Tangential drives consist of a pulley or pinion which, when rotated, exerts a force on a belt to move a linear load. They permit a lot of flexibility in the design of drive mechanics, and can be very accurate with little backlash. In this application a machine vision system automatically inspects small parts for defects. The parts are placed on a conveyor, which is controlled to allow them to pass through the camera's field of view at a constant velocity.

Machine Requirements:

• Computer-controlled system
• High accuracy
• Low backlash

Motion Control Requirements:

• Accurate velocity control
• Linear motion
• High resolution
• AT bus-based motion control card

Application Solution:

A computer controls the entire inspection machine. A bus-based compatible indexer card was selected. A microstepping motor/drive system that supplied 100 oz-in of static torque was also chosen to complete the application

Product Solutions:

• Indexer - AT6200
• Drive - ZETA4
• Motor - OS22B