Linear motors, in which "forcers" propel themselves back and forth along straight guides or tracks, have a long history. Yet the ServoTube line of linear motors from Copley Controls breaks away from that history with several innovations that improve reliability and maintainability.
Instead of the optical encoders most linear motors use, the ServoTube motors employ a Hall-effect position sensor, which is more rugged and doesn't require calibration. With the Hall sensor, the motors also can be submerged in up to a meter of water for up to half an hour. (That's the IP67 standard from Europe's DIN 40050 environmental specification for electrical products.)
The forcers in these motors run on tubular thrust rods, rather than U-channels, which can collect debris. The tubular thrust rods do not need water or forced-air cooling, either. Multiple forcers can be stacked on a single thrust rod to increment the drive force. Alternatively, multiple forcers can be controlled independently for different functions. For example, one forcer could load while the other unloads.
System integration is simple with Copley's matched Xenus servo-amplifier. Industry-standard mounting accessories are available as well.
Four versions of the ServoTube sport 25-mm diameter thrust rods that provide 11.5 to 23 lb of continuous force and 70 to 175 lb of peak force. They also provide 12-µm repeatability and resolution and 25-µm accuracy. Four other models have thrust rods with 38-mm diameters and about three times the power. All of the ServoTubes feature 8.7-m/s maximum velocity and 256-m/s2 peak acceleration. Maximum travel is 1186 mm.
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