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.
Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Servo Motors, Network
The BLV Series R Type brushless DC motor and compact driver not only reduces the size and weight of the original BLV Series driver but offer an upgrade to the motor as well. This blog post uses videos to explain the features offered by the BLV Series R Type.
Topics: Robotics, Smooth Drive, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Software, Network
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, then show how advances in stepper motor technology are closing the gap.
Topics: Stepper Motors, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Servo Motors, Network, Service Life
The BLV Series is one of two DC-input brushless motor speed control systems we offer. While a brushless motor with hall-effect sensor feedback provides constant torque, wide speed range, and speed regulation, the BLV driver offers unique functions designed for mobile robots, such as low battery operation and ramp operation.
Topics: Robotics, Speed Control, BLDC Motors, Software, Network, Troubleshooting
Remember the days when we used to go to in-person events, such as trade shows? Robot demos have always generated a lot of foot traffic in booths. What's better to illustrate the synchronism of closed-loop stepper motors than 3 motors working together to create one specific motion?
Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, VIDEOS, Gearheads, Network, Application Examples
For automated factories, motor failures mean lost production and lost revenue. Being able to identify the specific issue in advance and its location is critical to maintaining production efficiency. To be successful, extra sensors must be added to detect abnormalities. There may be an easier way.
Topics: Stepper Motors, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS, Network, Application Examples, Troubleshooting
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
Along with the advancement of industrial technology, the method of maintaining motion control components of a machine, such as motors, drives, and sensors, has also evolved. The most common method of maintaining a machine after a failure has occurred was the traditional method. Realizing the need for improvement, maintenance personnel started to estimate life and replace motion control components before they fail. More recently, with the advancement of IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and real-time availability of status data, another method was born.
While the two newer methods have the same goal in eliminating machine downtime, only one does it efficiently.
Topics: Stepper Motors, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS, Network, Application Examples