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LINEAR MOTION
Electric axes
show a
clean pair
of heels
LPW makes wide use of
electric actuators in its hightech
cleaning machines
A German machine-builder is using electric linear axes to transport and feed parts into
cleaning and drying chambers, ensuring high positional accuracy, reliability and speed
under often harsh operating conditions.
The German company LPW
Reinigungssysteme specialises in
designing and manufacturing
advanced aqueous cleaning systems. It
produces a variety of spray degreasing and
cleaning systems, using technologies such as
high-pressure and ultrasound cleaning,
coupled with advanced drying processes
using filtered air. These systems are used in
the automotive, mechanical engineering and
aerospace sectors.
An essential element of these systems is a
reliable, easy-to-use method for transporting,
transferring, separating and feeding the
products and components – which can range
from small parts to bulky objects such as
gearbox or engine assemblies, often
weighing as much as 400kg.
To integrate its cleaning systems with upand
down-stream production equipment
and to deliver optimum performance and
productivity, LPW has developed customised
transport mechanisms, typically based on
pneumatic and electromechanical
technologies, with advanced inductive
sensing and control systems.
For example, its modular PowerJet series
provides high-pressure flooding at up to
18bar and incorporates up to five cleaning
stages. Components to be cleaned are
transported in special cages that are moved
manually or automatically on heavy-duty
accumulating roller conveyors that
compensate for fluctuations in feed flow and
cycle rates. Pneumatic piston rod cylinders
mounted between the conveyor rollers
separate the cages and queue others until a
cleaning station is free. Once separated, each
cage is lifted from the main conveyor and
fed to the entrance of the cleaning chamber.
At this stage, LPW uses high-performance
electric linear drives with integrated heavyduty
guides and stroke lengths of 2m to
feed heavy or large components (such as
engine blocks and gearbox housings) safely,
gently and accurately into each cleaning
chamber. For this application, it has chosen
Parker Origa’s OSP-E BHD drives which can
withstand high loads and moments, even
when positioning products accurately and at
different speeds.
The linear drives also allow the rate and
speed of the feed process to be adjusted to
match the weight, size and cleaning
requirements of each batch of components.
In addition, the compact devices can be
driven indirectly, allowing their motors to be
isolated beneath the roller conveyor.
Once the cleaning and rinsing processes
are complete, the chamber door opens and
the linear drive moves back into the chamber
to raise the component cage before drawing
it out on smooth-running rollers. When the
component has been lowered back onto the
main roller conveyor, it continues on to
further cleaning chambers (if required),
before being moved to the drying chamber.
Similar linear drives are used at each stage.
The system allows cleaning and drying
stages to be carried out concurrently, to
maximise throughput in high-volume
applications.
®
Reliance
Precision Mechatronics LLP
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24 November/December 2010 www.drives.co.uk