When Precision Counts - Exlar Actuators are a Perfect Fit for the Defense Industry

from the Automation Group at Cross

Exlar is synonoumous with Efficiency, Effectiveness & Survivability.....all perfect descriptions of demands for defense industry applications.  The Automation Group at Cross is pleased to offer Exlar solutions for these mission-critical tasks utilizing advanced electromechanical actuation technology.

It's got to work on time, every time, whether it's used for loading munitions or fuel flow....that's what Exlar is all about.  Plus, withstanding shock, vibration & high temps, Exlar delivers extended operational life.  Exlar's electromechanical actuators have a simplified design and are energy efficient - all factors in improving survivability while reducing maintenance costs and frequency.  And they meld seamlessly into vehicles used in stealth applications, where actuators must run as quietly as the hybrid engines commonly employed in these vehicles.

Exlar has had success with:

• aircraft launch and recovery equipment (ALRE)
• weapons elevator
• turbine control
• vehicle launch system
• bulkhead door operation
• ammunition handling
• site positioning/control
• gun position & firing
• mine detection
• turret control
• automated door assist
• steering
• gun charging
• towed sonar array
• rudder control

Products

GS Series Linear Actuator
Exlar's GS Series combines the advantages of their patented roller screw technology and T-LAM motor technology, yielding the highest performance, longest life and most compact linear actuator on the market.  They provide a viable and long-lasting alternative to hydraulic actuation.

FT and K Series Actuator
Utilizing an external motor and roller screw technology, the FT and K Series linear actuators provide force ratings in excess of 40,000 lbs, stroke lengths up to 8' and speed up to 60" per second.

SLM Series Brushless Motor & SLG Series Brushless Servo Gearmotor
Designed with Exlar's T-LAM technology, SLM brushless servomotors and SLG gearmotors deliver high efficiency and power in a compact package.  The SL Series design yeilds 35-70% more torque than traditionally wound motor of the same size.

Design Benefits

• Long Service Life - roller screw actuators have up to 15 times the life of a similarly sized ball screw actuator
• Compact - the industry's highest possible forces in the smallest possible packages include designs with integrated brushless servomotors and feedback devices
• Robust Design - built for continuous duty in harsh environments.  Exlar designs are inherently resistant to shock and vibration and are sealed against environmental contaminants
• Design Flexibility - with open feedback configurations and configurable options for paint, coatings and connectors, Exlar actuators are ready for simple integration into vehicle designs
• US Designed and US Built - Exlar is an ISO 9001 certified US small business with engineering, design, operations and manufacturing in the United States

Call an engineer at the Cross' Automation Group to discuss your Exlar requirements.
800.866.4568

Exlar is a valued supplier partner with the Automation Group at Cross

Solve Complex Challenges with Parker's Pre-Packaged Solutions for Analytical Equipment Builders & OEMs

from the Automation Group at Cross

Attention analytical equipment builders & OEMs....speed up your time to market and lower your cost along the way.  Check out Parker's pre-packaged solutions utlizing their best-in-class electrical & mechanical components.

Here's an example for Liquid Handling:

A manufacturer of laboratory automation equipment needed electromechanical sub-assemblies for integration into an automated liquid handling machine. This machine would be required to operate at close to 100% duty cycle, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in a production laboratory environment for liquid analysis. A three-axis motion system was needed for moving the dispenser assembly over an array of microtiter plates. The travel envelope of the system was 800mm X 300mm X 75mm. The customer would assemble, integrate, and program the completed system which included the X, Y, Z system, motors, drives, and control panel.

Parker Life Sciences' systems and products, offered at "Selectable Levels of Integration," enabled a perfect fit solution to be found from standard catalog linear tables. Based on travel, load, throughput, and other performance criteria, the LXR linear-motor table and XR ball-screw table were selected as the primary mechanical components for this three-axis system. Two 404LXR units comprised the X & Y axes and a smaller 401XR was selected for the Z axis. Flexible options such as a long life cable management system, electric brakes, and inter-axis pinning greatly simplified the integrator's efforts.

Parker's ability to provide tables, motors, drives, guarding, and accessories, minimized the possibility of making costly mistakes which often occurs when components acquired from different manufacturers are not matched and sized correctly.

Analytical Instruments example

A manufacturer of lab automation analytical instruments presented the challenge of moving XYZ motion in a 300 x 300 x 100 mm stroke range in a package weighing less than 10 lbs and small enough to be portable. The customer needed light weight motion for smaller power requirements and ease of portability. The customer also needed a tightly integrated solution to minimize the instrument footprint.

Parker met the design challenges with their new LCR Series linear actuators and ion stepper drives combined with the LV Stepper motors ina complete system solution designed specifically for the application at hand utlizing these short lead time products.  The LCR solution offers a complete integrated screw, bearing, motor design with a  stainless stell strip seal to keep debris out of the unit and an optional stepper drive for easy motion integration.

Parker Product Solutions

LCR Series

• low cost
• rugged positioners
• easy to size, select and integrate
• compact footprint for minimized machine size
• various lead screws and belt driven options
• varying stroke lengths from 1 mm to 1000 mm

LV Series

• high performance
• value priced
• size 11 through 34
• encoders available

MX-80

• only 80 mm wide and less than 2 inches tall
• linear motor version for high precision high speed
• ball screw version for higher thrust capacity and long life
• lead screw options for cost concious applications
• stroke lengths up to 200 mm
• driven by stepper or servo motors

OFS

• microstepping drive and drive/oscillator
• small open frame, low cost design
• 12-42VDC input, 3.5A output
• step/dir version or speed control version

Workstations and Guarding

• smooth body extrusions with no grooves
• inch or metric profiles
• bundled solutions, kits or raw components

ion

• 12-24 VDC input with up to 2 amps current output
• standby and run current adjustability
• 1 inch square by 3 inches long
• 3200 steps per rev standard

Frameless Kit Motors

• high torque - from 0.06 Nm to 9.7 Nm
• high speeds - up to 50,000 RPM
• superior performance high stiffness & better response
• compact design minimizes product size

EX-DC

• microstepping drive / controller
• 24-48 VDC input, up to 4.8 A output current
• fully programmable
• on-board program storage and I/O

Interact X

• 21CFR11 compliance
• up to 17" color touchscreens
• COM drivers for 35+ manufacturers
• stainless steel bezel options

ACR9000

• 1 - 16 axis of control in a single box
• COM drivers for LabView
• stepper or servo controls
• on-board program storage and I/O

The Automation Group engineers at Cross are Parker experts - contact us at 800.866.4568 to assist with your application.