1. business and industrial
2. energy
3. oil

ISSN : 2031-9215
April 2010
How to keep chains
effectively lubricated
Retrofit DC drives for a
smooth rollercoaster run
Innovative bearings allow
for substantial savings
www.powerinmotion.eu
SLI: 01912
Power in Motion - April 2010
2
Constanze Schmitz - Editor
editor@powerinmotion.eu
+32 (0)15 45 86 66
Dear Reader,
Publishing Director
Marketta Lähde
Is the bearings market turning the corner? Production of vehicles and machinery
declined substantially last year, hitting manufacturers of bearings hard. After suffering a
tumultuous 2009, the bearings industry looks set to return to growth this year, according
to a new report on the subject by IMS Research.
Editor
Constanze Schmitz
editor@powerinmotion.eu
Contributing editor
Jürgen Wirtz
editor@powerinmotion.eu
The Americas market for ball and roller bearings – worth an estimated €6.6 billion in 2008
– shrank by almost 17% last year. However, the unprecedented size of the 2008 decline
in US vehicle production, along with a resilient and rapidly expanding Brazilian market,
should result in a swift recovery. Sales of ball and roller bearings are thus predicted to
grow by 5.1% in 2010, and surpass 2008 levels in 2012.
Publishing Group Executive
Karen Verriest
k.verriest@tim-europe.com
Having entered the downturn later than the Americas, European production of vehicles
and machinery is expected to remain relatively flat in 2010. Because of this, the EMEA
market for bearings – worth over €3 billion more than its American equivalent in 2008 –
is forecast to grow by just 0.5% this year and will not have returned to 2008 levels until
2013 at the earliest.
With the tradeshow season before us, we all will have a chance of finding out first hand
what goes on in our market and how it will evolve now that we left the deepest crisis
behind us.
We are looking forward to see you at Hannover Messe, where certainly new products and
innovative solutions are waiting for us.
To find out more about the products, solutions and technologies presented in this
issue, use our SLI Reader service system to ask more information; it is easy, fast and
informative.
Sales Worldwide
Michael Kiefer
m.kiefer@powerinmotion.eu
Karin Weisshaupt
k.weisshaupt@powerinmotion.eu
Sales Italy
Andrea Barp
a.barp@tim-europe.com
Circulation Director
Marcel Santy
Managing Director
Orhan Erenberk
Digital file requirements available at:
www.powerinmotion.eu/artwork
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© 2010 Thomas Industrial Media bvba
Production by Crossmark,
Bonheiden, Belgium
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Postmaster
Send address changes to: Power in Motion
Marcel Santy, m.santy@tim-europe.com
As always we would be pleased to receive any comments or suggestions you may have.
Enjoy your reading
Sincerely yours
Constanze Schmitz
Editor Power in Motion
editor@powerinmotion.eu
Thomas Industrial Media bvba
Hendrik Consciencestraat 1b,
2800 Mechelen, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)15/45 86 00 - Fax: +32 (0)15/45 86 86
www.powerinmotion.eu
Every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content. Thomas
Industrial Media however assumes no responsibility for the
correctness of the information supplied or advertised or any other
opinion expressed herein.
33
4
Power in Motion - April 2010
Content
Issue 4 – Volume 5
April 2010
5
Industry update
6
Oil exploration rigs held by liquid cooled brakes
8
Intelligent sensor systems for energy efficiency
9
Measurement technology secures energy efficiency
10
TCP/IP-compatible drives for crane simulator
11
Innovative bearings allow for substantial savings
12
Shakespeare in a new light with flat motors
13
Roller chain reduces wear and chain elongation
14
Gearbox relies on toroidal roller bearing
16
How to keep chains effectively lubricated
17
Heavy lift crane for paper machine maker
18
Retrofit DC drives for a smooth rollercoaster run
20
Bearing solutions cut fuel consumption and CO2
22
Product News
26
Index/Events
Cover background picture is courtesy of SKF
Power in Motion - April 2010
Industry Update
Industry Update
Events, Research and Company News
ContiTech opens
forward-looking plant in China
At a festive ceremony, Hanover, Germanybased ContiTech AG inaugurated its recently completed, state-of-the-art development, production, sales and administrative
facility in Changshu (Jiangsu Province),
100 kilometers northwest of Shanghai. Mr.
Wang Xiang, Party Secretary of Changshu
CPC Committee, and Heinz-Gerhard Wente,
CEO of ContiTech AG, officiated at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In his welcoming
remarks, Wente highlighted the importance
of the location for customers in China and
for ContiTech itself, one of the world’s leading specialists for rubber and plastics technology: “Changshu is the new productive
heart for our customers in China. We are
creating here a forward-looking strategic
center for our long-term operations in Asia.
Our roots may be in Germany, but we have
long since made ourselves at home here as
well and see a key portion of our future viability in China.”
SKF signed contract with
Finnish wind turbine manufacturer
SKF has signed a contract with WinWinD,
a Finnish manufacturer of wind turbines,
worth 20 Million Euros. SKF will supply
the main bearings for WinWinD’s threemegawatt wind turbines and the contract
is valid until the end of 2013. The contract
includes the delivery of the main bearing
Nautilus engineered by SKF to optimize turbine performance and reliability. Through
its compact design it enables reductions
in weight, friction and maintenance of the
wind turbine. “We are very pleased with
this contract and the co-operation with
WinWinD. The agreement gives us the possibility to use the latest technology in developing wind turbines. Close co-operation
with leading wind turbine manufacturers
is especially important for us in this rapidly
developing technology sector in Finland”,
says Jukka Mäkinen, Key Account Manager,
SKF Finland.
Schaeffler Group participates
in car championship
The Schaeffler Group will be represented
in the 2010 motorsports season at the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) and the
World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)
with the LuK and INA brands. Partners will
again be Audi (DTM) and BMW (FIA World
Touring Car Championship – WTCC). Furthermore, the Schaeffler Group is focusing
on supporting engineering students with
several sponsorship activities in the Formula Student. In the World Touring Car Championship the yellow of clutch and transmission specialist LuK and the green of the INA
brand are amongst the colors worn by the
RBM BMW works team. Four-time world
champion Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus are the drivers. The Schaeffler logos will
also be prominent at the starting lines of
the DTM venues with the Audi A4 driven by
Mattias Ekstroem, who is again determined
to win the DTM title. The motorsports activities also include supporting various university teams in the Formula Student, which is
hosted at international venues.
Efficiency Days to premier
at Hannover Messe
The Efficiency Days event
series at Hannover Messe
(19.-23.4.2010) puts the
spotlight firmly on energy efficiency in industrial processes, a decisive
issue for many industries worldwide. During
the five days of the show, exhibitors can use
the Efficiency Days platform to present their
specialist energy efficiency expertise to a
targeted audience in the course of presentations, panel discussions and demonstrations.
Efficiency Days is a joint project between
Deutsche Messe, the German Engineering
Federation (VDMA) and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association
(ZVEI). All events will be held at the Efficiency
Arena in Hall 14. This is where, on each day of
the show, a changing lineup of experts will
be exploring the latest trends and developments in industrial energy efficiency.
Kabelschlepp taken over
by Tsubakimoto Chain
The energy chain manufacturer Kabelschlepp
GmbH based in Wenden-Gerlingen is to be
taken over by the Tsubakimoto Chain, Osako.
At a shareholders’ meeting on February 24,
the Japanese listed company, a manufacturer
of chains and power transmission systems,
decided to purchase all the shares of the German company Kabelschlepp GmbH. The share
transfer agreement should be concluded by
mid-March, the takeover completed by the
beginning of April. The Kabelschlepp purchase
will take effect in March 2011 when it is included in the Tsubakimoto balancing procedure.
Both companies had a joint venture in China,
based in Shanghai. In the meantime, Tsubakimoto has announced its intentions to expand the global sales network, and to change
Kabelschlepp’s sales structures in the process.
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6
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
Oil exploration rigs held
by liquid cooled brakes
Liquid cooled dynamic brakes
are being used to secure the
mooring of semi-submersible
oil drilling platforms,
staying cool and providing
fine adjustment while
withstanding the variable
forces on the cable drums.
Semi-submersible drilling platforms are
used for exploratory drilling of potential
new sites. The platforms are self propelled
and capable of drilling in depths of up to
2,400 meters. Once the platforms are in
position they can use dynamic positioning
to remain stationary, however if the
platform will remain in the same place for an
extended amount of time then a mooring
pattern will be laid. Due to the size of the
platforms and depths that they operate in
it is essential that the mooring pattern is
spread, often over an area of 6 km; using a
series of winches and brakes to control the
cable payout.
