Ultra-compact modules enable reliable positioning.

Volume shipments of the recently announced mosaic-G5 modules have been initiated by Septentrio. Measuring only 23 mm by 16 mm and weighing as little as 2.2 grams mosaic-G5 enables reliable positioning without performance compromises for commercial UAVs, robots, GIS devices and many other size and power-constrained industrial applications. Advanced GNSS technology from Septentrio provides enhanced positioning availability even in challenging environments where GNSS signals are degraded or obstructed.

“We have had a lot of interest in the mosaic-G5 module series since its announcement earlier this year. After successful beta testing with various customers, I am pleased to say that we have now started shipping volume orders,” commented François Freulon, Director of Product Management at Septentrio.

The broad choice of receiver modules within the extended mosaic family empowers users to choose the right balance of performance and cost that best suits their needs. The quad-band mosaic-G5 P3 and the triple band heading module mosaic-G5 P3H bring positioning availability in challenging environments and are tailored for applications such as mapping or light show drones. The new modules complement the mosaic product line, where the renowned mosaic-X5 receiver remains as the benchmark for world-leading GNSS open signal anti-jamming and anti-spoofing resilience in a small form factor.

For easy testing and prototyping, the mosaic-go G5 evaluation kit can now be purchased via the Septentrio webshop. It offers direct autopilot connections, while the free RxTools user interface assists with the setup and evaluation process.

The mosaic-go G5 evaluation kit enables easy testing and prototyping of the mosaic-G5 P3 and P3H modules.

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@Septentrio @HexagonAB #Communications #Position

Precise & correct positioning assured.

BST, headquartered in Bielefeld (D), is a medium-sized manufacturer of systems for web-processing industries. The company employs over 300 people and operates at 11 locations worldwide as part of elexis AG. They use Metallux Sensors in their Web Guiding Systems

Web guiding systems are required wherever flat material webs are produced, processed, or refined. A typical application is the printing industry for paper, packaging, and labels. However, they are also indispensable in the production of battery cells, printed electronics, tires, hygiene products, as well as in conveyor and transport systems.

When a paper web runs through a printing machine, it is guided through numerous rollers. To achieve a perfect final result, the position of the web in the printing machine must be precisely defined and maintained at all times. A web guiding system ensures the exact alignment of the web and keeps the material on track, even at the highest web speeds, so that it is always correctly positioned.

Nicol Otterbach, Vice President of Global Marketing at BST, emphasises that web guiding is an essential component of the continuous printing process. BST places great value on comprehensive customer consultation and high reliability, combined with simple and intuitive operation of the respective solution. BST also enables comprehensive process optimisations through the use of inspection and quality assurance systems. Excellent service worldwide completes the package.

An essential component of these web guiding systems is the MMP linear sensor from Metallux. The sensor is integrated into the actuator of the web guiding system. Its task is to continuously detect the absolute actual position of the drive, thereby enabling highly precise web control.

The absolute, wear-free sensor is hermetically sealed and, with a height of less than 2 mm, particularly thin. It works contactless via a magnet guided at a distance from the sensor. The MMP operates in the low voltage range, typically powered by 5 VDC. Its output signal can be processed by all common control systems.

The MMP not only offers high resolution, precision, and measurement accuracy but is also robust, wear-free, and has an exceptionally long service life of up to 50 million cycles. These advantages make it the ideal sensor for high-performance, fast machines, ensuring precise and reliable control.

However, BST does not use a standard version but a customised solution. The sensor is not mounted on a film with adhesive lamination as usual but is directly integrated into the actuator’s design. This special form of construction enables easy installation. The dimensions and cable are also customized. Instead of polyester, the resistor carrier is made of FR4. These customer-specific adaptations meet BST’s high requirements.

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@pressebox #Metallux #BST #elexis #manufacturing

Stepper motor linear actuators with encoding for positional feedback.

The availability of a rotating-nut stepper motor linear actuator (SMLA) with a rotary encoder as a standard option has been announced by Thomson Industries. Machine designers with applications requiring positional feedback can now specify the full line of SMLAs integrated with this enhancement.

