By Jeff Smoot, VP Motion Control, CUI Inc. Capacitive commutation can speed up the assembly of brushless dc motors and be more accurate than conventional Hall sensors. Examine a cordless power tool or a computer hard drive and you’ll likely find a brushless dc motor (BLDC) doing the work. BLDCs have become widely used in recent […]
Problems VFDs cause and cable types that help solve them
Any machine that uses a VFD is subject to the effects of the drive’s chopped dc square-wave output signals. Here we explain how those signals affect and interact with motors and surrounding equipment, and how cables can help protect many components against the signals’ more detrimental properties. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) run myriad machines—including industrial […]
What is your cost for unplanned electric motor downtime?
by Bill Martin, Product Manager, Electronic Overload Relays, Rockwell Automation Electric motors, if not properly protected, can cause damage if overloaded. A variety of motor protection devices are available for varying applications to prevent this.. Electric motors are the backbone to today’s modern industry. They provide the mechanical energy needed for most manufacturing processes—but they […]
How a new VFD filter protects motors from two voltages
by Todd Shudarek, Principal Engineer, MTE Corporation A new filter for adjustable speed drives handles both differential and common mode problems. Most users of pulse width modulation (PWM) ac drives are familiar with the elevated differential mode motor voltages due to the reflected wave phenomenon, fast rise times and peak voltages they can produce. However, […]
Centralized or decentralized: Which motion architecture is best?
Decentralizing servo technology can lower costs in packaging and food and beverage applications. But centralized motion control has its advantages too. Sometimes the answer to which is better is neither one … but both. By Dr. Arne Linder | Product Management • Kollmorgen Decentralizing servo technology can bring machine and plant construction savings during installation. […]
Bearings help industry roll along
By Michael Jermann, Assistant Editor With gas prices and global temperatures rising, people are starting to take a closer look at harnessing the renewable energy of Mother Nature. Wind power is one of the fastest growing methods of energy generation. But in order to generate power efficiently, wind turbines must operate as smoothly and reliably […]
High-Acceleration Servomotors Create Cabling Challenges
by Lucas Kehl, Lapp Group Accelerations of 5 g or more can shorten the life of servo cables. But new cable designs are coming with greater tolerance for these higher accelerations. In automated production machines, faster acceleration and deceleration of motion axes can lead to productivity gains. It’s no wonder that machine builders have started […]
Are Bearings Making You Spin Your Wheels?
By Ian A. Rubin, Director of Marketing, Emerson Power Transmission Solutions The wheels of industry turn on bearings, so why do the wheels often vibrate, clatter, squeak, drag and overheat? Bearings do fail for lots of reasons. Most failures are related to lubrication and contamination, but myths and misconceptions handed from one generation of maintenance […]
Tips for Easy Machine Designs
by Hurley Gill, Senior Systems/Application Engineer, Kollmorgen What you need to know about simplifying your machine design approach for optimal servomotor control. An often-asked question from industrial machine builders or integrators is how can they effectively design or implement the conversion of a machine with servo technology to meet performance expectations. This is a specialized […]
Building vs. Buying Stepper Motor Controllers
By Joe Kimbrell, Product Manager for Motors and Drives, AutomationDirect When deciding whether to build or buy, OEMs need to consider a myriad of factors including required design efforts, up-front costs and ongoing support. Stepper motors are popular due to their low cost, especially in low power motor applications. Used in a range of industrial […]
