Linear motor system and its mover

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a mover of a linear motor system and a linear motor system. The mover includes a housing and a material coupled to the housing, the material having one or more protrusions that extend toward a track of the linear motor system. The mover also includes a bearing that engages the track. The bearing includes one or more recesses that extend from a first surface of the bearing toward a second surface of the bearing opposite the first surface. Each of the one or more recesses receives a respective protrusion of the one or more protrusions of the material. As the mover travels along the track, the bearing wears from the second surface over time, thereby exposing the one or more protrusions to the track.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to linear drive transportation systems, and more particularly to wear indicators for movers in linear drive transportation systems. Background Technology

[0002] A range of linear motors are known and used throughout industry, particularly in manufacturing, filling, and material handling applications. Such motors typically consist of elongated tracks where motor coils are associated with a stator core (e.g., a stacked core). Depending on the motor design, the coils can have various orientations. A permanent magnet mover can be placed on the track, and a field generated by selective excitation of the track coils interacts with the permanent magnet of the mover to cause the mover to move along the track in a desired direction, velocity, and acceleration, and to stop and start at desired locations. Highly flexible and precise control of the movement of one or more movers can be achieved through control and drive circuitry associated with the coils of the track segment.

[0003] Proper spacing between the permanent magnet of the mover and the coil of the track helps ensure mover control and / or maximum thrust. The mover bearings can move along the track's guide rails and may eventually wear. When the bearings wear due to the mover's time and / or use, the permanent magnet and the track coils may drift away from the proper spacing, potentially leading to inefficient operation of the linear motor and mover and / or damage to the linear motor or mover. Therefore, as discussed herein, providing a wear indicator to notify the user to replace the mover bearings can increase operational efficiency and reduce the chance of damage to the linear motor and mover system.

[0004] This section aims to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technology that may be related to the aspects described below and / or claimed in this disclosure. It is believed that this discussion will help provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that these statements should be interpreted in this context, and not as an admission of prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following provides an overview of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief overview of these particular embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In fact, this disclosure may cover various aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0006] In one embodiment, a mover of a linear motor system includes: a housing and a material coupled to the housing, the material including one or more protrusions configured to extend toward a track of the linear motor system. The mover also includes a bearing configured to engage with the track, wherein the bearing includes one or more recesses extending from a first surface of the bearing toward a second surface of the bearing opposite to the first surface, wherein each of the one or more recesses is configured to receive a corresponding protrusion of the one or more protrusions of the material, and wherein the bearing is configured to wear from the second surface over time as the mover travels along the track, thereby exposing one or more protrusions to the track.

[0007] In another embodiment, a linear motor system includes a track segment and a mover. The track segment includes a plurality of coils energized to generate a controlled magnetic field, and the mover is configured to be displaced by the controlled magnetic field. The mover includes a magnet array and a wear indicator. The magnet array is configured to be arranged within a threshold distance range from the plurality of coils, and the wear indicator includes a tab, wherein the tab of the wear indicator is configured to engage with the track segment of the linear motor system when the magnet array falls outside the threshold distance range from the plurality of coils.

[0008] In another embodiment, a method includes: operating a plurality of coils of a track to generate a controlled magnetic field; and using the controlled magnetic field to move a mover along the track, wherein a bearing of the mover is configured to engage with the track and wears over time as the mover travels along the track. The method further includes: exposing a wear indicator in response to the mover traveling a threshold distance along the track, the wear indicator being configured to engage with the track, wherein the wear indicator is configured to slow the movement of the mover along the track. Attached Figure Description

[0009] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings, and in the drawings:

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an exemplary linear motor system according to the embodiments described herein, showing straight and curved track segments and several movers positioned for movement along the track segments.

[0011] Figure 2 It is based on the implementation method described herein. Figure 1 A perspective view of one of the movers in a linear motor system.

[0012] Figure 3 It is based on the implementation method described herein. Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the system;

[0013] Figure 4 The wear indicator is included according to the embodiments described herein. Figure 1 A decomposed diagram of one of the movers;

[0014] Figure 5 On the track of a linear motor system according to the embodiments described herein Figure 1 A perspective view of one of the moving parts; and

[0015] Figure 6 It includes a wear indicator according to the embodiments described herein. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of one of the moving parts. Detailed Implementation

[0016] One or more specific embodiments of this disclosure will now be described. To provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual implementation may be described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary across different implementations. Furthermore, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but it remains a routine task in design, manufacturing, and production for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0017] When describing elements of various embodiments of this disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “described” are intended to mean the presence of one or more elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may be present in addition to those listed.

