TCP/IP Controls Test-Machine Servos over Ethernet

Sept. 24, 2009
A new machine for testing automotive ball-joint seals from Dynamic Testing & Equipment uses programmable AC servos instead of conventional hydraulic actuators to control its two motorized axes.

Baldor Electric Co, www.baldor.com

Dynamic Testing and Equipment, www.dynamic-testing.com

A new machine for testing automotive ball-joint seals from Dynamic Testing & Equipment, Erie, Mich., uses programmable ac servos instead of conventional hydraulic actuators to control its two motorized axes. The servos, MotiFlex e100 three-phase drives from Baldor Electric Co., Fort Smith, Ark., give test technicians extraordinary control, letting them vary test parameters, such as joint-articulation angles, on the fly. The servos are connected via Ethernet to a host computer running National Instrument’s (Austin, Tex.) LabView software and are controlled using TCP/IP through Activex commands in Baldor’s Mint programming language.

Flexible boot seals protect ball joints in automotive steering assemblies. The new machine can test up to six seals simultaneously. Tests can include continuous articulation of the joints, hot and cold brine spray, elevated humidity, and temperatures ranging from –20 to 80°C.

Sponsored Recommendations

April 16, 2025
Clean. Compact. Less heat.
April 16, 2025
SEW-EURODRIVE Introduces DR2C motor, IE5 Ultra-Premium Efficiency Motor
March 31, 2025
Unlike passive products - made of simple carbon springs - the bionic prostheses developed by Revival Bionics are propulsive, equipped with a motor and an artificial Achilles tendon...
March 31, 2025
Electric drives are a key technology for the performance of machines, robots, and power tools. Download this guide for an introduction to high-quality mechatronic drive systems...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!