move

The magazine for customers and friends of WITTENSTEIN AG

WITTENSTEIN AG:

Investment in the Future

5

September · 2010

move

The magazine for customers and friends of WITTENSTEIN AG

Content
New heights of performance with
Swiss precisionInterview with Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein

4

High Performance rack-and-pinion systems
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH6

Full-speed ahead into the future
electromobility with WITTENSTEIN and the StreetScooter

8

New “attoFPSensor”
attocube systems AG

10Doing our bit towards disaster relief
WITTENSTEIN bastian GmbH

Masthead
Publisher:
WITTENSTEIN AG
Walter-Wittenstein-Str. 1
D-97999 Igersheim / Germany
Phone: +49 7931 493-0
www.wittenstein.de
move@wittenstein.de
Editor:Sabine Maier, Manager Public Relations & Media(Responsible under press law)(Marketing & Communications Dept.)
Circulation:
6.500 copies
Production:
WAJS
Otto-Hahn-Str. 13
D-97204 Hoechberg / Germany
All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted orelectronicallydistributed without the express permission of
the publisher.

12

No sharp angles or edges: axenia
WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbH13

A new dimension in perfection: alpheno®
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH

14

1 kW in business card format: MINI-IQ-Drives®
WITTENSTEIN electronics GmbH

15

Aspiring to new heights
WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation GmbH

16

WITTENSTEIN Italy
The art of paper converting18

Trade fairs / prize competition

19

Dear readers,
we all feel it in the air – the economic recovery is now having adefinite impact on the engineering sector, too. The global economy went through the worst crisis for many decades and it affected all of us. No one knew when the situation would start topick up again, but one thing was certain: mechanical engineering
is and remains key to the success of the majority of industrial
sectors, be they active in the fields of environmental technology,
resource efficiency, automotive technology, chemicals or feeding
the world’s population.
So, have we now returned to a state of normality? Far from it!
Markets are stabilising, but nothing is like it was before. Around the world, market shares have shifted, with China inparticular having caught up, chasing ambitious growth targets. Globalisation is our fate – but it’s also our big opportunity. The range of technologies we have on offer is in demand worldwide. Our potential to solve problems across theglobe is just about infinite. Our task here is to develop and manufacture intelligent mechatronic drive technology, servo
systems and components. Throughout the crisis period, WITTENSTEIN made not one of its workforce redundant.
What’s more, we used this time to equip ourselves even better for the future by investing a sum in the double-digit
million range in our new production and development location in Switzerland.
Today, now that the economy is picking up again, we are able to support you with undaunted innovative energy andvitality in development. The long-held view that the economy and ecology are contradictory forces has been provenwide of the mark, the two now being seen as two sides of the same coin. Our engineers are implementing this insightin products and services that combine mechanics and electronics. Optimised technology is the key to a longer service
life, an aspect to which today’s designers pay a great deal of attention. The solution is often to switch from standard
to customised, perfectly adapted, high-end drives. Lasting quality and value over the entire service life are pushing out
short-sighted price considerations. The result is controllable drive systems that conserve resources. Energy efficiency
is a number one priority for all WITTENSTEIN products. This applies to our new rack-and-pinion systems, too, which
we will be presenting at MOTEK 2010. Thanks to WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH’s vast sizing expertise, backed up bya similarly extensive portfolio of gearheads, racks and pinions, individual users are sure to find the ideal system fortheir particular application.
There’s one thing we’re always fully aware of: our customers are under pressure to consistently increase their productivity. Our drive technology must therefore increase the energy conversion efficiency, availability and reliability of ourcustomers’ own drive products and systems. And the trend is shifting to intelligent servo systems. The mechatronic
drive facilitates numerous new functions that increase the productivity of modern machines and production units,
or some cases makes them viable in the first place. We are accustomed to developing and implementing solutions
quickly and flexibly. However, extensive experience in high-end drive solutions is no longer enough to guarantee our
future ability to sustain this success. A common understanding of the way complex components and systems aredeveloped, engineered, manufactured and marketed is vital.
Come and talk to us at MOTEK 2010 in Stuttgart!

Karl-Heinz Schwarz

Spokesman of the Board of WITTENSTEIN AG

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3

Interview

move talks to:

Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein

New heights of performance with Swiss precision
The WITTENSTEIN Group is investing around 12 million euros at its Swiss site in Grüsch in the canton of Grisons. The
first turf was dug last year. What used to be a small sales
centre incorporating a manufacturing facility is now a new
production and administrative building for high-quality gear
components and sensors. WITTENSTEIN’s manufacturing
facility for sensor technology “Made in Switzerland” hasmeanwhile been running successfully for some time andnow, in just a few weeks, the new rack manufacturing equipment will commence production. In an interview with MOVE
Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein, General Manager of WITTENSTEIN AG in Grüsch, explained the strategic goals for
the Swiss site.

