Applied Motion Products expands its family of STR Stepper Drives with two new AC-powered units for use in industrial applications powered by AC supply voltages. Offering the benefits of low noise, smooth motion, and high torque over wide speed ranges, the STRAC Stepper Drives bring high-performance motion control to basic step and direction applications. Units…
What is a stepper motor’s velocity limit?
A velocity limit for a stepper motor is essentially a top speed that is set by a user beyond which the motor will not go. Why is this useful? Mainly because stepper motors have a speed where a resonant frequency is reached and may cause it to vibrate. This can cause the motor to become […]
Stepper drive is internationally certified for use in hazardous locations
Applied Motion has announced the first and only step motor drive internationally certified for use in hazardous locations. The STAC6-Q-H Stepper Drive is ATEX and IECEx certified for Class I, Zone 2 locations, and UL certified for Class 1, Div. 2, Group C & D locations; Class 1, Zone 2 locations. The HazLoc Step Motor […]
Electric motors: Trends in stepper, battery-powered, and integrated motion designs
From induction motors in electric vehicles to tiny coreless dc motors in drug-delivery equipment, electric motors continue to proliferate. Last year we saw consumer products, implantable medical devices, and automation of previously manual tasks spur the most innovation in motor design and use. This year those trends continue — and now we see increased use […]
What’s the difference between ac and dc stepper drives?
Drives for stepper motors can have inputs that are either ac or dc. What happens inside the drive is that the input signal is converted to a series of square wave pulses that are applied to the motor’s windings to power the motor and produce motion. However, stepper motors themselves function as ac motors (they […]
Applied Motion intros UL-listed and CSA-certified stepper and servo motors
Applied Motion Products introduces a range of UL-listed and CSA-certified stepper motors and servo motors for use in applications requiring certifications in North America and Canada. Units are recognized to Standard UL-1004-6 for Servo and Stepper Motors, UL 1004-1 Standard for Rotating Electrical Machines, and Canadian CSA Standard C22.2 No. 100-14 for Motors and Generators. […]
MD&M West (ATX West) 2018 — First day of motion technologies
One full day down, and MD&M West and the collocated ATX — also known as the Pacific Design & Manufacturing Show — are in full swing in Anaheim. New motion-control and power-transmission products and applications abound — with a lot of cross-pollination to other industries from the medical-device and semiconductor-manufacturing industries. Here’s just a smattering […]
UL-Listed and CSA-Certified Stepper and Servo Motors for Motion Control and Automation
Applied Motion Products introduces a range of UL-Listed and CSA- Certified stepper motors and servo motors for use in applications requiring certifications in North America and Canada. Units are recognized to Standard UL-1004-6 for Servo and Stepper Motors, UL 1004-1 Standard for Rotating Electrical Machines, and Canadian CSA Standard C22.2 No. 100-14 for Motors and…
The Top 5 Pain Points in Motion Control Design
Today, design engineers developing motion control functions must not only deal with technology-related questions, but also with a long list of commercial challenges and project-related questions that affect their implementation decisions. To better understand these real-world challenges, TRINAMIC Motion Control (TMC) asked its field application engineers to identify the top five questions, problems, or issues…
New Micro-Positioning Components and Solutions catalog from PI
PI (Physik Instrumente) has released a new catalog of engineered products necessary for precision positioning of medium loads used in industry and research. The products highlighted in the catalog are developed to move loads of 10 to 50 kg (22 to 110 lb) over distances up to 300 mm. Rotation stages provide rotation angles of […]
Stepper motor steps in for discontinued product line
Quadrel Labeling Systems designs and builds all of their stepper-based Pressure Sensitive and Shrink Sleeve Labeling Systems using stepper motor technologies and has been doing so since the late 1980s. Certain situations can prompt a company to change components within a system. For example, when a supplier is sold to a larger company, which then…
IDEC now sells new stepper motion control products
IDEC Corp. introduces a line of motion control stepper products in conjunction with Advanced Micro Controls Inc. (AMCI), an established developer of motion control systems. This AMCI by IDEC product line includes controllers, stepper motors, an integrated controller/drive, an integrated drive/stepper motor, and an integrated controller/drive/stepper motor. When combined with an IDEC FC6A PLC and […]
New AC-powered STR stepper drives from Applied Motion Products