A very wide spread, reaching 6 km, is
necessary to ensure the platform’s stability.
To achieve this spread an anchor handling
vessel is used. The vessels transport the
anchors, usually 8 but sometimes as many
as 16, away from the platform and then
lay them. The payout tension has to be
controlled as the anchor handling vessels
move further and further away from the
semi-submersible rig and cable weight
increases. Each corner of the platform
is typically equipped with two mooring
winches which, traditionally, need two
secondary brakes; one brake for static
holding once the anchors are laid, and
another - a slipping brake, to control the
payout of the cable.
Brakes produced by Wichita Clutch, part of
worldwide power transmission group Altra
Industrial Motion, are being used on semisubmersible rigs for dynamic tensioning and
the subsequent static holding of the anchor
cables which keep the rig in position during
drilling. At times the cables need to reach
lengths of several kilometres, meaning that
the torsional load on the winch can reach
several hundred tonnes. The brakes are dual
action meaning that they are suitable for
static holding but also to provide dynamic
tension control during cable payout whilst
in mooring mode, they utilise copper alloy
heat transfer surfaces which provide the
optimum heat dissipation for the high
loads the brakes are subjected to during
mooring.
These dual acting water cooled dynamic
brakes are able to do the job of both brakes,
meaning that each winch needs only one
secondary brake. The brake uses a piston
assembly for positive brake tensioning and
a fail safe spring set brake operation for
emergency stopping and holding duties.
The brake will control the Payout of the
cable at typical speeds of 40m/minute,
generating typically 250 tonnes of tension
on the cable. Once the anchors have been
laid the multiple spring actuator will be
Power in Motion - April 2010
7
maxon EC-max
Brushless, dynamic, precise.
maxon drives in arm prostheses.
applied for static holding. Disengagement
of the static holding brake is achieved
pneumatically and designed as a fail safe if
there are any issues during mooring.
In any braking application it is important
to consider the brakes heat dissipation
capability, if the heat generated by the
friction of the cable tensioning duty
exceeds the convection capacity of the unit
to dissipate it, the brakes operation may
become compromised. During the payout
of the mooring cables typical power levels
of 1,600 kW of continuous heat energy
can be produced due to the high torque
slipping of the brake. Providing a brake
which is capable of high heat dissipation
not only maintains reliability and extends
operating life, it also allows the use of a
smaller brake which provides cost saving.
The copper cooling which is used in the
brakes is the most efficient method of heat
dissipation in the range. Copper discs are
used for high heat transfer from friction
surface to the continuous flow of cooling
water. The use of a patented Jacket Design,
coupled with the copper wear plates,
provides precise stopping / tensioning
capabilities with very high heat dissipation
characteristics.
Each brake is made specific to customer
needs. Options include a saltwater corrosion
protection package which is ideal use on drilling
rigs. While the brakes are displayed as providing
up to 200,000Nm of torque they are able to
increase this by up to 50% if required. High
end materials are used including a reinforced
neoprene fast acting air tube, designed to
assure quick and smooth stops, and a new
friction material which lasts longer with less
wear on the mating copper. The spring set air
release brakes are ideal for fail safe protection.
High strength ductile iron construction is used
throughout, and the use of thick friction linings
provide for a longer wear life.
The Kopper Kooled range is suitable for
many high intensity applications. On semisubmersible platforms its products are also
used on the storage winches which hold the
mooring cable and on winches utilised by
the anchor handling vessels. Other suitable
applications include Oil/Gas drilling, Wind
Energy and Tidal Energy.
Altra Industrial Motion
SLI: 01921
When it really
matters.
Medical technology also relies on our drive
systems. They are used, for instance, in
modern arm prostheses which enables the
wearer to make precise movements.
The maxon product range is built on an extensive
modular system, encompassing: brushless and
brushed DC motors with the ironless maxon winding, planetary, spur and special gearheads, feedback devices and control electronics.
maxon motor is the world’s leading supplier of
high-precision drives and systems of up to 500
watts power output. Rely on the quality of the highly specialized solutions which we develop with and
for you. www.maxonmotor.com
SLI: 01875
8
Power in Motion - April 2010
Technical Article
Intelligent sensor systems
for high energy efficiency
Machines and systems
without sensors are barely
conceivable any longer.
They ensure safety, a
high level of efficiency
and therefore increased
competitiveness.
Machines and systems without sensors
are barely conceivable any longer. They
ensure safety, a high level of efficiency and
therefore increased competitiveness.
It is no longer a secret that our planet’s
energy resources have to be managed.
Achieving a specific objective with minimal
use of energy is a task we all face today. This
affects production systems, which have
to operate in an energy-saving manner as
well as energy generating systems which
should deliver the highest possible degree
of efficiency. Examples from the world of
renewable energies are intended to show
how intelligent sensor systems help to
achieve this objective.
A wind turbine system primarily consists
of a mast with a gondola, on which a rotor
with three rotor blades is mounted. When
the wind blows, the rotor rotates and drives
a generator generating electricity. Behind
the scenes a modern wind turbine system is
a high-tech product, packed with intelligent
components such as sensor systems.
By rotating around its own axis, the pitch
adjustment system is used to set the rotor
blades in the ideal position in relation to
the wind. At higher wind strengths, the
blades have to be rotated out of the wind,
as the strain placed on the turbine system
is too high and the flow conditions at the
blades become unfavourable. At low wind
strengths, they are rotated into the wind
so that more energy is obtained. In order
to achieve the highest possible level of
efficiency, adjustments have to be carried
out very accurately. The use of precision
sensor systems is therefore required. When
the rotor blades are moved, rotary sensors
measure the current orientation of the
blade. The rotor blade angle range in which
the wind turbine system operates optimally
at a specific wind strength is narrow.
The accuracy requirements made on the
installed sensors are accordingly high.
Besides the pure angle signal, modern
sensor systems are able to output
additional switching signals which
indicate e.g. end positions. In the case of
the rotor blades, these are usually the 0°,
90° and calibration positions. This can be
carried out via a field bus interface within
the framework of the bus protocol or,
classically, via switching contacts.
High-performance microcontrollers are
now so inexpensive that they can be
used in sensors without causing the price
to soar. Thanks to the redundant sensor
system design and firmware which meets
Power in Motion - April 2010
Technical Article
Measurement technology
secures Energy Efficiency
The sustainable management of resources
and the most effective utilisation of energy
in this process will be one of our greatest
future challenges. Despite of a reduced
use of energy, there should of course be
no limitations with regard to performance,
safety, utility, and comfort of mechanical
and plant engineering and products.
These requirements could not be met
without sensor and measurement
technology - they deliver precise
information, lay the groundwork and
establish the basis for any increase of
current safety requirements (SIL), the
rotary sensor checks itself and informs the
control system when something is not
right. Modern sensors are able to receive
firmware updates via a PC. Within limits,
they can therefore be reprogrammed,
without even removing them.
efficiency. For this reason energy efficiency
was scheduled as focus topic for the
trade show SENSOR+TEST 2010 by the
exhibition committee and the executive
committee of the AMA Association for
Sensor Technology.
On the special forum Energy Efficiency
in hall, 12 targeted information on this
topic will be provided. Many examples of
applications will illustrate the decisive role
of sensor, measuring, and test technology
for this important future-oriented task.
AMA Fachverband für Sensorik
SLI: 01943
Precise positioning
speed and angle measurement
Rotary sensors are also used on the rotor
shaft to determine the rotational speed
and the rotor position. The rotational
speed is the essential output variable for
the above described pitch adjustment. The
rotor position provides information on the
position of each rotor blade at all points in
time. Wind conditions along the length of
the rotor, are not identical. Windless precisely
in front of the mast but it will be higher in
the upper rotor area than further down.
Fine regulation of the blade position is
carried out to take this into consideration. If
the relevant rotor blade is currently located
in the upper area, it is turned slightly
out of the wind. If it moves down again,
the reverse is carried out. This individual
blade adjustment is a further step towards
increased wind turbine system efficiency.
The sensor systems required for this on the
rotor shaft and the rotor blade intermesh to
achieve an optimal final result.
Welcome to the world of Baumer Motion Control:
Incremental and Sinus encoders – versatile and reliable
Absolute encoders – innovative and flexible
Magnetic sensors – robust and modular
Tachogenerators – exact, real-time speed measurement
Encoders with Atex approval or as stainless steel versions
Resolvers, inclination sensors
Actuators and positioning drives
These examples from the field of wind
power show how important intelligent
sensor systems in machines and systems
have become to make these efficient and
therefore competitive. Their absence is now
inconceivable. Author: Achim Albertini
We offer the broadest selection of innovative and precise
solutions for positioning, speed and angle measurement.
