BECKHOFF has announced the system properties of its XPlanar motor have been ‘enhanced’ by new software-based 360-degree mover rotation functionality.
The XPlanar motor system enables the contactless, parallel and individual transport of products. Beckhoff explained the XPlanar movers can ‘fly freely’ in two dimensions over the XPlanar tiles and execute lifting movements with a stroke of up to 5mm.
The firm added that the 360-degree mover rotation extends the ‘familiar and highly flexible’ XPlanar movement range by a full degree of freedom. The XPlanar movers can rotate around their own axis while levitating at selected positions on the system.
The rotation can be executed with a frequency of up to 10Hz, with Beckhoff claiming it can make a variety of ‘groundbreaking’ applications possible, including the mixing of liquids or the 360-degree inspection of objects. The movers can also leave the rotation positions with an orientation changed in 90-degree steps, so that the transported workpieces are correctly aligned in accordance with the remaining processing steps.
Beckhoff explained the 360-degree mover rotation is made possible by the ‘deep integration’ of the XPlanar system into the PC-based control technology. A software update is all that is required to implement the new rotation function in existing systems.
