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, Motion Control Basics
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, Motion Control Basics
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
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.
Topics: AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Speed Control, Motor Sizing, BLDC Motors, Servo Motors, Motion Control Basics
Other than torque or speed, another factor should be considered when sizing motors.
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
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.
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
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
The terms "absolute" and "incremental" come up frequently in the world of position control. The exact meaning can be the type of motion done by the motor in programming terms or the type of feedback device used with the motor. In this article, we will focus on the differences between an incremental closed-loop feedback system and an absolute closed-loop feedback system.
Topics: Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS
The word, "AlphaStep", describes Oriental Motor's patented Hybrid Control technology, which offers improved stepper motor performance by sensing the rotor position and automatically switching between open-loop and closed-loop operation when necessary. This post explains the unique technologies offered within the AlphaStep family of products and summarizes the numerous integrated options available. It also can serve as a website navigation guide (video added).
Topics: Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS, Gearheads, Software, Network
Robot adoption is increasing in many industries due to global efforts in reducing long term costs, maintaining quality, and freeing up time for humans to do "human" tasks. For example, by using a robot to clean floors or restock shelves in a supermarket, human employees can spend more time helping or selling to their customers. A company can either tap into this robotic trend by buying ready-made robots, or by making their own with less cost.
If engineering resources are limited, selecting the right components can reduce the difficulty and time for building a robot.
Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Motor Sizing, VIDEOS, Gearheads, Software, Application Examples