Futureprospects for superconductor technology
Aboveall else
Superconductor technologyoffersenormouspotential.
Butwhat does this
mean for automation technologyandhow could itspropertiesbeused for
industrial productionof goods?Three“FutureConcepts”developedby Festo
providea fascinating insight intopotential applications for superconductors.
S
uperconductorshavealready
madeaname for themselves
transmittingelectricityover long
distances,while the technology
hasbeensuccessfullyused in the
medicalworld, inmagnetic resonance
tomography, for over 30years. Festo
intends toharness theextraordinary
propertiesof superconductors for use in
theautomation industry. Below their
transition temperature, superconductors
transport electric currentwithout resist
anceandarealsoable to“freeze” the
magneticfieldof apermanentmagnet at
apredefineddistance. Thisphenomenon
canbe illustratedbyplacingapieceof
woodor styrofoambetweenamagnet and
asuperconductor.Whenyou cool the
superconductor down to its transition
temperatureand remove thespacer, the
magnetwill then levitateabove thesuper-
conductor inastablestate.
This technologyopensup thepossibility
of new, resource-efficient solutionsand
functions for the futureworldof produc-
tion.Applications in thefieldof contactless
andenergy-efficient, levitatingpositioning
systemsareof particular interest for
productionsystems. Festoshowcased
thepotential and the research topicsof
superconductor technology for automa-
tion technologyatHannoverMesse2013
with threeexhibits. Theydemonstrated
the levitatingpositioningand frictionless
movement of loadsaswell as thehand
lingof objects inasealed chamber. At
thisyear'sHannoverMesse, threenew
FutureConcepts–SupraHandling2.0,
SupraShuttleandSupraChanger –demon
stratedpossibleapplications for super-
conductors inautomation technology.
Coolmoves
WithSupraHandling2.0, aslideunit that
has three cryostatswithsuperconductors
glideswithout contact over twomagnetic
rails. Cryostatsare cooling tanks that can
maintainvery low temperaturesusing
anelectriccooler. Theslideunit iscoupled
witha Festoelectricaxis typeEGCusing
magnets,whichallowsprecision linear
movement. The levitatingslideunit is
positionedby themovementof theelectric
axisEGC. At thesame time, theentire
systemwith the twomagnetic rails, the
axesEGCand theslideunit canbe rotated
around its longitudinal axis, so that the
slide canalsomoveon thewall or be
suspendedoverhead. Thepower for the
activecryostats is transmitted inacontact-
lessmanner. Small plasticvialsare trans
portedon theslideunit. Theirmounting
system isflexiblydesigned. Even if the
transport slide changesposition, they
always remainverticalwith theopening
facingupwards.Whenusingopen con-
tainers, the contentswould thereforenot
bespilledevenwhenmovingoverhead.
Besidesmovement inall spatial planes,
theSupraHandling2.0demonstrateshow
to transport objectswithout friction loss.
The constant coolingsystem for the three
superconductorsonly requiresa total of
36watts. Thepower for theelectrically
cooled cryostats isalso transmitted ina
contactlessmanner. The railsareeasy to
clean thanks to thesmoothstainlesssteel
cover. Thesystem can therefore conceiv
ablybeappliedanywhere requiringClean
Designandgood cleanability–suchas
in the food, chemical andpharmaceutical
industries.
Fascinationof superconductors:
Contactless levitationandno
electrical resistanceat –180 °C.
1.2014
trends inautomation
Compass
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