WITTENSTEIN AG
Switzerland’s new production
and logistics centre in Grüsch
in the canton of Grisons

4 movemove: Dr. Wittenstein, in just a few weeks from now
WITTENSTEIN will start to manufacture its racks in Switzerland. Industrial “feeling” – in other words, sensor technology– has been established in Grüsch for some time but in future you
will be responsible for another business segment as well. Exactly
why did you decide to manufacture racks?
Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein: We are driving forward
our internationalisation strategy in Switzerland and our existing
Grüsch site is the base for this. Since the start of the new millennium, we have been using the facilities of the local start-up
centre, which is very close to Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH& Co. KG, the market leader worldwide for sheet metal processing machines. We manufactured modules for the medical technology and aerospace industries there and we later produced our
new torqXis ® sensor system. This new rack production divisionrounds off WITTENSTEIN alpha’s range of rack-and-pinion typeDr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein
General Manager of
WITTENSTEIN AG Switzerland

linear drives. We are now able manufacture entire rack-and-pinion
systems in house, rather than just developing and designing them.
move: What is it that the Swiss site, in particular, offers forthis new source of business?
Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein: Both Switzerland and Germany have a well-trained and skilled workforce that understands
performance and quality. In Grüsch we are able to bring together
the best modules and the latest knowledge of the WITTENSTEIN
Group’s production experts on the proverbial “greenfield” site.
Parallel to this, we were able to try out many new ideas here,
working with a committed team of employees from Switzerlandand company headquarters. We want to use this as a basis for establishing particularly efficient and customer friendly processes.
move: What is special about the new, Swiss-made racks?
Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein: We made careful comparisons with competitor products and decided to make a product thatis unlike the standard. Thanks to the fact that we select the material in conjunction with the hardening process, we have been able
to improve the performance of our products significantly: theforces that our new high-performance racks can transfer are up to
60% greater with the same module.
For the customer, this is reflected in more compact drives withless effort involved in handling and transport. In addition to this,we gain enormous logistical advantages from manufacturing inhouse: production on the premises gives us greater vertical integration – and with it better control over quality and delivery reliability. Ultimately, we can respond more flexibly to customers’
requests for, say, special geometries or particular hole patterns.
It can therefore be ensured that clients are always supplied with
the ideal racks for their applications.
move: What product portfolio will you offer in the future? And
when will you start to deliver the new Swiss racks to customers?
Dr. Anna-Katharina Wittenstein: WITTENSTEIN alphaGmbH’s current portfolio of linear drives includes systems madeup of low-backlash planetary gearheads, pinions that can be connected in different ways as well as hardened and ground racks.
As a system supplier, we are able to configure the ideal combination for each of our customers from our modular components.
Here, we not only rely on the 25 years of experience which distinguishes our company: we also use the latest engineering tools.
This is why we guarantee the performance and service life of oursystems, for instance with our system guarantee.
On the rack side, our delivery programme covers the module
2-8 range with lengths of up to 2000 mm from our Premium,
Smart and Value Class lines. The new High Performance rack
will be added to this range when it is available for delivery from
December. Also, you can be sure that, in future, we will continue
to announce interesting innovations in relation to linear drive
systems with rack-and-pinion systems.

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5

Products

New: High Performance rack-and-pinion
systems from WITTENSTEIN alphaCarburisation elevates performance data to a completely new level

WITTENSTEIN alpha is extending its portfolio of highprecision rack-and-pinion systems with a new generation of carburised racks. These linear systems, which are
ideal for applications with high feeding forces, provide
compact, dynamic drive solutions.

The key to the significantly increased strength at the toothroot lies in the production process: the use of a case-hardening steel in conjunction with carburisation has a crucial
impact on the rack‘s ability to withstand stress. Carburisation also facilitates a much higher linear force without altering
the geometry. As a result, it is possible to downsize the rackto the next smaller module – or transmit higher forces withthe same module – without compromising its performancevalues. The quantum leap achieved by WITTENSTEIN alphain rack performance is the outcome of “evolution throughinteraction” – a strategy for intensive collaboration between
designers, developers and process and material specialists.
The tight integration of several core competencies within the
WITTENSTEIN Group forms the backbone for this high-end
innovation that offers unbeatable value for money.

6 moveThe details are embedded in the system
The carburised rack rounds off WITTENSTEIN alpha’s new“Performance System”, meeting customer demands forever more compact solutions without any loss in quality or
performance. WITTENSTEIN alpha delivers precisely thisadded value with its market-leading gearheads and optimally
matched drive systems. As the developer and manufacturerof all system components, WITTENSTEIN alpha possesses
all the required expertise in the areas of gearing, engineering,
manufacturing and applications to cope with this challenge.
We not only understand the synergies of component interaction: even more importantly, we know how to leverage themas efficiently as possible. Our cymex® sizing software guarantees careful selection of the individual components neededfor each application. Customers are assured the optimum
possible combination of gearhead, pinion and rack for their
particular motor. As a total system provider, WITTENSTEIN
alpha warrants the functionality and performance characteristics of the designed solution. Together with the high quality standard of every single one of the proven components,
this creates a real innovative lead for a comparatively small
investment.

Precise, dynamic, efficient – the persuasive arguments of
the new rack-and-pinion systems• High precision: Linear positioning accuracy of 30 µm
even without a direct measuring system (Precision
System)• High dynamics: Acceleration up to 4 g and travel
speeds of more than 300 m/min• High efficiency: Enormous potential savings in termsof the total cost of ownership – as much as 20 euros
per hour of operation for a medium-sized milling centre
compared to a linear motor

Technical specifications• Performance System: Performance Class rack
(modules 2 to 6), compact PC+ pinion and low-backlash
planetary gearhead in the alpheno®, TP+ or TK+ series
for feeding forces up to 76 kN.

