electrak LL are for individuals who need each greater obligation cycles and most management over their functions, akin to the next:
- Good railway pantographs and couplers
- Automated guided autos (AGVs)
- Materials dealing with logistics trains
- Automated farming robots
- Movable steps and entry lifts for trains and busses
- Gravel bins and hatches