Motors - 2/100 - Motion Control Tips

New low-profile, direct-drive motor from Mitsubishi Electric

February 5, 2019 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

The new TM-RG2M/TM-RU2M low-profile direct- drive motors from Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. are designed to let machine designers have direct control of a load without traditional transmission components.

Built with speed and precision in mind, they provide a smaller footprint and allow for more compact, efficient, and precise machines than those typically built using rotary servo motors. Applications that are well suited for the new motor include coating and vapor deposition systems, index tables, tool changers, rotary material handling robots, and rotary axis on XYθ inspection positioning systems.

Unlike rotary servo motors that are coupled to a load with a mechanical transmission such as a gear, coupling, or belt, the TM-RG2M/TM- RU2M low-profile direct-drive motor is coupled directly to a load, resulting in greater positioning accuracy, reduced energy use and less maintenance. It is ideal for use in industries such as semiconductor / LCD manufacturing, machine tool, material handling and inspection.

The new direct-drive motor allows users to reduce installation space, while combining direct control with the accuracy of a servo motor. It also allows for flexibility when sizing by allowing for compatibility with larger- capacity servo amplifiers such as Mitsubishi Electric’s MR-J4-40B (-RJ) with the TM-RG2M/TM-RU2M 004E30 to further increase torque. It features two installation methods – flange type with pilot and table type with positioning pinholes.

“The TM-RG2M / TM-RU2M Low-Profile Direct Drive Motor reduces the complexity of traditional mechanical power transmission systems which increases the machine efficiency and reduces downtime/maintenance by eliminating mechanical components,” said Dan Zachacki, Senior Product Marketing Engineer at Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. “It provides customers with the all advantages of a servo motor in a compact package that is capable of supporting and driving a load directly.”

For more information, visit https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en.

Get your motor running… efficiently

January 29, 2019 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

A few tips for design and selection of induction and permanent magnet ac electric motor systems will make them more energy efficient.

Gabriel Venzin
ABM Drives Inc., ABM Greiffenberger U.S. Subsidiary

Efficiency in motor designs is a more relevant concern than ever. With electric motors providing over 60% of all industrial power, efficiency is a key design parameter. Here we’ll look at some general requirements as well as more specific ones for permanent magnet ac (PMAC) motors, which hold for common industrial applications in a limited power range.

To start, efficiency is defined as the ratio of delivered mechanical power to the supplied electrical power. An electrical motor that is 85-percent efficient converts 85 percent of electrical energy into mechanical energy. The remaining 15 percent dissipates as heat.

Exploded view rendering of an ac induction motor illustrating the housing, bearings and fan components.

Energy efficient electric motors use high-quality materials and optimized designs to achieve higher efficiencies. For example, more aluminum in the rotor and better slot-filling factor in the stator reduce resistance losses. Optimized rotor configuration and rotor-to-stator air gap reduce stray-load losses. Improved cooling fan design provides motor cooling with a minimum of windage loss. Higher quality and thinner steel laminations in the rotor and stator cores allow operation with substantially lower magnetization losses. Finally, reduced friction losses result from higher-quality bearings.

Selection points for both induction and PMAC motors

Optimizing the dimensions of rotor/stator laminations and the quality of steel used is key to improving performance
Hysteresis and eddy current losses together are called core losses. Around 20 percent of total losses are caused by eddy currents and magnetic core saturation.

Eddy currents induced in laminations moving relative to a changing magnetic field cause significant power losses. Laminated stator cores reduce eddy current losses and are based on the quality, resistivity, density, thickness, frequency and flux density of the iron. Eddy current losses can be minimized with a higher number of laminations.

Hysteresis losses are caused in the magnetic circuits when the flux is continually changing. The majority of flux-carrying material used in electric motors is steel used for stator and rotor cores.

Minimize the flux density and core losses by reducing the thickness of laminations. Hysteresis losses are reduced by annealing better grades of steel for laminations to change the grain structure for easy magnetization.

Reduce eddy current losses by increasing the resistivity of the steel with silicon, but silicon content increases die wear during stamping because it increases steel hardness. Steel crystals damaged during stamping severely degrade the magnetic quality of the affected volume.

Annealing flattens the laminations and recrystallizes the crystals damaged during stamping, which extends one sheet thickness into the lamination.