For more information visit www.baumer.com/motion
TWK Elektronik
www.baumer.com
SLI: 01929
SLI: 01884
99
10
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
TCP/IP-compatible drives for
advanced crane simulator
A three-axis motion
platform based on
Ethernet-compatible
drives is helping to
increase the realism of
crane training.
Based in New Delhi, India, Applied Research
International (ARI) produces a comprehensive
range of simulators for marine and allied
applications. Its products include a wide
variety of offshore, quay-side and gantry
crane simulators to provide safe, cost-effective
operational training for container movement
and bulk handling operations. ARI’s simulators
emulate the visual, behavioural and
operational characteristics of their real-world
counterparts to create a fully immersive
environment in which the trainee can gain
true hands-on experience. A typical crane
simulator comprises a modular PC-based
control system, a replica operator cabin and
seat, a high fidelity audio-visual system, and
an instructor station equipped with CCTV for
monitoring the actions of the trainee.
When ARI decided to add an optional motion
platform to its line of crane simulators, it
approached Electropneumatics & Hydraulics
for assistance. They specialise in the production
of metalforming equipment, such as hydraulic
presses and tube bending machines, and also
designs and builds special-purpose machinery
including different levels of automation with
total indigenous content and capability.
Each axis is driven by a BSM 3-phase
servomotor equipped with an incremental
encoder for position and velocity feedback,
controlled by a dedicated MicroFlex e100
servo drive. All three drives are housed in
a separate floor-standing control cabinet,
and are connected via a D-Link 10/100
Mbps Ethernet switch to the simulator’s
host PC.
Electropneumatics & Hydraulics chose to base
the motion platform for the crane simulator
on Powerlink- and Ethernet-compatible
drives and servomotors. According to
the company’s Technical Director, Ashley
Rasquinha, “Baldor’s MicroFlex e100 AC servo
drives are very cost-effective for this type of
application, because they can be controlled
via TCP/IP direct from the simulator’s host PC,
without the need for additional hardware.”
Ashley Rasquinha also points out that
the ActiveX development tools for the
Mint motion control language helped
to minimise programming effort. “The
tools hide the complexity of Ethernet
messages and provide a simple interface
to all the Mint programming commands
and functions; in conjunction with the
excellent libraries of routines that Baldor
provides, these made it very easy for us to
create and validate all the motion control
sequences. During the development of
the motion platform, we also received
excellent support from Baldor Electric
India, which happens to be based near our
manufacturing facility.”
The three-axis motion platform provides X,
Y and Z movement of the replica operator
cabin, synchronised to the computergenerated images being presented to the
trainee. Since it is designed to emulate the
movement of a real-life gantry crane very
accurately, the platform’s drive axes are
only required to handle relatively simple
motion control tasks such as point-to-point
moves and homing sequences, and do not
require interpolation. As a consequence, the
MicroFlex e100 servo drives can be used
in their basic Ethernet mode, without any
additional complexity of real-time control.
ARI’s crane simulators are proving to be
extremely popular with maritime organisations worldwide, and Electropneumatics &
Hydraulics has already delivered 15 motion
platforms to the company, for real customers
wishing to embrace the virtual world.
Baldor
SLI: 01924
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
Innovative bearings allow
for substantial savings
A food processor has achieved annual cost
savings of €189.166 per year on a potato processing line, as a result of replacing sealed,
single row radial ball bearings with Molded
Oil bearings.
The bearing problem on the potato processing line centred on the rollers of a potato peeling machine. The harsh nature of the process
meant that the sealed radial ball bearings in
the rollers were subject to the ingress of water and dirt, causing them to fail consistently
every 6-8 weeks.
These frequent failures were resulting in extremely costly downtime of €164.364 a year.
Added to this figure was the maintenance
cost (€20.550) to replace the bearings; the
cost of replacement bearings themselves,
and other expenses such as the regreasing
required at weekly intervals, and the holding
of spares inventory. What all this added up to
for the potato processor was a total annual
loss, from downtime and lost production, of
€189.352.
In the highly competitive world of food production this cost was unsustainable, so an initiative
was launched with a view to sourcing higher
performance bearings. As part of this initiative, engineers from NSK’s cost reduction programme were called in to give advice. The cost
reduction programme is a value-added service
that actually helps bearing users to improve
reliability, reduce operating costs, and improve
efficiency and profitability. These objectives are
achieved by delivering tangible savings to assets, such as equipment and machinery, and
also by improving the working knowledge of
maintenance and engineering personnel.
Sample bearing inserts were fitted to the rollers
of the peeling machine and operated successfully for over 10-months without problems. The
bearings were then removed for inspection
having already provided over four-times the
life of the previous single row radial units. The
inspection revealed that the bearings required
no maintenance, and continued in operation. On the strength of this performance the
food producer has replaced all the single row
radial ball bearings on the potato peeler with
Molded Oil units. In addition to providing improved life, these bearings are also saving the
customer the considerable cost of regreasing
of bearings, estimated at €3.424 per annum.
The engineers visited the process and identified the problem. They suggested a solution using Molded Oil Bearings, which they
were certain would prolong bearing life. The
bearings employ a special solid lubricant to
positively transform the performance of machinery in environments exposed to high
humidity, corrosion and contamination. The
bearings achieve improvements in performance and reliability by offering more than
twice the operating life of grease lubrication in water- contaminated environments.
The solid lubricant technology also means
that operating environments are kept free of
grease; and there is no need for refilling of lubricant, as Molded Oil provides a continuous
supply of lubricating oil.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
NSK
CY CMY
SLI: 01918
K
International Exhibition
& Conference for
2010
POWER ELECTRONICS
INTELLIGENT MOTION
POWER QUALITY
4 – 6 May 2010
Exhibition Centre Nuremberg
Powerful
This is the right place for you!
Mesago PCIM GmbH
SLI: 01868
– 0711 61946-56
–
pcim@mesago.com
11
11
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
Shakespeare in a new light
with flat, brushless motors
Audiences will soon see
plays in a whole new
Royal Shakespeare Company/Ellie Kurttz
12
light after a literally
revolutionary development
in theatre lighting with flat,
brushless motors playing
a leading role.
Audiences will soon see plays in a whole
new light after a literally revolutionary
development in theatre lighting… with flat,
brushless motors playing a leading role.
Company’s Lighting Department, to
address a problem that has plagued lighting
designers for years – the momentum of
heavy, remote-controlled spotlights.
The RSC Lightlock was developed by Vince
Herbert, head of the Royal Shakespeare
Until now using flexible, lightweight support
structures for these lights was out of the
question, since attempting to stop would
set the whole gantry swinging after each
motorised movement, sending spotlights all
over the stage and ruining the performance.
The only way to use large moving lights was
to hang them from heavy-duty mounting
infrastructures – which made accessing
the lights a lengthy, dangerous and costly
process, severely restricting directors’ choices
when deciding how to stage a production.
The RSC Lightlock prevents unwanted
oscillation on lightweight structures by
invoking Newton’s third law of motion – the
law of reciprocal actions. When the light
needs to stop moving, a counterweight on an
internal disc swings in the opposite direction
to its movement, nullifying the momentum.
Incredibly, the heavy counterweight
necessary is rotated by a flat, brushless
maxon motor just 90mm in diameter. It is
irreplaceable in the role, as maxon senior
sales engineer Paul Williams explains: “The EC
90 Flat was selected because the Lightlock
requires something small, high performance
– and above all – precise. If the disc is rotated
even slightly too little or too much, the
whole principle that makes the Lightlock so
successful goes out the window.”
The small motor operates with such speed
and exactitude that even with sudden,
dramatic movements, the Lightlock can
cancel out all unwanted motion in under
two seconds.
The RSC Lightlock won a Gold Award for
innovation on its public debut at PLASA 08,
and the units will now be incorporated into
the transformed Royal Shakespeare Theatre,
the RSC’s Stratford-Upon-Avon home,
scheduled to re-open later this year.
Mervyn Thomas, director of Lightlock Ltd,
the company engaged to produce the RSC
Lightlock, says: “The RSC Lightlock allows
greater freedom of stage lighting creativity,
which could mean we see entirely new
slants on old plays. It allows simpler and safer
rigging opportunities because the moving
light fixture can be now rigged from simple
cable suspensions, meaning the crew can
maintain and rig the fixture at floor level and
simply raise it the desired working position.
