Servos & Simulation Inc. is a manufacturer of motion platforms and control loaders. Recently the systems builder picked a Model 826 analog and digital I/O system on a PCI Express board from Oregon-based Sensoray for the primary measurement and control interface for their full product line. Servos & Simulation provides motion platforms and control loaders […]
Motion Casebook
Motion applications for transducers and sensors
Transducers and sensors are essential components for data collection, systems monitoring, and control feedback. In motion-control applications, transducers take the form of rotary or linear encoders for position feedback, sensors such as tachometers for speed sensing, and even proximity switches to initiate or halt some machine action. In hydraulic motion control systems, for instance, pressure […]
Unique servomotors improve packaging application
High-capacity manufacturing applications are leveraging servomotors and drives in their quest to achieve better efficiency with automation. This is because servomotors are one of the most commonly used motors for precision positioning and load-responsive motion. Servomotors power applications in a wide range of industries, though are most suited for controlling the movement of machines in packaging, […]
Stepper motors excel in unique conveying application
Stepper motors are common in positioning applications and have the advantage of being accurately controllable down to fractions of a degree, even without the use of feedback devices such as encoders or resolvers. They operate in open-loop (not closed-loop), without the need for tuning parameters as in closed-loop systems. Stepper motors are also relatively inexpensive. Because […]
Low-power applications benefit from gearmotors
Applications that require a lot of force to move heavy loads are the most common for gearmotors. Most industrial gearmotors incorporate fixed-speed ac motors. However, some gearmotors use dc motors, which are common in automotive applications, among others. It’s possible to combine many different motors and gearsets. However, not just any one will work for […]
Conveyors help medical-product manufacturer package + store product
Now, a production line centered around conveyors from QC Conveyors is helping one medical-device manufacturer boost production of sterile product. CooperSurgical is a maker of diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices to women’s healthcare providers. Recently the manufacturer turned to QC Conveyors to setup a new production line that maintains the cleanliness required for packaging medical products, […]
Integrated motors in motion-control applications
Article updated November 2019 ⚙️ Integrated motors include a motor rotor and stator (in a brushless dc, servomotor or stepper motor form) paired with other motion components. About half of all integrated motors incorporate a brushless motor with permanent magnets on the rotors, though other formats exist. The most basic integrated motors consist of just […]
Motion system applications: encoders in aerospace and manufacturing
THERE ARE AS MANY ENCODER CHOICES as there are design objectives. When encoders provide position feedback, it’s common to specify encoder resolution exceeding what the application requires as a way to address the partial count uncertainty of digital measurements. Heavy industrial equipment for metal stamping, wind turbines, printing, and steel processing often uses high-speed rotary […]
FAQ: What are Hall effect sensors and what is their role in DC motors?
DC motors can be either brushed type, which are mechanically commutated, or brushless, which are commutated electrically. In brushless DC (BLDC) motors, Hall effect sensors are used in place of a mechanical commutator and brushes. Hall effect sensors are solid-state, magnetic field sensors. They work on the principle that when a conductor with current flowing through […]
Latest motion applications: Controllers in new designs
Motion controllers range from single-axis smarts to programmable automation controllers (PACs) that synchronize hundreds of axes and plant data communications. These precision command centers are central to today’s motion-system innovation. Consider how last year, the Composite Material Laboratory at Inholland University in the Netherlands installed a Moog Portable Test Controller for analysis of composite materials. […]