[0018] Now refer to the attached diagram, and first refer to... Figure 1 A linear motor system 10 for moving articles or products around a track 12 is shown. As those skilled in the art will understand, in many applications, the linear motor system 10 can interoperate with other machines, robots, conveyors, control devices, etc. (not shown separately) in overall automation, packaging, material handling, or other applications. The linear motor system 10 can generally be referred to as a "linear motor" as described below, wherein moving parts are positioned, accelerated, decelerated, and generally moved under the influence of controlled magnetic and electromagnetic fields. In the illustrated embodiment, the track 12 includes a plurality of straight track segments 14 and a plurality of curved track segments 16. These segments are generally self-contained and can be installed in various physical configurations, for example, Figure 1The illustrated ellipse shape is shown. It should be noted that, as described below, other configurations are also possible. This configuration can form closed loops of various shapes, but may also include segments with open ends. The linear motor system 10 may also include one or more movers 18, which can be mounted to and move along the track 12. Similarly, position, velocity, acceleration, and higher-order derivative parameters are controllable for these movers 18 through appropriate control of the coils of the energized and de-energized system. In the illustrated embodiment, the movers 18 interact with fixed elements within and around the periphery 20 of the track segment 16; however, other configurations are contemplated.

[0019] Each mover 18 may include a mounting platform. In practical implementations, various tools, retainers, support structures, loads, etc., can be mounted to this mounting platform. The mover 18 itself can be configured differently from those shown to accommodate various loads. Although in Figure 1 The diagram shows a horizontal configuration, but other orientations are also possible, such as the ellipse shown typically standing on the side or end, or at any angle between the two.

[0020] The linear motor system 10 may also include circuitry for controlling the movement of the mover. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the circuit may include a drive circuit 22 that provides signals to each track segment 16, and particularly to each coil of track segment 16, to generate an electromotive force that interacts with a magnet on track segment 16, thereby driving the mover 18 to a specific position at a specific speed, acceleration, etc. The drive circuit 22 may typically include an inverter circuit that uses power electronic switches to provide drive power to each coil of each segment in a controlled manner. In some embodiments, the drive circuit 22 may be included in each individual track segment 16, and signals are provided to the drive circuit 22 by a power and control circuit 24. The power and control circuit 24 (and the drive circuit 22) may receive feedback from the movers 18 to detect the position, speed, acceleration, etc., of each mover 18. In some embodiments, the movers 18 may also be identified by the power and control circuit 24 as independently controlled axes, but their positions, speeds, and accelerations are adjusted to avoid collisions, etc. Depending on the specific task to be performed, the specific motion curve implemented by the power and control circuit 24 may typically be achieved during the design and commissioning of the linear motor system 10. Finally, various remote control and / or monitoring circuits 26 can be provided and linked to the linear motor system 10 via one or more networks 28. Such remote circuits typically allow the operation of the linear motor system 10 to be coordinated with other automated components, machine systems, manufacturing and material handling machines, etc.