“We are pleased to announce that Thomson customers who want to get precise positional measurement from a rotating-nut SMLA can now specify it as a standard addon. This addition rounds out the full line as we also offer encoder integration as a standard option for our rotating screw and linear actuator configurations,” said Ojesh Singh, Product Manager Lead Screws, Thomson Industries.

Thomson SMLAs use a stepper motor and lead screw shaft to translate rotary motion to linear motion for all three configurations: linear actuator, rotating screw and rotating nut. Previously, designers requiring positional monitoring on either the actuator or rotating screw configurations had to request a custom encoder assembly. A custom option for adding an encoder to the rotating-nut configuration did not even exist.

Growing interest in position data.
As machine designers are developing more complex applications requiring monitoring for speed, distance and position, the integration of encoders has been the most requested SMLA customisation for Thomson. This strong demand led the company to offer encoders as a standard option for all three SMLA configurations.

“Standardising encoder availability is a great leap forward in what machine designers can do with an SMLA platform. They have more flexibility in designing applications that require advanced data gathering and analysis and, given the SMLAs’ immediate availability, can get the units into production faster,” said Singh.

SMLAs with pre-installed rotary encoders are available now in all NEMA motor frame sizes and leadscrew threadforms listed in the company's product catalogue.

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@Thomson_Ind @bcm_pr #Pauto

Absolutely Safe X-Axis Position.

Determining a safe absolute position usually requires using highly complex technology. Pepperl+Fuchs offers much simpler solutions for this process, which are based on a combination of the new PUS evaluation unit with the safePXV or WCS sensors. Safety functions (SF) complying with SIL 3 and PL e can therefore be achieved with minimal integration effort.

The safePXV noncontact absolute positioning system only requires one camera-supported sensor since it provides intrinsic redundancy through multicolored Data Matrix codes. For linear-guided applications such as monorail conveyors and automated storage and retrieval systems, it offers positioning with millimeter precision over tracks up to 10 kilometers in length.

The rugged WCS position encoding system for absolute positioning in outdoor areas uses a stainless steel code rail with recesses. In the safe version, two U-shaped read heads monitor this rail and ensure reliable detection along track distances of up to 314.5 meters, even in adverse conditions such as those found when operating port cranes.

The redundant signals from the sensors are processed and evaluated by the PUS-F161-B safe evaluation unit via two channels. The device acts as a gateway to the fieldbus. It generates a safe position value (SafePos SF), which it can also use to determine a safely monitored speed (SafeSpeed SF). Applications that integrate the sensors and the evaluation unit are certified according to IEC 61508 for SIL 3 and according to EN 13849 for PL e. They enable quick and easy commissioning through pre-certification and pre-configuration.

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@PepperlFuchsUSA @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Safety

Positioning for a beautiful friendship.

When BTG needed their IRM400 range of positioning measurement systems to send real-time data over different industrial networks, they found Anybus from HMS Networks. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The drive to increase the efficiency of international shipping relies on high-performance cranes to transfer containerized cargo quickly and safely from ship to shore. BTG specializes in developing, producing, and installing positioning measurement systems for automated container ports. Much of the company's work is based on providing sensors to enable cranes to move cargo from ships to automated guided vehicles (AGVs). But the networking is complex and demanding. The cranes and AGVs often use different industrial networks, yet they need to transfer real-time data in harsh environments. That’s where Anybus steps in. Anybus takes care of the networking allowing BTG to focus on the position measurement systems, and together they help to increase the efficiency in automated container ports.

BTG is a Dutch company specializing in position measurement systems used in all types of cranes and vehicles in automated container terminals. BTG has over 25 years of experience and has products in all the main automated container ports around the world. One of BTG’s key products is the IRM400 range of measurement systems. It is designed to control sway, skew, and inclination and thereby provide accurate position control of the crane’s spreaders and their precious cargo.

Designed as a series of modular elements, the IRM can be configured for many different types and sizes of cranes. The system consists of an infrared transmitter and a high-resolution receiver unit. The transmitter is mounted on the spreader of the crane, and the receiver is mounted perpendicular above the transmitter. The system constantly measures the sway angle of the load in flight in all directions. It also measures the spreader skew angle and optionally the trim and list angle.