At a glance: the new Performance System
Based on the new rack, WITTENSTEIN alpha has broadened
its already wide portfolio with the new Performance System:
•

•
•
•

Performance System ffor maximum dynamics andfeeding force when only limited space is available for
installation
Precision System or exacting dynamics and precision
requirements in high-end applications
Smart System for mounting with more degrees of
freedom in flexible applications
Economy System for standard linear tasks

The new rack-and-pinion systems from WITTENSTEIN alphadefine new benchmarks in terms of precision, dynamics andefficiency under even the most challenging conditions. They
impress with their lighter weight, simple handling and transport, high dynamics, convincing energy efficiency and optimal
controllability. Don‘t just take our word for it – see for yourself:
the High Performance rack will be released for orders in October 2010 and shipped starting in December.

• Precision System: Premium Class rack (modules
2 to 6), high-precision Premium pinion with the lowbacklash SP+ and TP+ planetary gearheads, driven withhigh concentricity. Machine precision up to 5 µm canbe achieved in a master-slave arrangement with TP+
gearheads.
• Smart System: Freely and flexibly mountable SmartClass rack (modules 2 to 4) as well as Premium orStandard pinion with freely selectable WITTENSTEIN
alpha gearhead.
• Economy System: Value Class racks (modules 2 to 6)
and Standard pinion for involute output shafts or shaftswith a key.
Typical applications
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

rinding machines
HSC portal milling machines
Profile machining centres
Turning machines
Boring machines
Laser machines
Stamping presses
Water jet cutters
Machining centres for wood-plastics compounds
Plasma cutting machines
Pipe bending machines
Automation axes

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7

Application

Full-speed ahead into the future –electromobility with WITTENSTEIN and
the StreetScooter

Environment friendliness, economy and individuality are
the fundamental ideas associated with the topic of eMobility. The increasing scarcity of resources and constantly
rising prices are being felt by everyone, as will be thefollow-up costs if we don‘t succeed in reducing environmental pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions.
At the same time, the demand for individual mobility is
growing, e.g. in mega and other big cities and the urban
centres that surround them, in which around 40% of theworld‘s population will live in 2015.
What‘s so special about a real electric vehicle?
You occasionally see them out on the road, these electriccars that conserve resources, ease the burden on the environment and facilitate individual mobility. But these vehicles
certainly won’t succeed in turning eMobility into a popular
movement, because at present they are simply too expensive
for most people to buy. “Today’s electric vehicles are essentially nothing more than standard cars with the combustion
engine taken out and an electric motor dropped in instead”,
says Dr. Bernd Schimpf, Head of Generating Process Management at WITTENSTEIN AG. “With respect to space andrange, these vehicles are often unsuitable for daily use, andwhat’s more, far too expensive, because they are one-offor mini-series conversions for which both the components
and the conversion work are relatively dear.” What, then, is
so special about a “real” electric vehicle? This is a ques-

8 movetion scientists at RWTH Aachen University have been asking
themselves, setting up the StreetScooter project that brings
together automotive suppliers and technologies that are key
to electromobility. This collaboration is targeted at developing
all technologies required for an all-electric city vehicle throughto series production. At the same time, the StreetScooter isalso to serve as a model for the production of electromobiles,
because one of the chief aims of the project is to realise a selling price of approx. € 5,000 plus VAT and battery (or battery
leasing). “We’re talking not only about product development
but about the development of inexpensive production technologies”, explains Dr. Schimpf.
Two-seater or pickup:
the modular system determines the vehicle type
With respect to vehicle assembly, the experts at RWTH
Aachen have developed a totally new production concept
for the StreetScooter. The vehicle is divided into a numberof vertical modules, i.e. the front end and front section of thepassenger compartment, the rear section of the passenger
compartment and the rear-end module. The classic mode of
final assembly in the automobile industry is being replaced bya concept in which pretested modules, which can come fromdifferent suppliers, are joined together. It’s the modules thatthen determine the diversity of vehicle models available, fromtwo-seaters through convertibles to pickups. Differentiationand personalisation of vehicles in line with customer tastes

Application

WITTENSTEIN heads up the eMobility drive technology
side of the StreetScooter project: the highly compact,
electric drive system (see photo) first exhibited at the
Hanover Fair 2010 delivers the basis technology.
Thanks to the know-how and affordable technology fromWITTENSTEIN, the StreetScooter is en route to success.
Source: RWTH Aachen University

will then no longer take place at the factory; instead external,
StreetScooter-certified customisers will kit out each StreetScooter with precisely what the orderer wants, e.g. a leatherinterior, sat-nav system or sound system.
WITTENSTEIN heads up the drive technology side ofeMobility
What sounds so simple, namely to design an electric vehicle
segment by segment and compile the different model variantsby piecing together the modules, requires a huge amountof development and coordination work and the right technology partners. To this end, a total of nine LEGs (Lead Engineering Groups), each responsible for a different technology,
e.g. bodywork, safety or memory systems, were set up for
the StreetScooter project. One of these LEGs goes by thename of “Electric Drive” and is led by WITTENSTEIN. “Howimportant the results produced by this LEG in particular really are becomes very apparent as soon as one realises that
30% of the production costs for a StreetScooter are accounted for by the drive system”, explains Dr. Schimpf. “As adrives specialist, we therefore bear a huge share of the responsibility when it comes to the success or failure of theStreetScooter project, which is why we are investing ourentire experience with compact and even miniaturised drive
system solutions – with maximised efficiency and power /weight ratio – from other industries, such as aerospace andmedical engineering.”

