AutomationDirect announces the release of a new White Paper, “Group Motor Protection”, that explains how the usual way of preventing a small motor from drawing too much current is to install overcurrent protection in the form of a circuit breaker or some other kind of limiter. But installations that employ more than one motor might […]
AutomationDirect
Building vs. Buying Stepper Motor Controllers
By Joe Kimbrell, Product Manager for Motors and Drives, AutomationDirect When deciding whether to build or buy, OEMs need to consider a myriad of factors including required design efforts, up-front costs and ongoing support. Stepper motors are popular due to their low cost, especially in low power motor applications. Used in a range of industrial […]
AutomationDirect adds small NEMA motor stepper gearboxes
AutomationDirect’s new SureGear™ PGCN series of stepper gearboxes is an excellent choice for stepper and other motion control applications requiring a NEMA-size input/output interface. Available in NEMA 17, 23, and 34 sizes and gear ratios of 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100:1, SureGear stepper gearboxes are designed with a nominal speed of 3,500 RPM and […]
How to select, apply and integrate the right encoder for an industrial automation application
Updated June 2016 by Lisa Eitel || by Joe Kimbrell, Product manager, Drives, Motors and Motion, AutomationDirect Encoders are used to determine the position, velocity and direction of motor shaft speed and other mechanical motion. They provide information required for the precise control of a variety of applications, such as positioning a rotary table, pick […]
AutomationDirect adds more high-resolution encoders
AutomationDirect has extended its series of Koyo medium duty encoders to include high PPR (Pulses Per Revolution) models. Available in Totem Pole (Push-Pull) or line driver (differential) configurations, the encoders feature a 50mm diameter body with a 35mm depth. Models are constructed with an 8mm diameter solid or hollow shaft and offer incremental resolutions of […]
Reviewing Some Online Stepper Motor Selectors
How easy is it to select a stepper motor online? I decided to find out by visiting the web sites of some stepper motor manufacturers and seeing how easy or difficult it was. First up was Automation Direct. Offering everything from cables and fuses to terminal blocks and pneumatic components, the home page is quite […]
Encoders: Incremental Innovation
by Miles Budimir, Senior Editor Encoders for position feedback may be a well-established technology, but manufacturers continue to innovate by stretching the application space and adding new, useful features. Encoders are a well-established technology within the industrial world. Used wherever motion is found, they may not be as glamorous as either the end products or […]
AutomationDirect adds precision servo gearboxes
AutomationDirect’s new SureGear PGA series of high-precision servo gear reducers is an excellent choice for applications requiring accuracy and reliability. Offered in a concentric shaft design with a maximum five arc-min backlash rating, the SureGear PGA series is an accurate, high-performance, and cost-effective solution for applications such as gantries, injection-molding machines, conveyors, and more. The […]
AutomationDirect adds cost-effective encoders for small applications
AutomationDirect has added a series of Koyo miniature encoders to its line of positioning and motion control products, providing a cost-effective solution for size-limited applications. The TRD-MX series light-duty encoders feature a small body with 25mm diameter and 29mm depth. Constructed with a 4mm diameter solid shaft, the series offers resolutions from 100 to 1,024 […]
AutomationDirect adds Microstepping Drive and Accessories to SureStep line
AutomationDirect’s SureStep line of motion control products now includes a low cost of entry digital stepper drive in a compact package. The standard stepper drive operates with high-speed pulse input signals (Step and Direction, or jumper-selectable CW/CCW step) and has a selectable resolution range of 200 to 20,000 steps per revolution. Additional features include a […]
