An easy way to alter the speed and torque characteristics of a stepper motor is to connect it to a different type of driver or change its wiring configuration.  However, there's more to it.  Knowing the pros and cons between "unipolar" and "bipolar" can make or break your stepper motor performance.

Topics: Stepper Motors

I will never forget my first engineering project involving motors.  I built a small elevator for a science class back in elementary school.  Of course, it worked great during the testing phase, but it failed to perform when it counted.

Topics: Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors

The viscosity change in liquids can vary the torque required for mixing.  For AC asynchronous motors such as AC induction motors, the rated speed is affected by load torque fluctuations, which may cause inconsistency in the final product.  Is there a better motor for the job?

Topics: Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Gearheads, Washdown, Application Examples

For automated factories, motor failures mean lost production and lost revenue.  Being able to identify the specific issue in advance and its location is critical to maintaining production efficiency.  To be successful, extra sensors must be added to detect abnormalities.  There may be an easier way.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS, Network, Application Examples, Troubleshooting

Oriental Motor offers many pre-assembled geared motors for quality and consistency.   In addition, gearheads from our industry partners increase the torque range of our motors further to accomodate for more applications.

Topics: AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, BLDC Motors, Gearheads, Application Examples, Rotary/Index Tables

Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Gearheads, Rotary/Index Tables

For someone who has never had experience wiring I/O for motion control, it can be scary the first time.  If devices are not wired correctly, it can cause a range of issues from a motor simply not doing what's expected to irreversible product damage.  I still get that nervous feeling before I press the START button on a demo.  Murphy's Law, anyone?

Topics: AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Speed Control, BLDC Motors, Servo Motors

The significance of position control accuracy of motors varies depending on the application.  For an AGV in a farm with DC motor-driven wheels, position control accuracy is probably not as crucial as a surgical robot where incisions are controlled by servo motors or stepper motors.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Gearheads, Servo Motors

Besides load torque, acceleration torque, speed, and load inertia, overlooking certain sizing parameters during the motor sizing process can literally make or break your machine.

Topics: AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Speed Control, Motor Sizing, Capping, BLDC Motors, Gearheads, Servo Motors

A gripper is typically an end effector that is installed at the end of a robotic arm or on a cartesian robot and can be used to grip parts in order to transfer them from one location to another.  However, there's more to it than just closing the jaws to pinch a part.  In this post, we will explain how to properly grip a load while preventing damage.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS, Application Examples