When most people refer to a Rotary Indexer, they’re talking about a rotary index table mounted with its dial plate on a horizontal plane. However, at Motion Index Drives, our rotary indexers are designed to go far beyond the standard horizontal setup.

Multiple Mounting Configurations for Maximum Design Freedom

Every Motion Index Drives Rotary Indexer can be mounted in virtually any orientation — horizontal, vertical, angled, or inverted — giving machine builders and automation engineers the freedom to design systems around their specific process requirements.

This flexibility allows our indexers to integrate seamlessly into robotic welding cells, automated assembly lines, and custom manufacturing systems, regardless of spatial constraints or load direction.

Vertical Mounting: Trunnion and Headstock Drive Applications

The second most common mounting configuration after horizontal is vertical orientation, often referred to as a trunnion drive or headstock drive.

In this setup, the Motion Index Drives Rotary Indexer becomes the primary support for the trunnion tooling fixture. Thanks to the rigidity, preloaded bearing design, and high tilting moment capacity of our output bearings, the indexer can serve as the sole support structure on the drive end.

The tailstock end is typically supported by a matching indexer housing and output bearing assembly, ensuring perfect alignment, balance, and repeatable motion throughout the system’s life cycle.

This configuration is particularly valuable in robotic welding, positioning, and multi-axis automation applications, where precision, repeatability, and mechanical durability are essential.

Built for Precision, Performance, and Adaptability

Every Motion Index Drives Rotary Indexer is engineered and manufactured in the USA to meet precision indexing requirements across industries.

Our indexers deliver:

• Superior accuracy and repeatability

• Fast and consistent index times

• Unmatched flexibility in size, configuration, and load capacity

Because each unit is built to customer specifications, all dimensions and configurations can be customized to fit the exact needs of your automation system.

Learn More: Rotary Indexers in Vertical Trunnion Systems

To see our rotary indexers in action, view this short video featuring Ben Talan showcasing a Dual Trunnion Weld Positioning System using Motion Index Drives Rotary Indexers in vertical orientation: