When implementing this rotary axis, the manufacturer Afag relied on the proven technology of the SE20 rotary axis from eps and expanded it to include the electrical rotary feed-through. Thanks to the new design, users can mount the axis directly on the standard Afag mounting grid. This saves unnecessary adapter plates, reduces the moving mass and increases productivity.

The RA-40 rotary axis is the further development of the SE20 axis. The tried-and-tested drive train - from the motor and backlash-free gearbox to the fluid rotary feedthrough and output flange - forms the heart of the rotary axis. Afag offers the fluid feed-through in two different versions: double or, on request, quadruple. In addition to the fluid feed-through, the RA-40 is now also available with an electrical rotary feed-through. This contains five independent energy feed-throughs. The permissible peak current is two amperes each. With a gear ratio of 30:1, users can achieve a maximum speed of 280 revolutions per minute. For applications that require more torque, the 50:1 gear ratio achieves a peak torque of four Newton meters.

A major advantage for users: thanks to the angular design, the rotation axis can be screwed directly onto the standard 30 millimeter mounting grid. This eliminates the need for adapter plates, which were previously required for mounting, and makes the system faster and more compact. The width of the module is just 41 millimeters. This means improved cycle times and greater customer benefits, particularly when used as a C-axis for handling systems. An additional encoder in the axis is available as an option for higher accuracy, direct output of the position to vision systems and for applications with safely reduced speed.

An ideal electric rotary gripping unit from Afag is the combination of the RA-40 rotary axis with the EU-12 or EG-12 gripper, which enables fast and powerful gripping movements with infinite rotary movements without compressed air and disruptive hoses or cables. The gripping times are 70 milliseconds. A 180-degree rotation of the axis takes just 150 milliseconds. These values offer optimum conditions for particularly fast pick-and-place cycles. pb