PSD80 - Exceptionally versatile screw driven linear actuator

The PSD80 was primarily developed by HepcoMotion® around the need for a low cost Z axis for lighter load applications. It is designed to complement the company’s established PSD120 ball screw actuator and PDU2/PDU2M belt driven units. By comparison, with many other products on the market, the PSD80 requires little or no maintenance, providing long and reliable service even without lubrication.

The new addition incorporates a screw drive with a range of lead options from 4mm to 70mm, with the 25mm lead being particularly useful for Z axis applications, where higher speed pick and place performance is required the 70mm lead can satisfy this need. When directly coupled to a stepper motor the 70mm lead screw option will allow speeds approaching 1m/sec. Its competitive price makes it a viable alternative to single position pneumatic-driven Z axes. Indeed for such an application the PSD80 provides better response time as well as greater consistency and positioning accuracy.

The Herculane® linear motion wheel technology that was introduced by the PDU2 belt driven family of actuators is also responsible for the fit-and-forget performance of the PSD80. As standard the PSD80 is supplied as a closed unit to prevent debris from compromising its reliability. However, for applications where dirt ingress is not a design consideration, an open format version is also available. In both forms the unit can also be specified as a slave where two units are to be used in parallel.

A typical multi-axis application for the PSD80 would involve fitting the screw driven unit to a single PDU2M high moment load unit that is providing the Y-axis movement. This allows two standard PDU2 belt driven actuators to be used in parallel in the X axis. The whole assembly can then be mounted onto a HepcoMotion® MCS framework to provide a highly cost effective XYZ solution that would typically be stepper motor driven.

The application flexibility of the PSD80 is also enhanced by its availability as a completely corrosion-resistant product; as standard the screw is stainless steel. It can also be specified as a “double acting” version where two carriages are linked by left and right hand pitch screws. In addition to door or hatch actuation, this option is also ideal for systems that involve the positioning of opposing carriages, typically seen in measuring or sensing applications.

The PSD80 actuator can be supplied with precision ball screws where the application requires greater positioning accuracy.