To achieve this level of dynamic control of multi-ton loads traveling in three dimensions at high speed, data must be collected from several sources in real-time and processed instantly so that the exact position and velocity are always known and can be adjusted.

“We have a lot of experience and knowledge with position measurement systems in tough industrial environments, but we are not experts in industrial networks,” explains Daan Potters, chief operating officer at BTG. “That’s why we turned to Anybus.”

Networking Requirements.
BTG required a networking technology that could be embedded into the IRM sensor, allowing the sensor to communicate over PROFIBUS, PROFINET, and CANopen networks. As BTG is a global company and different networks are dominant in different parts of the world, BTG also needed the possibility to easily cover more networks in the future. The networking solution also needed to be compatible with legacy equipment, tough enough to handle marine environments, and fast enough to process real-time data communication.

The Anybus CompactCom!
Anybus from HMS Networks is a product brand specializing in connecting industrial devices to any major industrial network. There’s a CompactCom product for the integration of any major Fieldbus or industrial Ethernet network, including PROFIBUS, PROFINET, and CANopen networks.

Embedded Design.
The CompactCom is embedded into the relevant device, in this example the sensor’s receiver. The embedded design brings several benefits. It’s simple to install and therefore reduces the time to market for new products. It’s possible to reuse legacy equipment, enabling BTG to retrofit new electronic control systems to existing cranes. The CompactCom can be embedded in an IP67-rated enclosure, ensuring that the equipment can handle the harsh conditions found in marine environments.

Real-Time Communication.
The Anybus CompactCom provides high-performance data exchange that can handle even the most demanding synchronized motion applications - up to 1448 bytes of process data in each direction.

“We chose the CompactCom B40, and we’re pleased we did”, concludes Daan Potters. “The CompactCom B40 solved all our networking needs, it’s compatible with all the required networks, and it provides real-time communication, which is essential in position measurement systems. Anybus also provided excellent support to help us to implement the CompactCom B40 as quickly as possible”.

@HMSAnybus @mepaxIntPR #KLAB #Marine

Compact positioning system.

The AMS 100i from Leuze is one of the smallest laser positioning systems available on the market. This makes it the perfect solution for tight installation spaces.

Whether on the stacker crane, automated guided vehicle, or lifting system: In automated intralogistics, the sensors used for positioning applications must be able to operate on a small footprint in many cases. The new AMS 100i from Leuze masters this challenge without sacrificing performance. With its small dimensions of 105 x 68 X 75 mm, it is one of the most compact laser positioning systems on the market. This makes it the perfect solution for use in tight spaces.

The sensor works with very high accuracy: With the AMS 100i, users are able to position with millimeter accuracy for up to 120 meters.

Positioning right up to the sensor:  The Sensor People have developed the AMS 100i with a minimum blind zone of only 100 mm. This enables positioning applications right up to the sensor. The available space is used efficiently. Useful : Modular assembly options and easy alignment facilitate a flexible and quick installation.

Reliable in heat and icy cold:  The modular laser positioning system is also available in the AMS 300i version. This device model offers an operating range of up to 300 meters. Both variants meet the high requirements of degree of protection IP65. Optionally, the AMS 100i and the AMS 300i are also available with integrated device and window heating. With this variant, the sensors can be used for low-temperature applications down to -30°C (without heating down to -5°C). In hot ambient conditions, the AMS 100i is designed for temperatures of up to +60°C.

@LeuzeUK @LeuzeUSA @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Manufacturing

Can you really trust your GPS position?

GPS/GNSS integrity and why it is important to users, especially to those using high-accuracy GPS on robotic devices, autonomous applications, and other automated systems is discussed here by Septentrio's Maria Simsky. 

A French vineyard in the Loire valley is a beautiful sight, but the farm has trouble recruiting workers to weed their organically grown grapes. The young generation has moved to the cities leaving urban communities short on workforce. 

Solution: a fully autonomous tractor, developed by a French-based company Sitia, working tirelessly to weed the narrow rows between the grape vines. After a full month of weeding and hundreds of kilometers covered, Sitia approached the farmer to review the work done, and reimburse 2 grape vines, which were damaged during the month of operation. They were surprised to hear the farmer exclaim, “When I use my manual tractor to get the same job done, I damage at least two vines a day! How did your robot manage to be so careful?”. A high level of accuracy and integrity ensures high quality of autonomous operation.  

