Force Control in Actuators, Principles of Motor Selection, and More

The December 2022 edition of Motion Control News includes the most recent PMD news, resources, and announcements.

In this edition of Motion Control News:

• Force Control in Actuators and Robot End Effectors
  In this paper we will focus on servo actuators that function as end effectors, often mounted on transport systems such as robotics arms and gantries. These devices include linear actuators, force feedback actuators, voice coils, and more. Understanding their capabilities and properties will help ensure that your next application delivers the goods without dropping the ball!
  
  
• New Single Axis Drive Provides Profile Generation, Servo Control, and Downloadable User Code
  PMD's ION/CME® 500 Digital Drive provides ultra-efficient digital amplification with programmable intelligence in a compact rugged package for control of Brushless DC, DC Brush, and step motors. In addition to advanced S-curve profile generation, i2T power management, and Field Oriented Control, IONs provide over current, over voltage, and over temperature detection. Whether used for laboratory automation, mobile robotics, pointing systems, or general-purpose automation, ION/CME 500s are the ideal solution for your next motion control application.
  
  
• Principles of Motor Selection
  Once the decision is made to use an electric motor in a new machine design the next big challenge is selecting the right motor and sizing it correctly for the application at hand. This article will give you all the tools you need to answer this challenge - showing the different types of motors that are available and explaining key concepts such as torque curves, motor winding configurations, inertia matching, and more.
  
  
• Low Cost High Speed Brushless DC Motor Drive
  Spinning Brushless DC motors efficiently at high speed is the core requirement for a broad range of end applications including turbo pumps, liquid pumps, spindles, centrifuges, respirators, and vehicular & marine transport. In this application example, we present a detailed solution for a Brushless DC motor drive that you can use in your next design – delivering high-speed in a compact package and at a low cost.
  
  
• FEATURED GUEST PAPER
  Stepping and Servo Motor Commutation
  by Kevin McCarthy, CTO, Dover Motion
  Multi-phase motors need to switch among phases as they move, which is referred to as commutation. Most systems with incremental encoders require an initial commutation phase finding step upon power-up. Depending on the specifics of the application, this can range from quick and easy to problematic.
  
  Click here to download this white paper to get a solid grounding on the subject of commutation and to learn about a robust algorithm that ensures accurate commutation even under challenging conditions.
  
  

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