Economically viable manufacturability of WITTENSTEIN
drivesWITTENSTEIN’s contribution on the drive side of eMobile
concepts speaks for itself. In collaboration with a well-known
automotive manufacturer, WITTENSTEIN presented a very
compact and rugged drive system at the last Hanover Fair, asystem that integrates the motor, electronics and gearhead
and offers acceleration that rivals that of Formula One cars
while being totally emission-free. Of great importance to
the StreetScooter project is that the motor, gearhead andelectronics in the drive modules are optimally harmonised
to achieve maximum efficiency and therefore the maximum
possible range. Moreover, the drives conform to the strictest imaginable operating, safety and reliability requirements.
“All components are made by WITTENSTEIN and optimally
matched”, says Dr. Schimpf. “What’s more, we will be rolling out various systems one after the other – in line with themodular concept. This means we can configure drives fordifferent performance classes and in different quantities whilestill exploiting the cost benefits of high-volume production for
the individual components. And by realising economically viable manufacturability of the drives, we are making a massive
contribution toward achieving the € 5,000 target price for theStreetScooter.”

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9

Application

New “attoFPSensor”
from attocube systems AG
A displacement sensor that could evenmeasure the thickness of an atom

by Dr. Dirk Haft,
CEO of attocube systems AG

attoFPSensor – a displacement sensor with atomic sensitivity

attocube systems’ Metrology division has developed a glass-fibre based displacement sensor that closes the technology gap when it comes to measuring distances and displacements with ultra-high precision in extreme environments
and confined spaces. While virtually no competition exists in this market niche, there are numerous applications
available.

The science of metrology dates back to the ancient Greek
world, in which measures of length were based on the sizeof body parts such as “foot” or “finger segment”. Over thousands of years, metrology has been honed in exact accordance with evolving technology, allowing modern engineers
and scientists to trace back time, length, weight and othermeasures to international standards with unprecedented accuracy. Although length and displacement measurement systems with accuracies in the 10 parts-per-billion (ppb) range
are offered on a commercial scale, there has been a technology gap in the availability of highly compact, ultra-sensitive
displacement sensors for use in extreme environments. attocube systems has recognised – and closed – this gap by
developing a new product family around a single-fibre based
interferometer. The “attoFPSensor” is capable of operationin harsh environments such as ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) or
ultra-low temperature, while providing traceable displacement measurements with sub-nanometre sensitivity.

10 move

The huge market potential for this type of sensor is
explained by the following two application examples:
For a new, linear electron accelerator in Geneva, up to 4,000
quadrupole electromagnets need to be actively aligned andadjusted with respect to a reference mass with an accuracyof better than 1 nm root mean square (rms). Although thetechnology for meeting this requirement already exists in theform of commercially available seismometers or geophones,
their signal-to-noise ratio is insufficient for the envisaged particle accelerator. What further complicates the matter is thatgeophones intrinsically only measure velocity rather than displacement, creating a need to mathematically integrate themeasurement signals over defined time periods. This data
integration process results in additional signal noise andworsens the overall performance of the system. attocube
systems’ new “attoFPSensor” represents a genuine solution
to this problem – to which no commercial-scale answer has
existed in the past. The “attoFPSensor” easily measures thePart of the WITTENSTEIN Group since 2008:
attocube systems AG (Munich)attocube systems AG, established in 2001 as a
spin-off of the Center for NanoScience (CeNS) at
Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, is anextremely successful developer of servo motors fornano-precise positioning. Thanks to its patented
principles, applications can for the first time be taken to the limits of what is physically and technicallypossible in environments characterised by ultra-low
temperature (minus 270 degrees Celsius), ultra-highvacuum or very high magnetic fields. The precisionand stability of this intelligent, interdisciplinary techServo motors from attocube systems travel in just one second towithin one nanometre of a destination point along a displacement
path several centimetres long. This feat could be compared with a golf ballthat is driven from Munich to Paris – some 600 miles away – where it
lands in a hole just four inches wide.

required absolute displacement between the sensor head
and the reference mass, leading to an improvement in signal
quality of around 500 percent compared to the best geophones currently available in the market. In contrast to other“classic” interferometer systems, the “attoFPSensor” excels
with its vacuum compatibility, compactness and fibre-based
design, which presently make it the only possible solution
to this problem. As a further advantage, the “attoFPSensor”
allows up to 10 sensor heads to be operated with a single
laser source, massively cutting the capital costs compared tocompetitor products. This is of particular importance whenseveral thousand sensors are necessary for operation, as is
the case with this large-scale research facility.
The second example is taken from the semiconductor industry. To further increase the density of transistors in integrated
circuits, the industry is investing huge sums into the development of extreme UV lithography technology (EUVL). EUVL isscheduled to be ready for use and commercially available by
the end of 2012, by which time it will allow the creation of
integrated circuits with a feature size for the smallest chipsof just 10 nm by taking advantage of a 13.5 nm light source

nology will steer the drives –and hence complete
microscope systems – to market leadership in thecompetitive global arena.