“The principle behind it is blindingly simple; the
design involved is extremely clever. With over a
thousand theatre enthusiasts in the house, the
technology powering the RSC Lightlock has to
work perfectly, every time. That’s why we chose
maxon.” Mr Williams adds.
Maxon Motor
SLI: 01930
Power in Motion - April 2010
13
13
Product Update
Roller chain reduces
chain elongation
Repeated testing and field data
indicate that wear between
the bearing parts is a primary
limiting factor in overall chain
life, particularly in externally
lubricated chain types such as
BS/DIN standard roller chain.
Significant amounts of research
and development allowed making
improvements in this area, to
reduce wear and chain elongation
over a longer period of time-even
for standard drive roller chain.
The BS/DIN series roller chain GT4
Winner utilises a new production
technique to manufacture a
seamless bush with grooves
incorporated on the inner surface.
The lube-grooved (LG) bush holds oil at the point of contact where
the chain needs it most, providing an internal reservoir for lubricant.
The result is a chain that lasts longer with lower maintenance costs
over the lifetime of the chain.
The seamless bush with a very precise cylindrical profile and surface
finish results in better surface contact between the pin and bush
along with improved lubricant retention. The design of the rivet
head the chain is easily disassembled, in the event of the chain being
overloaded; the markings on the rivet head will identify pin rotation.
The Ring Coined connecting link allows the chain to be specified up
to its full kW rating offering high precision and strength. The typical
standard slip-fit connecting link is usually much weaker than the
other links, Ring Coin technology can overcome that.
Furthermore the chain contributes significantly to reducing
CO2 emissions due to the extended replacement frequency. It is
available in sizes 06B to 48B as standard, larger sizes are available
on request in both simplex and duplex variants; a triplex variant is
available to order.
Tsubakimoto
SLI: 01928
Creative Solutions
for Your
Applications!
In gearboxes, electric motors, materials handling
systems, wind turbines, rail vehicle traction motors,
pumps, or agricultural machinery - NKE bearings can
be found wherever rotary motion takes place.
We develop and manufacture premium quality
bearings for all applications - including yours.
Order your free copy
of our 1,300-page
catalogue now at
www.nke.at/catalogue
NKE AUSTRIA GmbH
Im Stadtgut C4
4407 Steyr, Austria
Tel: +43 7252 86667
Fax: +43 7252 86667 59
info@nke.at
www.nke.at
SLI: 01870
PIM
14
Power in Motion - April 2010
Application Story
Gearbox on the high seas
relies on toroidal roller bearing
Oil rig drilling platforms are
extremely high cost capital
investments. So designers
and end users of such
massive structures have
reliability and availability
at the very top of their list
of ‘must haves’ when they
consider critical equipment.
Jack-up oil rig drilling platforms, that are
designed to float to a location and then have
the drilling platform ’jacked up’ off the surface
of the sea, one piece of critical equipment
is surely the jacking gearbox. Jacking
gearboxes provide the power to lower the
platform legs onto the sea floor and then lift
the enormous weight of the drilling platform
high enough above the water so there is no
interference to drilling operations from wave
motion, even in stormy conditions.
Hyosung Corporation of Korea proudly
claims that their jacking gearboxes give
“reliability and power”. And SKF are proud to
contribute to that assertion by providing 23
bearings in each of Hyosung’s latest designs
of gearbox, including the CARB toroidal roller
bearing which delivers carrying power in the
smallest package.
Any system is only as strong as the key
components in the system. If any single
components should fail, the entire system
fails. It was these thoughts in mind that
Mr. Won-Cheol Hong, Senior Designer at
Hyosung Industrial Machinery began his
project to design a smaller, lighter, more
powerful jack-up gearbox for oil drilling
platforms.
And one major component in the design
are the bearings that support the shafts and
gears as they lift the enormous weight of
the platform at 45cm per minute. The sheer
weight of the platform and the demanding
operating conditions mean that minor
deflections of the shafts cannot be avoided.
And to prevent that they cause premature
bearing failure in gearbox applications
the bearings selected must be able to
accommodate these deflections in all
conditions throughout the life of the gearbox.
Mr Hong’s final selection included tapered
roller bearings, spherical roller bearings and
CARB bearings for the very demanding load
carrying in the planetary gears. This selection
resulted from thorough advanced modeling
of the gearbox together with sophisticated
bearing life and load calculations, carried out
by SKF.
By the time he finished the project Mr.
Hong’s design had been selected for the
highest award in his company for innovative
product development. And today, already
more than 500 sets have been delivered for
their hard work in the harsh environments of
offshore drilling and will be incorporated in
new platforms being commissioned in the
next few years.
Power in Motion - April 2010
Application Story
The first drilling platform equipped with
these gearboxes started drilling off the
coast of China in January 2009 and will stay
there for 3 years. The oil rig, operated by a
USA company, utilizes 54 Hyosung reducers
to jack up the drilling platform, having 18
gearboxes on each of its 3 support legs.
Considering the rig platform has a maximum
drilling variable deck load of 3,673 tons it is
easy to understand why Hyosung and the
rig operator consider that such gearboxes
need to give ‘reliability and power’. Add to
that the fact that the oil drilling platform is
expected to be active for 20 years, and so are
the gearboxes, then reliability really means
reliability. Especially if the operator wants
to have efficient and trouble free operation
during the anticipated total of 2000 hours
period of lifting and lowering of the platform
once it is positioned, after the vessel is moved
to various drilling sites during those 20 years.
The first gearboxes produced have a lifting
capacity of 1957kN and a holding capacity of
3113kN in normal conditions, extending to
4448kN in severe storming conditions. Later
models had a 2446kN carrying capacity with
proportionally more holding and severe
storming capacities.
While Mr. Hong is very proud of
his work in designing the gearbox
he says “I am very happy with the
technical support I received from SKF
in this project. As well as full support
from local SKF Korea engineers I was
visited by European SKF engineers who
had applied CARB bearings in other heavy
industry applications such as steel mills,
pulp and paper plants and wind turbines.
They gave me and my staff the confidence
to go further in the development. The use
of CARB, and its self aligning ability, allowed
us to design low profile gears that are wider,
stronger and give greater torque capacity
than previous designs. This allowed us to
downsize the gearbox with confidence, and
this was proven in tests when we loaded
the gearbox planetary gears to 3 times the
expected loads with no problems. CARB’s
ability to take up minor misalignments and
heavy loads improves the gear meshing and
this also improves the gearbox efficiency”.
CARB is a self aligning radial bearing with
an inner ring that moves independently of
the outer ring, enabling the shaft to move
smoothly without inducing axial loads. It
therefore accommodates misalignment like a
spherical roller bearing and axial displacement
like a cylindrical roller bearing. Additionally it
carries extremely high loads due to relatively
long and barrel shaped rollers.
Because the rollers are barrel shaped, and the
inner and outer rings are correspondingly
concave and symmetrical, the bearing will
always position itself in the raceway for
optimum load carrying performance.
The CARB design eliminates the problem of
induced axial loads resulting from thermal
expansion of the shaft. This enables two
major design options; 1. keep the current
bearing dimensions and radically increase
bearing service life. 2. Downsize and achieve
the same or better operational reliability.
SKF
SLI: 01927
15
15
16
Power in Motion - April 2010
Product Update
How to keep chains
effectively lubricated
Lubricating chains
effectively is a problem
to which there is no
easy solution. Methods
range from manual to
PLC controlled spray
systems, but often the
lubricant doesn’t seem
to get where it is needed.
Traditionally there have been four main chain
lubrication methods all of which have functional issues.
Manual Application.
The lubricant is either applied by hand or spray
can. This method is costly, and can be erratic,
because they depend exclusively on the human element to ensure that the lubrication is
carried out. It is often the case that the chain
is over lubricated when a lubrication schedule
takes place, but, critically the film of lubricant is
not maintained in-between lubrication cycles.
Drip Feed Application.
Often seen as a step forward from manual lubrication, the drip feed solution introduces a
degree of automation, with a pump delivering
a measured quantity of lubricant. The problem
with drips is that they vary in size and trajectory. The part of the chain that requires lubrication may not always be the location where the
drip lands. The potential for having lubricant in
unwanted places is significant and costly.
Static brush application.
Promoted as a further step-up - the static brush
coupled to a pump which controls the frequency and volume of lubricant delivered, still
leaves the customer with problems. On installation, trials need to be rigorous as the brushes
are vulnerable to damage. Additionally, this
method demands regular and timely main-
tenance, as the application brushes can clog
with dirt from the chain and the bristles often
wear at unpredictable rates. This can leave key
areas of the chain out of contact with the lubricant. In certain environments the brush will
compact debris into the chain thereby preventing lubricant penetrating the articulating
parts of the chain.
