stepper motor | Precise low cost positioning

MOTOREN

Details: Released: 24.05.2023; Last updated: 07.02.2024; Hits: 10076

Stepper Motors have become indispensable in the industry for precise movements and flexibility in countless applications steering to ensure. They have high accuracy, are robust and offer a wide range of torques and speeds. They are therefore ideal for use in production, for example, Automation or Robotic. In this article we present the latest developments:

Contents

Highly efficient stepper motor with a cable up to 10 m long
Diondo uses stepper motors for marine research
Stepper motors for medical technology
Stepper motor with hollow shaft for maintenance-free continuous operation
Closed loop stepper motor complete set with encoder + control
Cyber protection for Ethernet based stepper motors
Stepper motor with resolver for robots and medical technology

Stepper Motor News Archive

What does a stepper motor do?
What does Nema mean for motors?

Highly efficient stepper motor with a cable up to 10 m long

24.05.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | The AZ Series Closed Loop Stepper Motors from Oriental Motor is now available in two new versions for the flange dimensions 42 mm and 60 mm and with a new plug connection. With the highly efficient drives, the energy consumption of machines can be significantly reduced. The machine cycle is shortened because the motors approach the zero position at high speed.

The plug connection in IP66 is protected against dust and strong water jets. The cable length between motor and driver can be up to 10 m.

The stepper motors have a high efficiency, which saves 47% energy compared to conventional steppers. A mechanical one absolute sensor eliminates the need for an external sensor that could interfere with positioning accuracy. System-related factors such as changing loads no longer affect the accuracy of the zero position. The motors approach the zero position at high speed, the machine cycle is significantly reduced.

In addition to the standard version, the stepper motors are available in a version with electromagnetic brake. The cabling is flexible with three different cable outlet directions. All previous AZD drivers including Profinet, EtherCAT and Ethernet/IP are available as drivers. There are also significantly more compact mini drivers than the single axis drivers. They are ideally suited for use in small installation spaces.

All AZ stepper motors can be used with the programming software Mexe 02 can be configured. This also includes various monitoring functions. In combination with the MRC01 robot controller, the stepper motors can be easily integrated into self-constructed in-house robots. Thanks to low heat generation, the drives are also suitable for continuous operation.

Diondo uses stepper motors for marine research

12.03.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX | Developed for the analysis of drill cores from the seabed on a Chinese drilling platform Diondo an Computed tomograph of a special kind. The Hattingen specialist for non-destructive material testing and metrology relies on engine components from Igus. A series electric stepper motor Drylin from Igus takes over the Power Type.

Stepper motors for medical technology

01.03.2021 | stepper motors with and without controls are also used in medical technology. Here they are very well suited for positioning, especially where gears are undesirable due to the lack of space or noise. This also applies if positioning is to take place without an encoder or limit switch. Almost always has koco Motion a suitable drive ready for this. Examples of use include the blood analysis devices described above or medical pump technology.

Stepper motor with hollow shaft for maintenance-free continuous operation

28.02.2021 | With the stepper motor Series DM66200H (picture above) presented Faulhaber a new dimension of performance for motors with an aperture (inner opening). The works as a direct drive Hollow shaft motor play-free and can be integrated with only minimal effort. At speed and torque the light and flat stepper motor achieves high performance values. Its particularly large opening is 40 mm in diameter. The drive is designed for maintenance-free continuous operation.

For applications that require a large Aperture need, this completely new hollow shaft motor is suitable. The rotor runs around the opening and directly drives the mechanics arranged around it without gearing. The stepper motor technology from Faulhaber is very energy-efficient due to its design and does not need any Brake or Encoder.

Despite the large inner opening, the moving mass of the rotor remains low. The new stepper motors thus offer speeds of up to 2000 min^-1. The hollow shaft motor achieves a dynamic torque of up to 180 mNm. It can move correspondingly large loads. With a resolution of 1,8 ° in full step, the stepper motor performs precise positioning tasks in an open loop.