in the lithography process. However, due to the extremely
high energy of the light beam, all lithography processes will
have to be conducted in ultra-high vacuum to avoid absorption and ionisation of the impurities present in air. One of
the main issues to be solved in the development of EUVL isthe alignment between the UV optics and the photomask,
providing the upscaled image of the pattern to be written on
the wafer. Commercial interferometer sensors have not been
suitable for this task, as none of them are compatible withthe ultra-high vacuum conditions that prevail in the revolutionary lithographic apparatus. The “attoFPSensor”, on the other
hand, can cope remarkably well with the challenge of suchan extreme environment and furthermore allows the distance
between the photomask and the objective to be measured
with 1 nm sensitivity, as required by the system manufacturer
for this process. Positioning bulky, heavy objects such as the
EUV objective with nanometre precision is like “putting a manon the moon” – and the “attoFPSensor” might well turn out tobe one of the crucial components for this task.

move 11

Application

Doing our bit towards disaster relief
Turbine spur gears from WITTENSTEIN bastian drive
emergency generating sets

by Claus Stoll, Sales Manager at WITTENSTEIN bastian GmbHElectricity is usually in short supply in disaster areas.
Thanks to a remarkable technological development from
Austria, disaster relief can now be provided considerably
more efficiently than previously with the aid of emergency
generating sets. WITTENSTEIN bastian has supplied theinnovative gearing technology to make it happen.
Jakadofsky GmbH, based in Kottingbrunn, Austria, develops and manufactures special gas turbines with an integral
gearhead that are used to drive emergency generating sets.
Conventional emergency generating sets operate with piston
engines and weigh up to 200 kg, whereas turbines with an
integral gearhead cut the weight of the set to around just
25 kg. In emergency situations, lighter-weight generating setsenjoy a clear advantage: relief services, such as the fire brigade, rescue and supply teams, can get the units to where
they are needed and get them running much faster.
The challenge
Owing to the high structural and tribological stresses on thetoothing in the gearhead, the task of sizing and machining
the gearing components was a welcome challenge for thedevelopment engineers at WITTENSTEIN bastian. In view ofthe high number of cycles that need to be withstood, it isessential that the gearing be designed and sized to guarantee excellent fatigue strength in respect of pitting and toothroot fatigue fracture. Through the choice of tooth geometry,the engineers were able to positively influence the gearing’s
resistance to wear and scuffing load capacity. Owing to thehigh operating temperatures and expected, deficient lubrication conditions, special attention was paid to the choice ofmaterials and a suitable form of heat treatment for the turbine
spur gears.

Drive of emergency generatingsets for disaster relief:
the 14 HP turboshaft from
Jakadofsky with integral WITTENSTEIN bastian gearing.
Source: Jakadofsky GmbHThe technology
The roughly 10.5 kW of power to be transmitted is output
with a steady-state torque of 1 Nm and at an input speed of
100,000 rpm at the turbine shaft. The ambient temperaturesof the gear wheels lie between -20°C and +130°C. Two different versions of the turbine are built: in the case of thelower-cost version, the toothing is lubricated with a nebulised
oil-and-fuel mixture. By contrast, the teeth of the industrial
version are supplied with lubricant by a recirculating oil lubrication system. The length of service life demanded for the
spur gears corresponds to 6,000,000,000 load changes inthe drive stage.
The outcome
Following production of the prototype by WITTENSTEIN bastian and several successful test runs, CEO Peter Jakadofsky
confirmed that the WITTENSTEIN gearing satisfies all requirements with regard to longevity. And that’s not all: expectations as regards low noise levels were clearly exceeded.

Our technologies for your gearing problems:

12 movebastianBevel gears

Spur gears

Internal gears

Tooth type: Gleason arc
Module: 0.8 – 8, up to ø 275 mm
Quality (max.): DIN 1

Tooth type: Straight, helical, conical
Module: 0.3 – 9, up to ø 400 mm
Quality (max.): DIN 3

Tooth type: Straight, helical, conical
Module: 0.4 – 6, up to ø 400 mm
Quality (max.): DIN 6

Products

No sharp angles or edges

New series: stainless-steel
actuators for use in germ-freeenvironments

The new “axenia” stainless-steel actuators from WITTENSTEIN motion control GmbH are put to use wherever hygiene
has top priority, aggressive cleaning materials are used and systems have to be driven with utmost precision. The
most demanding requirements are set, for example, by the pharmaceuticals packaging and food processing industries. The name “axenia” is derived from the adjective axenic meaning germ-free.

