April 24, 2006

Accelerating Changes

LTV® Inventor Described the Next Revolution to Come to Material Handling at NA2006

Cleveland – Ronald E. Ward, CEO, Celerity Automation Inc., in a presentation delivered at NA2006, “Linear Drive Technology Revolutionizes Material Handling,” commented on the impact linear drive technology can have on material handing equipment and processes in manufacturing, warehousing, and DC applications.

“Cooperative advancement among the sciences of controls engineering and mechanical technology has helped clear the path for accelerating the way we handle materials,” said Mr. Ward. “These advances have laid the foundation for linear drive technology, which we believe will have a positive economic impact on your business.”

Most applications for linear motors have involved low torque, such as Maglev trains and roller coasters, or have been high torque applications involving short strokes such as those executed by positioning tables or machine tool guide ways and recirculating ball bearings. Recent advances developed by Celerity Automation engineers now enable high torque producing linear drive technology to be applied to a wider range of manufacturing and material handling applications in ways that increase throughput and quality and lower labor costs.

“For designers and builders of integrated material handling facilities or equipment, you will have the tools to solve intractable problems,” continued Ward.

In his presentation, Ward mentioned the breakthroughs and developments that led to these advances in linear drive technology. Here are a few key points about the technology:

• Linear drive technology is the bridge that can bring cost, time, and automation technology into a functional solution.

• Developments in guidance and feedback positioning that also control a requirement known as air gap enable linear motors to achieve high torque over long distances; over 2 to 3 G acceleration is typical with over 5 G possible.

• With these developments in high speeds and high torque, positioning accuracy rivals that normally found in machine tool applications; one ten-thousandth of an inch. The air gap position control and accuracy are byproducts of the developments in linear drive technology, not a special order feature.

• Speed and positioning accuracy enable fast yet controlled acceleration and deceleration, giving material handlers choices on whether to secure loads.

• The servo control system allows for minor changes or major production rescheduling on the fly.

• This is the tool for custom order fulfillment. Linear drive technology enables picking systems to more quickly move through picked to route and picked to order tasks.

Now, manufacturing and material handlers can move product as fast as it can be moved. In other words, it is only a product’s inherent limitation to speed that will limit the possible throughput in a system. Previously, the limitations of equipment have limited throughput capability.

“Systems Integrators will find that linear drive technology will provide answers to many material handling problems that can immediately benefit customers,” said Ward. “Customers will discover that while you are adding some cost effective equipment, you are removing a lot of manual labor as well as the tools and overhead required to support that labor.”


For more on Mr. Ward’s presentation or for copies of the white paper Linear Drive Technology Revolutionizes Material Handling , please contact:

The Turnkey Co.
135 North Rocky River Drive
Berea, Ohio 44017
Phone: 440 891 1138
turnkey@nacs.net

Or, Leslie Langnau, Manager Press Relations
The Turnkey Co.
Phone: 330-908-1611
connections@nls.net

Celerity Automation Inc. is located in Paintsville, KY. Working with advanced linear drive technologies, Celerity Automation Inc. develops equipment that takes advantage of linear drive technology for all types of manufacturing and material handling applications. Celerity Automation Inc. also works with systems integrators and OEMs to develop equipment and processes that benefit from linear drive technology advances.