Lightning-fast trap door:
The 90 kg partition
closes in 0.6 seconds and is decelerated at the
last moment by a cushioning block.
Full, yet gentle braking
A simple, yet effective solution is a
cushioning block: “You have to imagine it
as being like an air pump. The cushioning
block always holds a certain air volume
so that the partition falls, as it were,
into an air cushion and thus into the
end-positioning cushioning,” explains
Turnaus. The cushioning block in turn
controls a pneumatic valve. As soon
as the partition opens, the chamber for
the “fresh-air cushion” is completely
exhausted using a second valve. “The
cylinder can thus extend as quickly as
possible and brake fully, but gently at
the last moment,” adds Felix Richter.
The entire system including its steel-
lead-steel outer shell weighs 6.2 tonnes.
To prevent X-rays from escaping when
the partition is opened, the system
restricts the X-ray voltage. This signifi-
cantly increases the service life of the
X-ray source and there is no need for an
upstream double door system. Felix
Richter is very pleased with the end
result: “Festo has not only given us the
freedom to concentrate on other tasks,
but also contributed to construction of
the fastest wheel testing system on the
market at present.”
www.festo.com/catalog/egc
www.festo.com/catalog/emms
Landing on the “air cushion”:
Two flange-mount-
ed air chambers ensure that the partition closes
quickly yet gently.
Seamless transfer:
A chain conveyor transports the alloy wheel directly to
the open gripper, which secures it for the X-ray process using four support
wheels (top).
Sophisticated dynamics:
Six EGC-185 axes connected in parallel ensure
maximum dynamic response and rigidity (bottom left).
Erhardt + Abt
Automatisierungs-
technik GmbH
Hauptstraße 49
D-73329 Kuchen, Germany
www.roboter.de
Turnkey automation solutions for
customers from the automotive,
medical/pharmaceutical, food and
plastics industries. Area of
business: Handling and assembly
technology
2.2012
trends in automation
Synergies
34
–
35