Spit/spray system.
Currently the most commonly installed lubrication system for chains on large installations.
It is expensive to install, often involving a complex plc to control both the timing and volume
of lubricant. Extensive pipe-work is also often
required to attempt to ensure that the lubricant goes where it is required, and that not
too much of it goes ‘elsewhere’. Variable chain
speeds cause these types of system to miss the
vital lubrication points of the chain.
With all of these systems there are also a number of common issues. Over lubrication can
cause the chain rollers to slide leading to flat
spots, which can cause the rollers not to roll.
This can also causes product contamination
and environmental issues – not to mention the
wasted cost.
Under lubrication will cause the chain to wear
and break down prematurely. Over time there
is also a danger of inaccurate lubrication. It is
widely recognized that, at some point, the
chain stretches (wears), which moves the
pitch of the pins. The static lubrication points
of the spray nozzles cannot compensate for
this. Manual intervention is required to reset
the system, a costly exercise. Nozzles can also
get damaged and knocked out of position, so
that even if the system is operating, the lubricant is not penetrating the pins exactly where
required
The patented RotaLube system offers a innovative and precise method of applying the right
amount of lubricant to exactly the right place on
the chain no matter what the speed and size of
the chain and how frequently the speed varies.
Designed to fit precisely all standard chain sizes
(both British Standard & American Standard);
the RotaLube applicator delivers lubricant
directly to the exact points required, in a controlled and consistent manner. As the applicator moves with the chain, the issue of wear is
eliminated; it will not get blocked by dirt or debris, and will maintain accurate lubrication over
time, whatever the condition of the chain and
pins. Its design negates the need for complex
control systems and intricate pipe-work. Installation times are significantly reduced compared to alternative systems, and should an
applicator get damaged, a replacement takes
only minutes to fit.
Interlube Systems
SLI: 01916
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
Heavy Lift Overhead Crane
for Paper Machine Maker
An investment, exceeding one million pounds,
has been completed at the Manchester operations of European paper machinery maker
Voith Paper Limited.
The new process facility will re-grind, to ensure
perfect geometry and balance in paper machine
rollers of up to 115 tonnes. A 120 tonne safe working load crane plays a crucial role in loading and
offloading the Walldrich Siegan roll grinder that
will perform the precision roller re-profiling.
Street Crane has a long association with Voith
having supplied an 80 tonne overhead travelling
crane (OTC) in 1997. Commenting on the installation Steve Walls, Voith Paper’s works manager
commented, “The 80 tonne crane installed in
1997 and serviced by Street Crane’s sister company SCX, has given us no trouble. The relation-
SLI: 01909
ship has always been good and we are happy to
be working with them again on this important
investment for our Manchester site.”
Safety systems included on the crane include
an audible alarm, flashing amber light and an
anti-collision system. The brake on the new
Voith crane work on the first reduction shaft in
the gearbox. This ensures that the load is held
securely even in the unlikely event of a motor
failure. Operation will normally be by a wire free
radio remote device, allowing the operator to
adopt the best position for safety and visibility. A
conventional pendant control is also provided.
Major structural elements of the crane include
twin box-beam girders for rigidity with eightwheel carriages to spread the load. Hoisting is
achieved using a heavy duty crab unit based
on a twin scrolling open barrel design that ensures that the hook follows a true vertical lift
path. Programmable microprocessor controllers, allied to digital frequency inverters on the
motor drives ensure smooth acceleration and
deceleration for safe transport of the load with
no load swing.
Street Crane
SLI: 01922
17
17
18
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
Retrofit DC drives for a
smooth rollercoaster run
The ageing control system
of a famous rollercoaster
was becoming costly in
both maintenance and
downtime. Chessington
World of Adventures
needed to improve the ride’s
reliability ahead of the
summer’s peak-season.
Chessington World of Adventures, a popular
theme park and zoo in south-west London,
offers 25 different rides and attractions. One
of the most famous attractions is the Vampire ride. It became the UK’s first suspended
rollercoaster when it opened in 1990 and the
only coaster to fly above tree height. During
the summer season, the Vampire now thrills
adrenalin junkies of all ages – it is one of the
few rollercoasters Europe-wide available
also for small children, starting at a height of
1.1m. At peak periods, the Vampire ride attracts 17,000 visitors a day.
Three trains make, on average, 720 laps of
the track over an eight-hour day. This creates a substantial workload for the ride’s DC
motor control system. The ageing control
system was becoming costly in both maintenance and downtime. Chessington World of
Adventures needed to improve the ride’s reliability ahead of the summer’s peak-season.
Chessington World of Adventures had two
options: Redesign the control system to use
AC motors and AC drives, or keep the existing DC motor control system and retrofit it
with modern DC drives. Redesigning with
AC technology would mean a lengthy and
costly Health and Safety review. Keeping the
already installed and proven DC technology
proved both easier and more cost effective.
System integrator B & G Controls of Sittingbourne, Kent, was contracted by Chessington World of Adventures due to their
knowledge of fairground applications. B & G
Controls chose DC drives from Sprint Electric
because they had previously worked together on another demanding ride application at
Chessington World of Adventures.
David Garwood from B & G Controls explains, “Two 430 Ampere PLX digital DC
drives were installed to control the Vampire’s flight. Each flight has many twists
and high-speed turns, but the two lifts create the serious demand. To raise the three
trains and 24 passengers, the drives operate
at 90 percent current for the first lift and 100
percent current for the second.”
To make the ride’s load-run-disembark process a smooth one for the park’s visitors, the
PLX has to interface with an existing SLC-500
series PLC from Allen Bradley. “The PLX DC
drives’ software made it possible to re-program inside the drive, some of the signals
coming out of the PLC to suit the application
better. Signals such as Field o.k. and Tacho
Power in Motion - April 2010
Case Study
o.k. required logic function and timer function PLX application blocks to re-create what
the PLC needed of them,” explains Sprint
Electric’s research and development director
Aris Potamianos, who helped with the software integration and commissioning.
Other PLX safety features ideally suited to this
application are the drive’s coast-stop input
and the ability to revert automatically from
tachogenerator speed feedback to armature
voltage feedback. The PLX’s coast-stop input
ensures the ride control can effect an almost
instant isolation of the drive from the rest of
the process in the unlikely scenario of hardware or software failure inside the PLX. The
coast-stop input forces the drive to cease
supplying armature current to the motor irrespective of drive operating conditions.
Another useful safety feature is the PLX’s ability to automatically reveart from tachogenerator speed feedback to armature voltage
feedback in case of mechanical or electrical
damage to the tachogenerator or its connection medium to the drive. The drive will
give a warning of this failure to the PLC but it
will continue to be under closed loop speed
control until the next convenient stop instance when the fault can be attended to.
With the installation and commissioning
complete, Chessington World of Adventures’
engineers are pleased with the re-vamped
control system, having noticed the ramp up
to full speed is a lot smoother now. David
Garwood concludes, “The test runs during
the park’s closed season were really successful. We were all looking forward to seeing
the improvements when the park opened
again in the summer.” Excited young visitors’
comments on the Chessington website give
evidence that the refurbishment of the Vampire ride was a success: “One of the best rides
ever! Great for all ages; my cousins aged five
and seven loved it,” says a girl. “This is probably the most exhilarating ride in the whole
park – amazing,” comments a boy. And another visitor adds, “Can’t wait to go on it
again next year!”
Increase in accuracy and productivity as well
as lower energy consumption make these
DC drives ideal for retrofits when a more
effective, modern drive system is required.
Sprint Electric offers a full range of PLX digital
DC drives from 12 Amps up to 2250 Amps,
with all models available from stock. Whether in retrofits or original equipment, the DC
Drives are being used in many different applications including metal processing, the
pulp and paper industry, rubber and plastic
processing, lifting equipment, food processing, leisure industries and many more.
Sprint Electric
SLI: 01923
SLI: 01866
19
19
20
Power in Motion - April 2010
Technical Article
Bearing solutions cut
vehicle fuel consumption an
Innovative bearing
solutions are helping
automotive manufacturers
to produce lighter, more
energy efficient vehicles
that are also kinder to the
environment.
A range of innovative bearing solutions are
helping vehicle manufacturers to produce
more compact, lighter vehicles, with
improved fuel consumption and reduced
CO2 emissions.
The latest of these innovations is the FAG
wheel bearing, which is more compact and
10% lighter than its predecessor. The bearing
also offers simplified mounting via a unique
self-centring, axial spur gear teeth design.
