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

Current demand for stepper motors is shifting toward smaller, smarter, and more efficient systems, with the biggest push coming from automation, robotics, medical devices, and compact consumer and industrial equipment.  As our customers demand more torque in a smaller package, we've been developing a complete high torque stepper motor line and supporting products to meet these needs.

In high-precision automation environments like semiconductor manufacturing, even the smallest error can result in costly defects and downtime.   What if you could deliver servo-like precision without the complexity or cost of servo motors?

While optical encoders have long been the standard, magnetic encoders are emerging as a compelling alternative due to their durability, cost-efficiency, and versatility.  In this article, we’ll compare the pros and cons of both encoder technologies and explain why Oriental Motor's magnetic encoders deserve a closer look for a wider range of applications.

Encoder feedback is essential for closed-loop motion control and can enhance accuracy, reliability, and even efficiency for machinery and robotics.  In this article, we compare how optical, magnetic, and capacitive encoders work and share some selection tips.

In this article, we're diving deeper into two stepper motor types: high-resolution type and encoder type; and how they can be used to improve precision in critical laboratory automation applications like autosamplers.

Stepper motors are popular for their ability to stop accurately as well as their ease of use.  Both the amount of rotation and the speed are controlled easily with the same digital square wave pulse signal.  Unlike servo motors, stepper motors do not need an encoder to operate.  Example applications of stepper motors are CNC machines, index tables, robotics, scanners, and more recently, 3D printers.