More than 60 delegates attended the Linear Motion Masterclass held in Cambridge, UK, on 1 March 2007, the first in a series of Design Days organised by Eureka, a UK trade magazine for design engineers
The event was supported by Renishaw and three other leading suppliers in the field of motion control, and feedback from attendees at the event was overwhelmingly positive.
Steve Spurgeon, of LDS Test and Measurement, said: "it was a very useful day representing excellent value for money", while William Barraclough of Reliance Precision said: "Inca's paper was an excellent blend of technical, case study and management, very well delivered".
Sponsors were also positive about the experience.
Matthew Aldridge of Igus said: "It was like a trade show on steroids.
"The idea was to focus on engineering rather than sales, and this seemed to attract a higher level of responsibility than the typical trade show visitor".
Renishaw's encoder products business manager, Ian Oliver, was also pleased with the high quality of seminar attendees.
"All sponsors had recognised the increasing difficulty of attracting influential designers to exhibitions, and working with Eureka, we aimed to create an event that would represent real value to design engineers.
"I feel that we have achieved this aim".
The Linear Motion Masterclass focused on key issues including types of system, including laboratory equipment, that might benefit from direct drive linear motion, how linear motors and the associated slides, bearings and actuators are designed-in, and whether these systems can be truly cost-competitive against traditional designs.
During the event, there was a range of technical presentations and hands-on training workshops lead by a range of linear motion experts including consultants, end-users and suppliers.
Further explanation of the technology behind direct drive linear motion and the potential benefits that it offers designers, was provided through case study examples and tabletop displays.
The event was supported by four key suppliers in the field of linear motion; Aerotech (motors), Igus (bearings/slides), Renishaw plc (encoders) and THK (bearings/slides).
