Pneumatics is at the core of Festo's business, and will continue to be
so. However, the company has identified a growing trend for designing
hybrid combinations of electrical and pneumatic actuation in modern
machines and is already well into a programme to develop complementary
products that are electrical, rather than pneumatics based. The most
recent example is the SLTE linear slide, which is essentially the
electrical version of its well-proven SLT pneumatic positioner.
This is Festo's first electromechanical mini slide, but it has a lot in
common with the SLT. It makes use of the standard SLT cylinder, but
instead of the usual piston arrangement, this contains a lead screw
system driven via a gearbox by a small dc motor/encoder combination - an
assembly that has been cleverly contained within the envelope of the
slide. The SLTE is mounted in exactly the same way as its SLT pneumatic
cousin and shares identical interfaces.
The IP54 protected electronic control unit can be mounted away from the
slide and offers both CANopen and Profibus fieldbus connectivity, with
RS232 serial communications for remote set-up and parameterisation. A 500
pulse/rev encoder, fitted to the back of the motor, ensures precise
positioning, with a repeatability of 0.05mm. Stroke lengths are available
between 20 and 150mm, and the SLTE will move a load of 6kg some 50mm in
under half a second.