The special design of ABM’s Sinochron motor rotor with internal magnets leads to an almost ideal sine distribution of the magnetic flux. It’s designed for sensor-less control mode, making it an alternative to servo drives.

Use bath impregnation process for lamination, versus drip for optimum thermal management
Impregnating stators strengthens stator winding electrical insulation, protects against chemicals or harsh environments, and enhances thermal dissipation. Thermoset plastics including epoxies, phenolics, and polyesters are used for impregnating stators. ABM uses the bathing method whereby stators are immersed in resin for an extended period of time to assure optimum penetration and protection. Another impregnation method is called vacuum-pressure, which uses a tank that is evacuated first and then pressurized to achieve penetration into the stators. Driving out air pockets from the electric winding enhances the thermal conductivity of the winding.

Design slots in the stator to maximize the volume of copper that can be inserted
Low stator winding mass causes up to 60 percent of total losses, so to reduce them the mass of stator winding must be larger which reduces electrical resistance. Electric motors that are highly efficient contain more than 20-percent extra copper compared to standard efficiency electric motors. The stator’s insulated electrical windings are placed inside the slots of the steel laminations. The cross-sectional area must be large enough for the power rating of the motor.

In general, open or semi-closed stator slots are employed in induction motors. In semi-closed slots the slot opening is much smaller than the width of the slot, and winding is more difficult and time consuming to manufacture compared to open slots. However, the air gap characteristics are better compared to the open type.

The number of stator slots must be selected at the design stage because this number affects the weight, cost, and operating characteristics. The advantages of more slots are reduced leakage reactance, reduced tooth pulsation losses, and higher overload capacity. The disadvantages of more stator slots are increased cost, increased weight, increased magnetizing current, increased iron losses, poorer cooling, increased temperature rise, and reduction in efficiency.

SINOCHRON PMAC motor efficiency is more than twice compared to standard asynchronous motors under partial-load. It’s made possible by a continuously excited synchronous motor, which operates with practically no rotor losses.

Use high grade/pure aluminum in the rotor die casting
Custom designed rotors can maximize starting torque, reduce conductor resistance and increase efficiency. Most induction motor rotors are squirrel-cage designs. They are rugged, simple in construction and less expensive, but they have a low starting torque. Copper rotors increase efficiency but are difficult and expensive to manufacture.

Tightening manufacturing tolerances allows optimum air gap between rotor and stator
The air gap is the radial distance between the rotor and stator in an electric motor for standard radial motors. An optimum air gap needs to be maintained for design efficiency. Air gap dimension involves the design of stator, rotor, motor housing, and bearings. All these affect the exact alignment of the stator and rotor axes.

Use copper windings that meet DIN EN 13601 and UL Norm standards
The European standard DIN EN 13601 specifies copper and copper alloys for general electrical purposes including dimensions and tolerances, tensile test, hardness test, bend test, electrical resistivity test. It also specifies characteristics of coppers for electrical purposes including the preference for oxygen-free or deoxidized coppers which may be heat-treated, welded or brazed without the need for special precautions to avoid hydrogen embrittlement which causes cracking.

For global compliance, UL determines that magnet wire complies with IEC 60317. Magnet or enameled wire is an electrolytically refined copper or aluminum wire that has been fully annealed and coated with one or more layers of insulation. ABM, for example, uses wires with a total of 12 insulation coats. Typical insulating films in order of increasing temperature range are polyvinyl, polyurethane, polyester, and polyimide up to 250 °C. Thicker rectangle or square magnet wire is wrapped with a high-temperature polyimide or fiberglass tape.

Use of more copper, larger conductor bars and conductors increases the cross-sectional area of stator and rotor windings. This lowers resistance of the windings and reduces losses due to current flow. A high-efficiency electric motor will usually have 20 percent more copper in the stator winding.

General selection guidelines
The motor selection process involves some basic considerations. For starters, verify the application requirements. Then, what torque and speed is needed when and how often? What is the duty cycle? What are the ambient conditions such as temperature and pressure? Even the most efficient motor will not perform to its utmost efficiency if used for the wrong application.

Many of the electric motors discussed here are used for gearmotors, a combination of a gear reducer and an electrical motor. A gearmotor delivers high torque at low speed. In short, gearmotors take motor power and reduce its speed while magnifying its torque.