[0021] Figure 2This is a perspective view of one of the movers 18 in a linear motor system. The mover 18 is positioned along a track segment including a guide rail 48. The mover 18 may include a housing 30, a wear indicator 32, a bearing 34, a plate 36, and a magnet array 38. The housing 30, wear indicator 32, and bearing 34 may be arranged on a first side (e.g., above) of the guide rail 48. The housing 30 may be coupled to the wear indicator 32 and bearing 34 (e.g., via fasteners) and may be preloaded with the wear indicator 32 and bearing 34. In some embodiments, the housing 30 may be removably coupled to the wear indicator 32 and bearing 34. Thus, the wear indicator 32 and bearing 34 can be replaced (e.g., due to wear) by removing the housing 30 and inserting a new wear indicator 32 and / or a new bearing 34. The wear indicator 32 may be formed of a rubber material, cork material, fluoropolymer material (e.g., Viton), any other suitable material, or any combination thereof, and may be arranged between the housing 30 and the bearing 34. The mover 18 can engage with and move along the guide rail 48. For example, as the mover 18 moves along the rail, the bottom surface of the bearing 34 can engage the top surface of the guide rail 48. The bearing 34 can be formed of a polymer material such as polyacetal, a plastic material such as IGUS 350, a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material, a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material, any other suitable material, or any combination thereof, and can allow linear movement of the mover 18 along the guide rail 48. The bearing 34 can be formed of a material having a lower coefficient of friction when in contact with the guide rail than the material of the wear indicator 32. Therefore, the bearing 34 can allow the mover 18 to move along the guide rail 48 with a smaller force than when the wear indicator 32 contacts the guide rail 48. In some embodiments, the bearing 34 can be formed of a material suitable for the desired task (e.g., via industry standards). For example, the bearing 34 can be formed of a food-grade polymer used for bottling and food contact tasks. As another example, bearing 34 may be formed of a hygienic material used for hygienic tasks. Bearing 34 may begin to wear as the mover 18 travels along guide rail 48 (e.g., over hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of kilometers). After a portion of bearing 34 has worn down, a portion of wear indicator 32 may be exposed to and engaged with at least one of guide rails 48. For example, mover 18 may have a lifespan of up to 5,000 km (e.g., up to 7,500 km, up to 10,000 km, up to 12,000 km, up to 15,000 km, up to 16,000 km, etc.). Upon contact with at least one of guide rails 48, wear indicator 32 may slow down and / or stop mover 18, and may prevent movement of mover 18. Thus, wear indicator 32 may notify the user of the linear motor system 10 that the permanent magnet of mover 18 is no longer within a threshold distance from the coil of track segment 16.Plate 36 may be arranged at least partially on the second side (e.g., below) of guide rail 48 and may be coupled to housing 30 (e.g., via fasteners). Plate 36 may be coupled to magnet array 38 and may keep mover 18 aligned with guide rail 48.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a linear motor system 10, showing a track segment 16 and a mover 18 positioned along the track segment 16. Figure 3 The track segment 16 shown can be a straight or curved track segment, with different physical configurations, and, as described below, possesses certain practical characteristics due to the curved nature of the curved section. However, typically, each mover 18 may include a magnet array 38 on which multiple magnets 40 can be mounted. These magnets 40 may be permanent magnets and are mounted such that a small air gap is provided between the magnets 40 and the coil 50 of the track segment 16. The small air gap may be predetermined and can be selected to provide maximum thrust and / or efficiency of the mover 18. In some embodiments, the air gap may reach a threshold distance (e.g., 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 5 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the air gap may be a range of threshold distances (e.g., between 0.25 mm and 1 mm, between 5 mm and 1 mm, between 5 mm and 8 mm, between 1 mm and 5 mm, and between 1 mm and 10 mm, etc.). As bearing 34 continues to wear due to use of mover 18, the air gap size may change. For example, as bearing 34 wears, the permanent magnet may move lower below guide rail 48 and closer to coil 50, thereby reducing the air gap size. With continued use of mover 18, bearing 34 may undergo a predetermined amount of wear. Therefore, the permanent magnet and coil 50 may fall outside the threshold distance range required for effective operation and / or control of mover 18. Figure 3As shown, the mover 18 may also include a sensor component 42, such as a permanent magnet, an energized coil, a Hall effect sensor, or any other suitable device. However, it should be noted that the specific sensor component 42 included in the mover 18 can depend on the nature of the sensing strategy, the sensing resolution, the position of the sensor component 42 on the mover 18 (and the cooperating components on the track segment 16), etc. In some embodiments, the sensor component 42 may be arranged within a portion of the wear indicator 32 and / or the bearing 34. For example, the sensor component 42 may detect that a portion of the wear indicator is within a threshold distance of the guide rail and / or may engage the guide rail 48 after a predetermined amount of wear on the bearing 34. The sensor component 42 may sense the guide rail 48 and / or detect engagement with the guide rail 48 and may provide notification to the user of the linear motor system 10. For example, the sensor component 42 may generate audible alarms (e.g., alarms), visual alarms (e.g., light, flashing light, exposed portion of the wear indicator), tactile alarms (e.g., vibration), and any other suitable alarms. In some embodiments, sensor component 42 may send notifications to a controller, such as remote control and / or monitoring circuitry 26. For example, remote control and / or monitoring circuitry 26 may include a user interface for displaying notifications. Remote control and / or monitoring circuitry 26 may provide audible alarms, visual alarms, tactile alarms, and any other suitable alarms. In some embodiments, the notification may include an instruction to replace bearing 34 and / or wear indicator 32. Thus, a user of the linear motor system 10 may be informed of the amount of wear on bearing 34 and may be instructed to replace the wear indicator 32 and / or bearing 34 of the mover 18. Platform 44 is mounted on the mover 18 for mounting tools, loads, etc. Bearing 34 may be mounted to a mechanical structure (e.g., a housing) of the mover 18 and may be used to interact with one or more rails 48 of the track. Bearing 34 and the rails 48 of the track allow the mover 18 to remain firmly attached to the track segment 16 while allowing relative freedom of movement of the mover 18 along the track segment 16 and bearing mechanical loads and forces encountered during movement.