First developed in 2004, the wheel bearing
has since moved into series production, with
BMW already using the unit on its new X1
model. A reduction in weight of 10% typically
amounts to an overall weight reduction of
1kg for a four-wheel vehicle.
With a spur gear teeth design in which the
wheel bearing and axle journal are connected
axially rather than radially, the bearing module
is lighter and can be mounted clearance-free.
Driving characteristics are improved and
automotive manufacturers benefit from a
simple mounting process and the associated
cost reductions.
Previously, the gear teeth of the axle journal
of the input shaft were pushed axially into
the wheel bearing. Here, the drive torque
was transferred via longitudinal gear teeth.
This mounting method has proven itself
over many years; however, it has a number
of disadvantages. The relatively solid, heavy
component requires a certain amount of
clearance to enable easy mounting. Also, loads
that occur during vehicle operation can lead
to the assembly becoming loose, resulting in
loss of comfort and higher noise levels, as well
as possible failure of the bearing.
Up to now, the solution has been to reduce
the radial clearance to zero in the design
phase. However, this requires the use of
complex, costly mounting technology.
The wheel bearing with spur gear teeth is
better equipped to deal with the loads that
occur during vehicle operation. The spur gear
teeth ensure positive connection between
the wheel bearing carrier and the input shaft,
which simplifies mounting considerably.
The self-centring axial gear teeth are simply
placed on the axle journal and fixed in place
by using a central screw. Unlike radial gear
teeth, this mounting procedure does not
require significant force. The bearing remains
clearance-free, but securely held in place
during vehicle operation.
Having four lighter wheel bearings on the
vehicle reduces the unsprung masses, which
improves the driving characteristics and
contributes to a reduction in CO2 emissions.
Replacing plain with rolling bearings
Another bearing solution is the INA lightweight
balancer shaft and rolling bearing assembly.
This is currently being used on the MercedesBenz OM 651, a 2.2 litre, four-cylinder diesel
engine that produces up to 204ps and 500Nm
torque. The weight of the INA balancer shaft
and bearing assembly are optimised in order
to improve engine efficiency and reduce
overall fuel consumption.
By replacing conventional plain bearings
on the balancer shaft with rolling bearings,
friction is reduced. Using needle roller
bearings with a raceway directly on the shaft
reduces friction by up to 50% over the whole
speed range.
At the development stage, by analysing
engine load conditions, Schaeffler was able
to optimise weight distribution. This enabled
the width of the bearing to be reduced, which
meant that the weight of the shaft could be
Power in Motion - April 2010
Technical Article
on and CO2 emissions
cut by more than a third. This equates to an
engine weight saving of 0.75kg.
When designing the complete drive train
for the OM 651, Mercedes was then able to
utilise this reduced shaft rotational inertia. The
lower mass moment of inertia reduces the
load in the power train, therefore improving
the acoustic characteristics. In addition, the
narrower raceway improves the oil mist supply
to the rolling bearings, enabling a simpler
system design without oil feed holes, reducing
manufacturing costs. The engine requires a
lower throughput of oil, so the oil pump can
also be made smaller. All of these technical
improvements meant that engine fuel savings
of around 0.5% to 1% were achieved.
With the global market for four-cylinder
engines standing at almost 50 million systems
per year, the INA lightweight balancer shaft
assembly offers huge potential for reducing
engine fuel consumption and emissions. For
example, based on an average reduction in
fuel consumption of 1% over the life of an
engine, and calculated for a vehicle mileage of
250,000km, this would lead to approximately
175 litres of fuel savings. Even if only 25% of
all four-cylinder engines were fitted with INA
lightweight balancer shaft assemblies, this
would still reduce harmful CO2 emissions by
around six million tonnes per year.
Larger vehicle, greater savings
Trucks, SUVs and light vans are also benefiting
from innovative bearing solutions. By
replacing ‘line’ contact associated with
conventional tapered roller wheel bearings
with a new design based on ‘point’ contact
using ball bearings, an innovative ‘twin
tandem’ wheel bearing unitt has been
developed, which reduces friction by around
50% over conventional tapered roller wheel
bearings. This equates to a 1.5% reduction in
fuel consumption.
The twin tandem design is based on replacing
the rows of tapered roller bearings with two
rows of ball bearings in each case. A doublerow tapered roller bearing therefore becomes
a four-row ball bearing. Replacing the line
contact of the tapered rollers with the point
contact of the balls eliminates rib friction and
reduces overall friction by 50%.
The twin tandem bearing also has a lower
operating temperature compared to
conventional tapered roller units, therefore
improving the service life of the lubricants.
Cornering stiffness is also increased.
The interchangeability has also been carefully
considered of the new twin tandem with
conventional tapered units. The twin tandem
is designed to cater for the use of sensors
(such as ABS sensors) and installation in the
wheel carrier is identical for conventional
tapered roller wheel bearings.
Assuming a vehicle emits 300g/km of CO2
over a distance travelled of 15,000 km per year,
the reduction in CO2 emissions resulting from
the twin tandem unit will be 67.5kg per year
per vehicle. Fuel consumption is also reduced
by 1.5%, giving a reduction of 40 litres per year
for an average light truck travelling 15,000 km
per year.
25% reduction in CO2 emissions
A collaborative development between
Schaeffler and Fiat Powertrain has resulted in
a new engine system, a fully variable hydraulic
valve control system, which reduces vehicle
fuel consumption and cuts CO2 emissions by
up to 25%.
UniAir is a fully variable hydraulic valve control
system that will make its debut on Fiat’s new
Alfa MiTo 1.4 MultiAir. This is the first vehicle
within the Fiat Group to be equipped with
this technology.
As well as offering car manufacturers a more
compact valve control system, UniAir will
help the automotive industry meet future
CO2 emissions targets for passenger cars.
UniAir provides improvements in start-up,
part load and acceleration behaviour of the
vehicle. During the engine warm-up phase,
for example, hydrocarbon (HC) emissions
are up to 40% less and nitrogen oxide (NOx)
is reduced by up to 60%. In addition, UniAir
offers a greatly improved driving experience,
through more power, higher engine torques
and optimised engine response.
Schaeffler
SLI: 01925
21
21
22
Power in Motion - April 2010
Product News
Product News
Innovations, Upgrades and Technologies
Compact rotation stages
for accurate positioning
The
RTHM-100
compact rotation
stages are designed
to rotate optical
components and
small tooling in the
confined spaces
of high-tech manufacturing processes and
inspections. The lightweight design features
low 32mm profile height and incorporates an
anodized aluminum body with pre-loaded ball
bearings with run-outs of 5 microns. This proprietary bearing design provides smooth rotation with minimal wobble. A precision ground
worm gear produces consistent driving torque
to the rotor and eliminates variations in the
motor current. The stages feature an angular
resolution 0.1 arc-sec, which may be achieved
with either DC Servo or stepper motor controls. They are equipped with a reference home
sensor and can run in continuous or start/stop
rotation modes, mounted horizontally or vertically. They feature zero backlash, large 50mm
center aperture and can rotate loads of 20kg
over unlimited rotation angle. IntelLiDrives
SLI: 01907
Vibration tester
diagnoses common mechanical problems
The Fluke 810
Vibration
Tester
is an advanced
troubleshooting
instrument, it enables maintenance
teams to rapidly
collect data, diagnose and solve mechanical problems with an affordable, easy to
use tool. The handheld device is designed
and programmed to diagnose the most
common mechanical problems of unbalance, looseness, misalignment and bearing failures in a wide variety of mechanical
equipment, including motors, fans, blowers,
belts and chain drives, gearboxes, couplings,
pumps, compressors, closed coupled machines and spindles. When it detects a fault,
it identifies the problem and rates its severity on a four-level scale to help the maintenance professional prioritize maintenance
tasks. It also recommends repairs. Contextsensitive on-board help menus provide new
users with real-time guidance and tips. The
tester comes with embedded diagnostic
technology, tri-axial TEDS accelerometer, accelerometer magnet mount and many more
accessories.
Fluke
SLI: 01908
Wind turbine brakes
for static holding & dynamic stopping
These wind turbine brakes increase efficiency
and safety, helping to protect
both the asset
and the environment. The modified ERS series of spring-engaged, electrically-released,
brakes is helping to further the growth of
wind energy by providing the crucial braking
function for large wind turbines under maximum wind conditions. The brakes operate
as pitch brakes in wind turbine applications
that require both “static” holding power, and
the ability to withstand high inertia dynamic
stopping in emergency situations. They are
mounted outboard of an inductive encoder
which is fitted to the back of a motor to
position the blades to the correct pitch. In
addition to their braking efficiency, the ERS
series units also offer the advantage of being
a one-piece design, which is fully enclosed
and painted to withstand extreme environmental conditions (salt-spray, condensation,
water, etc.).