Gearmotor duty cycles do not only impact the motor performance rating, e.g., a continuous duty cycle
S1 motor will provide a higher output if it’s used at an S3 intermittent duty cycle, but also especially for gearboxes used in extraordinary applications where torque peaks and system shocks are possible. For such situations, it’s critical to carefully determine what duty cycle and what peaks/shocks per a specific time period are experienced so the engineering team of the motor/gearbox OEM can select and recommend a suitable drive system.

A good start is to review data on past extreme temperature and or pressure conditions in which the application will be operating and any other unique conditions that may be relevant to the design. Always inform the motor OEM if your application is being used in extreme conditions – this can be a game changer.

Design housing for best cooling
The electrical efficiency of motors has improved so much that the power drawn by cooling fans has become a larger percentage of the total losses. Optimization of cooling fan dimensions involves using the minimum power for the fan, while providing adequate cooling. The optimal fan design may result in a 65 percent reduction in fan power requirements. An important design feature is the clearance between the blade and the housing. The space between the housing and the fan blade should be as small as possible to prevent turbulence and decrease backflow.

A cool motor runs more efficiently. To obtain the best airflow, optimize the cooling fan and fan shroud design. Assuring a tight bond between the stator and motor housing provides the best cooling performance.

Select low-friction bearings suited for operating speeds
Ball or roller bearings are used in high-efficiency electrical motors. They consist of an inner and outer race and cage containing steel or ceramic rollers or balls. The outer race is attached to the stator and the inner race to the rotor. When the shaft rotates, the element also rotates and the friction of the shaft rotation is minimized. They have a long life and maintenance costs are low. High precision application allows the smallest air gap possible. Thermal contraction and expansion can affect shaft and housing fits as well as internal bearing clearances.

Power output governs shaft size and bearing bore. Load magnitude and direction determines bearing size and type. Consider additional forces such as unsymmetrical air gaps causing magnetic pull, out-of- balance forces, pitch errors in gears, and thrust loads. For bearing-load calculations consider the shaft as a beam resting on rigid, moment-free supports. Ball bearings are more suitable for high-speed applications than roller bearings. High-speed factors include cage design, lubricant, running accuracy, clearance, resonance frequency, and balancing.

Knowing the ambient temperature range and the normal operating temperature range will help determine the most effective lubrication method for the bearing: oil or grease. Normal operating temperatures for gearmotors considered here range from -25 to 40 °C. Synthetic grease has good performance properties over a wide range of temperatures. Grease allows simplified maintenance, cleanliness, fewer leaks, and contaminant protection.

Bearings need a minimum load, so rolling elements rotate and form a lubricant film rather than skidding, which raises operating temperatures and degrades lubricants. Allow a minimum load equal to about 0.01 times the dynamic radial-load rating for ball bearings. It’s especially important when bearings are approaching 70 percent of recommended ratings.

Use a quality balancing machine, high standards and balance at the operational speeds of the motor application
Noise and vibration can result when the center of mass does not co-exist with the axis of rotation. Balancing has limited effect on efficiency but impacts operating noise and life expectancy that is also important for maximum use of resources.

Bearing vibration readings are normally taken on three planes – vertical, horizontal and axial. Vertical vibration may indicate a mounting problem. Horizontal vibration may mean a balance problem, whereas axial vibration may indicate a bearing problem. Balancing at operational speeds is important because unbalance can also be caused by centripetal forces at the bearings.

Additional design criteria for PMAC motors

PMAC motors are a growing alternative to ac induction motors, which for decades have been the workhorse of almost any electrical motor application. PMAC motors preserve the reliability and simplicity of the ac induction motor while offering higher efficiency, synchronous operation, and the opportunity to use a smaller frame size.

PMAC motors replace the magnetic field induced in the conductors in the rotor with permanent magnets, usually made from alloys of rare-earth metals, giving them much lower electric resistive losses than ac induction motors because no electric current is induced in the rotor. In place of mechanical commutation, a control system is required to determine which coils are supplied with current to produce the maximum torque. Magnetic fields generated by rare-earth PMAC motors can deliver the same torque as ac induction motors with a smaller, lighter motor.

This illustration shows the special design of the SINOCHRON PMAC motor rotor laminations and the imbedded magnets that allow a sinusoidal motor motion.

