One of the best technologies for achieving extremely small, precise movements is the piezo motor. Based on the piezo actuator – layers or stacks of piezo elements that produce motion through the reverse piezoelectric effect – the piezo motor incorporates mechanical elements to produce strokes of several hundred millimeters or more. And while most piezo motors […]
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How do I determine what gear ratio I need for my servo system?
The load-to-motor inertia ratio is a critical parameter in servo motor sizing and performance. As we discussed in a previous article, one of the most significant effects of using a gearbox in a servo system is its ability to help optimize the inertia ratio. Why inertia ratio is important If the motor inertia is too […]
The top 5 stories on Motion Control Tips in 2017
Here we are at the end of another year. And, like every other media organization, we love to look back over the past year to see what you, our readers, found most interesting on our sites. Think of it as a kind of year-end reckoning. With that in mind, here is a short list of the […]
Baldor-Reliance Food Safe motors now available in foot-mounted and footless models
Baldor-Reliance Food Safe motors, designed with smooth contours and advanced sealing, exceed IP69K for water to maximize motor life in high pressure, sanitary cleaning environments. The product line spans single and three-phase ratings in foot-mounted and footless configurations, providing ultimate flexibility for OEMs and end users to choose the right product for their equipment and […]
Servomotor basics video: Common motor types for closed-loop operation and motion applications
Servomotors are electric motors that output motion under closed-loop control — so they rely on feedback from encoders or sensors … as well as a controller to process those signals for shaping the commands and corrections back to the motor. Usually these are rotary servomotors to output precise torque and speed — often for positioning. […]
HMI basics video: Human-machine interface communications, GUIs, and more
A human machine interface — or HMI for short — is a control terminal on machinery to let operators monitor machine functions and adjust them as needed. This interaction is through a graphical user interface — GUI for short —that allows communications to and from supervisory controls and machine HMIs. HMI hardware takes the form […]
What’s the best type of gearbox for servo applications?
Updated 2020 ⚙️ Gearboxes provide torque multiplication, speed reduction, and inertia matching for motor-driven systems. Servo systems, specifically, require gearboxes that can supply not only high torque with low added inertia, but also high precision and stiffness. One type of gearbox meets all these criteria while providing relatively long operating life with low maintenance requirements […]
SEPAC announces line of thrust reverser brakes for aviation use
SEPAC Inc. has announced a line of high-performance thrust reverser brakes, which are used to prevent the thrust reversers on an airplane from being engaged in flight. SEPAC’s thrust reverser brakes are suitable for any aerospace application, and are currently used on platforms such as the Airbus A380 wide-body jet and the Irkut MC-21 Russian airliner. […]
Integrated motor basics video: Benefits, communications, and support of distributed architecture
Integrated motors, sometimes called smart motors, are motors that integrate one or more motion system components. The motor part of the integrated motor can be a brushless dc motor, servomotor, or stepper motor. Typical motion systems have a number of common components including the motor, controller, a drive and power for drive and control […]
Brushless (electronically commutated or EC) motor basics video: Simple commutation to field-oriented control
Brushless motors are any permanent-magnet motors, switched-reluctance motors, or induction motors that omit the use of commutator and brushes for commutation. But one motor type is usually implied when engineers use the term brushless motor — the permanent-magnet design. Also called electronically commutated or EC motors, these don’t suffer from brush wear or arcing … […]