Festo debuts new heavy duty linear axis

Made from aluminium, the module has high rigidity and strength to support heavy loads of up to 1300kg and up to 1450Nm torque. According to Festo, it is suitable for use when heavy loads have to be moved accurately, for example on palletising, transfer lines and pick and place applications. The ECG-HD linear drive features two guide rails and is available with a toothed belt or a ball screw drive in widths of 125, 160 or 220mm, giving stroke lengths of up to 5000mm for the toothed belt version and 2400mm for the ball screw option. Users need only use one EGC-HD axis and there is no need for an additional coupling shaft. The new module has been designed with high feed forces and speeds in mind. The belt drive version can move at velocities of up to 5m/s and has an accuracy of 100µm, while the ball screw version can move at velocities of up to 1.5m/s with an accuracy of 20µm. The ball screw version is available in a choice of pitches from 10 to 25mm and features an innovative ball screw support system, meaning that the drive can operate reliably at full rotational speed, regardless of the stroke length. The axis has a flexible motor mounting and is easy to install as machine builders don't need to specify the position of the motor at the ordering stage. The motor can be freely mounted on any of the four corners and can be changed at any time. According to Festo, the linear axis can be simply mounted from the back or sides with slot nuts and it has the option for over travel inductive sensors which are flush mounted. Users simply need to bolt the axis on to the machine and it is ready to run.