Select PMAC motor size to allow operation in partial load area for best efficiency
Energy savings from PMAC motors depend on the number of service hours, motor size, and motor loading. PMAC motors nearly always maintain higher efficiency – no matter the speed or torque compared to ac induction motors and makes them an attractive alternative to induction motors in variable-speed applications. By substituting existing line-powered three-phase electric motors with PMAC motors, energy savings of 20 to 35 percent can be expected.

Optimize design of rotor laminations to show a sinusoidal magnetic field
For example, ABM synchronous motors with high-performance permanent magnets come with a sinusoidal flux distribution as well as Electro- Motive-Force. Stator windings, for distributed windings, are normally identical to asynchronous motor windings. It results in lowered vibration, noise and maintenance cost as well as increased overall performance.

Selection of rare earth versus ferrite (ceramic) magnets
Neodymium rare earth, samarium cobalt magnets or ferrite (ceramic) magnets are used in PMAC electric motors. Rare earth magnets are two to three times stronger than ferrite or ceramic permanent magnets but are more expensive. Samarium cobalt magnets are optimal for high-temperature applications because of their high energy density, 250 to 550 °C temperature resistance, small decrease of parameters due to temperature increase, and oxidation protection.

The selection of samarium cobalt or neodymium as an electric motor magnet is
based on operating temperature, corrosion resistance and required performance. A low-grade neodymium magnet may begin to lose “strength” if heated above 80 °C. High-grade neodymium magnets operate at temperatures up to 220 °C.

Ferrite or ceramic magnets have won wide acceptance due to their strong resistance
to demagnetization, exceptional corrosion resistance, and low price. Magnetic losses occur when operating at temperatures above 250 °C, but are recovered when the magnet is brought down to a lower temperature. Cold temperatures of -40 °C may result in permanent losses of magnetic strength unless the circuit has been designed for such extremes.

PMAC motors require inverters
PMAC inverter drive units can be loss-free in no-load operation/standstill. New motor design combinations offer advantages in powering conveying equipment, escalators, spooling machines, compressors and traction drive units. By substituting existing line-powered three-phase drive units, energy savings of up to 30 percent can be expected.

The characteristic profile of PMAC drive units makes them well suited to drive pumps and fans that operate continuously. No additional components, like encoders, are needed. Up to 25 percent smaller footprint allows machine designs to be more compact. The motors have excellent control behavior and combined with a sensorless drive controller unit, have excellent true running even at low speeds and impressive dynamics at impulse load and speed variations.

Select an inverter that can provide sensorless operation
Standard PMAC drives can “self-detect” and track the rotor’s permanent magnet position. This is critical for a smooth motor start and also allows for optimum torque production, which results in optimum efficiency. Lack of position or speed sensor reduces the cost and increases reliability of a drive system.

Programming and optimization of inverter
The importance of programming the controller settings for a specific motor to attain optimum efficiency is becoming more and more important with the ever- increasing efficiency regulations.

Choosing manufacturing partners
When choosing partners during a machine build, remember that there are two methods for choosing an electric motor source. Either pick a standard motor that might or might not fit a specific application or choose a competent motor partner to engineer and manufacture a motor that fits the application exactly.

Standard motor solutions are suitable if a design engineer doesn’t have the time or engineering resources to have a custom version engineered — or if it needs a quick setup. New modular approaches to design and construction let manufacturing engineers get reasonably priced custom motors even in modest volumes.

No matter the approach to motor selection, be sure to continually improve the design/drive system by comparing predictions of performance with measurements. Then use the result of the analysis to improve the next iteration.

ABM Drives
www.abm-drives.com

See it at ATX West: Applied Motion Technology’s latest motors and integrated drives

January 22, 2019 By Lisa Eitel Leave a Comment

Applied Motion Products will give personal demonstrations of its latest motor, stepper drive, and servo drive technology at ATX West … at the Anaheim Convention Center Feb. 5 to 7, 2019. Visit Booth 4264 to check out the following technology:

MDX Integrated Servo Motors that combine high torque density, low inertia servo motors with on-board drives and controllers to create all-in-one integrated motor solutions that save on space, wiring, and cost over conventional servo systems with separate motor and drive components.

StepSERVO Integrated Motors that provide cost-effective and high-torque motion control for high throughput applications such as packaging and labeling, automated test and measurement, and automated assembly.

STF Stepper Drives that support a range of industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus network protocols including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, Modbus, Ethernet and RS-485, as well as a proprietary Serial Command Language (SCL) for efficient network communications over Ethernet (UDP or TCP) and RS-485. Using STF stepper drives, system designers and machine builders have the flexibility to control step motors using the network protocol of their choice.

