KUKA Robotics will feature two advanced medical innovations designed to reduce work-related injury for healthcare workers and cut time-to-market for medical device OEMs at HLTH 2024, Oct. 20 – 23, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visitors to booth 3928 in the Venetian Expo Center will see how KUKA’s LBR iisy cobot solution helps reduce the incidence of arm and shoulder injury to ultrasound technicians and sonographers. A second solution demonstration will feature a KUKA Robot Development Kit using a LBR MED 14 R820 cobot that can slash solution development time by months. 

New High Precision Dual-axis ZVR-60-60 Series of Lift and Pitch Stages have been released by Optimal Engineering Systems, Inc. (OES). These compact stages feature 60 mm +/- 2 mm (2.362 in. +/- 0.078 in.) of vertical travel and a vertically mounted rotary stage. The scissor lift design combined with precision roller bearings and slide rails assures smooth motion and very high parallelism throughout the raising and lowering of the table. The Rotary Stage is capable of continuous 360 degrees CW or CCW rotation. 

Our next legacy entry is maxon, a global leading provider of electric drive systems. The company provides single-source DC and BLDC motors, gearheads, sensors, control electronics, mechatronic drive systems and more-from individual prototypes to large-scale production. The history of maxon begins with Interelectric AG in Frankfurt.

Ventilators provide critical airflow to patients whose natural breathing is insufficient to sustain life. They are also utilized as a preventative measure to counteract the imminent failure of other bodily functions or ineffective gas exchange in the lungs. The widespread use of mechanical ventilation has significantly enhanced the survival rates of patients undergoing surgeries, experiencing lung issues due to accidents, or suffering from acute and chronic pulmonary ailments. A critical aspect of the effective functioning of ventilators is the micro motion system, which powers the ventilation system. This article will focus on the use and benefits of brushless DC micro motors in ventilators.

The R-09-150 CWN Series of Clockwise, Reverse Shaft Extension Rotary Solenoids from Magnetic Sensor Systems (MSS), available in OEM quantities, features 18 different winding configurations allowing the user to match torque and duty cycle requirements to an application. These compact 38.1 mm (1.50 in.) diameter solenoids are just 22.1 mm (0.87 in.) long and have two M4X0.7 threaded studs (8-32 studs optional) 7.4 mm (0.29 in.) long on a 22.2 mm (0.875 in.) bolt circle.  The reverse shaft has 40 degrees of clockwise rotation, extending 13.0 mm (0.51 in.).  Shaft end is serrated for better grip of the attached load.

The miniature GVCM-019-032-02 Linear Voice Coil Servo Motor has been released by Moticont. It is only three-quarters of an inch (19.0 mm) in diameter and features a 0.875 in. (22.2 mm) stroke.  Also called an electric cylinder, this miniature linear servomotor, features a continuous high-force-to-size ratio of 7.4 ounces (2.1 N) and 23.3 ounces (6.5 N) of peak force at a 10 percent duty cycle.

Precise positioning of semi-conductor wafers during SCARA assembly operations requires instantaneous braking and holding power while minimizing heat in the system. The latest compact and slender Miki Pulley BXR-LE brake models provide the needed perfectly controlled braking in a confined area of the system using minimal power.

A wide range of medical devices, digital imaging or scanning applications, and laboratory automation rely on linear motion. For laboratory automation, the need for increased productivity, higher accuracy, and better reproducibility of experimental results are driving the increased use of linear motion. Sophisticated medical devices and digital imaging or scanning applications are increasingly relying on linear motion control systems which have become crucial for the successful development, progress, and deployment of these vital medical tools. Here are some examples from PBC Linear:

Artists Bruce Rosenbaum and Ben Cowden earned film credits recently for prop design on the PBS documentary The Lie Detector: A Truly Unbelievable Story. This ambitious historical account of real-life inventors, marketers, law enforcement professionals, and snake oil salesmen traces the interconnected lives of John Larson, William Marston and Leonarde Keeler. 

When motion system designers need complex, high-speed, multiaxis motion, they might first think of elaborate, prepackaged robot arms. Or, if they need only a few axes, they might configure a separate profile or round rail for each axis. But hiding between those options is simple and proven ball spline technology. This multiaxis motion solution has existed for years and is still highly relevant to today’s complex motion schemes. Ball splines use a unique architecture integrating rotary and linear motion on a single shaft. This gives them more flexibility to implement complex motion schemes in tighter spaces, providing a two-for-one deal in motion control.