SMC Reveals New Regulator and Actuators for Automation Systems

SMC, a long-time leader in automation products, has announced the expansion of the product catalog with several new products, including a manifold regulator, belt drive, and slide system for motion control.

 

IITV23 Series Manifold Regulator

The first new product is a manifold regulator for managing the pressure of a compressed air line. Designed to work with multiple components, a series of these can act like a manifold regulator, where multiple pneumatic lines can be controlled from a single supply line. This is particularly useful for robotic systems where motion in multiple dimensions and gripping are required and must function simultaneously.

 

IITV23 Series Manifold Regulator displays the pressure for easy monitoring. Image used courtesy of SMC

 

These regulators work on the PROFINET protocol and plug directly into a controller module, saving wiring and plumbing time and space. The IITV23 occupies 10% less volume and up to 20% less installation space, as the plumbing is simplified.

 

LET-X11 Large Belt Drive Electric Actuator

The next new product is the LET-X11 large slider with a simplified belt drive. This linear actuator uses an AC servo motor (motor and encoder combination device) to drive a belt up to 4000 mm/s (Size 100) or 2160 mm/s (Size 80). Objects as heavy as 240 kg (Size 100) or 75 kg (Size 80) can be moved using this system.

When mounted vertically, the slider has a stroke of 3000 mm, meaning it may see use in storage and warehouse applications where heavy objects need to be placed on shelves.

 

LET-X11 Large Slider has a low profile and low center of gravity. Image used courtesy of SMC

 

The thoughtful design makes changing the belt easy, as compared to existing models on the market. Because this is a common maintenance task for any belt-driven system, the LET-X11 enjoys more time in useful motion and less time in repair.

 

MXH2 Compact Pneumatic Slide

SMC also released compact slides for moving items linearly. With a maximum stroke of 150 mm, these slides are rigid, so there is very little flexing under load. Operated by a pneumatic piston, the MXH2 series slides offer rapid motion (up to 500 mm/s). They are available in numerous sizes, including four bore sizes and multiple stroke lengths, and custom stroke lengths can be ordered as well.

 

The MXH2 Compact Slide comes in four bore sizes, all of which are capable of being mounted vertically or horizontally. Image used courtesy of SMC

 

The rigidity also means components can be moved in a parallel fashion, improving alignment for assembly and packaging operations. In fact, the MXH2 series reduces pitch by up to 48%, yaw by up to 63%, and roll by up to 90% as compared to similarly-sized sliders (pitch, yaw, and roll are the names for the revolution around the three linear axes of 3D motion).

 

Motion in linear Systems

Whenever there are new motion and motion control products on the market, it can be challenging to determine how the new product is better than existing products in use at the plant or other products on the market. In these cases, each one of the three lines of products has some distinct advantages that must be weighed against the design requirements to ensure long-lasting, efficient solutions.