Welcome to Oriental Motor's "Engineering Notes" Blog:

In this post, we introduce a real-world SCARA and gantry robot example of in-house automation built using our AlphaStep AZ Series family of motors, actuators, drivers, and our 4-axis robot controller.

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

The best motor is the one that meets the application requirements.  However, when both servo motors and stepper motors satisfy the basic requirements of a positioning application, it's important to have a deeper understanding of the two technologies to make an informed decision.

In this blog post,  I will summarize the differences between servo motor systems and stepper motor systems, then show how advances in stepper motor technology are closing the gap.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Servo Motors, Network, Service Life

In this blog post, I will explain how to easily program a timed pressing operation with our MEXE02 universal product support software.  This example works for any products included in the AlphaStep AZ Series family, which also includes other series that use the same technology and software.

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

No matter how many functions a product offers, without an intuitive, easy-to-use software, those functions can be difficult to implement.

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

Remember the days when we used to go to in-person events, such as trade shows?  Robot demos have always generated a lot of foot traffic in booths.  What's better to illustrate the synchronism of closed-loop stepper motors than 3 motors working together to create one specific motion?

Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, VIDEOS, Gearheads, Network, Application Examples

STO, or "Safe Torque Off", is a dedicated, built-in safety circuit function that makes safety easier to manage for motion devices, such as an industrial robot.  It is part of the overall safety system.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators

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

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

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.  

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

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd change gears (pun intended) and write about what Oriental Motor is thankful for.  

First, we are thankful for our customers for being our customers and helping us grow to be a globally reputable motion control manufacturer.  Second, we are thankful for the awards and recognition we've received over the years.  It's always good to know that we're doing a good job and these accolades definitely serve as motivation to become even better at what we do.

While we are grateful for these awards and recognition, our greatest satisfaction comes from applying our award-winning products to solve motion control challenges for our customers.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control