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Steppers and servos take on drives and controls

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 3, 2003

Cetronic now offers both hybrid stepper motors and brushless DC servomotors with built-in drive and control capability.

Cetronic now offers both hybrid stepper motors and brushless DC servomotors with built-in drive and control capability.

In response to customer requests and market trends towards this integrated approach to small motor applications, Cetronic believes that its range will provide definite cost savings, increased modularity and significantly reduced installation and assembly time.

Cetronic supplies and supports both the Pittman N2300 range of brushless DC motors with integrated drive electronics and the Sonceboz 8000 series hybrid stepper motors with integrated drive, control and optional fieldbus communications interfaces.

By approaching an application with a choice of both motor technologies, Cetronic is able to precisely match its customers' requirements with exactly the right solution without compromise to performance or cost.

In general terms, both brushless DC and hybrid stepper motor ranges combine motor drive and control electronics within the motor housing which greatly simplifies applying the products in an application and offers strong advantages such as minimal wiring, increased noise immunity, lower assembly costs, reduced inventory costs and improved serviceability.

By adapting a motor in this way, there is no need to use or specify a separate drive or amplifier and in many applications a motion controller is not required at all.

This decentralised approach is attractive to automated machinery manufacturers where reduced design, assembly and logistics costs are prime objectives.

The Pittman N2300 brushless DC integrated motors have 23 frame housings and are available in four lengths from 58 to 95mm.

With neodymium-iron-boron magnets for maximum performance and speeds up to 8000rev/min, continuous torque to 345mNm can be achieved (up to 525mNm with heatsink).

The N2300 series feature internal hall sensor feedback for linear speed/torque characteristics, high starting torque and variable speed control.

Operation is from an external 24V DC supply with continuous current capability up to 6A.

The closed loop control maintains a constant speed via an analogue input signal irrespective of load/torque variation.

Speed is linear over an input range of 1 to 4V and directional input and tacho output signals are included.

Shaft speeds as low as 100rev/min are possible, and the motors can be adapted with a wide range of spur and planetary gearboxes if required.

The standard range of Sonceboz 8000 series hybrid stepper motors with integrated drives are available in size 23 frames and 4 models offer 400 or 1600 steps per revolution with holding torque ratings from 150 to 800mNm.

The supply voltage is 24V DC and the range provides both 36 and 48W power options and a maximum speed of 2000rev/min.

Open loop position and speed control is via a TTL level pulse and direction input and a further boost input is provided for short term increase of torque of up to 25% which is particularly useful for acceleration and deceleration of the motor.

Options available include size 17 framed motor housings, CANbus and RS485 communications interfaces, programmable positioning sequences with either standalone or PC programmed and controlled operation.

I/O may be specified for control functions such as overtravel switches and output on position.

Other adaptations can include higher microstepping resolutions to 1/64 step and 40V DC with 10A current per phase for higher motor speed and torque output.