 

But what exactly is integrity of positioning and how does it affect the performance and reliability of robots and other autonomous machines? Integrity is the truthfulness of positioning and positioning accuracy information, even if it means showing that the current position information is not as accurate as desired in a certain challenging environment. A part of delivering high integrity positioning is a statistical analysis called RAIM or RAIM+, where the latter takes this analysis to the next level as part of a larger positioning protection package.  

 

Why is integrity critical for automation? 

Let us take a closer look at GNSS receiver integrity in the sense of truthful reporting of possible positioning inaccuracies, and how overly optimistic reporting can result in hazardous autonomous operation. Reporting of receiver accuracy is done through positioning uncertainty, which is the maximum possible error on the calculated position. It gives a sense of risk of a positioning error especially necessary in challenging GNSS environments where the receiver “sees” only a limited number of GNSS satellites or where GNSS signals are degraded. Such error reporting is important for all autonomous machines, but especially for assured PNT applications and mission critical operations. Keep in mind that a consistent position may look accurate but could still be incorrect. The positioning uncertainty gives an indication to which extent you can rely on the positioning accuracy at any given moment.   

 

The blue line on the diagram below shows position uncertainty estimated by a GNSS receiver under favorable conditions, when the view of the sky is unobstructed, and the receiver has a direct line-of-sight to many satellites. The receiver operator can set an alarm limit (shown in red), so that the receiver can flag situations when positioning uncertainty becomes too large.  

Figure 1: Under good GNSS conditions, the position uncertainty, shown by the blue lines is well within the alarm limits, indicating safe operation. The actual position of the receiver should always remain within the blue uncertainty boundaries.  ©Septentrio

During favorable conditions the positioning uncertainty stays well below the alarm limit because the calculated position is almost the same as the actual position of the robot. However, in challenging environments the truthfulness of positioning uncertainty becomes most critical (see Figure 2). For instance, when the view of the sky is partially obstructed by buildings or foliage, the receiver has access to only a limited number of GNSS satellites, making it harder to calculate accurate position. In such cases the receiver must report a higher positioning uncertainty, so that the system can take adequate action such as switching to lower speeds, staying further away from predefined boundaries, or stopping.  

 

Figure 2: In challenging environments receivers with high integrity report large positioning uncertainty, flagging possible inaccuracies to the system. If the receiver is too optimistic about its accuracy, the operation becomes hazardous.  ©Septentrio

A low integrity receiver may keep reporting an optimistic positioning uncertainty, that stays below the preset alarm limit even when the calculated position is way off from the actual position. The number may look fine, but effectively it becomes a “robot on the loose”, no longer on its planned path with a risk of damaging itself and its surroundings.    

Let us look at uncertainty limits in action during a GNSS car test in an urban canyon, where the view of the sky is partially obstructed by houses. The orange lines are the positioning and its uncertainty boundaries reported by the mosaic GNSS module in the car, while the red lines are the positioning and its uncertainty boundaries reported by another popular GNSS receiver. The white line shows the actual position of the car as it drives along the road. The orange uncertainty boundaries of the mosaic receiver are truthful and somewhat wider in this challenging environment, and you can see that the actual position always remains within these boundaries. On the other hand, the red trajectory jumps off course in a certain challenging spot on the road, with the actual position no more within the uncertainty boundaries, which remain too optimistic. In this case the competitor’s receiver gives a false sense of security and the system is unaware of its hazardous operation.  

Figure 3: In an urban canyon car test the Septentrio receiver reports truthful position uncertainty. A competitor receiver seems to be more accurate, while the actual position is not even within the reported uncertainty boundaries, resulting in hazardous operation.   ©Septentrio

If the receiver depicted by the red line would provide navigational information for an ADAS automotive system, for example, this could mislead the system into thinking that the car switched lanes. If the system would then attempt to correct the trajectory by switching back to the “correct lane” this would result in taking the car off course and potentially hitting the sidewalk or even another car.  

