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 […]
Motion Casebook
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. […]
Latest motion applications: Belts and pulleys in new designs
Updated November 2018 || Common where efficiency (or accuracy) are objectives are synchronous or high-torque drive belts. Applications from consumer-grade home printers to heavy industrial conveyors use these synchronous belts, because unlike V belts with trapezoidal cross-sections, they don’t slip. Motion applications often need customized belts and sprockets in urethane, double-sided, mini-pitch, and made-to-order (MTO) […]
Application story: Smart motors from maxon make high-tech e-bikes
Use of electric bikes or e-bikes — those with power-assist and full drive capabilities — is exploding in Europe and now the Americas as more people than ever look for green modes of transportation in increasingly dense urban centers. Recently introduced to the world market, maxon motor makes an integrated drive (sometimes called a hub […]
Keeping even keel: Gyroscopes for ships use position sensor to track angle
Too much roll on a boat underway can make it hard to fish, eat, drink or even move about. So in 2003, Seakeeper began R&D on nautical motion controls to address the problem. Eventually Seakeeper developed a gyroscope that uses industrial motion products for maximum stability. According to Seakeeper, this computer-controlled gyroscope eliminates most boat […]
Motion controllers help planes take precision aerial photos of disasters
Quick response to catastrophes such as floods and fires is critical, but disaster sites are often inaccessible and unsafe for inspectors and adjusters who come after first responders. Now Pictometry, an EagleView company, collects and supplies ultra-clear aerial photography to let insurance carriers, restoration companies, utilities, and contractors identify safe-access points, areas of total loss, […]
Motion systems application examples: Gearmotors
By Miles Budimir • Gearmotors are most common in applications that need a lot of force to move heavy objects. Most industrial gearmotors incorporate fixed-speed ac motors. However, some gearmotors use dc motors, which are common in automotive applications in adjustable side-view mirrors and automatic seat adjustments. Though it’s possible to combine many different motors […]
Gearsets in action — Real-world motion systems applications
Updated November 2018 by Lisa Eitel • Motion applications for gearing are as varied as the motors with which these power-transmission devices pair. Just consider how designs ranging from amusement rides to consumer-grade beard trimmers make use of spur gears. These mostly roll through meshing, so can be 98% or more efficient per reduction, though […]
Shock + vibration-damping components in motion applications
Edited by Mary C. Gannon || Shock and vibration-damping components are as varied as the designs in which they work. That ranges from heavy-duty machine tools to delicate designs that assemble semiconductor components. Addressing these oscillations lets machines run faster, for more throughput and higher-quality (more accurate) moves. For example, the automotive manufacturing and packaging industries […]
Motion systems application examples: Machine vision
Machine vision has slowly advanced over the last decade, particularly as more manufacturers have tapped specialist integrators with the setup of imaging on their machines. That’s because engineers in myriad industries have begun to recognize that the promises of machine vision—increased quality control and safety—are only possible when the vision system is specifically tailored to […]
