Heat is a major factor in the performance and life of a motor, and one of the primary sources of motor heating is current running through the motor windings. Since heating is an unavoidable condition of motor operation, it’s important to protect the motor from overheating, or thermal overload. In a previous post, we described […]
Motors
What’s the difference between dynamic braking and regenerative braking?
When a motor’s rotor speed is greater than its synchronous, or designated, speed, it can act as a generator, creating electrical energy from mechanical energy. This electrical energy needs somewhere to go, and there are two ways to deal with it — dissipate it as heat, or reuse it. Dynamic braking takes the energy generated […]
What are bearing currents and what causes them?
Pulse-width modulation is a fundamental operating principle of variable frequency drives (VFDs), but the high-frequency switching that delivers pulses of voltage from the drive to the motor can cause bearing currents — high-frequency currents that flow through the motor bearings, often leading to damage and premature failure. To achieve pulse-width modulation, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) […]
Brushless DC motor from Portescap with integrated driver saves you space and time
Portescap introduces the newest addition to their Ultra EC mini brushless DC motor platform – the 16 ECP brushless motor with a new integrated driver. These new 16mm diameter motor versions are available in two lengths (36mm & 52mm). These compact motors offer almost 50 percent more continuous torque over similar comparative motors without compromising […]
What is cable ringing between AC drives and motors and how can it be avoided?
Variable frequency drives use a technique referred to as pulse-width modulation (PWM) to provide voltage of varying frequency to an AC induction motor. The inverter, or output, stage of the VFD uses insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) that switch on-and-off rapidly, creating trapezoidal pulses of varying width to simulate AC sinusoidal voltage. But the windings in […]
What are drive isolation transformers and how do the differ from line reactors?
A variable frequency drive alters the speed of an AC induction motor by rectifying incoming AC power to DC, storing the DC power in a bus, and then converting the DC power back to AC at the voltage and frequency required to meet the load demands. Although this matching of the motor speed to the […]
ElectroCraft introduces MPW series wheel drive for mobile robots
ElectroCraft Inc., the global fractional horsepower motor and motion solutions provider, has expanded its MobilePower product family with the MPW Wheel Drive. The MPW Wheel Drive features a high torque-density brushless DC motor with a heavy duty integrated planetary gearbox mounted inside the hub of a lightweight aluminum wheel with custom tread. Designed for mobile […]
Single and three-phase SR35 series soft starters from AutomationDirect
More fully digital soft starters have been added to the AutomationDirect drives and motor controls lineup. STELLAR® SR35 series full-featured solid-state soft starters are available in three frame sizes to control both 1-phase and 3-phase AC induction motors with 24VDC control voltage (optional 110-230 VAC). Designed for 17-361 full-load amps at 110-240 VAC (1-phase) or […]
Brochure highlights drive technology for medical applications
A new publication from FAULHABER titled “Drive Systems for Healthcare, Medical & Laboratory Equipment” presents medical technology applications and the corresponding optimum drives and accessories. The coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, continue to have the world firmly in its grip. The number of people who have fallen ill and who have tested positive […]
Nippon Pulse introduces new high-resolution, high-torque miniature AC servomotors
Nippon Pulse America, Inc. is pleased to introduce its new series of high-performance micro direct-drive (MDD) AC servomotors. The new MDD motors will join Nippon Pulse’s existing line of Linear Shaft Motor servomotors. Each compact MDD motor comes with a built-in high-performance encoder (either absolute or incremental) that enables direct fine positioning. The motors are […]
