Independent cart technology — Flexible design and quick change

Independent cart technology is a new approach to linear motors. Traditional conveyors rely on gears, chains and belts. Independent cart technology uses magnets to precisely control motion with frictionless propulsion! The result is fewer parts to worry about, reduced energy consumption and the ability to quickly start and stop loads without losing control or putting wear on parts.

Our curved or straight sections of track can be combined in endless combinations to suit your design and space requirements. Once built, changeovers can be as simple as selecting a different software-configured move profile.

Each cart in the system is its own intelligently controlled axis of motion. That means that the carts can speed up or slow down based on where other carts are in the system. The system also tracks what each cart is moving, so there’s no need to slow down for sortation. Resulting in fewer bottlenecks and increased output.

All our motors and carts are IP65-rated or higher and modular, which makes them a great choice for a wide range of applications. They can be purchased as a customised, fully assembled unit, as individual components or as a mix of custom and standard parts.

High level control options

iTRAK

With iTRAK, each cart is an axis of motion, enabling high level control that allows every cart to be synchronised to an external axis such as a robot or a cam. A benefit of this approach is that each cart can be individually controlled to be in a specific location on the track at a specified time at all times. This not only enables camming to an external system or device, but also enables adjacent carts to change their relative spacing in a coordinated manner to support folding or compacting type applications.

MagneMotion

MagneMotion’s high-level control system also supports axis-based cart motion using our SYNC-enabled motors and Allen-Bradley^® ControlLogix® controllers and motion profiles. MagneMotion also provides a ‘fire and forget’ mode, ideal for complex tracks having multiple lanes and topologies where carts need to move from one station or location to the next. The control system manages the paths and flow of carts to avoid collisions. The ability to merge both operating modes provides maximum flexibility to minimise the customer’s PLC host interface.

The definitive solution for diverse sectors

Independent cart technology offers flexibility, scalability, and ease of use, and also minimises power draw compared to conventional conveyor systems since only those coils required to support cart motion are powered. Factory automation applications using belt and chain conveyor systems, hydraulic actuators, and lead screw drives are a few examples where linear motors could produce the required action, serving as an alternative to these mechanically dependent devices.

These are five sectors where linear motor technology is proving to make a definable difference:

1. Life sciences
2. Consumer packaged goods
3. Food and beverage
4. Household & personal care
5. Material handling

For more information, visit https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-au/products/hardware/independent-cart-technology.html

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/DedMityay