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Rolling-Ring Drives Now Have Adjustable Pitch

June 23, 2016
A pitch control lever lets users change the linear pitch of Amacoil's rolling-ring drives independently of the drive motor speed or other controls.
A rolling-ring drive inside the actuator converts rotary motion into linear motion.

Uhing rolling-ring drives from Amacoil, Aston, Pa., convert the constant rotary motion of a plain shaft into reciprocating linear output. Rolling-ring drives are mechanical alternatives to electronically controlled linear-motion drives and may be used in machines requiring automatically reversible linear motion for applications such as ejecting, cutting, winding, and spraying.

RG drives now feature a pitch control lever that lets users change the linear pitch independently of the drive motor speed or other controls. This essentially creates a variable-speed drive system free from programming or electronics. By gearing the drive shaft to the drive motor, operators can modify the pitch range for a specific rolling ring drive based on application requirements.

The pitch control lever may be moved through 100 discrete settings. Each setting increases or decreases the linear pitch value by 0.01. This gives all RG drives a pitch adjustability range of 10:1. For example, if the RG3-15 drive is geared for a maximum linear pitch of 22.8 mm (0.9 in.), the operator can use the pitch control lever to reduce pitch down to 2.28 mm (0.09 in.).

Depending on size, rolling-ring drives can provide axial thrust ranging from 7 to 800 lbs. (30 to 3,600 N).

Looking for parts? Go to SourceESB.

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