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

 

Motor Selection Basics: Types of AC/DC Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on Sep 30, 2021 9:19:49 PM

Which type of electric motor do you size for your conveyor, XYZ table, or robot?  Before you select one, you must understand the characteristics of each type of motor in the market.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Speed Control, Motor Sizing, BLDC Motors, Washdown, Servo Motors, Motion Control Basics

Speed Control Basics: VFD or Triac for AC Induction Motors?

Posted by Johann Tang on Feb 26, 2021 9:09:03 PM

When a voltage is applied to an AC induction motor, it runs at a certain speed.  Variable speed requirements for AC induction motors are typically fulfilled by a 3-phase motor and an inverter or VFD.  This blog post also introduces another option.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Speed Control, 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

Improving Stop Accuracy for Start/Stop Conveyors

Posted by Johann Tang on May 7, 2019 1:32:29 PM

Are you using motors for a start/stop conveyor or similar application?  While AC motors are a common choice for conveyors, there is a unique speed control motor solution available that could improve stop accuracy as well as reduce footprint and cost of machine designs.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Speed Control, VIDEOS, Application Examples

Easily Synchronize Speeds of Multiple Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on Oct 15, 2018 9:00:00 AM

There are a variety of ways to synchronize the speed of multiple motors.  In this blog post, we will explain another advantage of using brushless motors systems, which is its ability to set speeds accurately and be able to synchronize speeds on multiple axes easily .  Brushless motors utilize built-in hall-effect sensors to regulate speed.  Even if the load, input voltage, or temperature fluctuates, the speed regulation will always be under +/-0.2% or better.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Washdown, Application Examples

Designing Lighter Equipment by Reducing Motor Mass

Posted by Johann Tang on Oct 1, 2018 8:32:18 AM

With the growing popularity of efficient brushless motors, replacing AC motors with these motors brings several advantages.  In this blog post, we will uncover one of the advantages that can benefit lighter and compact equipment designs.  If we just look at the motors, brushless motors are much more power efficient than AC induction motors.  This means a smaller brushless motor can do the work of a bigger AC motor.  With recent trends in efficiency, brushless motors should be considered during the motor selection process for new designs.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Washdown, Application Examples

Minimize Machine Footprint with Right Angle Gear Motors

Posted by Johann Tang on Oct 1, 2018 8:31:15 AM

Parallel shaft gear motors are the standard configuration in the industry.  However, right angle gear motors are gaining popularity for its ability to minimize the footprint of a machine, such as a conveyor.  Another factor that should be considered is the type of gears used in the gearhead.  While worm gear technology is popular, its gear efficiency can vary from 50~90% depending on gear ratio.  On the other hand, hypoid gear technology keeps its efficiency at 80~95% regardless of gear ratio.  Higher gear efficiency allows more torque to be transferred from the motor to the load shaft, and sometimes allows even smaller motors to be used.

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Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Gearheads, Application Examples