News | June 7, 2005

Aerotech's ACS LP Series Features Automated Material Handling

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  • Integral pneumatic ER collet chuck
  • Clear aperture for product feed-through
  • Low inertia shaft for maximum acceleration
  • Integral rotary union
  • Ultra-low profile minimizes working height

    • Pittsburgh, PA — The ACS LP series ultra-low profile rotary stage with integrated ER collet chuck provides automated material handling capability for a wide range of materials and applications. ER collets provide excellent run-out characteristics for applications requiring high-precision gripping of tubular material, and are readily available in sizes that support tube diameters from 0.5 mm to 16 mm. The collet is retained with a threaded retaining cap that enables quick changeover, and is configured in a "fail-safe" normally-closed mode where full clamping force is applied when no air pressure is present.

    Air is delivered to the collet or gripper assembly through an integral rotary union using a seal-less, frictionless design. This 100% noncontact rotary-union design ensures a lifetime of maintenance-free operation. The combination collet chuck and rotary union assembly also has significantly less friction and inertia than external assemblies created from discrete parts. This reduced inertia improves system performance by allowing higher peak acceleration and reducing position error during laser machining operations.

    Optimized Design
    The design of the ACS LP was optimized to minimize stage height. The low profile of the stage reduces the effective working height of the system, thereby minimizing "stack-up" related errors. In addition, the ACS LP series utilizes direct-drive brushless motor technology to maximize positioning performance. Direct-drive technology is optimized for 24/7 production environments because there are no brushes to replace and no gear trains or belts to maintain. Direct drive also provides quicker acceleration and higher top speeds than gear or belt-driven mechanisms, which yields higher total overall throughput.

    The result is an ultra-low profile, high throughput, low maintenance stage that, when coupled with the integral material handling capability, provides the lowest cost of ownership compared to competing solutions.

    For more information, visit www.aerotech.com.

    Source: Aerotech, Inc.