The hollow shaft motor was originally designed for applications in the Precision optics developed, but is suitable for numerous other applications. The stepper motor can be used anywhere, for example Cables guided or gases, liquids and light signals must be passed through the hollow shaft. The stepper motor is suitable for microscope tables, zoom lenses, apertures, and laser beam control. It can also be used for impellers and prostheses, in robots, and for control and positioning tasks. Turntables, antennas, air and gas extraction are also conceivable applications.

Stepper motors with a new approach

Compared to other drive technologies with a central opening that are suitable for the same applications, these stepper motors offer specific ones Benefits:

Bigger opening: In conventional motors with a hollow shaft, the size of the opening is limited. It is usually a maximum of 11 mm.
Higher speeds: Due to their large moving mass, torque motors do not achieve high speeds. They are also expensive and the integration into the application is complex.
Freedom of play: Rotary tables with a central opening require translation and complex mechanics. This results in an unavoidable backlash, which has to be compensated for in a laborious manner in precision applications. System integration is much more complex. Numerous wear parts lead to high maintenance costs.
Small and light: A hybrid stepper motor or reluctance stepper motor requires significantly more weight and volume to achieve comparable performance values.

Closed loop stepper motor complete set with encoder + control

03.09.2020 | The CS2RS series is a new stepper motor complete, consisting of a stepper motor with encoder and a perfectly matched controller. The Leadshine stepper motor set is made by koco Motion expelled. It has a closed control circuit (closed loop control). The stepper motor combination is available immediately and from a quantity of 1. Koco Motion's integrated stepper motor is based on the standard Modbus RTU protocol.

Cyber protection for Ethernet based stepper motors

15.07.2020/XNUMX/XNUMX | Because networks in industry are becoming more and more open to the dreaded cybercrime due to the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), the components involved must be protected against it. Schneider Electric therefore has his Stepper motors with control Lexium Mdrive equipped with firmware that protects the drives. Koco Motion sells the integrated stepper motors.

Stepper motor with resolver for robots and medical technology

04.02.2020 | Minibea Mitsumi and Renesas Electronics have in common a sensor-based stepper motor Developed with resolver and stepper motor control. The resolver based motor was designed for use in robots, office automation, Medical Technology and maintenance optimized. Such applications require motors with more precise motor control and miniaturized form factors. In addition, they must be robust against environmental influences.

Minebea Mitsumi already has extensive experience in the field of resolvers in the form of sensors for automotive applications. Now the company developed a resolver for the first time (angle sensor) for stepper motors, used in industrial and consumer applications.

As the market leader in 32-bit microcontrollers (MCU), Renesas has developed a new RDC converter (Resolver-to-Digital Converter) that supports Minebea Mitsumi's new stepper motors. Driver software for controlling the RDC with a 32-bit RX-MCU was also developed. Renesas also offers a resolver based kit for controlling the motor with development tools, including a Minebea Mitsumi stepper motor with resolver. With the associated evaluation board with RDC, users can quickly start development.

Features of the stepper motor with resolver development

A stepper motor with resolver also enables one high-precision motor control in harsh environments with heat, dust or vibrations. With the resolver-based motor, heavy loads can also be moved without interruption. Renesas and Minebea Mitsumi have developed a new type of resolver stepper motor and resolver motor controller. It can be used to expand the range of applications for stepper motors. For example, with the resolver stepper motors and their controls in the development of robots or driverless transport systems (AGV), high-precision movements can be implemented even in harsh environments.

Self-driving cars from the perspective of an automotive supplier

Torque is two to three times higher than existing products because no interrupt control is required. The stepper motor control is suitable for broadband connection and extremely low speeds. The servo control optimizes the power supply and ensures low power consumption. Thanks to the high resolution of 200.000 P/R, a high level of position accuracy can be achieved. And thanks to the high torque of these stepper motors, applications can be further miniaturized.

Stepper Motor News Archive

Stepper motor linear actuators and being spoiled for choice
Stepper motor with integrated multiturn absolute encoder
Hollow shaft for the stepper motor supply lines
Integrated IP65 stepper motors with M12 connection in Nema 17
Precision Nema 17 hollow shaft stepper motor
Miniature stepper motor for easy positioning in tight spaces
Koco Motion stepper motors 2018 to 2015
Koco Motion stepper motors 2014 to 2011

Stepper motor linear actuators and being spoiled for choice

25.02.2019/XNUMX/XNUMX | stepper motor linear actuators are on the rise, especially if they are the lavish ones Pneumatic cylinder can eliminate. at koco Motion their share of total sales has increased disproportionately in recent years. Reason enough to take a look behind the scenes of the extensive portfolio, which is available in standard and customized versions - the latter with an upward trend.

