Properly engineered and installed pneumatic cylinders can keep your machine running efficiently and with ease. This is why staying up to date on the most current news and information on pneumatic cylinder technology is important. Pneumatic Tips is a great source of information about pneumatic cylinders.

Piston Air Motor Ideal for the Food Environment

 

The Huco Dynatork air motor is quite ingenious.  It is based on a unique free-floating piston design that is capable of precise position control.   Maximum torque is transmitted on start-up and this can be adjusted to fine limits by standard air-flow valves.  Unlike other makes that operate with a system of metal pistons and connecting rods, the Huco Dynatork motor is perfect for stop/start load speed applications under load.

Unlike its vane counterpart the Huco Dynatork air motor is also easier to seal.  It is therefore far more cost efficient as most of the energy stored up in the compressed air is converted into motion.  In fact it consumes up to 80% less air than a vane motor providing significant cost saving even at maximum torque.

This is an exceptionally clean motor available with non-lube air supply and in a corrosion resistant or acetyl housing.  It’s little wonder then that this economical and efficient product has attracted designers of food preparation and packaging systems.  However, it has to be said that until now its commercial potential has been somewhat impeded. 

When Huco acquired Dynatork, the company inherited a product that was highly effective but remained a first generation design.  It had some design issues that hindered its take-up in the hygiene conscious sectors. The recently launched generation two of the design corrects these.  The new Huco Dynatork air motor not only looks the technical product that it has always been but it is now ideal for a wider range of applications.

 On the original design pneumatic tubing was external to the housing.  This made it vulnerable, sensitive to temperature extremes and difficult to clean.  The pneumatic porting on the latest models is now an internal feature making them far more robust.  Fasteners are also recessed to reduce potential bug traps.

 Aluminium foil tray manufacturer Coppice Alupack has systematically replaced all its electric drives on rewind systems that handle the surplus foil after the aluminium coil has been stamped.  Inclusion of Huco Dynatork air motors has not only simplified the design but also made it more controllable and safer.  Their clean, non-lube running has also ensured hygienic production. The Huco Dynatork motors run from 0 – 220 rpm for 24 hours a day in a cycle that goes from stall to start in the order of sixty times per minute.

 

“The piston air motor has allowed us to adjust most of the tension out of the system to eliminate lacing breakage,” explained Engineering Manager, James Lamin.  “It has also made the process inherently safer by reducing torque and negating the need for any electrical cables.”  A further benefit is that maintenance of the motors can now be carried out by a shop-floor technician instead of a skilled electrician, saving cost and minimising downtime.

The suitability of the Huco Dynatork motor for stop/start applications under load has also been proven by Greydon Inc., the manufacturer of printing equipment for form, fill and seal packaging machinery. Its Bagaire taped bag loader ensure bags are presented quickly and in exactly the same position to the operator, time after time.  This accuracy makes the system ideal for the inclusion of inkjet coding.

The operating principle is simple but effective.  A leader tape is wound around two drive pulleys. When powered up, the system advances the bags by winding up the tape and pulling them up from underneath the load table.  The Huco Dynatork air motor is responsible for this operation and again provides a clean solution that is also suitable for wash down.

Parker Acquires German Composites Technology Company

Cleveland, OH - Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH) announced that it has acquired Lingk & Sturzebecher of Stuhr, Germany. The acquired company, better known regionally as L&S, is a manufacturer of light weight carbon fiber high pressure cylinders and actuators including those based on composite technologies, for aerospace, mobile and industrial markets. This composite material technology will enable Parker to develop hydraulic components with significantly reduced energy burden for the power systems of machines equipped with hydraulics.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to earnings in its first full year of operations. Sales will be reported in Parker’s Industrial International reporting segment. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, L&S achieved 7.6 million euros (approximately $11.2 million) in sales.

L&S will become part of the global operations of Parker’s hydraulic technology business. It will complement a broad line of hydraulic components and systems including pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, hydraulic drives, electronic controls, energy recovery systems, vehicle cooling and engine management systems.

www.parker.com

Safety Locks Lift Italian Opera House Stage

With theater performances, the illusion of a reality on a stage must be preserved seamlessly and without visual distraction. Safety of the performers, however, must never be an illusion. 

The stage lifts at the opera house in Genoa, Italy are equipped with safety locks to prevent movement in the event of power loss. The motion of these lifts, each capable of bearing loads to 100,000 lb, is maintained by hydraulic cylinders equipped with SITEMA safety locks Type KRG. In normal power-on conditions, pressure on the lock’s annular piston ensures free movement of the cylinder rod by holding the clamping sleeve released against the force of an integral Belleville spring assembly.

Safety locks were installed with these cylinders at a Italian opera house.

In a released position, that is, upon loss of power to the cylinder, the annular piston keeps the clamping sleeve pushed against the Belleville springs.  The spring washers press the clamping sleeve into the taper of the housing, whereby an initial frictional force develops between the rod and the clamping sleeve.  When load is applied, the force increases, so the higher the load, the stronger the clamping.  In normal applications, the safety locks function best for loads from 2 kN to 500 kN (220 to 110,000 lb).   

When the load acts on the rod, the rod movement is very slight.  Even in the largest sizes, the movement does not exceed 2 mm (0.079 in.) for the permissible load.  Against forces in the load direction, the higher the force the stronger the grip.  When power is restored, the upward movement of the rod releases the clamping and a proximity sensor/switch detects the change and permits unimpeded downward motion.  

Safety locks ensure that stages stay in place, even through a power loss.

The rod end used for these safety locks must be fitted with a lead-in chamfer and the rod surface should be hardened to at least HRC 52, burnished and within ISO tolerances f7 or h6, with a surface finish Rz=1 to 4mm or Ra 0.15-0.25mm.  Hard chrome plating is recommended.  

SITEMA 
www.sitema.com

Heavy-Duty Cylinders

Machesney Park, IL – TRD Manufacturing, a Bimba Company, announces the introduction of their new HH Series Cylinders, which feature an innovative design to deliver more reliability in heavy-duty industrial hydraulic operations.

All HH Series models come in bore sizes 1.50”, 2”, 2.50”, 3.25”, 4”, 5”, 6” and 8”. Requests are made-to-order, with standard and custom options available. Cylinders usually ship in two to three days and most requests are answered the day they are received.

As part of the HH series, TRD offers a complete line of hydraulic Rod Locks. Cutting-edge floating rod bushing technology ensures that these rod locks achieve their high rated holding force and stay correctly aligned. This reduces cylinder drag, wear and erratic operation, thereby ultimately improving performance, consistency and results.

Each rod lock model is available in three different holding forces, depending on the release pressure. And, with the ability to handle up to 3,000 PSI, these precision-machined cylinders can be used on most heavy-duty applications.

Other standard features include a heavy-duty rod wiper, seals, wear band, chrome plated I.D tube and more. Rod locks, stop tubes, center supports, stainless steel piston rods and high impact pistons are also available as performance options. Accessories include clevis, pins, mounts and alignment couplers up to a 5” thread size.

TRD Manufacturing
www.trdmfg.com
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Bimba
www.bimba.com