HYBRID ACTUATORS IMPROVE CONTROL AND RELIABILITY IN RUBBER EXTRUSION BENDING MACHINE

An automotive Tier 1 supplier needed to replace an aging rubber extrusion bending machine with a modern, higher-performance system. Working closely with a machine integrator, the customer wanted to eliminate a traditional hydraulic power unit and hoses to reduce maintenance, complexity, and environmental concerns. The actuation system needed to support the high production requirements of automotive manufacturing, however, conventional electro-mechanical screw-type actuators could not withstand the shock loading inherent in the bending process or deliver the required control performance for a high duty cycle linear actuator application.