So says Keith Campbell in a May On The Edge blog. Campbell notes that he was intrigued at how linear motors appeared on equipment shown at the interpack booths of a number of packaging machinery builders. In one application, linear motors made it possible for a vertical form/fill/seal bagger to process hard-to-handle films at higher speeds. In another application, three linear motors on a picking robot provided the robot arm with acceleration of up to 100 meters per second squared, maximum speeds of between 5 and 7.2 meters per second, and maximum torque up to 1036 Newton meters operating in a working envelope of 1.8 meters diameter. Notes Campbell, "The need for this capability in packaging is unclear, but the robot attracted a great deal of attention and demonstrated the performance and stiffness of linear motor applications."
The blog concludes with a piece of advice: "Every company involved with
packaging operations or machinery should have a technology plan that looks at
least five years into the future. With linear motors expected to gain wide
acceptance in six, it is now time to begin asking how linear motors can be
applied in your business. Write linear into your technology plan now. If your
company doesn't have a written technology plan, maybe this is an opportunity to
create one."
Link directly to the On The Edge blog