SV200 Digital Servo Drives that operate on 24, 48, or higher dc supply voltages for space-constrained and multi-axis motion control applications.

ISL customizable stepper motors for industrial automation applications

January 18, 2019 By Lisa Eitel Leave a Comment

ISL Products Intl. Ltd., leader in value-added manufacturing and engineering services for electronic/electromechanical components, now sells value-added hybrid, permanent magnet (PM) and variable-reluctance stepper motors which meet the exact positioning, holding torque, and repeatability specifications of the broadest array of automation designs. As stepper motors employ the theory of operation for magnets to make the motor shaft turn a precise distance when a pulse of electricity is supplied, they are appropriate in a broad range of high-precision motion control designs. ISL’s brushless stepper motors provide either rotary or linear motion and are controlled by an open-loop system (non-feedback system) to facilitate robust, economical, repeatable, and low-maintenance operation.

ISL’s stepper motors are delivered in frame sizes ranging from NEMA 8 to NEMA 52 (20 mm – 130 mm) and feature a 1.8° (two-phase) step angle. Additionally, 0.9° (two-phase) and 1.2° (three-phase) step angle configurations are available. To ensure OEM’s unique requirements are met, ISL engineers help identify the optimal stepper motor solutions for each application. Included among ISL’s stepper motor customization capabilities are those pertaining to brake, gearhead, torque density, voltage, output speed, encoder/driver, power, current, lead screw/ball screw (linear stepper), all-in-one driver/controller, step angle, phase and pole count, lead wire/connector, shaft configuration and material.

These customizable, value-added stepper motors are commonly used in industrial automation, retail and vending machines, robotics, dispensing machines, 3D printers, machine tools, manufacturing equipment, conveyor and fluid control systems, automated guided vehicles (AGV), packaging, and food processing equipment. They are also specified for ticketing, gambling, labelling, textile, and carving machinery, as well as CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machines and medical devices.

Pricing for ISL’s value-added hybrid, permanent magnetic (PM) and variable reluctance stepper motors is determined based on customer specifications. Samples are available upon request. For more information, visit islproducts.com.

ISL Products Limited offers a comprehensive portfolio of supply chain and logistics management services. For more than 40 years, design engineers and OEMs have relied on ISL’s world-wide engineering sales and support network to deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions to help accelerate time-to-market. Products include audio components, motor and mechanical components, ballasts and power supplies, potentiometers-transformers, cable assemblies, and connectors. The company maintains a network of US sales representatives and is headquartered in Syosset, N.Y.

NORD to unveil new trade show booth and drive products at IPPE

January 15, 2019 By MCTips Staff Leave a Comment

NORD Gear Corporation is attending the world’s largest annual poultry, meat and feed industry event, the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). There, NORD will be discussing cost-saving aluminum alloy drive systems for the food processing industry.

The event, held February 12 to 14 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, attracts more than 30,000 visitors. Drive system experts from NORD will present high-efficiency overhead conveyor, screw conveyor, bevel and in-line gearmotor solutions at booth #8013. Highlights include:

NORD’s modular Screw Conveyor Package is ideal for food processors. This high-efficiency design eliminates the need for costly separate V-belt drives by providing integral gearmotors or direct-coupled motors to a NEMA C-face reducer. Minimizing parts and eliminating the need for top motor mounts, pulleys, belts or guards provides easier system maintenance, increased reliability, and superior drive performance.
NORD’s alternative to stainless steel gear reducers, motors and VFDs is a high-strength NSD TUPH aluminum alloy surface conversion. Ideal for poultry and meat processing companies, this breakthrough material has the superior washdown advantages of stainless steel – with 30 percent less cost. Plus, aluminum is lighter than stainless steel, and has superior heat transfer properties. Sample NSD TUPH materials are available at the NORD booth for testing.
Designed for the food and beverage industry applications, NORD’s overhead conveyor drives offer heavy-duty construction and high-quality machined components. With high efficiency and minimal maintenance requirements, the SK9055 and SK9155 have a low overall cost of ownership while providing reliable operation in food processing plants around the world. These overhead conveyor drives are designed with a mounting flange and output shaft that easily drop into industry-standard footprints. The gear units incorporate the standard NORD VL3 spread bearing design with a dry cavity.

