TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
WWW.MADEIN.IE « JUNE 2020 « 13
Rental stimulation
Schaeffler gives cobots greater range
»
Owners and users can significantly extend the working
range of their robots and cobots (collaborative
robots) by installing Schaeffler
driven linear units as
horizontal axes.
Schaeffler
offers its customers
linear actuators
as customised
turnkey solutions. The compact, ready-to-install linear
axis solution developed by Schaeffler consists of a
MDKUVE tandem actuator, a corresponding adapter
plate for the cobot, an appropriate motor/gearbox unit,
prefabricated motor cables, a drag chain for all of the
cobot’s supply lines/cables, and a motor controller. The
solution comes complete with Profibus, Profinet, and
EtherCAT interfaces for connection to the customer’s
control system. The linear axis solutions have various
options for connecting to the motor/gearbox units.
Customers also have the option of using their drive
technology instead of the Schaeffler drive solution if
they
so wish.
Depending
on customer
requirements, the linear
axis can be supplied in various
lengths and can be driven by a
MDKUVE-KGT ball screw drive, a MDKUVE-
3ZR toothed belt drive, or a linear motor.
In the tandem actuator, which
forms the basis of the linear axis,
the guide carriage runs along two
parallel KUVE-type monorail guidance
systems (four-row linear recirculating ball bearing
and guideway assemblies). Due to its compact design
envelope, the tandem actuator is ideally suited
for use in applications involving high carrying and
moment loads – such as collaborative robots. Tandem
actuators offer maximum reliability in these
applications when used in conjunction with
triple toothed belt drives.
For applications that require
extremely high carrying and moment-load
capacities, customers have the
option of running the guide
carriage on a KUSEXL
six-row linear
recirculating ball
bearing and guideway
assembly in premium
X-life quality.
»
The Covid-19 outbreak has led to a significant
resurgence in interest in Mills CNC’s ‘SMART
Options’ machine tool rental initiative amongst UK
and Irish manufacturers.
Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of
Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has
refreshed and relaunched its popular ‘SMART
Options’ machine tool rental scheme in light of the
coronavirus outbreak and a renewed demand for
the scheme amongst UK and Irish manufacturers.
The rental scheme, available on all new
Doosan machines supplied from stock by Mills,
is administered and managed by Mills CNC
Finance, the company’s independently operated
machine tool finance arm - and has, over recent
years, helped a significant number of component
manufacturers acquire a new Doosan machine
tool.
The spread of the pandemic, and the
uncertainty it has created (and continues to
create), has sparked new interest in the scheme.
Says Kevin Gilbert, Mills CNC’s Managing
Director: “Our SMART Options rental scheme has
always been available to manufacturers - but
interest and demand over the last few weeks,
understandably, has increased exponentially.
“Despite the continuing lockdown and
government instructions on social distancing,
many component manufacturers are operational.
“Some of these companies are actively
involved in manufacturing ventilators, ventilator
components or other emergency medical
equipment in response to the coronavirus and
need immediate and additional short-term
machining capacity and capabilities to help fulfil
these orders.”
Other component manufacturers, with one eye
on the future and the inevitable relaxation of the
lockdown, are preparing, admittedly with cautious
optimism, for the future.
/WWW.MADEIN.IE