 

RAIM vs RAIM+ 

The underlying mechanism behind truthful positioning uncertainty reporting is RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring), which ensures truthful positioning calculation based on statistical analysis and exclusion of any outlier satellites or signals. Septentrio receivers are designed for high integrity and take RAIM to the next level with RAIM+, guaranteeing truthfulness of positioning with a high degree of confidence. In Septentrio receivers RAIM+ is actually a component of a comprehensive receiver protection suite called GNSS+ comprising positioning protection on various levels including AIM+ anti-jamming and anti-spoofing, IONO+ resilience to ionospheric scintillations and APME+ multipath mitigation.  

Figure 4 (right): In Septentrio receivers RAIM+ is a component of a complete GNSS+ protection suite, with other components including the AIM+ anti-jamming anti-spoofing technology, IONO+ protection against ionospheric activity, and APME+ multipath mitigation.  ©Septentrio

The Septentrio RAIM+ statistical model has been fine-tuned with over 50 terrabytes of field data collected over 20 years. It removes satellites and signals which may give errors due to multipath reflection, solar ionospheric activity, jamming and spoofing, while working together with the GNSS+ components mentioned above. Because of this multi-component protection architecture, it achieves a very high level of positioning accuracy and reliability which goes well beyond the standard RAIM. The RAIM+ statistical model is adaptive, highly detailed and complete, taking advantage of all available GNSS constellations and signals. The full RAIM+ functionality is even available in Septentrio’s GNSS/INS receiver line. User controlled parameters allow it to be tuned to specific requirements.  

 

The diagram below shows RAIM+ in action during a jamming and spoofing attack on a Septentrio GNSS receiver. While AIM+ removes the effects of GNSS jamming, both AIM+ and RAIM+ work together to block the spoofing attack. Satellites with high distance errors, shown on the middle graph, are removed by RAIM+ since they do not conform to the expected satellite distance.  

 

Figure 5: In this scenario jamming gives satellite distance errors but is countered by AIM+ technology. During spoofing AIM+ eliminates some of the spoofed satellites, while other satellites that have wrong distances are dismissed by RAIM+ algorithms.  ©Septentrio

This example shows that even in the case of jamming and spoofing, Septentrio’s high integrity receiver technology delivers truthful and reliable positioning that any autonomous system can count on.  

 

GNSS design around reliability 

GNSS receivers designed to be reliable strive for high integrity in both reporting of the positioning uncertainty as well as in RAIM+ advanced statistical modelling. This ensures that these receivers provide truthful and timely warning messages and are resilient in various challenging environments. Other technologies such as INS (Inertial Navigation System) can also be coupled to the GNSS receiver to extend positioning availability even during short GNSS outages. Quality indicators for satellite signals, CPU status, base-station quality and overall quality allow monitoring of positioning reliability at any given time. High-integrity GNSS receivers provide truthful positioning in autonomous machines such as the Sitia weeding tractor. They are also crucial components in safety-critical applications, assured PNT and any other application where accuracy and reliability matters.  

@Septentrio #Robotics 

 

Position filled at position technology company!

Septentrio has appointed of Peter Fairhurst as new Vice-President of Sales. In this role Peter will lead the sales and application support teams at Septentrio globally. Peter succeeds Neil Vancans, who is retiring at the end of June, and who has led Septentrio sales for the last 5 years.

Peter Fairhurst

Peter joins Septentrio with 15 years of experience in the GNSS* industry. He most recently was head of Product Strategy at ublox. Prior to that, he worked many years at Leica Geosystems.

“Peter is an experienced business leader with a proven track record of creating value for customers and fits perfectly in our vision to help our customers be successful in their markets”, said Antoon De Proft, CEO of Septentrio. ”Peter will play a crucial role in implementing our growth strategy and empowering our sales teams to solve our customers’ mission critical positioning challenges.”

Peter Fairhurst himself said: “I am thrilled to join Septentrio and to bring their world-class GNSS solutions to industrial customers around the globe. Septentrio has unique capabilities and products and is an ideal partner for industrial OEM’s for whom reliable and accurate positioning is crucial for their success.”