Stepper motor with integrated multiturn absolute encoder

22.10.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX | Koco Motion offers the Lexium mdrive (LMD) stepper motors from Schneider Electric now with a multiturn absolute encoder. This expands the performance of the integrated stepper motors - and with the same dimensions. The multiturn absolute value encoder function with a number of lines of 1000 was added to the All in one engine integrated.

Hollow shaft for the stepper motor supply lines

27.11.2017/XNUMX/XNUMX | For the stepper motors from koco Motion there is one now hollow shaft version. This makes many new applications possible that require the passage of supply lines. Until now, stepper motors have only been available with solid shafts in all flange sizes from 20 x 20 mm to 86 x 86 mm. All these sizes are now available with through holes from 3 to 16 mm.

Integrated IP65 stepper motors with M12 connection in Nema 17

13.11.2015 | koco Motion has added new stepper motors to its portfolio: the integrated drives of the 3. generation In addition to the existing flange dimensions Nema 23 and 34, "Lexium MDrive" is now also available with Nema 17 with the particularly robust M12 screw connections and thus with protection class IP65. New interfaces for all three versions complete the communication capability. There is a 4-year warranty for all versions of the Lexium MDrive.

Precision Nema 17 hollow shaft stepper motor

08.12.2016 | The Nema 17 ZEN Actuator with Hollow Shaft from A drive offers a novel magnetic design that gives the stepper motor previously unmatched properties. The features include very high accuracy, an extremely compact design and silent operation. The stepper motor can be flexibly adapted to almost any application and opens up numerous new areas of application that were previously reserved for larger series.

They are small but extremely efficient: The Nema 17 ZEN stepper motors from Lin Engineering/Moons' work with a very high accuracy of ±1.5 minutes of arc at a microstepping of 1/64. The new actuator thus offers three times the precision of comparable actuators. This high resolution, like the improved running properties, is due to the unique, patented magnetic design of the stepper motors.

The special design gives the stepper motor properties that have never been achieved before. While the radial magnetic field in the classic stepper motor is generated by a disc magnet between the stacks of laminations, the Nema 17 ZEN stepper motor has a ring magnet built into the outside of the stator stack. The magnetic flux is conducted through the outer winding of the stator.

A-Drive offers the Nema 17 ZEN stepper motors in three series, including with a hollow shaft. This variant has a large bore diameter of up to 11 mm and opens up numerous new areas of application for designers, for which larger series were previously required.

Miniature stepper motor for easy positioning in tight spaces

23.03.2015 | koco Motion expands his family miniaturized drives. The new VSM08-15 stepper motor combines a small footprint with very high performance. This allows the simplest positioning tasks to be implemented. With its compact external dimensions of only 8 mm in diameter and 7,9 mm in length, the stepper motors have enough space even in the smallest of spaces. The simple control of the 2-phase PM stepper motor takes place via simple controllers that only have to switch low voltages and currents.

General technical knowledge

What does a stepper motor do?

are stepper motors electromagnetic motors, which enable precise positioning in applications such as motion control. Each electrical pulse moves the motor in discrete steps, depending on the design and number of magnets. Step angle and number of steps determine accuracy. The way it works is based on several coils that are wrapped in the stator and move the rotor in steps with permanent magnets or electromagnets. There are different types of stepper motors, like synchronous motors and hybrid stepper motors that can be used for different applications and power requirements. Stepper motors are cost effective and are used in industries such as automation, medical, robotics and product development.

What does Nema mean for motors?

Nema is a renowned US standards organization for electrical codes and guidelines. In the stepper motor context, Nema refers to standardized housing and mounting dimensions. The Nema number indicates the frame size of the motor. The standardized sizes make it easier to integrate and replace stepper motors in existing systems. The Nema classification does not provide information about the power, shape, construction, operation or torque of the motor, only its physical dimensions.