Warner Electric
SLI: 01911
Magnetostrictive transducers
offer travel range from 50 to 4000mm
The MK4-S and IK4-S magnetostrictive linear
position transducers feature increased performance and EMC noise immunity thanks
to an improved electronic design. The
RS422-SSI interfaced transducers, available
in IP67 sealed profile (MK-4) and open rod
(IK-4), benefit from contactless technology
for long life and low maintenance and can
offer from 50mm to 4 metres stroke length
with positioning resolution to 2μm. The
maximum working temperature has been
raised to 90°C and the current input has
been halved to 50mA. The IK4-S rod version
features a cylindrical head design that offers
straightforward integration for in-cylinder
use. For both versions, connector and flying
lead options are available. The SSI interface
versions offer convenience for control systems suit demanding applications in electric
and hydraulics servo systems. Other interfacing versions include analogue, digital, Profibus and CANopen. All versions can be used
with up to four measurement cursors on a
single sensor.
Gefran
SLI: 01914
Encoder couplings
for individual encoder applications
Controlflex encoder
couplings are designed especially for
the requirements
of shaft encoders.
It compensates all
kinds of misalignment with very low restoring forces and in
a remarkably small envelope. The coupling
is electrically insulating, builds short and
always works with constant angular velocity. The coupling manufacturer also realises
individual systems and encoder coupling
solutions optimised for specific applications.
For example for shaft encoder applications
with positive locking and fail-safe for stage
technology, with customer-specific hubs for
expanding or hollow shafts or with greater
misalignment requirements.
Schmidt-Kupplung
SLI: 01915
Power in Motion - April 2010
SLI - Reader Service: www.tim-info.com/pim
Graphite commutated DC motors
deliver from 23 to 35mNm
Product News
A further advantage is that extensive and
bulky adapter solutions do not need to be
assembled in case of special flywheels.
KTR-Kupplungstechnik
SLI: 01903
Soft starter
with integrated fan
The CXR range of graphite commutated DC
micro motors has been extended to include
26mm technology. The motors of the 2642…
CXR and 2657…CXR series deliver from 23 to
35mNm of continuous duty torque in compact dimensions. This versatile motor series
is offered for combination with a wide variety of the company’s standard servo components including high resolution 3-Channel optical or magnetic encoders, precision
planetary gearheads, and programmable
speed controllers and motion controllers.
Versatility, dynamic performance and long
operational lifetimes, coupled with an attractive cost/performance ratio make the 26mm
CXR series suitable for a wide range of challenging fields of application.
Dr. Fritz Faulhaber
SLI: 01902
Flange coupling
for hydrostatic drives
The BoWex FLE-PAC, is a
flange coupling for construction machinery with a hydrostatic drive. The carbonic material of the flange allows for
longer operating times, and
the composite design enables a low-cost connection
to the engine flywheels with
special dimensions. The material pairing has
been optimised: the polyamide of the flange
part of the new BoWex FLE-PAC is additionally reinforced with carbon improving the
abrasion behaviour. The result is an important extension of the lifetime. The coupling
flange is not designed as a full-nylon disk,
but as a composite part with a steel flange.
This combination allows for a low-cost production of flanges with special dimensions.
The xStart DS7
soft starter offers a toolless
plug connection, ensuring
easy connection
and wiring with other switching devices
such as motor-protective circuitbreakers or
motor protective relays. The 45mm device
can be used for conventional PKZ or new
PKE motor-protective circuit-breakers with
electronic wide-range overload protection,
as the PKZM0-XDM adapters enable it to
be wired in a few seconds. Users can adjust
the drive to application requirements, and
only three potentiometers are used to set
the starting/stopping ramps and the starting voltage. Nine device versions for motor
ratings from 1.1kW to 15kW/ 400V or 3A to
32A/ 480V are available, with a 24 V AC/DC
or 110/230 V control voltage input. The DS7
provides diagnostics functions that can be
evaluated remotely via a SmartWire-Darwin
interface for condition monitoring. Settings
and status values can be transferred simply
and easily to the fieldbus level regardless of
whether Profibus DP or CANopen control
commands are used.
Eaton
SLI: 01939
AC drive
for versatile motor control
The Allen-Bradley PowerFlex
753 AC drive provides machine builders and manufacturers with the versatile motor
control they need for generalpurpose applications, including fans, pumps and conveyors. The DeviceLogix control
technology helps meet requirements for stand-alone
applications by giving users control flexibility to combine inputs and/or outputs, as well
as local logic functions. Users can configure
the drive to provide advanced notification
of operating data on cooling fans, I/O relay
cycles, motor run-time hours and potential
fault warnings. The series with offers a slotbased mechanical architecture that allows
customers to tailor the drive with as few or as
many options – such as I/O, feedback, safety
and communications– as their application
requires. The drive is available in power
ranges from 0.75 to 250kW or 1 to 350Hp at
400/480V AC and 540/650V DC input.
Rockwell Automation
SLI: 01941
DC converters
suit basic and demanding applications
The Sinamics DC Master (DCM) converter for
DC applications enables the Sinamics functions and tools such as Sizer and Starter to
be used. The rated direct current of the devices ranges from 15 to 3,000A, and can be
increased by connecting the DC converters
in parallel. The device is designed as a scalable drive system, suitable for both basic
and demanding applications. For scaling
the computing performance the standard
Control Unit, the advanced Control Unit, or
a combination of the two, are available. The
devices can be supplied for two-quadrant
or four-quadrant operation. The converter
combines open-loop control, closed-loop
control and power unit in a single device
for a compact and space-saving design. Redundancy concepts ensure high availability,
enhancing the efficiency and productivity of
applications and systems.
Siemens
SLI: 01942
23
24
Power in Motion - April 2010
Product News
Product News
Innovations, Upgrades and Technologies
Vibration sensor
intrinsically safe, operates up to 250°C
The HS-105I range
of ATEX and IEC Ex
certified, intrinsically
safe vibration sensors, is capable of
operating in tough
environments where
temperatures can rise
to 250°C. The sensors
has been developed
for use in areas of very high temperatures
on gas turbines which are used to generate electrical power on off-shore oil and gas
platforms. It will enable maintenance engineers to monitor vibration levels of large
pumps, diesel engines, fans, compressors,
motors, drilling rigs and all types of rotating machinery, which are in a potentially
explosive working environment. They are
constructed in stainless steel and withstand
tough operating conditions, offering reliability, performance and long service. They are
supplied with a separate charge amplifier
module positioned within the braided cable
run allowing this to be positioned outside
the high temperature area and are available with a wide choice of cable lengths and
mounting options
Hansford Sensors
SLI: 01913
Frequency inverters
for all performance ranges
The ACOPOS series
has been expanded
with the addition of
a frequency inverter:
the ACOPOSinverter.
This product series
consists of three
models: the ACOPOSinverter S44, X64 and
P84. This covers a power range from 0.18 to
500kW and thereby satisfies all the requirements of a machine manufacturer. The areas
of implementation are virtually unlimited.
Typical applications include simple tasks
such as controlling pumps or conveyor belts,
or complex tasks where cooperation be-
tween servo motors and frequency inverters
plays an important role. Its seamless integration into existing machine topologies via the
serial, X2X or POWERLINK interface reduces
cabling and makes the otherwise tedious
software integration of 3rd party components obsolete.
Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik
SLI: 01931
Position sensors
offer intrinsically safety
easy set-up. Using the CANopen interface,
the
scaling,
preset values
and direction of
rotation can moreover be programmed. The
encoders feature module and status LEDs.
The resolution of the singleturn encoders is
13 bits per revolution. The multiturn version
moreover also counts the revolutions with
12 bits. Rotational speeds up to 6,000rpm
are reliably detected. The shaft load can be
up to 10N (axial) and up to 20N (radial). The
shaft diameter is 6mm for the version with
synchro flange and 10mm for the version
with clamp flange. The aluminium housing
has the protection rating IP67, the shaft input IP66. Connection is made via synchro
flange or clamp flange.
ifm electronic
The intrinsically safe Temposonics IS position sensors are developed for the linear
position or level measurement in hazardous
areas meeting all the requirements of equipment group category II. Along with the corresponding certified safety barriers they can
be used in hazardous areas of instrument
category 1/2G and 2D and in order to that
can even be mounted to zone 0. The sensors
offer a direct analogue current or voltage interface and a signal output inside the sensor
head. At measuring ranges of 50-2500mm
they work with an infinite resolution, a repeatability better ± 0.05mm and 1ms cycle
time. Customer specific programming of set
points is possible. Available as profile version
for external mounting to the motion axis,
and as rod model for in-cylinder installation
or together with a float as level sensor.
