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

 

Simplify Semiconductor Wafer Handling with Modular Products from the AlphaStep AZ Series Family

Posted by Johann Tang on Oct 31, 2023 6:45:48 PM

Semiconductor wafers are the foundation of semiconductor chip manufacturing. The growing demand for semiconductors, driven by technological advancements like AI, IoT, and robotics, makes it crucial to handle these delicate wafers efficiently and precisely. In this article, we will explain how unified features from a family of modular motors and linear actuators can simplify and optimize process automation, such as semiconductor wafer handling.

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

Swing Arm and End Effector Solutions for Semiconductor Wafer Processing

Posted by Johann Tang on Jul 27, 2023 9:17:48 PM

Oriental Motor provides a wide variety of products to meet semiconductor equipment design goals.  This post focuses on motor selection for two specific motion axes of a semiconductor manufacturing process called CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) and explains how to save time by using different products from the same family.

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

Example of In-House Production of SCARA Robot (Horizontal Articulated Robot)

Posted by Johann Tang on Apr 27, 2023 6:58:39 PM

In-house production equipment is easier to build than you think.  Here's an example of a 5-axis SCARA robot.

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

Dedicated Robot Controller and Programming Software for Robotics

Posted by Johann Tang on Mar 24, 2023 1:00:06 PM

 

Robots are increasing in demand due to continuing labor shortages and the push for error-less efficiency in manufacturing.  In the meantime, some companies are falling behind because they either do not have the capital or engineering know-how to buy and implement robotics automation.  While you can buy a robot and program it to do what you want, the results are often different than building a custom robot for the exact purpose.

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Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, VIDEOS, Software, Network, Application Examples, New Product Introductions

Is There an Option Between Stepper Motors and Servo Motors?

Posted by Johann Tang on Aug 1, 2022 5:45:00 PM

Servo motor systems are expensive but great for demanding applications that require high speed, peak torque, or feedback.  Stepper motors are cost-effective but do not offer the peace of mind of feedback.  For designs that do not need the bells and whistles of servo motor systems, there is another option.

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

Case Study: SCARA and Cartesian/Gantry Robots for Automated Assembly

Posted by Johann Tang on May 17, 2022 3:34:48 PM

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

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

What is Modular Automation?

Posted by Johann Tang on Mar 16, 2022 7:04:08 PM

Modular automation is the next phase of factory automation where a production line is separated into modules and can be quickly reconfigured for different purposes.  We're ready for this.  Are you?

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

The Choice Between Servo Motors and Stepper Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on Nov 30, 2021 11:45:00 PM

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,  we will summarize the differences between servo motor systems and stepper motor systems.

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

Motion Programming Example: Timed Pressing Operation

Posted by Johann Tang on Apr 29, 2021 4:47:13 PM

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.

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

Grounding Basics: What are the Differences Between PE and FG?

Posted by Johann Tang on Nov 30, 2020 9:42:41 PM

Proper grounding is necessary for electrical devices for different reasons, but why do we do it?

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