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* GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) including the American GPS, European Galileo, Russian GLONASS, Chinese BeiDou, Japan’s QZSS and India’s NavIC. These satellite constellations broadcast positioning information to receivers which use it to calculate their absolute position.

@Septentrio #Communications #Position

Telecentric measurement system.

Keyence has introduced a new range of inline telecentric measurement system which employ highly advanced silhouette-based analysis for guaranteed accuracy.

Richard De Courcy, Product Specialist, Keyence UK Vision and Measurement, commented: “Accurate measurement of parts is vital to guaranteeing quality and consistency, and for identifying any possible production issues at the earliest possible opportunity. Our new portfolio harnesses the power of state-of-the-art silhouette-based technology to deliver exceptional accuracy alongside ease of set-up and use, ensuring consistent, reliable measurement of a wide range of parts. This will bring peace of mind to manufacturers seeking to reassure their customer of the quality and consistency of their offering.”

Designed specifically to measure parts rapidly and consistently as they pass through the system, the TM-X5000 line-up boasts an exposure time of just 25 μs – 40 times faster than conventional models, allowing accurate measurement of high-speed targets by eliminating blur from the image.

It provides a versatile solution for a broad spectrum of industrial measurement applications, offering geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T); outer diameter and profile measurement; abnormality detection; and runout and positioning.

The specially designed telecentric optics greatly improve measurement repeatability by increasing uniformity throughout the field of view. Compared with conventional telecentric optical systems, the TM-X5000 Series offers around 100 times greater telecentricity – just 0.0001°, ensuring confidence in results even for misaligned targets.

The dual telecentric silhouette-based system provides exceptional stability while the large ±15 mm depth of field, based on telecentric lenses in both the transmitter and receiver, provides clear, sharp edges and stable measurement results, even where the target position may vary.

Users can select from two installation methods – with or without the included base. A handy optical alignment function enables rapid, simple installation, while the user interface features a wide variety of measurement tools, enabling intuitive configuration of settings.

The range consists of three models to cater for a wide variety of requirements: the compact, ultra-high accuracy TM-X5006; the standard TM-X5040 model; and the TM-X5065 fore wide field applications.

@Keyence_Int @mepaxIntPR #telecentricity #PAuto

Continuous positioning for demanding industrial applications.

Septentrio has introduced AsteRx SB ProDirect, a new compact and robust integrated heading GPS/GNSS* receiver. It delivers accurate heading and pitch or heading and roll information in addition to the reliable high-accuracy positioning that Septentrio receivers are known for.  AsteRx SB ProDirect is a top-value product combining efficient minimalistic design with high-quality performance. It is designed as an ‘install-and-forget’ device providing continuous positioning for demanding industrial applications. Machines and autonomous systems now have access to heading and pitch or heading and roll information immediately from power-up allowing trajectory path optimization and fully informed navigation from mission start. “The AsteRx SB ProDirect brings the very essence of GNSS positioning and position independent heading, needed for robotics, machine control and similar applications”, said Chris Lowet, Product Manager at Septentrio. “It comes in a simple no-frills, ruggedized, easy-to-install package so you can quickly get started and have reliable positioning and heading throughout your project.” While AsteRx SB remains Septentrio’s single antenna positioning solution in the compact housed receiver product line, AsteRx SB ProDirect brings a dual antenna option. It is designed for quick and easy integration into any machine monitoring or control system and packs performance and durability into a single ruggedized box. This receiver is robust inside and out, by using Septentrio’s latest LOCK+ technology. ProDirect’s positioning and heading performance is optimized under intense mechanical vibrations, shakes or shocks. #PAuto #Robotics @Septentrio

Smallest camera-based positioning sensor.

The new IPS 400i from Leuze electronic.  is the smallest camera-based positioning sensor on the market for double-depth compartment fine positioning. It helps high-bay storage devices to quickly and easily find the right rack.

With the new camera-based IPS 400i positioning sensor for high-bay storage devices, Leuze electronic – the expert for sensor solutions for intralogistics – is expanding its IPS range of products with a new model for optical compartment fine positioning.

About a year ago, Leuze electronic introduced the IPS 200i, the smallest camera-based positioning sensor for single-depth, which is used for single depth pallet high racks and small-part container storage.

