Rotary drive offers ‘exceptional’ precision, stiffness and loadability

Automation specialist Festo has introduced a new semi rotary drive with twin pistons, which it says offers exceptional precision, stiffness and loadability.

Using an innovative bearing system, the DRRD actuator can handle higher loads with a great deal of accuracy, enabling engineers and OEMs to improve the performance of their equipment. In addition, integrated external shock absorbers increase the maximum mass moment of inertia by up to four times compared with previous technologies. As a result, Festo says engineers can move higher loads with greater dynamics or specify a smaller drive to move the same load, therefore saving space and cost in their machine. The new DRRD actuator combines the bearing and flange into one functional element and as such features a larger bearing size, giving increased stiffness of the whole product. The rotary drive provides torque up to 110Nm and rotation up to 200°. In addition, it has a mid-position so it can be stopped at any angle between 0 and 90°, thus increasing flexibility for machine builders.