Rhino: linear motor with integrated
controller and integrated counterbalance
Rhino by Compact Motion GmbH (Bern, Switzerland) combines linear motor, guide, motor controller and counterbalance in one compact module. It is designed for fast vertical axes in pick-and-place, assembly and handling machines. Rhino is ready for series production and already in use in customer machines.
Counterbalance without pneumatics or counterweights
Vertical axes usually need an extra component to carry the load: a counterweight, a pneumatic cylinder, a spring or a magnetic spring. In Rhino, the counterbalance is integrated into the linear motor and patented (approved in Switzerland, granted in the USA, further application filed in Germany). The motor no longer has to hold the load; this reduces the energy consumption of the vertical axis, and there is no compressed air connection and no additional part to design in.
Linear motor with integrated controller
Power electronics and control are built into the module; no separate servo drive is needed in the control cabinet. Rhino connects via EtherCAT or PROFINET, several axes can be daisy-chained, and commissioning takes less than one hour.
Key data
Stroke: 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 mm
Nominal force: 33 to 41 N, peak force up to 82 N (100 ms)
Payload: up to 4 kg vertical
Repeatability: ±0.005 mm
Speed: up to 2 m/s
Cross-section: 49.8 x 53.5 mm
Fieldbus: EtherCAT, PROFINET
Developed in Switzerland
Rhino is developed and designed by Compact Motion GmbH in Bern, Switzerland, based on a research project with Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH).
Contact:
georg.geissler@compactmotion.ch
or