NEW ELGD MECHANICAL AXIS SERIES FROM FESTO

ELGD 1: Festo’s new ELGD mechanical axis series provide excellent rigidity, large feed forces and high precision in any electro-mechanical automation task and are available in standard and wide profiles.

Machine builders and systems installers are under pressure to deliver high-performance automation solutions that are quicker to deploy and offer a low total cost of ownership. Industrial automation specialist Festo has developed its new ELGD mechanical axis series to meet these demands. Specifically designed for tooth belt and ball screw mechanical axes in cartesian handling systems, the ELGD series features a simplified design that delivers exceptional load-bearing capacity, a longer service life and increased reliability in multiple industrial handling situations, from harsh to hygienic environments.

The ELGD-BS spindle drive offers a configurable stroke range of up to 2.5m and the ELGD-TB toothed belt drive has a stroke length of up to 8.5m. Both are available in a range of different sizes in either standard square profile or a wide profile that offers a height saving of 30 percent. All variants provide excellent rigidity, large feed forces and high precision.

Suited to most electromechanical handling tasks, the ELGD axis series brings specific benefits to applications such as:

ELGD 2: Cartesian and pick and place solutions for small parts handling are one of many applications that will benefit from the new Festo ELGD axis series.

Smaller, more powerful axis
Outstanding mechanical performance is combined with an optimised design for the internal structure, which means it takes up less space inside the ELGD axis. As a result, it is possible to accommodate an even more powerful tooth belt or ball screw to achieve greater feed forces and acceleration profiles. A very compact design also raises the potential to use a smaller size ELGD axis than standard equivalents to reduce your handling solution’s weight, installation size and overall cost.

The ELGD series offers a choice of carriage options, including a long carriage and additional passive carriage. The long carriage integrates a second pair of split ball-bearing cartridges, which provides even greater permissible torques to the carriage for the most demanding applications. The passive second carriage allows the loads on the guidance to be distributed even further, thus improving the maximum permissible torque and subsequent service life for the mechanics in the application.

The ELGD also features a stainless steel cover strip, which minimises particle emissions in cleanroom applications and reduces ingress of particles in harsh environments. This feature is further enhanced by the inclusion of a pneumatic connection to provide a sealing air (0.1 – 0.2 Bar) or a vacuum to the internal structure of the mechanics. Another innovation is the magnetic deflection of the cover strip, which eliminates mechanical wear to further reduce the likelihood of particle emissions.

Simplified design and assembly
When designing cartesian solutions, a significant amount of time and money can be spent on designing bespoke brackets to connect the various mechanical axis together. The ELGD overcomes this by offering direct mounting options between various sizes and using standard brackets from the Festo catalogue to connect them together, simplifying your cartesian design.