For more information, visit www.nord.com.

How do gearmotors impact reflected mass inertia from the load?

January 10, 2019 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

In any drive system (that is, a motor driving a load), there is going to be inertia. Specifically, the motor will have inertia as will the load. For a direct drive system (a direct motor-to-load connection) the individual inertias can just be added together in a straightforward way. However, for any other type of setup involving some additional mechanical drive components such as couplings or gears, the relationship changes.

Pictorial representation of a drive system with gears. (Image via Omron Industrial Automation)

Specifically, when looking at how gears impact a drive system’s inertia, there are some basic ways to look at it. The basics; any gear will reduce the load inertia reflected to the motor by a factor of the square of the gear ratio. When looking at a gearmotor, this is basically just a motor with an embedded gearset in it, so the calculations and formulas for calculating inertia are the same.

In high performance motion control applications, it’s ideal for the reflected load inertia to equal the motor inertia. If inertia matching is the only concern, then the gear ratio can be calculated as:

N = √ (J_Load/ J _Motor)

where N is the gear ratio, J_Load is the inertia of the driven load, and J_Motor is the inertia of the motor.

Note: Another way to calculate gear ratio is by reference to the individual gears. For instance, if N_In is the number of gear teeth on the input gear and N_Out is the number of gear teeth on the output gear, the gear ratio is then:

N = N_Out / N_In

As for reflected inertia itself, this is best understood as the inertia of the load that is translated back to the motor through various drive components, in this case the gearing of the gearmotor.

So in a simple direct-drive system, the total inertia would be calculated like this:

J_Total = J_Load + J_Motor

However, for a geared drive system such as a gearmotor, the total inertia is calculated using the equation:

J_Total = ( J_Load / N² ) + J_Motor

This is because, as stated earlier, the reflected load inertia is equal to the load inertia divided by the square of the gear ratio.

Update: Click here to read an update to this article with a few important corrections.

JVL integrated motors now feature fast, easy setup for Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley PLCs

January 8, 2019 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

JVL has released Add-On-Instructions for its ServoStep integrated motors for fast and easy setup and programming in Rockwell Automation’s Studio 5000 software. It makes commissioning fast and easy and the motors can be set up in 5 minutes or less.

The motors have the ability to be upgraded with other protocols or newer versions of the same protocol at any time. Because of the upgradeability, the JVL industrial Ethernet interface is also ‘future proof’ as newer versions of the protocols will always fit into the design. The user can switch between Profinet, EtherCAT, Powerlink, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP and SERCOS.

The ServoStep integrated motors are all-in-one units featuring a motor, absolute multiturn encoder, drive, controller, a PLC and Ethernet Switch as well as TÜV-approved STO option. The integrated design with the controller in the motor minimizes the size of the control cabinet. With less components in the cabinet, the cooling requirements will be lower, reducing both system cost and running costs.

ServoStep motors offer state-of-the-art performance that in some applications can rival servo motors at a lower cost. The high torque at low speeds make compact solutions without gears possible. The ServoStep family offers up to double the power in the same size compared to similar motors, due to higher current/voltage and advanced regulation.

JVL’s closed-loop ServoStep technology eliminates loss of steps and never stalls. Ultra-high torque enables direct drive without gearing. The motor series also has current control, which lowers power consumption and allows 100% duty cycle without overheating. The ultra-high step resolution of 409,600 step/rev decreases acoustic noise and results in a smooth-running motor.

The wide speed range from 0 to 3,000 rpm can be adjusted in increments of 0.01 rpm. Due to automatic tuning, programming is fast and easy.

The motors have 8 programmable inputs/outputs; each can be set up as digital input, digital output or analog input. Motors are equipped with EtherNet/IP interface and options include STO (Safe Torque Off) versions.

The motors are perfect for multi-axis applications and format adjustments where high positioning speed is required. Due to ultra-high torque, no gear is needed. For end-of-line packaging and food and beverage applications enclosure class IP65 can be delivered. To fulfil the demands for diagnostics and easy maintenance in factories of the future the motors are designed for IIoT and are Industry 4.0 ready.

The motors include a 2-port Ethernet switch to reduce wiring in daisy-chain configuration (DLR). Several LEDs enable technicians and operators to get a quick status overview.

For more information, visit www.jvl.dk.

