Product category:
Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls
News Release from: Agile Systems
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 06 February 2007
Stepper motor improves safety and
efficiency
Agile Systems' new stepper motor technology will help companies turn simple, low-cost, two-phase stepper motors into sophisticated servo motors.
Agile Systems has received a patent that promises to improve stepper motor performance The technology will help companies turn simple, low-cost, two-phase stepper motors into sophisticated servo motors, without the use of external sensors, with the benefits of improved productivity, increased safety and lower energy usage
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 2 Jul 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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The patented technique transitions from an open-loop micro-stepping methodology at low speed control after gathering enough information from the motor.
"The transition from open loop to close loop was the hardest part of the design, therefore we had to make sure the transition was seamless and robust" says Dan Rose, Application Engineering Manager of Agile Systems.
The algorithm calculates the position of a rotor from the sensing circuitry in the amplifier, and when the motor reaches 30-60revs/min, depending on the motor design, it switches to servo control.
When servo techniques are applied to the stepper motor, the results are higher acceleration/deceleration, greater efficiency, stall detection and prevention, and higher potential motor speeds.
Agile's Silentstep, incorporates this patented technique to control a two-phase stepper motor, and boosts the performance of the motors used in applications such as printers, photocopiers, and packaging and lab automation equipment - into the range of more precise, and costlier servo-motors.
Stepper motors produce high torque at low speeds and attempts to increase their speeds often result in the motor stalling out.
However, Silentstep software algorithms eliminate this potential for stalling.
"Silentstep technology will allow customers to specify motors at their full torque limits".
"This means electrical engineers no longer have to over-size the motor for any given application".
"Smaller-sized stepper motors can do the job of larger ones", said Tom Geiger, VP Sales and Marketing of Agile Systems".
"Prospective customers have been looking for an alternative motor-control solution to get high-performance out of their low-cost traditional stepper motor for some time", added Geiger.
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