The first actuator in this series to successfully come throughthe field trials is the axenia-CPM 080, the tests being conducted in a sausage machine. The drive rotates a twin tube
onto which the sausage skins are pushed prior to being filledwith sausage meat. The axenia-CPM 080 comprises a twostage gearhead in the alphira® 080 series with a maximum
acceleration torque of 80 Nm and an MSSI 064 synchronous
servo motor with a maximum acceleration torque of 4.3 Nm,and – with the exception of the output shaft – satisfies degreeof protection IP 69K. This is important because it guarantees
total ingress protection against foreign bodies such as dust
or water during high-pressure or steam-jet cleaning.
Thanks to an innovative sealing system, the output shaft
achieves IP 67 protection (dust-tight and protection against
temporary immersion). Machines in the food processing industry are cleaned several times a day, that is to say they
are covered with lather and then sprayed down with a highpressure jet. By employing 1.4301 stainless steel, the degreeof corrosion resistance to these alkaline or acidic cleaning
agents and disinfectants is increased, making the actuator
particularly well suited to use in food applications. Such innovative industrial design means there is no need to use excessive quantities of cleaning agents, because the stainlesssteel axenia-CPM actuator was developed and designed inaccordance with hygienic guidelines: with no sharp edges,
beads or exterior screw heads. As such, WITTENSTEIN motion control has set a new benchmark in industrial design andhygienic suitability, because so far there are no comparable
products on the market. Other versions with a TP gearhead(a planetary gearhead with high torsional rigidity) are alreadyin the pipeline as the axenia-TPM.
Processes and workflows in the food industry are still primarily carried out by hand – the level of automation in thisindustry is merely 20%. This explains why there is such highpotential for the deployment of axenia actuators, particularlyin the automation of food processing. Even if large sums ofmoney have to be invested in hygiene standards during theplanning and implementation of new plant and systems, it
still makes good economic sense over the entire length ofthe equipment’s service life. After all, there’s no denying that
insufficiently hygienic machinery leads to immense damage
and losses for the user.
Every actuator is designed and sized in line with the individual customer’s requirements because operating and environmental conditions differ greatly.

• For further information, please contact Siegfried Wallauer, Product Manager Rotary Drive Systems at WITTENSTEIN
motion control GmbH, e-mail: E-Mail: siegfried.wallauer@wittenstein.de.

move 13

Products

al[pha] + pheno[menal] = alpheno®

A new dimension in perfection

The perfectionists at WITTENSTEIN alpha have put theirheads together again. The outcome: alpheno® − a highperformance gearhead that sets new benchmarks
For more than 25 years now, WITTENSTEIN alpha has been
the market and innovation leader when it comes to highprecision planetary gearheads. Back in 1983, Dr. Manfred
Wittenstein achieved a new milestone in servo technology
when he introduced the first low-backlash planetary gearhead. The product range has been regularly extended andoptimised ever since. The further development of the SP+ andTP+ series in 2009 marked an important highlight in the “alpha
gearhead’s” ongoing success story.
Perfect is never perfect enough for us!
The performance of planetary gearheads is taken to an entirely new level with alpheno®. While many market competitors
are still reflecting on ways to improve precision and operating noise, WITTENSTEIN alpha is already one step ahead.
For several years, alpheno® has been the model of choice in

14 movehighly challenging applications where individual requirements
exceed the performance capabilities of the standard productrange. The power density of alpheno® has been increased
by up to 130% compared to the SP+ – exceeding all current
standards in the market.
No matter how exacting your specification, we can meetit!
Like the SP+ shaft gearhead, alpheno® is also available in a
HIGH SPEED® version and with a hollow shaft at the output. A
variant with optimised mass inertia guarantees maximum energy efficiency. In combination with the WITTENSTEIN alpharack-and-pinion portfolio, alpheno® represents an unbeatable
drive solution in the field of linear motion.

• Have we aroused your curiosity?
If so, contact us at the following address for individual
consulting: info-alpha@wittenstein.deThe new MINI-IQ-Drives® from WITTENSTEIN electronics

2 x 1 kW in business card format

1 kW in business card format
The new MINI-IQ-Drives ® from WITTENSTEIN electronics

From individually tailored system solutions to practiceproven standard products, these miniaturised, intelligent
software and electronic drive components from WITTENSTEIN electronics are additionally designed to work absolutely reliably in extreme environments, for example atvery high or low temperatures, at the bottom of the sea
or up in space.
The new “MINI-IQ-Drives®” electronic servo amplifier series
from WITTENSTEIN electronics provides up to 1 kW of power
while occupying a surface area of only 50 x 80 mm – no bigger than a standard business card! The exceptionally compact and robust controller is powered from an input of 10 to
60 V DC and supplies phase current output of up to 21 A. The
miniaturised drive controller is suitable for use in extreme ambient temperature environments from -40 to +85°C. It is thus
well suited for distributed automation solutions that requirea fast and precise response to application-oriented events.
The drive electronics are available with a CAN bus interface.
The connection to the outside world takes place over an optional connector board. Without the connector board, theautomatic controller can also be integrated directly. Aided byan efficient signal processor, the automatic controller with its
scanning rate of 32 kHz supports three modes of operation:
position, speed and torque control. The drive can provide
speed and torque controlled operation either with a motor
feedback encoder or without one (i.e. “sensorless”).
Modular and flexible
Assembly-friendly output stage modules of surface mountdesign save time and costs in the production process andassure high product quality and reliability. The product line
combines extremely high quality with a broad application
scope for drive solutions in the food processing, handling,
packaging, printing, paper, plastics, semiconductor and textile industries. The hardware and software can be customisedon request.
MINI-IQ-Drives® can be used to drive precision AC servo actuators made by WITTENSTEIN cyber motor directly. These
miniaturised drive systems offer the highest power density,
dynamics and precision available in the brushless servo motor industry today. The components have been validated together and are already operating successfully in a variety ofdemanding applications.

