There are many mechanisms that convert rotary motion of an electric motor to linear motion, such as belt/chain drives, screw drives, rack & pinion drives and even CAM drives.  Each mechanism offers advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right technology can help increase load, speed, travel distance, or positioning accuracy.

Topics: Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, Linear & Rotary Actuators, VIDEOS, Vertical Lifts

An AC motor can be simple to use, but its speed changes according to the size of the load or amount of voltage supplied.  For an application where keeping a uniform speed is important, there is another type of motor that can improve performance.

Topics: AC Motors, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Feedback Control

The BLH Series compact BLDC motors and drivers have been around for a long time, and there is a good reason.  Customers seem to favor the combination of a highly efficient, compact motor and a light weight board type driver that is easy to use.  Having a high torque, flat style hollow shaft gearhead as an option also helps in increasing torque as well as minimizing footprint.

Topics: Torque Limit (Push Motion), Robotics, Speed Control, VIDEOS, Capping, BLDC Motors, Software

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.

Topics: Conveyor, AC Motors, Stepper Motors, Stepper Motor Drivers, Speed Control, VIDEOS

What motors do you use for pumps?  For variable speed pump applications that typically use 3-phase AC induction motors with variable frequency drives (VFDs), there is another type of motor that can transfer fluids more consistently and help reduce footprint.

Topics: AC Motors, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Pumps

In the world of industrial robotics, there are several types of robots typically offering multiple axes of motion for tasks such as parts assembly, material handling, or pick and place operations.  These include articulated robots, cartesian/gantry robots, SCARA robots, and Delta robots.  Variations of end effectors such as grippers, welders or part rotators can be mounted on the end of the arm to perform different tasks.  Depending on number of axes or load capacity, costs can easily add up.  Limiting the operation range for these robotic axes of motion is an easy way to prevent costly problems or safety issues later.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Robotics, Absolute Positioning, Alphastep Hybrid Control, VIDEOS, Software

The MEXE02 support software is a universal motion control and monitor software used with multiple stored data type products from Oriental Motor, such as the stepper motor drivers from AZ Series, AR Series, and RK2 Series, or brushless DC motor drivers from BLE2 Series and BX2 Series.  This post is useful for first-time users to gain a quick understanding of the software and what it can do.

Topics: Stepper Motors, Linear & Rotary Actuators, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors, Software, Servo Motors

For applications where torque needs to be limited, an external mechanical torque limiter is typically required in addition to the motor system.  When the torque exceeds the limit, the torque limiter will either decouple the load or limit the torque by slipping.  An electric motor system's built-in torque limit function can simplify machine designs by eliminating this extra component.

Topics: Torque Limit (Push Motion), Speed Control, VIDEOS, Capping, BLDC Motors

A driver is a must-have for any stepper motor.  In a stepper motor system, a driver controls how the motor operates based on signals received from the controller.  It is responsible for sending current through various phases in a stepper motor and also regulates the motor current (torque) and step resolution.  With recent trends of minimizing machine footprint, finding space to install drivers could be challenging.

Standard Stepper Motor System Configuration

Topics: Stepper Motors, Stepper Motor Drivers, VIDEOS

Robotic grippers are typically used to grip parts for transport.  The driving force behind a gripper can be pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric.  Which type is best for gripping?

Topics: Torque Limit (Push Motion), Robotics, Speed Control, VIDEOS, BLDC Motors