With Quick Steps from A to B
Whether watch making or medical industry, microsystem or precision mechanic technology – small and light components have to moved often automatically – and that quickly and precisely. IEF-Werner GmbH developed the miniSPIN series, a compact and highly dynamic unit. Users are able to reach a total cycle time of less than 240 milliseconds for components with up to 20 grams. Depending on the application, it may be used as single solution or combined with linear units.
Furtwangen, 06.06.2018 – The compact handling unit miniSPIN is based on a cantilever arm, which is attached to the drive shaft of the motor-gear-combination. At its end, a quill is screwed on a pivoted interface. The basic version forcibly actuates the quill with a toothed belt drive. Therefore, it is always directed in the same orientation during the turning move of the cantilever. The end effector is operated by a pneumatically driven rotary distributor with vacuum and pressure air. This way, the user may attach a suction as well as a pneumatic parallel gripper to the quill. IEF-Werner gladly designs vacuum grippers customer specifically. The cables are hereby integrated in the cantilever. The gripper can be equipped with special vacuum switches or quick acting valves to pick up the parts securely without any delay. The miniSPIN can be attached upside down or inversely because of its modular rotary distributor.
The version miniSPINplus is equipped with a second servomotor, which additionally drives the quill. Thereby it can be positioned freely and independently – while the cantilever is moving. With this additional degree of freedom, the unit is able to pick up a part from a pallet and turn the part during the movement in the appropriate position for a camera inspection. A planetary gear free of clearance ensures a high positioning stiffness. For the technical design, the IEF-Werner developers attached great importance to the control ration between external mass and motor moment of inertia. Therefore overshooting of the cantilever in the delivery position is avoided.
To reach the necessary system dynamic, servomotors with absolute encoders are used in the whole series. Additional sensors to track the reference point are not needed. To avoid descending of the cantilever in a currentless state, the motors are equipped with holding brakes. Only one cable with a fast coupling system is needed to supply them with all data. The servomotors are very energy efficient: in continuous operation, a maximum of 60-watt drive power is needed.
Operators may use the handling unit separately as well as combined with linear units. In combination with directly driven linear axes – for example the euroLINE series of IEF-Werner – highly dynamical handlings systems with a great range can be realised. IEF-Werner offers three lever lengths of 52.5, 87 and 151.5 millimetres for the miniSPIN series.