Technical specifications:• 		 Power supply 12 to 60 V DC
•		 Nominal continuous current up to 10 A rms•		 Sine wave commutation for quiet operation and		 maximum power density•		 Operating modes:
		 Speed control
		 Torque control
		 Position control
		 Sensorless control (EMF based)•		 Fieldbus: CANopen protocol with device profile (DS402)
		 and communication profile (DS301)•		 PC Interface: USB 2.0•		 Extended temperature range (-40 bis +85°C)•		 16 kHz PWM frequency•		 32 kHz controller frequency

move 15

Application

Aspiring to new heights
Control loading systems for flight simulators manufactured by WITTENSTEIN
aerospace & simulation have successfully cleared the hurdle of certificationby the authorities

by Christoph Heine, Managing Director
WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation GmbH

Boeing E-3 Sentry (“AWACS”)
Source: NAEW&CF E-3A component

A flight simulator – only the experts can see it is not a genuine cockpit.
Source: CAE Elektronik GmbHAnyone who is interested in technology and is also an aerospace enthusiast has at least seen a photoof the flight simulators used by major airlines such as Lufthansa, mounted on a hydraulic hexapod
with full motion and affording all-round visibility.

These simulators give trainee pilots a realistic impression of asimulated flight. Not only do they learn to fly economically but
they can also simulate difficult conditions and system failuresand discover how to respond to them properly without being
exposed to any danger – something that would be almost
impossible in a real aircraft. However, the market for simulators is much larger.
Firstly, there are simulators for different aircraft such as passenger aircraft, helicopters, military jets and transport planes.
Simulators are even used to train pilots of light aircraft. Also,
there are what are termed procedure trainers, which are akind of very simplified simulator. These are used to teachtasks like the various switching procedures or how to handle
faults. Mission trainers are used for pilot deployment, where

16 movethe exercise is less about piloting skills and more about simulating dogfights. Centrifuge trainers simulate the g-forces offlight manoeuvres realistically, allowing the pilot to deal withthis particular stress factor.
Training equipment used in the aerospace sector is subject
to legal requirements imposed by national and international
air safety authorities, just as the real aircraft are. This is theGerman Civil Aviation Authority (LBA) in Germany. In Europe
this used to be governed by the JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities) until EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) took over
responsibility a few years ago. In view of its record of several
successfully implemented orders, WITTENSTEIN aerospace& simulation qualified as a supplier of certified systems in thelast few months.

What are “control loading systems” (force feedback systems)?
This is a term used to describe technical systems which give the pilot using
the simulator the most realistic feedback possible of the forces at the controls – for example on joysticks, pedals and thrust levers. So that the parameters can be designed for programming and dynamic use, this equipment is
not spring mounted but is instead supported by actuators.
In addition to such actuators, WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation GmbH,as experts in this area, supply complete modules (with original-type handles, if requested by the customer) as well as peripheral devices and thesystem software.

The technical challenges involved in development and implementation lie
in the man-machine interface and the classical problems linked to this:Feeling is something subjective and cannot really be covered by technicalparameters. The statement “It feels right” is a very soft criterion and cannot
be accurately expressed in specifications. WITTENSTEIN’s control loading
systems can therefore be parameterised in many ways. After technical commissioning, the systems are fine-tuned for human factors in a tuning session
with experienced pilots.
As an additional service, WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation GmbH offers the measurement of force characteristics in the original aircraft so thatthese can be reproduced in the simulator, making it possible to deliver a fullsystem solution from one source.

Modern flight simulator
at a training establishment
Source: CAE Elektronik
GmbH

Reconfigurable pedal
assembly from WITTENSTEIN aerospace &simulation

Active cyclical joystick foruse in a helicopter simulator,
manufactured by WITTENSTEIN aerospace &simulation

Just a few examples:
Civil aviation
For CAE Elektronik GmbH, a subsidiary of CAE Inc. of Canada, WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation developed andsupplied a control loading system for the prototype EC-135
helicopter to comply with the standard JAR-FSTD H FTD
Level 3. The first customer and operator is a Polish air rescuecompany, which organises emergency transport for seriously
ill persons and the transportation of medical teams or organs.
Military aviation
One of the most interesting projects over the last few months
was the development of a control loading system for a Boeing
707 E-3A Sentry – also known as an AWACS or a “flying radar
station”. Although the prototype 707 aircraft went into service
as far back as the end of the 1950s, many AWACS planes arestill in use. So that the pilots of these aircraft can continue tobe trained properly, NATO has ordered a new simulator (flighttraining device) and, again, CAE will be the manufacturer. The
challenge for WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation here wasto integrate a modern control loading system into the newflight training device. It is planned that this system (which
complies with JAA Level-2 FTD, JAR-STD-2A) will go into
service in 2011 at the NATO air base in Geilenkirchen.
General aviation
Working in cooperation with the customer Diamond Simulation GmbH in Trebur near Frankfurt, WITTENSTEIN aerospace & simulation has developed a control loading system
to be used on flight simulators for the DA40/42 light aircraft,which has been certified to JAR FSTD-A FTD Levels 5 and 6.
A particular customer requirement for this project was to plansuitable modular technical solutions for two different certification altitudes.