[0023] Track segment 16 may include a series of parallel coils 50 associated with stator 52 or armature. In the currently contemplated embodiments, these coils 50 may be mounted in slots in stator 52, and stator 52 itself may be made of a magnetic material formed as a stack of laminates and configured to allow mounting within the housing of track segment 16. Specific configurations, magnetic structures, mounting structures, etc., of the coils 50 and stator 52 components are generally beyond the scope of this disclosure. As described above, drive circuitry 54 may be included in each track segment 16 to allow controlled electrical signals to be applied to the coils 50, thereby appropriately driving and positioning the mover 18 around track segment 16. Finally, a sensor array 58 is disposed in each track segment 16 to allow interaction with sensor components 42 of the mover 18. The sensor array 58 may provide feedback indicating the position of the mover 18 and may be used to derive velocity, acceleration, jerk, and other motion parameters. In the illustrated embodiment, multiple track segments 16 may be installed end-to-end and interconnected with each other and / or interconnected with power and control circuitry 24 to receive signals for powering coil 50.

[0024] As those skilled in the art will understand, the track segment 16, together with the magnet array 38 of the mover 18, can generally form part of what can be considered a linear motor system 10. That is, an electromotive force is generated by the controlled field of the coils 50, and the interaction between these fields and the magnetic field of the magnet array 38 is used to drive the mover 18 to a desired position at a desired speed, etc. As described above, these coils 50 and the linear motor itself can be designed according to various configuration strategies, such as configuration strategies with coils 50 arranged around the periphery of the track segment 16, configuration strategies where the coils 50 are generally planar (located at the top or bottom of the track segment 16), etc. Although the “linear” motor system 10 can be used in this disclosure, it should be understood that curved sections of various configurations are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure.

[0025] Considering the foregoing, Figure 4 The illustration shows an embodiment of the present disclosure including a wear indicator 32. Figure 1A perspective view of the mover 18. The housing 30 may include a through-hole 30A, which may receive a fastener to couple the housing 30 and the plate 36. The wear indicator 32 may include any number of tabs, such as tabs 60A and 60B, and tabs 60A and 60B may be at least partially arranged in a portion of the bearing 34. For example, the bearing 34 may include any number of recesses that partially extend into the bearing and are configured to receive any number of tabs of the wear indicator 32. Tabs 60A and 60B may be positioned toward the periphery of the wear indicator 32 and may be located on the surface of the wear indicator 32 facing the guide rail 48. Tabs 60A and 60B may be located on the surface of the wear indicator 32 such that when the mover 18 is placed on the track segment 16, at least a portion of tabs 60A and 60B may be located above the corresponding guide rail 48 of the track. After a threshold amount of wear occurs in bearing 34, tabs 60A and 60B can engage the guide rail 48 of track segment 16. For example, at least a portion of tabs 60A and 60B can engage the guide rail 48 and can slow down and / or stop the mover 18. Wear indicator 32 may include a through-hole 32A, and the through-hole 32A may receive a fastener to couple housing 30 and wear indicator 32. Bearing 34 may include a through-hole 34A, and the through-hole 34A may receive a fastener to couple housing 30 and bearing 34. Additionally or alternatively, any number of components may replace the mover 18. For example, bearing 34 and / or wear indicator 32 may be replaced by removing housing 30 after a threshold amount of wear has occurred on bearing 34.

