Linear actuators
Jung celebrates its 30th anniversary
Today, JA2by Wilhelm Jung presents itself as a system integrator of mechatronic automation solutions based on highly dynamic linear motor systems. The company started out 30 years ago as a supplier of purely rotary drive components.
The career of entrepreneur Wilhelm Jung actually began in a garage. After the trained physicist had spent several years working in drive technology, electronics and packaging technology companies, he founded his own company Jung Antriebstechnik u. Automation - or JA2 for short - in the garage of his home in the Kleinlinden district of Giessen on April 4, 1989. Based on his experience as a development manager with an unmistakable penchant for practical applications, he put together a portfolio of rotary drive technology components: Three-phase motors from Kaiser, frequency inverters from Lust, analog servomotors from Seidel and Indramat and positioning controls from Elau.
However, it did not stop at pure trading business. Early on, he combined the components to create the first customized systems. These pioneering activities proved so successful so quickly that the space available in the house and garage had already reached its limits by the end of 1991. Jung therefore decided to build a functional building in Wettenberg, which he put into operation in 1993 with six employees.
In the years that followed, the new site continued to focus on automation - both in terms of in-house assembly processes and with regard to business with a steadily growing customer base in more and more industries. By the end of the 1990s, JA2 had realized thousands of customer-specific automation solutions based on rotary servo drives. The focus steadily shifted to the area of highly dynamic applications in handling, positioning and assembly technology. To this day, this is where the particular strengths of entrepreneur Jung lie. As a physicist with heart and soul, he is able to calculate even complex kinematics and the forces acting within them with absolute precision.
Metamorphosis to linear technology specialist
Until the turn of the millennium, everything at JA2 revolved around rotary kinematics, usually focusing on application-optimized servo drives. In 1998, however, Jung underwent a fundamental change to its product portfolio when it gained the renowned linear motor manufacturer Linmot as a partner. This was followed shortly afterwards by a turning point in 2001, when Wilhelm Jung consistently focused his company on linear motor technology. "From now on, nothing will rotate at our company; all future system solutions will be based on linear technology," promised the company boss at the time.
The development of complete mechatronic automation solutions, in which highly dynamic linear motor systems set the pace, quickly picked up speed. As Jung's development work also faithfully follows the principle of "mass sets the pace", JA2 's system solutions are mass-optimized and easily achieve above-average acceleration rates and exceptionally long running times.
Wilhelm Jung continues to maintain his successful dual role - as a distributor of specifically designed linear motor systems on the one hand and as a linear technology system integrator of modules and axes on the other - even including control cabinet construction, depending on the project. The company is on a stable growth path in both areas and JA2 delivers its 1,000th Linmot motor in 2006. From 2001 onwards, Jung builds up further development and application expertise in the field of mechatronics for linear motor technology and works on perfecting its own system solutions.
Upheaval in 2008
"In 2008, there was a major upheaval when Linmot put its own sales department in front of us," reports the company boss. Jung reacted by expanding his product range to include all four operating principles of linear motor technology. Shortly afterwards, he launched the HighDynamic module generation , which is regularly expanded and forms the focal point for numerous mechatronic kinematic and drive systems for handling, loading, positioning, mounting, marking, testing or sorting.
"The linear motor modules in the HighDynamic series are complete, ready-to-install systems for short-stroke continuous applications with high cycle frequencies and accelerations of up to 150 meters per square second. They consist of a tubular linear motor, two carriages, a movable guide rail made of hardened steel and an end plate. The guide systems require no additional lubrication and are otherwise maintenance-free," explains Wilhelm Jung. In practical operation, the guide system of the linear motor modules is only exposed to minimal static and dynamic loads and is characterized by good torsional and flexural rigidity. The effective force is applied and removed centrally at a front plate. Here too, all moving masses are reduced to a minimum; even the connection between the rail and end plate is mass-optimized.
Return to rotation
Wilhelm Jung has backed the right horse with its HighDynamic generation of linear motor modules. While more and more user groups are learning to appreciate the dynamic and kinematic advantages of these weight-optimized endurance runners, new application-specific complete solutions based on these linear motor modules are constantly being developed in Wettenberg. For some time now, rotary movements have also been playing a role again.
As early as 2013, it became clear that Wilhelm Jung would no longer be able to stick to his 2001 resolution 'Nothing will rotate here': When he presented the innovative rotary swivel modules of his ForTorque FT01 product line, he set foot back into the world of rotating applications. These servo-electrically driven endless rotary and swivel axes enable the highly dynamic, precise angular rotation of protruding workpieces and eccentrically arranged grippers and are also suitable for use in screwdriving and winding technology. "By combining them with our HighDynamic linear motor modules, they can also be used to implement powerful stroke-rotation solutions for assembly and production automation," says Jung.
The "airless" machine in mind
The call for fast, compact, process-stable and energy-efficient kinematics is heard louder than ever in automation today. Against this backdrop, the vision of the "airless" machine remains one of Wilhelm Jung's most important driving factors: "We continue to consistently pursue the objective of promoting the competitiveness of our customers in the mechanical and plant engineering sector with a portfolio of high-performance and economical mechatronic solutions for process automation. The substitution of pneumatic systems continues to be our main focus." as
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