The new IPS400i is just as compact as its sibling, the IPS 200i, and thus requires little space on the high-bay storage device – however, it detects round holes or reflectors not only in single-depth, but also double-depth bars and thus determines the position deviation relative to the target position in the X and Y directions. This makes the new camera-based IPS 400i positioning sensor particularly suited for use in double-depth pallet high-bay warehouses.

A model with integrated heating for use in refrigerated warehouses down to -30 °C is also available.

Both variants – IPS 200i and IPS 400i – offer the user simple and fast commissioning and operation. The sensors are put into operation using a web-based configuration tool with a user-controlled installation assistant (wizard). Printed configuration codes are read in without a PC via "Code Generator," which means that configuration adjustments can be made directly on the high-bay storage device. An alignment system consisting of four feedback LEDs further facilitates the commissioning process.

Due to its powerful, ambient-light-independent IR LED lighting, fault-free use in warehouse technology is possible with just one single device for a working range of up to 2400 mm. With the integrated TCP/IP interface and PROFINET RT, the IPS 400i can be directly integrated into the network environment and enables quick, location-independent diagnostics.

Condition monitoring and predictive maintenance take place using a quality score that detects deterioration in the reading performance of the sensor at an early stage. This minimizes downtime and increases the availability and cost-effectiveness of the systems.

#Leuze #PAuto @TheSensorPeople @mepaxIntPR

Compact servo drive.

Festo has expanded its range of servo drives with the introduction of the CMMT-ST. Complementing the existing CMMT-AS, this new servo drive is equally reliable but much more compact and economical. These characteristics make it ideal for point-to-point and interpolating motion in demanding applications in assembly and handling technology, packaging machines or in the electronics industry.

The CMMT-ST enables challenging dynamic motions for small servo motors and all stepper motors with a continuous power requirement of up to 300 W. It has a power capacity of 2.5 kW, so requires less cooling than its big brother and needs just half the installation space.

It is particularly suitable for various Ethernet-based bus systems and can be seamlessly integrated into the controller environments of different manufacturers. The CMMT-ST is based on the same platform as the CMMT-AS and works best in combination with the EMMS-ST stepper motor from Festo.

Commissioning the CMMT-ST takes just a few minutes with the Festo Automation Suite. Although the CMMT-ST offers a more compact, cheaper option than the CMMT-AS, the connection and communication concept, functional modules and standard safety features remain unchanged. The consistent control concept means that users can combine the CMMT-AS and CMMT-ST as a servo drive for both large and small axes.

The free Festo Automation Suite is the main software of the constantly expanding Festo Automation Platform, which is entering the automation market with numerous new products and solutions from the mechanical system to the cloud. It combines the parameterisation, programming and maintenance of electric components from Festo in one program. It also enables the entire drive package, from the mechanical system to the controller, to be commissioned in just a few intuitive steps.

The CMMT-ST servo drive is an important part of the Festo philosophy of seamless connectivity: the ability to connect a workpiece completely through to the cloud, from its mechanical connections and electrical interfaces to commissioning and controller programming. Festo simplifies the work of machine builders and automation engineers with simple connectivity spanning mechanical, electrical, hardware and software interfaces.

#PAuto  @FestoAG @Publitek

Powerful IoT sensor solutions.

Sensera has signed a global agreement with Arrow Electronics, Inc. to distribute its high-precision, real-time location and location-aware smart wireless sensor solutions*.

Ralph Schmitt, CEO of Sensera Ltd., said, "Arrow is a global leader in IoT solutions and we are delighted to work together with them to bring our IoT sensor technology to a broader base of customers around the world. Their extensive team of sales and applications professionals will allow us to deliver our mission-critical sensor technology to significantly more customers. The agreement was founded on a history of successful cooperation in a few countries, and we have already engaged in a set of new customers in the expanded geographic footprint which will provide near term revenue."

Under the new agreement, Arrow's IoT group will provide consultancy, and will assist with designing and delivering solutions based on Sensera products, including system integration and deployment. The agreement covers Sensera’s IoT Solutions division and its MicroDevices division.