[0026] Considering the foregoing, Figure 5 A perspective view of a mover 18 arranged on a guide rail 48 of a track according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The bearing 34 may include any number of recesses, such as recesses 62A, 62B, extending partially from a surface of the bearing 34 toward an opposing surface into the bearing. For example, recesses 62A, 62B may be formed in the surface facing the wear indicator 32. Recesses 62A, 62B may be formed in a portion of the bearing 34 such that when the mover 18 is placed on the track segment 16, recesses 62A, 62B are at least partially arranged above the corresponding guide rail 48 of the track. Recesses 62A, 62B may receive at least one tab of the wear indicator 32, for example, Figure 4 The tabs 60A and 60B are shown. The recesses 62A and 62B can retain and hold the wear indicator 32 in place. The mover 18 may include a fastener 64, and the fastener 64 can couple the housing 30 to the plate 36.

[0027] Considering the foregoing, Figure 6A cross-sectional view of the mover 18 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Each tab 60A, 60B of the wear indicator 32 may be at least partially arranged in a corresponding recess of the bearing 34. As the mover 18 moves along the track, a portion 66 of the bearing 34 may engage the guide rail 48, and the portion 66 of the bearing 34 may have a thickness 68. The thickness 68 may be selected based on a threshold distance range between the magnet array 38 (e.g., permanent magnets) and the coil 50. For example, the thickness 68 of the portion 66 of the bearing 34 may be 1 mm or less (e.g., 0.75 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.25 mm, etc.). In some embodiments, the thickness 68 may be equal to or less than the difference between the upper and lower limits of the threshold distance range. For example, the upper limit of the threshold distance range may be at least 1 mm (e.g., 2 mm, 5 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, etc.), and the lower limit of the threshold distance range may be at least 0.25 mm (e.g., 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.1 mm, etc.). Therefore, the thickness 68 of portion 66 can be as high as the difference between the upper and lower boundaries (e.g., up to 0.75 mm). The mover 18 can move along guide rail 48 until the portion 66 of bearing 34 with thickness 68 wears. Once the portion 66 of bearing 34 wears, one or more of the tabs 60A, 60B of wear indicator 32 can be exposed and can engage one or more of guide rails 48. Engagement between one or more tabs 60A, 60B and one or more of guide rails 48 can slow down and / or stop the mover 18. In some embodiments, wear indicator 32 can provide notification (e.g., via sensor component 42, via visual inspection, via remote control and / or monitoring circuitry 26) to notify the user of linear motor system 10 to replace bearing 34 and / or wear indicator 32. Therefore, wear indicator 32 can reduce inefficient operation of linear motor system 10 including mover 18 and / or can prevent damage to components of linear motor system 10 due to wear. Additionally or alternatively, bearing 34 may include visual indicators (e.g., notches, markings) on one or more outer walls (e.g., outer wall 34B of bearing 34). The visual indicators may be located on the outer wall 34B of bearing 34 at a threshold distance from the bottom surface of bearing 34 (e.g., the surface facing plate 36). In some embodiments, the threshold distance may be equal to or less than the thickness 68 of the portion 66 of wear indicator 32. As the mover 18 moves along the track, bearing 34 may wear, and the bottom surface of bearing 34 may move toward the visual indicator as more material is removed from it. Therefore, the visual indicator can provide indication of when to replace bearing 34 of mover 18 and / or wear indicator 32.Therefore, the user of the linear motor system 10 with the mover 18 can visually inspect the outer wall 34B of the bearing to determine whether the bearing 34 has worn to the point that it needs to be replaced.

[0028] This disclosure includes a wear indicator in the mover of a linear drive transport system. The wear indicator provides fail-safe operation of the mover after excessive wear of the mover's bearings. The wear indicator slows down and / or stops the mover on the track to reduce the risk of damage to the linear motor and the mover. The wear indicator and bearing are also designed to be removably coupled to the mover and replaceable due to wear. The technical effects of the disclosed technology include extended operating life of the bearings and the mover, provision of a modular system for replacing the bearings and wear indicator within the mover, and prevention of damage to the linear motor and the mover due to excessive bearing wear.

