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automation
- Posted: June 01, 2014
Whether traversing over the sands of Mars, or walking up a stone path, this robot was designed to move easily and quickly, to jump, and even to flip over.
The biologically inspired robots being designed at the University of Pennsylvania aim to provide new levels of mobility and durability, while providing the capability for rapid behavior development. The X-RHex (Robot Hexapod) is the latest version of the highly mobile RHex platform. X-RHex was designed for greater strength, longer runtime, and more mobility than previous versions, plus it is the first RHex to be built to carry a modular payload architecture to support a wide variety of research requirements.
The six legged robot is modeled after insects where three legs are always touching the ground at the same time. As a running robot...Categories: Whitepapers - Posted: March 30, 2014
New YouTube Video- 54:01 min.
View our on-demand Webinar anytime!
You can watch a recording of this webinar and previously recorded webinars on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrKivfJ0mSQlLyxYe3Q8_6eZaWP7Ket2V... - Posted: January 26, 2014
Q. How hot can we run a step motor without damaging it?
A. The temperature range of our motors is -20 degrees C to +150 degrees C.
Q. Can I get a step resolution smaller than 1.8″?
A. All of our motors are a standard 1.8″ in full-stepping. You can change the size of the step by purchasing drives that either have half-stepping or microstepping capabilities.
Q. How does a step motor work?
A. A step motor has two primary pieces, the rotor and stator. The stator is made out of coils of wire called the windings and the housing. The rotor is a magnet with teeth which rotates on bearings inside the stator. When current is passed through the stator windings, it produces a magnetic force that holds the rotor in a locked position, the amount of torque needed to exceed this force is called the holding torque. As current is switched in the windings, the motor takes “steps” or small movements in one direction. This movement is...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: January 20, 2014
Reprint of Kollmorgen Technical Article posted January 08, 2014, by Tom England
Coating and lamination applications demand precise speed regulation in order to avoid velocity ripple that causes uneven coating and undesirable horizontal bars across the substrate. The key to achieving the most uniform coating is minimizing the variations in velocity as well as in metering of the coating material. Coating and laminating applications are characterized by compliance caused by the elasticity of the web, which in turn produces variations in torque requirements. Web handling machines face the challenge of handling these loads while avoiding velocity ripple that can cause uneven coating and unsightly horizontal bars across the substrate. As an example, consider film coating, where depositing a dark film onto the substrate material at varying velocity would result in a series of dark and ...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: November 20, 2013
Achieve precise positioning and high torque at slow speeds without investing in a servo motor, thanks to Galil's integrated high-power (8 Amps continuous), 2-phase drive for closed-loop step motor control. This innovative solution blends the economic advantages of step motors with the accuracy typically associated with servo motors, presenting a viable option for both mechanical and electrical engineers in a range of applications.
Traditionally, automation applications have utilized either step motors, known for open-loop operation, cost-effectiveness, and suitability for high torque, slow-speed applications with moderate positional accuracy, or servo motors, which offer precision control and smooth motion at both high and low speeds through incremental or absolute feedback systems. Servo motors usually require more sophisticated control systems incorporating features like PID filters, making them pricier and more complex to stabilize compared to step motors.
The inherent...
- Posted: August 11, 2013
Often overlooked when sizing DC motors is the Speed-Torque Gradient.
The Speed-Torque Gradeint is defined as Δn / ΔM [rpm/mNm] .
The speed / torque gradient is an indicator of a motor’s performance. The smaller the value, the more powerful the motor and consequently the less motor speed varies with load variations. It is based on the quotient of ideal no-load speed and ideal stall torque.
The speed torque-gradient can be considered a measure of the motor strength, which is defined by motor type and size and not the winding selected. Basically it’s how much speed drop the motor will have for each 1mNm of torque applied.
In the figure below, enhancing the load torque leads to a linear reduction of the speed. Thus it becomes clear what the meaning of Δn/ΔM is: It’s the gradient of the speed-torque line.
...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: July 31, 2013
A motion control system is a system that controls the position, velocity, force or pressure of some machine. As an example, an electromechanical based motion control system consists of a motion controller (the brains of the system), a drive (which takes the low power command signal from the motion controller and converts it into high power current/voltage to the motor), a motor (which converts electrical energy to mechanical energy), a feedback device (which sends signals back to the motion controller to make adjustments until the system produces the desired result), and a mechanical system (including actuators, which physically produce the desired end result).
A motion controller is the primary intelligence, or brain, within a motion control system. It is responsible for calculating and generating the output commands for a desired motion path or trajectory. Motion controllers vary in complexity; sophisticated motion controllers typically consist of a trajectory generator...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: July 17, 2013
This document describes the evolution of motion and control system architectures and what new benefits are realized today when using EtherCAT®, whether for a large number of axes or simple systems using just a few. OEMs have many choices available and naturally gravitate to a given architecture in order to speed development and reduce costs. Machine systems, and mainly motion control, are normalized to meet the requirements of the application.
Highlighted too is not only the rise and acceptance for network connected motion control applications but also why they are here to stay. In fact, the continued demand for servo solutions like those provided by EtherCAT-based systems will grow faster than most others and come at lowered system costs to implement…
Click on the link below to view the complete White Paper.
https://www.a-m-c.com/download/whitepaper/EtherCAT_Performance_Advantage.pdf...Categories: Technical Support - Posted: April 06, 2013
The new issue of “driven”, the maxon motor magazine, brings stories and applications from the field of medical technology to your tablet, interactive and easy to understand. This issue is all about implants and prosthetics, ranging from a state-of-the-art motorized prosthetic hand to an implanted medication pump. The tablet magazine is available for Apple iOS and Google Android.
In the new issue 1//2013 of “driven”, implants and prosthetics take center stage. Learn about the fascinating possibilities of modern prosthetics and how maxon products are used in artificial limbs. For example, did you know that the gripping movement and gripping force of modern hand prostheses are... - Posted: March 30, 2013
The key to reducing production costs is found in Cycle Time effects. You may be able to further reduce costs if you look closely at the CT effects.
So what exactly are CT effects?
Click on the link below to read the case study from IntelligentActuator.com on how production efficiency was significantly improved.
https://www.intelligentactuator.com/pdf/CT-Effects_CJ0196-2A-UST-1-1112.pdf
More information on the factory automation products from IAI can be viewed at-
https://www.electromate.com/products/?partner=1086624533...