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HepcoMotion and BeckHoff update tHe well-renowned GfX/XtS SySteM to cater for More induStrieS, More applicationS and More cuStoMerS
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ince its inception over five years ago, HepcoMotion’s GFX, the high-end mechanical framework for the Beckhoff
XTS drive system, has gone from strength-to- strength. Absorbing the considerable process forces that act on the movers and workpieces, GFX provides the transport path and mechanically guides the movers along the motor modules at the defined speed with great precision. The XTS drive allows movers to be controlled individually; as a result, work processes of different duration can be combined, product and process changes are possible, and workstations can be added or removed as needed. GFX/XTS has quickly been adopted as the system of choice for higher duty XTS applications where motion profile and long term durability requirements are particularly demanding. Responding to customer demands,
HepcoMotion and Beckhoff have continued to collaborate and develop the GFX/XTS system to cater for more applications, more industries and more customers. The GFX/XTS system has four new developments: Hi-Drive, a solution for heavier applications; Agile, for lighter loads; the Hygienic System for operation in wet environments; and the Track Management System, an ingenious track switching solution.
Hi-Drive A standard GFX/XTS system has a load
Light and fast, GFX Agile achieves higher throughput
capacity of up to a few kg; at most up to 10kg if you pair movers together. For many applications, this is more than sufficient but there are some circumstances where a higher load is needed. For example, with an automotive sub-assembly line, mass is being added at each work station, resulting in a heavy mass at the end of the production line.
The system therefore needs to provide speed and accuracy, but at higher loads than has previously been possible on a system such as the GFX/XTS. Until now. As a direct response to market demand,
HepcoMotion and Beckhoff have developed the new GFX Hi-Drive. Hi-Drive provides a more robust mover, and also increases drive force through the use of larger magnets. The result is a system that can move heavier payloads with performance that isn’t compromised by the available linear drive force. Specified for overall payloads (product and tooling and process load combined) of up to 20kg per mover, Hi-Drive is capable of a maximum velocity of 4m/s and acceleration of 40m/s². Offering the same accuracy and repeatability as the standard GFX/XTS system, Hi-Drive can handle twice the capacity. Moreover, when programmed through TwinCAT with a specific ‘pairing protocol’ XTS coding from Beckhoff, two movers can be paired in a stacked, mechanically linked configuration, giving a single drive axis up to 40kg. The 10 pole mover provides over 200N of drive force, the 7 pole offering around 150N. Hi-Drive movers incorporate a 7 & 10
pole magnet array, enabling the XTS to generate greater drive forces or the same drive forces with reduced heat generation in the motor modules.
Hi-Drive not only provides a more robust mover, but also increases drive force through the use of larger magnets
8 DESIGN SOLUTIONS NOVEMBER 2021
Agile For every application that requires a higher
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