Motion slickness

摘要

The use of linear motors in machine tools is not a new concept. Over the past few decades, tempted by the prospect of high speed, low maintenance and extreme accuracy, machine tool builders have gone to great lengths to incorporate linear drives into their machines. However, the perennial problems of heat, magnetic fields, and high cost have all too frequently sent the same designers running faithfully back to the tried and trusted ballscrew. Recently many of these problems have been overcome, and today an increasing number of machines offer direct linear drives. Indeed, according to a recent report by business consultant Frost & Sullivan, the machine tool sector is at the sharp end of a rapidly expanding linear motor market. By 2008, claims the report, machine tools will surge ahead of semiconductors as the largest application market for linear motors, accounting for almost a quarter of the European market. The advantages of linear motors are well known. Fast, accurate and capable of frightening acceleration, they also convert electricity into movement without diversion via mechanical transmission elements. This omission of mechanical components prevents jolting and mechanical wear in the drive chain.