Stepper motor improves safety and efficiency
An
Agile Systems product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Feb 6, 2007
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.
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.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Agile Systems
Related Stories
- ABB drives reduce energy used by fridges
- Alliance member wins low carbon award
- Control Techniques appoints web-based distributor
- Surface-mount investment improves drive quality
- Distributors increase southern exposure
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
