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

As laboratory automation and diagnostic equipment become more compact and increasingly dense, robot selection is no longer driven solely by reach and payload.  Space constraints often dictate machine architecture just as much as performance requirements.  Engineers need robots that can operate efficiently in tight spaces without sacrificing speed, payload, or flexibility.

Automating screw tightening is no longer just about speeding up assembly; it’s also about ensuring consistent quality, reducing defects, and enabling scalable production. For automation engineers, one of the most effective architectures for achieving this is a multi-axis Cartesian system that combines precise positioning, controlled pressing, and accurate torque delivery.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how a 4-axis automated screw tightening machine can be built using electric linear actuators, and how Oriental Motor’s integrated motor and actuator solutions can simplify designs while improving performance.

As packaging lines face increasing pressure to run faster, handle more variants, and fit into tighter footprints, automation strategies must balance precision, flexibility, and size. One effective approach is the coordinated use of compact robots integrated with machine vision - an architecture well-suited for highly repeatable tasks like bottle handling and capping.

Building a great machine starts with the right motion components, and Oriental Motor’s PKP Series stepper motors give engineers a reliable starting point with a variety of proven options to choose from.  However, when your design demands a perfect fit or finely tuned specs, our custom assembly services take you beyond what standard motors can offer.

In high-volume manufacturing, every second matters.  Although traditional SCARA robots have been a staple in assembly and material handling, their limited rotational range can often cause delays that can keep them from maximizing throughput.

Building a robot is not easy.  Programming a robot can be even more challenging without user-friendly software.  In this article, I'll explain a few of the MRC Studio's most useful features and demonstrate how the Robot Vision Calibration function can help reduce costs for your vision-enabled robots.

For machine designers who typically specify 3-phase AC induction motors and VFDs to meet variable speed requirements, brushless DC (BLDC) motors can be a cheat code to designing smaller, lighter, and more efficient machines.  This article compares our 750 W (1 HP) Brushless DC Motor to an equivalent AC motor in efficiency, size/weight, and performance.

In industrial automation, cooling fans are used to cool electronics so that equipment can last longer.  However, knowing which type of fan to apply to your machine design can be tricky.  In this article, I explain how fans affect the life of electronics and compare the characteristics of the 3 most common types of cooling fans.

A network-compatible multi-axis driver can save space and reduce costs by combining multiple stepper motor drive circuits in a single product and minimizing the number of cables necessary for motion control.