Engineering Notes by Oriental Motor

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

Products and technology are only valuable when coupled with skilled people and services to support them. Since 1978, ORIENTAL MOTOR U.S.A. CORP. has been building a service and support system to better serve customers. It is our goal to provide the best product and service from the design phase, through the sale and beyond.

Our blog will feature:

  • Introduction to new products and technologies
  • Motion control basics and application examples
  • Tips for motor selection, programming, and troubleshooting

 

10 Advantages of Geared Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on May 29, 2020 9:37:39 PM

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.

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

Control Basics: The Difference Between Sink and Source Logic

Posted by Johann Tang on Apr 30, 2020 9:16:14 PM

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?

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

Motor Sizing Basics Part 4 - How to Calculate Radial Load and Axial Load

Posted by Johann Tang on Mar 31, 2020 7:58:57 PM

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.

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

Motor Sizing Basics Part 3: How to Calculate Speed, Acceleration Torque, and RMS Torque

Posted by Johann Tang on Feb 27, 2020 9:05:40 PM

Now that we understand the calculations behind load torque and load inertia, we're a little closer to motor selection.  You might be wondering why I separated load torque and acceleration torque calculations.  That's because in order to calculate for acceleration torque, load inertia and speed must be calculated first. 

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

Motor Sizing Basics Part 2: How to Calculate Load Inertia

Posted by Johann Tang on Jan 17, 2020 7:51:53 PM

Other than torque or speed, another factor should be considered when sizing motors.  

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Topics: AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Speed Control, Motor Sizing, BLDC Motors, Gearheads, Servo Motors, Rotary/Index Tables, Motion Control Basics

Motor Sizing Basics Part 1: How to Calculate Load Torque

Posted by Johann Tang on Jan 14, 2020 8:14:54 PM

Proper sizing of a motor requires that 3 criteria must be met: torque, load inertia, and speed.  For the first part of this Motor Sizing Basics series, I will be explaining what load torque is, how to calculate it for specific application examples, and how it fits into the torque requirement for the application.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Speed Control, Motor Sizing, BLDC Motors, Servo Motors, Rotary/Index Tables, Motion Control Basics

3 Ways to Troubleshoot AC Motors with a Circuit Tester

Posted by Johann Tang on Dec 27, 2019 8:36:17 PM

An AC motor is not working like it's supposed to.  What do you do?  Before replacing the motor, here are three ways to start troubleshooting your AC motor with a circuit tester.

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Topics: AC Motors, Troubleshooting

What Does a Capacitor Do?

Posted by Johann Tang on Dec 26, 2019 4:55:25 PM

For a permanent-split capacitor type AC motor (also known as capacitor start and run AC motors), a capacitor is required for proper operation.  Enjoy a cup of coffee as we explain why.

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Topics: AC Motors

Show & Tell: AC Reversible Motors and AC Electromagnetic Brake Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on Nov 21, 2019 8:38:57 PM

AC motors have the same operating theory, but by changing its design a little, you can modify its characteristics to suit certain applications better.  In the last post, I focused on AC induction motors for unidirectional applications.  In this post, I will explain what makes AC reversible motors and AC electromagnetic brake motors ideal for start/stop, reversing, or vertical applications, and demonstrate how to operate them.

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Topics: AC Motors, VIDEOS

Show & Tell: AC Induction Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on Oct 31, 2019 8:50:19 PM

AC motors are simple to control, rugged, and cost effective for general purpose applications.  These reasons are why they are the most popular type of electric motor across various industries.  In this post, we will briefly introduce induction motors and demonstrate how to operate these motors.

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Topics: AC Motors, VIDEOS