[0029] While only certain features of this disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and alterations will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and alterations falling within the true spirit of this disclosure. The techniques proposed and claimed herein are referenced and applied to objects and specific examples of practical nature that explicitly improve upon the art and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Furthermore, if any claim appended to this specification contains one or more elements designated as “means for [performing] [function]…” or “steps for [performing] [function]…”, such elements are intended to be interpreted according to 35 USC 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, such elements are not intended to be interpreted according to 35 USC 112(f).

Claims

1. A mover for a linear motor system, comprising: case; A material coupled to the housing, the material comprising one or more protrusions configured to extend toward the track of the linear motor system; as well as A bearing configured to engage with the track, wherein the bearing includes one or more recesses extending from a first surface of the bearing toward a second surface of the bearing opposite to the first surface, wherein each of the one or more recesses is configured to receive a corresponding protrusion of one or more protrusions of the material, wherein the bearing is configured to wear from the second surface over time as the mover travels along the track, thereby exposing the one or more protrusions to the track.

2. The mover according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more protrusions include a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and wherein the one or more recesses include a first recess and a second recess, the first recess and the second recess being configured to engage with the first protrusion and the second protrusion, respectively.

3. The mover according to claim 1, wherein, One or more protrusions of the material are configured to impede the movement of the mover along the track when the one or more protrusions are exposed to the track.

4. The mover according to claim 1, wherein, The bearing comprises plastic material, polymer material, or a combination thereof.

5. The mover according to claim 1, wherein, The materials include rubber materials, cork materials, or combinations thereof.

6. The mover according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing comprises a first material; The material includes a second material; and The coefficient of friction between the first material and the track is lower than the coefficient of friction between the second material and the track.

7. The mover of claim 1, comprising a sensor configured to detect the track within a threshold distance of one or more protrusions in the material.

8. The mover according to claim 7, wherein, The sensor is configured to generate a signal, wherein the signal is configured to cause the computing device to generate an auditory alarm, a tactile alarm, a visual alarm, or any combination thereof.

9. The mover according to claim 1, wherein, The bearing is configured such that after the mover has traveled a threshold distance along the track, it wears off from the second surface, thereby exposing the one or more protrusions to the track.

10. The mover according to claim 9, wherein, The threshold distance is 10,000 kilometers.

11. A linear motor system, comprising: The track segment includes multiple coils that can be energized to generate a controlled magnetic field; as well as The mover according to claim 1, configured to be displaced by the controlled magnetic field, further comprising: A magnet array configured to be arranged within a threshold distance range from the plurality of coils; and A wear indicator, comprising a tab and indicating wear of the mover, wherein the tab of the wear indicator is configured to engage with the track segment of the linear motor system when the magnet array falls outside a threshold distance range from the plurality of coils.

12. The linear motor system according to claim 11, wherein, The bearing is configured to engage with the track segment, wherein the recess of the bearing is configured to receive the tab of the wear indicator, and wherein the bearing is configured to wear from the second surface over time as the mover travels along the track segment, thereby exposing the tab to the track segment.

13. The linear motor system according to claim 12, wherein, The bearing includes a thickness between the recess and the second surface, the thickness being equal to or less than the difference between the upper limit and the lower limit of the threshold distance range.

14. The linear motor system according to claim 13, wherein, The thickness is equal to or less than 1 mm.

15. The linear motor system according to claim 11, wherein, The tabs of the wear indicator are configured to impede the movement of the mover when engaged with the track segment.

16. A method for indicating wear of a mover, comprising: Multiple coils on the track are manipulated to generate a controlled magnetic field; The controlled magnetic field is used to move the mover according to claim 1 along the track, wherein the bearing of the mover is configured to engage with the track and wears over time as the mover travels along the track; and In response to the mover traveling a threshold distance along the track, a wear indicator configured to engage with the track is exposed, wherein the wear indicator is configured to slow the movement of the mover along the track.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising: The track is detected to be within the threshold distance of the wear indicator.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising: A signal is generated based on the detection that the track is within the threshold distance, wherein the signal is configured to cause a computing device to generate an auditory alarm, a tactile alarm, a visual alarm, or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, The wear indicator is configured to prevent the mover from moving along the track.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising: The bearing has been detected to be worn beyond a certain threshold.

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