This machine was assembled from various parts from other machines, so "Frankenstein" was really the only logical name for it.

Tru-Trac™ Keeps Frankenstein Alive

Contributed by | Encoder Products Company (EPC)

 

Peninsula Iron Works, of Portland, Oregon, is one of the largest machine shops on the West Coast. They are the heavy fabrication, machine, and rebuild facility for many industries in the area. Peninsula works with owners, managers, and plant engineers to provide engineered solutions to complex mechanical machinery.

Sometimes they need to provide their own engineered solutions – as in the case of their Frankenstein Machine, pictured at right.  This machine was assembled from various parts from other machines, so "Frankenstein" was really the only logical name for it. 

Frankenstein handles huge metal sheets, turning and cutting them into smaller sheets. With a 26 foot travel, all axes on this  machine have a positioning resolution of 0.0001 inch. As those huge metal sheets move, it’s critical that the feedback of the motion is absolutely correct. For the intricately engineered solutions Peninsula provides, the metal cuts must be exact. 

To provide motion control feedback for the massive Frankenstein, they needed a linear encoder solution

They had some very specific requirements, so Peninsula came to EPC. They trusted our expertise, because we’ve cross-referenced several encoders for them before, and they knew they could trust the quality of our encoders. 

In this application, the linear encoder solution would need to:

  • Have a robust, fixed, rack & pinion track system made of stainless steel, to withstand the environment.
  • Provide bi-directional feedback, since the sheets move forward and backward during the machine operation.
  • Offer Line Driver Output, to be compatible with their existing system.

 

Once our Technical Services department understood the requirements of the application, the solution was obvious: the Model TR2 Tru-Trac™.


“EPC encoders  are our preferred brand of encoders. We started replacing a different brand of rack & pinion encoders several years ago. The TR2 system from EPC has proven to be more reliable, easier to maintain, and more cost competitive than other systems used in the past,” explains Dave Logan of Peninsula Iron Works.

To read more about how the  Tru-Trac™ Model TR2 was the perfect solution for this application, read the case study here. Or watch a video about the Model TR2.

If you have questions about how an encoder will work in your specific application, contact us. When you call EPC, you speak to engineers and encoder experts who can answer all your questions.

 

 

The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow
Encoder Products Company

Encoder Products Company

At Encoder Products Company, we specialize in the encoders that provide you with motion feedback. EPC has been a leading designer and manufacturer of motion sensing devices for more than 50 years, we understand that each industrial automation application is different, and you need encoders that fit the needs of your applications. Our encoders are highly configurable, offer an array of shaft or bore sizes, output types, connector types, mounting options, and resolutions as high as 65,536 CPR.

Other Articles

SCARA Robot Sorts Recyclables Using a Simple Conveyor Speed Feedback System
As Everest Labs was developing their system to be sold to recycling centers worldwide, they found that their robot needed speed feedback in order to track the recyclables on the conveyor, and therefore needed a simple way to install conveyor speed feedback on a gear motor.
Talking PACK EXPO with Encoder
Visitors to our booth can see our new absolute hollow-bore, the MA58H. And they can get a demonstration of the software on our new line of programmable Accu-CoderPro™ encoders, the shaft Model 25SP and the thru-bore Model 58TP.
What IS an Encoder?
Encoders use different types of technologies to create a signal, including: mechanical, magnetic, resistive and optical – optical being the most common.
More about Encoder Products Company

Comments (1)

Frankenstein CNC and electrical system at Pennisula Iron Works designed and built by Electric Machine Control Systems, Inc.

Post A Comment

You must be logged in before you can post a comment. Login now.

Featured Product

ResinDek® TRIGARD® ESD ULTRA FOR HIGH-TRAFFIC ROBOTIC APPLICATIONS

ResinDek® TRIGARD® ESD ULTRA FOR HIGH-TRAFFIC ROBOTIC APPLICATIONS

To maximize the productivity of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) or automatic guided vehicle (AGV) deployment, it's critical to create the optimal environment that allows the vehicles to perform at their peak. For that reason, Cornerstone Specialty Wood Products, LLC® (www.resindek.com) created the TriGard® ESD Ultra finish for its ResinDek® engineered flooring panels. The TriGard ESD Ultra finish is ideal for high-traffic robotic applications characterized by highly repetitive movement patterns and defined travel paths.