Voice coil motor with internal shaft and bearing features high force-to-size ratio

December 26, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

Moticont’s GVCM-051-025-01 Linear Voice Coil Motor features high acceleration/deceleration, high speed, high reliability, zero backlash, high accuracy, high repeatability, and a 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) stroke length. Also referred to as an electric cylinder, this linear actuator is a low cost, high accuracy replacement for hydraulic and pneumatic linear actuators. This clean, compact, voice coil motor has a high force to size ratio with 5.3 lb (23.5 N) continuous force and 16.7 lb (74.4 N) of peak force at 10% duty cycle with a housing measuring just 2.00 in. (50.8 mm) dia. x 1.00 in. (25.4 mm) long.

The precision ground 0.1572 in. (3.993 mm) diameter shaft has an internal thread, and the housing has threaded mounting holes on each end for easy integration into current and future applications. This clean, quiet, efficient, low inertia, brushless actuator featuring an internal shaft and recirculating ball bearing is suitable for: medical devices, antenna positioning, testing, sorting, assembly equipment, work holding and clamping, scanners and laser-beam steering and filtering, laser machining and drilling, wafer handling, optical focusing, and dynamic vibration absorption, among others. Moticont’s GVCM-051-025-01 linear voice coil motor can also be ordered as a complete plug-and-play system including a position sensor and controller.

Is there a need for a smaller or larger diameter motor, one with longer stroke, or more force? There are currently seven series of Moticont’s GVCM motors based on diameter of the motor, and models based on length of stroke and/or force to select from with additional motors being added to select from.

To find out more, visit www.moticont.com.

Premium-efficiency, cast-iron three-phase ac motors from AutomationDirect

December 18, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

IronHorse MTCP2 industrial duty motors meet the premium efficiency requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. MTCP2 motors are offered in T-Frame (1 to 300 hp) and TC-Frame/C-Face (1 to 30 hp). C-face kits are available for motors over 30 hp.

These motors are available in 1,200, 1,800, and 3,600 RPM and have TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) enclosures with cast-iron frame and ribbed design for maximum cooling. The motors feature full length, cast-iron mounting feet, steel fan cover, and cast-iron junction box with rubber gasket and rubber dust cover.

MTCP2 motors have premium quality ball bearings (1 to 75 hp) or roller bearings (100 to 300 hp) with maintenance free bearings on 10 hp and below. V-ring shaft seals are used on the drive end and opposite drive end. The motors are electrically reversible and have Class F winding insulation.

MTCP2-series motors start at $180.00, have a two-year warranty, and are CSA and CE approved. Available accessories include bases, junction boxes, fans and fan shrouds.

To learn more, visit www.automationdirect.com.

Internationally certified stepper motor for hazardous locations from Applied Motion Products

December 11, 2018 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

Applied Motion Products introduces a commercially available step motor internationally certified for use in hazardous locations throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. Offering high-performance motion control in the challenging environments of oil, gas, printing, and paint finishing applications, the HX56-100 Hazardous Location Stepper Motor features:

ATEX and IECEx certifications for Class 1, Zone 1 locations
UL-Listed for Class 1, Division 1, Group C and D locations
Type 4X and IP66 rated enclosure

Class I hazardous locations are areas where flammable gases, vapors or liquids are, or may be, present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures. Zone 1, also known as Division 1, defines a hazardous location in which flammable gases, vapors or liquids exist all of the time or some of the time under normal operating conditions.

“The HX56-100 Hazardous Location Stepper Motor is the only step motor in the world certified internationally by UL, ATEX, and IECEx,” notes Jason Jones, Regional Sales Manager, Applied Motion Products. “By providing a best-in-class solution for motion control applications in hazardous locations worldwide, the HX56-100 Stepper Motor minimizes the cost and time involved with gaining regulatory compliance for an OEM’s complete system.”

The HX56-100 Stepper Motor is specifically designed for use with the STAC6-Q-H Stepper Drive, the first and only step motor drive internationally certified for use in hazardous locations. The STAC6-Q-H features an advanced anti-resonance algorithm that ensures optimal torque performance from the HX56-100 over a wide speed range. Microstepping ensures smooth, high-resolution positioning. The drive is capable of running stored programs created with Applied Motion’s Q programming language, and has sufficient input/output signals to connect to multiple external devices or sensors.

For more Information on the HX56-100 Hazardous Location Step motor, visit www.applied-motion.com.