move 17

WITTENSTEIN International

WITTENSTEIN Italy
The art of paper converting
The Italian province of Lucca is a major centre for the paper industry. One of the companies based there is MTC,
which employs around fifty people producing, among
other things, interfolders for the manufacture of facial
tissues, paper napkins and paper handkerchiefs. MTC
uses WITTENSTEIN alpha series SP+, HG+ and TP+ planetary gearheads. Up to 14 gearheads are installed in one
single machine.
Feather-light paper napkins, facial tissues and paper
handkerchiefs are produced from one paper roll weighing
2,000 kg – all at extremely high processing speeds. This is
why it is crucial which mechanical components are used.
The extremely quiet running and precision (≤ 1 arcmin) of
WITTENSTEIN alpha’s SP + planetary gearheads with optimised helical toothing impressed the Italian design engineers.
Irrespective of where they are installed, they always require
the same amount of lubrication and are available in sevensizes with ratios from i = 3 to i = 100, with acceleration torques of up to 4,500 Nm and maximum input speeds of up to
6,000 rpm. The HG+ right-angle gearhead with hollow output shaft is known for its precision and torsional rigidity. This

positions the drive train of the entire interfolder, which works
at speeds of up to 50,000 cycles per hour and extremely accurately. At ratios from i = 3 to i = 100, acceleration torquesof up to 640 Nm and input speeds of 4,000 to 6,000 rpm
are achieved – with a minimum circumferential backlash of< 4 arcmin over the entire service life of the gearhead.
Reliability and productivity are absolutely fundamental requirements for the interfolders because they work three
shifts. Massimo Gabrielli, MTC’s Technical Director says: “Weuse components from leading manufacturers, such as gearheads from WITTENSTEIN alpha, to ensure that our machines
work reliably”. The decisive criterion when using precision
gears is their service life. This is increased to a maximum,
thanks to the quality and optimum design of the gearing andall the components used. “All our products are individuallytested. Random samples are not good enough for us”, says
Renato Zampogna, Area & Engineering Manager at WITTENSTEIN S.P.A, WITTENSTEIN alpha’s Italian subsidiary. MTC
invests in its machines and they are built using excellent individual components: “It always pays off in the long run”, claims
Massimo Gabrielli.

Source: MTC
How paper towels are produced: The roll of paper is positioned on themachine and the sheet is fed in via the reelstand. The individual stages thenfollow – bonding, bordering, printing and embossing. The layers of paper
are finally fed into the folding head and folded and cut according to thedimensions specified by the customer.

18 move

Application with a special status: MTC and WITTENSTEIN engineers havefound a new and unusual application for the SP+ 180 planetary gearhead
as a differential gear. The SP+ gearhead is fitted “the other way round”, i.e.
what is used is its reduction ratio. The great advantage is that, when setting the axis, the gearhead can be utilised in such a way that it is extremely
versatile and free from structural specifications. The main axis is set by an
external electric motor, which cuts in if required.

Trade fairs/prize competition

Prize competition
We are aiming to make our customer magazine move even more interesting for our readers. Please help us by answering the following questions andsending in your reply by fax or e-mail:1. Which article in the current issue interested you most?
2. Which article was least relevant for you? Why?
3. Which topics would you like to see covered (e.g. mechatronics, applications, technical details)?
4. How would you rate the magazine in terms of design, clarity and content?
Design:		Very good

Good

		

Average			

Not very good

Clarity:

Good

			

Average			

Not very good

Informative 			

Uninteresting

Very goodContent: 		Helpful

Interesting

5. What needs to be improved? What is lacking?
6. Other comments, criticisms or suggestions:
Please send in your reply, either by e-mail to move@wittenstein.de or by fax to+49 (0)7931/493-10301, by October 15, 2010 at the latest, stating your full name and address.
All participants will be entered in a draw, in which ten lucky winners will receive a copy of thebook “Geschäftsmodell Deutschland. Warum die Globalisierung gut für uns ist” by Dr. Manfred
Wittenstein. The book will be premiered in October 2010 at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Please complete:
I am a 		Customer

Supplier 			My company’s current size: 		

Other:
< 500

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Postal address:

FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS 2010/2011 (selection)
BIMU, Milan (Italy)
International Trade Fair for Machine Tools,
Robots and Automation
WITTENSTEIN S.P.A.
October 5 - 9, 2010

Forum Maschinenbau, Bad Salzuflen (Germany)
Trade Fair for Suppliers in the Machinery Manufacturing Industry,
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH
November 3 - 5, 2010

PTC Asia, Shanghai (China)
International Exhibition for Electricaland Mechanical Power Transmission,
Transformers, Hydraulics, Technologies
and Machine Parts
WITTENSTEIN (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd.
October 25 - 28, 2010

SPS/IPC/DRIVES, Nuremberg (Germany)
Electric Automation, Systems andComponents, Exhibition & Conference
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH, WITTENSTEIN
motion control GmbH, WITTENSTEIN cybermotor GmbH, WITTENSTEIN electronics GmbH
November 23 - 25, 2010

Scanautomatic, Gothenburg (Sweden)
International Fair for Hydraulics, Pneumatics,
Electronics, Transmission andMeasuring, Control & Regulating Instruments
WITTENSTEIN AB
October 26 - 28, 2010

Intec, Leipzig (Germany)
Trade Fair for Manufacturing, Tool and SpecialPurpose
Machine Construction
WITTENSTEIN alpha GmbH
March 1 - 4, 2011

Pack Expo, Chicago (USA)International Trade Fair and Conference
for Packaging Technology
WITTENSTEIN Inc.
October 31 - November 2, 2010

Hanover Fair, Hanover (Germany)
The World’s Leading Showcase for Industrial
Technology
WITTENSTEIN Group
April 4 - 8, 2011

move 19