MTS Sensor Technologie
SLI: 01932
Encoders
with CANopen interface
These encoders enable data transmission via
CANopen interface DS301 according to the
encoder profile DSP406 class 1 and 2. Coding switches -to set the bus address, baud
rate, bus termination and zero point- enable
SLI: 01933
Gas engine oils
to maximize component reliability
The Mobil SHC
Pegasus Series
of
advanced
technology oils
is designed to
maximize natural gas engine
component
reliability with
additional energy efficiency opportunities.
Developed for optimum engine protection
it exhibits average energy savings of up to
1.5%* in independent laboratory testing and
statistically validated field tests. The energy
savings will also result in an equivalent reduction of CO₂ emissions. Controlled field
testing in demanding gas compression applications has shown that Mobil SHC Pegasus
drain intervals can exceed 12,000 hours, or
three to four times that of standard natural
gas engine oils. Extending oil drain intervals
can help reduce the amount of downtime
the engine experiences as well as reducing
the amount of waste oil generated
Exxon Mobil
SLI: 01944
Power in Motion - April 2010
SLI - Reader Service: www.tim-info.com/pim
Guide modules
with cylinders or as mechanical unit
The MA series
presents a guide
cylinder for lifting gears based
design and is
available either
with cylinders or purely as mechanical unit.
The cylinder modules are equipped with
limit switches. Suitable for simple transports
and transfer tasks, they can carry small, light
parts as well as large, heavy ones. They make
it possible to avoid the costly process of assembling from individual components. The
MAH and MAT modules are available both
in horizontal and vertical designs to cater
for different installations. The slides have
pre-drilled fastening holes for attachments.
Both modules have one homogeneous load
torque moment design and therefore can
be flexibly used in any location. The cylinder stroke of the MAH types is 100-300mm,
150-350mm and 200-400mm, depending
on the cylinder diameter, and 25-50 mm for
the MAT types.
Misumi
SLI: 01937
Worm-gear drives
with high torque.
Product News
motors for S1 operation. The compact wormgeared drives (350 × 190 × 170mm ) can be
supplied at very short notice
Ruhrgetriebe
SLI: 01945
Scalable servo drive
for the best price/performance
The IndraDrive Cs ECONOMY
scalable servo drive provides
reduced drive functions and
optional interfaces for the
lowest possible cost automation architectures. The
compact drives for openand closed-loop operation
are offered in two versions
for direct mains connection.
The drives for input voltage
100 to 230 V AC supplies are
designed to be connected
to motors with a continuous
power up to 750W and can be used in singlephase operation. The drives for input voltage
(200 to 500 V AC) cover performance applications from 400W to 3.5kW of continuous
power. The product line includes additional
motor options, such as explosive-proof motors, kit & frameless motor, and highly dynamic linear motor technologies. Certified to
the new “safe torque off” (STO) safety standards, the IndraDrive Cs ECONOMY achieves
PL e and SIL 3 ratings in line with EN 13849-1
and EN 61062 requirements, respectively.
Bosch Rexroth
SLI: 01938
15kW soft-starter
for compressors, very compact
For higher torque, the type SN 7 F two-stage
worm-gear drives with flange in a B5 configuration offers axial exit and a max. permissible torque of between 72 and 113Nm.
The high-quality worm gears are made from
a special bronze alloy, the steel worms are
hardened and polished to guarantee operating quietness. As standard, the drives are
equipped with ball bearings and food-grade
permanent lubrication (to NSF-H1 standard),
and are offered with three-phase, AC or DC
This small 15kW
soft-starter
has
been designed for
compressor
applications such as
geothermal heat
pumps. The new
RSBT type complements
existing
single-phase solutions by offering three-phase control and
enhanced inrush current handling, whilst
meeting residential Class B EMC requirements without the need for external filters.
The module comes in a compact 45mmwide format for space-conscious panel
or DIN rail mounting. Control of all three
phases ensures optimum current reduction,
along with balanced current on all phases.
This is achieved without the need to make
front-panel settings. The soft starter can perform 12 starts per hour; providing significant
headroom over the four to six starts typically carried out by heat pumps. Designed to
comply with the latest, IEC60947-4-2, international motor-starter standards, the RSBT
soft-starter is also RoHS compliant, cUL listed
and carries appropriate CE marks.
Carlo Gavazzi
SLI: 01936
Absolute/incremental encoders
with SIL3/PLe certification
Sendix SSI/BiSS absolute encoders with additional Sin/Cos output and Sendix incremental encoders in Sin/Cos version are now
available with SIL3 / PLe certification, which
means that they play a key role amongst the
components of a safe plant. The absolute
encoders obtain safe information about the
absolute position; here the controller counts
the incremental pulses and compares the
result with the absolute position, which has
also been provided by the same encoder. In
the case of the Sendix SIL incremental encoders, the controller monitors the validity of
the analogue, 90° phase-shifted sine/cosine
signals. The devices feature a rugged, reliable interface and withstand high mechanical as well as electrical loads. With their high
IP67 level of protection and their magnetic
insensitivity they offer ‘all-round safety’.
Kübler
SLI: 01940
25
_
26
Power in Motion - April 2010
Companies in the issue
A Altra Industrial Motion AMA Fachverband Für Sensorik
6
K KTR-Kupplungstechnik Upcoming Events
23
APRIL
JUNE
Hannover Messe
AchemAsia
19 – 23 April
1 – 4 June
Hannover, Germany
Beijing, China
www.hannovermesse.de
www.achemasia.de
MTEC – MEDTEC – 3C –
Automatica
Machine Building
8 – 11 June
IPOT – VTX – Practical
Munich, Germany
Vacuum
www.automatica-
13
27 – 28 April
muenchen.de
11
Birmingham, UK
BBaldor
Baumer IVO 2, 10
9
Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik 24
Bosch Rexroth
MMaxon Motor
25
7, 12
Mesago PCIM 11
MISUMI 25
MTS Sensor Technologie
24
C Carlo Gavazzi Automation 2010
9
25
NNKE NSK
www.cancom.com
DDr. Fritz Faulhaber SEPTEMBER
23
OOptibelt MAY
28
E Eaton Moeller 23
Exxon Mobil
24
R Rockwell Automation
23
25
Fritz Kübler
22
25
IntelLiDrives
Interlube Systems
OCTOBER
www.managingautomation.com/maonline/
Aandrijftechniek
summit
5 – 8 October
PCIM Europe 2010
22
Nuremberg, Germany
Het Instrument
Sensor+Test 2010
19
www.pcim.de
Industrial Week
Siemens 23
SKF 14
Sprint Electric 18
Street Crane
17
Schmidt-Kupplung
24
T Takano
24
Tsubakimoto 22
TWK-Elektronik 17
www.aandrijftechniek.nl
4 – 6 May
5 - 8 October
BIAS – Bi.Man –
Amsterdam,
Fluidtrans
The Netherlands
Power Transmission &
www.hetinstrument.nl
Motion Control
Manufacturing
Vienna-Tec
Solutions
12 – 15 October
4 – 7 May
Vienna, Austria
Milano, Italy
www.vienna-tec.at
www.fieremostre.it
13
8
Euromaintenance
NOVEMBER
12 – 14 May
16
Florida, USA
I ifm electronic
3 – 5 May
20
22
www.motek-messe.de
S Schaeffler HHansford Sensors
Stuttgart, Germany
Manufacturing
Utrecht, Nederland
G Gefran 13 – 16 September
Progressive
Summit 2010
Ruhrgetriebe F Fluke Motek
WWarner Electric Verona, Italy
Midest
www.euromaintenance.
2 – 4 November
org
Paris, France
22
www.midest.com
SENSOR+TEST 2010
The Measurement Fair
18 – 20 May
Bold: for companies advertising in this issue
Nuremburg, Germany
www.sensor-test.com
Note: Dates and descriptions
of events have been obtained from
official industrial sources.
The publisher, therefore, cannot
be held responsible for errors,
changes or cancellations.
_
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Drive solutions from the expert!
Standard solutions
Standard timing belts always require an identically
moulded pulley.
OMEGA timing belts kills two birds with one
stone because they are suitable for HTD ® + RPP ®
pulleys!
VALUE-ADDED solutions
SLI: 01864
www.optibelt.com