This issue features an article on Improved Liquid Handling, a new BLDC Developer Kit from PMD & Portescap, and a Ventilator Control motion application.
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Liquid handling systems often use peristaltic pumps to deliver reagents and other fluids to test sites. Peristaltic pumps however exhibit a pulsating flow behavior due to how the roller-wheels engage with the liquid tubing. Fortunately, these fluctuations are predictable, allowing adaptive techniques to be deployed. A BLDC motor/encoder lends itself well for a more sophisticated controls approach. In this article we will examine these phenomena in more detail and demonstrate how high pumping accuracies are achievable with the use of an adaptive control method.
Introducing the new Portescap PCR 56/06 EC SD – an integrated hardware and software developer kit package developed by PMD in partnership with Portescap for single-axis control of brushless DC motors. The PCR 56/06 EC SD combines PMD's ION®/CME N-Series Digital Drive with Portescap's world-class BLDC micromotors to deliver optimized, pre-configured motion control and motor solutions for use across a diverse range of applications. Attendees of SPS in Nuremberg and SLAS in San Diego have already witnessed the demo in action.
The hallmark of ventilator control is the need to deliver air to the patient that follows a specified pressure or airflow profile. The exact form of these profiles can be complex and depends on the characteristics and condition of the patient's lungs, and the ability of the patient to perform some of the breathing function on their own. There are several different pump types commonly used in ventilators including piston pumps, diaphragm pumps, bladder pumps, compressors, and vacuum pumps. Both piston and diaphragm pumps frequently use Brushless (BLDC) motors. In this motion application, we explore design considerations and architecture for ventilator control.
Top 2024 Motion Control Resources
The impact and ingenuity of our customers’ motion control projects continued to inspire us throughout 2024, and the Performance Motion Devices, Inc. (PMD) team would love to connect with you before you begin your next design. Our library of articles, webinars, and motion control solutions is always expanding to meet the needs of our audience. Here were some of the most popular resources last year.
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Precision Fluid Handling: It's All in the Pump Pumps that move liquid precisely are at the heart of a broad array of patient treatment devices and laboratory automation. This article will provide an understanding of what type of fluid pumps will work best in your motion control application, and what type of motion control techniques will give you the fluid pumping accuracy that you need.
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Motion Application: Peristaltic Pump Control Peristaltic pump control means controlling the special mechanical characteristics of this type of pump as it rotates. Because of the dramatic changes in reflected load as the pump rotates, peristaltic pump control presents unique challenges to minimize pressure fluctuations and pulsing in the amount of delivered fluid.
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How To Optimize Motor Performance Using Motion Trace Today's machine designers are tasked with maximizing throughput and accuracy and minimizing vibration and heat generation. It's a major challenge, but designers have a powerful tool at their disposal - motion trace. In this article we look at what you should expect from a motion trace function and how to use it to optimize the design of your next machine.
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Servo Motor Noise and How To Fix It Everyone working in motion control has a war story; be it the machine that stopped working mysteriously or the motor that wouldn't stop vibrating. This article around servo motor noise focuses on motion control problems you may run into and provides some ammunition to fight the good battle and get your machine design and development project back on track!
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Motion Application: Pan & Tilt Pointing Pan and tilt mechanisms share one main thing in common: the nature of the motion itself with one axis rotating around a vertical axis and the other rotating around a horizontal axis. Cost sensitive applications, such as security cameras, typically use two-phase step motors. Microstepping control of the stepper motor is most common because compared to full or half step schemes microstepping generates less noise, and because the step motor’s positioning resolution is greatly expanded. In this motion application, we explore design considerations and architecture for pan & tilt pointing.
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