Toothed belt axis

Simplest connection to mechanical engineering profiles

Simplest connection to mechanical engineering profiles

The motion plastics specialist Igus is expanding its portfolio in drive technology with new toothed belt axes: the compact, robust and lubrication-free drylin ZLX high-performance series. The anodized aluminum profile of the axes was developed in a completely new geometric design. This means that drylin ZLX not only looks like a mechanical engineering profile, but can also be easily and quickly integrated into a profile kit. With a load capacity of 150 N and speeds of up to 3 m/s, the new toothed belt axis is suitable for automated production lines, pick-and-place systems and 3D printers, among other things.

With drylin ZLX, Igus is relying on proven technology in a new design: the heart of the new toothed belt axis is a linear sliding guide from the drylin W series in size 16, which is integrated into the interior of a robust, corrosion-resistant and clearly anodized high profile. In contrast to the other Igus axes, the toothed belt to which the carriage is attached runs inside the profile. This makes the appearance of the axis similar to that of a mechanical engineering profile. But the design also has a technical advantage:

"Classic aluminum profiles have very specific dimensions and there are also standards for the grooves that our drylin ZLX meets," explains Stefan Niermann, Head of the drylin Linear and Drive Technology Division at Igus. "Using commercially available slot nuts and connecting elements such as angles, it can be easily and quickly combined with commercially available mechanical engineering profiles in a kind of modular system. This is particularly beneficial for gantry structures. And the new design makes everything look like it was made from a single piece." Customers therefore benefit from both a uniform design and reduced assembly times. In addition, the belt tension on the new axis can be adjusted directly on the carriage without dismantling components - quickly and easily using an adjusting screw.

Quiet, lubrication-free, robust

drylin ZLX is quiet, robust and, like all Igus axes, runs without lubricant over the entire stroke length. The company also relies on the principle of "gliding instead of rolling" for the new toothed belt axis. Sliding guides work over a large area on rails or shafts. The larger contact area and lower surface pressure mean that softer materials such as aluminum and plastic components can be used. This not only makes the construction lighter, but also enables quiet running. The carriage moves over linear sliding films made of the tribopolymer iglidur J200, which offer a long service life for fast and slow adjustments.

The solid lubricants integrated into the high-performance plastic are released when the axis is in operation and enable maintenance-free dry running. For higher performance, the designers have optimized the relationship between the dimensions of the sliding guide and the deflection. Larger deflection radii improve the wear resistance of the toothed belt, as it is bent and thus stressed less. At the same time, the drylin W linear guide in size 16 ensures a longer service life for the axis. "We have made the most of the sliding guide for the installation space. Large sliders mean a larger contact surface, which in turn enables a higher load capacity," says Niermann. drylin ZLX is suitable for loads of up to 150 N and has a stroke length of 3,500 mm. Tests have also shown that it can achieve a service life of up to 20,000 km without maintenance, for example with a 5 kg load horizontally and 0.5 m/s. The service life can also be calculated online.

Ready for connection with gear and electric motor

The new toothed belt axis can be used both in combination with various portal structures and in stand-alone operation. A large number of grooves offer numerous options for attaching accessories such as sensor brackets or protective devices to the profile and the carriage. Igus supplies the toothed belt axes ready for installation with electric motors and offers three motor concepts to choose from: stepper, EC/BLDC or DC motors. These can all be operated with the D1 universal control, or alternatively with cost-effective output stages such as D3, D5, D7, D8 or D9. If required, customer motors from other manufacturers can also be connected to the flexibly designed connection elements. drylin ZLX is characterized by a precise and rigid motor connection. The drive can be implemented using an expansion grain doubling or an insert shaft, which increases flexibility when adapting to different applications. Examples of suitable applications are automated production lines, pick-and-place systems and 3D printers.

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