XTS guide rails and movers

The XTS guide rails and movers are passive components of the XTS construction kit system. In combination with the magnetic fields of the motor modules, the movers enable a linear travel movement along a specified track layout. Basically, a distinction can be made between two system solutions: the guide rails that are mounted directly on the motor modules with little effort, and the guide rails that run parallel to the motor modules and can accept larger weight forces.

For mounting guide rails on the motor modules, Beckhoff offers a variant with guide rails made of aluminum and matching movers with plastic rollers. Thanks to a modular construction kit consisting of different guide rail designs, individual travel paths can be realized and flexibly adapted. Additionally, the combination of plastic rollers on an aluminum track offers the advantage of a system concept with low lubrication requirements, which is suitable for use in the pharmaceutical and other industries. The set-up described can be traveled on with two types of mover: a rigid mover set-up for payloads up to 1.3 kg and a sprung mover set-up for higher mileage and reduced product spacing.

The second system solution consists of using a guide rail running parallel to the motor modules. The weight forces are no longer absorbed via the motor module, but by a guide rail mounted on a machine bed, allowing larger masses to be transported. As a supplementary product variant, motor modules are available for this system solution without fastening holes for a guide rail system. This prevents foreign bodies from the industrial environment collecting in the open holes.

With the GFX system, Hepco Motion offers a corresponding variant in which steel guide rails and matching movers with steel rollers are combined. The long service life of the movers presupposes extremely low maintenance requirements with high transport weights of up to 4 kg. In order to increase the transport weights still further, there is also a possibility to combine several systems with one another. A fully assembled GFX system can be ordered directly through Beckhoff.

The various versions are complemented by corresponding product variants for hygienically demanding environmental conditions. The stainless steel guide rails can be mounted directly on the motor modules of the XTS Hygienic product variant. To match, there are two variants in hygienic design, with the movers in stainless steel and aluminum executions. The stainless steel movers can be used in environmental conditions with particularly high hygienic requirements. In comparison with this, the anodized aluminum mover offers the advantage of the transport of larger payloads with higher dynamics. An adapted variant of the GFX system is also available for a parallel-running guide rail system.