Prior to the current agreement, Arrow distributed nanotron Technologies, Sensera’s IoT Solutions division, in limited geographies winning multiple customers. Arrow will now provide Sensera’s entire product portfolio to its extensive worldwide customer base enabling the delivery of IoT solutions for mission-critical applications. Its technical sales teams and field application engineers will provide customers with design-in and product support.

*Sensera Ltd is a leading designer and manufacturer of end-to-end sensor solutions and services for the rapidly growing IoT market, which combines precise proximity detection and tracking in real time with smart IoT sensors. Arrow is one of the world’s largest technology solution providers, with annual sales of $29.7 billion (€26.6b), and over 200,000 customers.

@Sensera_SE1 #Wireless #IoT @Arrow_dot_com

Robust laser module.

The FLEXPOINT® laser module ILM12IP from Laser Components is specially designed for outdoor use. Its housing complies with protection class IP67. This means that even the finest dust particles cannot penetrate the housing.

Even a half an hour of submersion in water does not bother the module. This has been confirmed by DIN-EN 60529:2014-09 tests performed by the TÜV inspection board.

With its M12 external thread made of stainless steel, the ILM12IP can be screwed in and connected quickly and easily. This makes it particularly suitable for adjustments or the alignment of machines (e.g., when positioning a drill on a workpiece). The module is available with green (520 nm) and red (635 nm) dot, cross-hair, and line lasers. The focus can either be set to a fixed distance or to infinity.

@LCGermany #PAuto 

Precise positioning over long distances.

The FLEXPOINT Long Range Line Module from Laser Components is a highly-precise positioning tool for long distances. Even at 50 m, the line is only 4 m long and can be adjusted to line widths of a few millimeters with an easy-to-use focusing device.

This module is available with red (660 nm) or green (520 nm) lines. Customers have the choice of any output power in a range between 5 mW and 30 mW.

Using the optional battery packs, the laser module can also be operated without a power line - for example in mobile use. A special precision mount, allows for exact beam alignment along two axes.

The Long Range Module is ideally suited for tunnel construction, alignment of large machines, or other adjustments over long distances.

 #PAuto @LaserComponents

Microscope objective and optics positioning.

Aerotech’s QFOCUS® QF-50 piezo nanopositioning stage is designed for high-performance microscope objective and optics positioning. It offers 400 μm closed loop and 450 μm open loop travel, high speed, 0.01% linearity, sub-nanometer resolution, and 4 nm bidirectional repeatability. The QF-50 accommodates optical instruments and next-generation laser micromachining applications. Due to a high-stiffness mechanical design, the QF-50 can outperform competitive piezo scanner offerings with larger, higher numerical aperture (NA) objectives. The QF-50 is ideal for optical positioning applications requiring high precision and throughput coupled with long travels.

The QFOCUS QF-50 is guided by precision flexures optimized using finite element analysis for outstanding stiffness and resonant frequency to enable high process throughput and fast closed-loop response. Meticulous care was taken in the QF-50 flexure bearing design to ensure unrivaled geometric performance with straightness errors to 40 nm throughout the entire travel range.

Optional closed-loop feedback using a unique capacitive sensor design allows for sub-nanometer resolution and high linearity. Unlike foil strain gages or piezoresistive sensors, capacitive sensors provide a direct measurement of the positioning carriage for superior accuracy and repeatability

When coupled with Aerotech’s Q-series controllers and drives, the QF-50 demonstrates sub-nanometer positioning resolution and in-position stability (jitter) while maintaining high positioning bandwidth. Advanced software options, such as Dynamic Controls Toolbox and Motion Designer, provide a variety of highly-effective, easy-to-use tools including Iterative Learning Control, Harmonic Cancellation, and Command Shaping, providing improved tracking errors and faster step-and-settle times. OEM drive options are also available.

The QF-50 is available with threaded adapters to fit most microscopes and objectives. The microscope turret mounting allows fast and simple positioning at any desired orientation. In addition, tapped holes on the stage body provide alternative mounting for custom interfaces in machines or other optical instruments. The QF-50 is available with a clear aperture of 29 mm as standard. Custom stage designs, travels, and threaded adapters are available.

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