Applied Motion Products, Inc. now sells an expanded line of STR Stepper Drives with the release of new drives for use in AC powered applications. STR stepper drives are designed for smooth motion and high torque over a wide speed range, bringing high performance motion control to basic step and direction applications. Two new AC […]
How to Choose Between Stepper and Servo Motors
For many motion control applications, designers and engineers can choose between a servo or stepper motion control system. Much of this decision is driven by the motor, so this article will focus on this component, although the controller and the drive also play into the evaluation. Making the correct selection has long term benefits that…
Pluggable terminal blocks eliminate screw-terminal connections
Dinkle International announces the availability of its pluggable terminal blocks, a series of products with a unique push-in-design for connecting wires to the terminal blocks. A pluggable terminal block is composed of a plug and a mating socket. The socket is usually attached to a printed circuit board through pins. The plug fits into the…
IDEC releases line of stepper motion control products
IDEC Corp. introduces a line of motion control stepper products in conjunction with Advanced Micro Controls Inc. (AMCI), an established developer of motion control systems. This AMCI by IDEC product line includes controllers, stepper motors, an integrated controller/drive, an integrated drive/stepper motor, and an integrated controller/drive/stepper motor. When combined with an IDEC FC6A PLC and […]
Where are digital servo drives used?
The original servo drives were analog types that operate on ± 10 volt inputs, but digital servo drives that operate over fieldbus networks now dominate the market. The primary difference in construction between digital and analog drives is that a digital drive includes a microprocessor, which carries out computations to determine the output control signal […]
Compact controllers provide precision to lab technology
By Terry Persun, Contributing Editor Tomtec has over forty years of experience in the designing and manufacturing of automated liquid handling equipment. Their Quadra4 is the latest to receive upgraded design components for a liquid handling workstation for life science workflows. The workstation is designed using a fixed-head, air displacement syringe design, which services a…
FAQ: What is microstepping?
Microstepping is driving a stepper motor at less the one full step per movement. Under usual operating conditions, a stepper motor operates by turning one full step with every pulse of current. Microstepping allows a motor to make far finer steps. This done by having the controller and drive send the proper kinds of current […]
FAQ: What drive conditions make stepper motors run poorly?
When selecting a drive for a stepper motor, remember that certain drive setups and may cause the stepper motor to run poorly. These include improperly sized motors, incorrect drive types and incompatible wiring schemes. Having a correctly sized stepper drive is vital. If this is not done, then there is the risk that the motor […]
FAQ: How do stepper drives work with stepper controls based on PLCs?
Programmable logic controllers, or PLCs, are computers that control automation and motion systems. They are real-time computers in which inputs must create outputs in limited time. They usually store programs that perform control algorithms in non-volatile memory or battery-backed memory. Using a PLC with a stepper drive allows control mechanisms to change using software control, […]
FAQ: What features need to be compatible for a stepper drive to run a given stepper motor?
When selecting a stepper drive, certain features must be compatible with the motor and the drive for the system to function. These include the current output of the drive, whether it is for unipolar or bipolar stepper motors, its voltage output and its wattage or power rating. All of these factors matter for their own […]
FAQ: How do AC stepper drives offer better torque-speed performance than DC?
When selecting stepper drives, AC and DC options are both readily available. However, AC drives can often provide better torque-speed performance than DC drives. There are a couple reasons for this. More current means more torque When driving stepper motors, the general rule of thumb tends to be the more current a drive can provide to […]
FAQ: How to size stepper motor power supplies?
Stepper motors are sensitive to the performance of their power supplies. Stepper motor power supplies can affect: Rate of motor heating — read FAQ: Aren’t heat and noise common stepper motor problems? for more on this Acceleration — read FAQ: What are the requirements for a stepper acceleration? Torque — read FAQ: What kind of torque […]
FAQ: What kind of torque can I get out of a stepper motor versus other options?
Stepper-motor output torque depends on a few things — including the stepper-motor type; how many poles it has; how fast it runs; and the type of drive supplying electrical power to the motor. For the latter, read FAQ: What is a stepper drive and how do they work? for more information. More specifically, a […]