Category Archives: Motors

What are Motor Starters?

Starting up small motors is usually through a manual starter that can make or break the power supply line to the motor. The method is also known as DOL or direct online start. If the motor gets too hot due to an overload, a thermal protection circuit in the starter opens and disconnects the motor. DOL starters are the most common method of starting and stopping single-phase motors up to 5 HP, 230 VAC, and three-phase motors up to 15 HP, 600 VAC. Magnetic starters can have controls such as float Read more [...]

Stepper Servo Motors

Although many designers prefer to relegate stepper motors to the realm of low-cost low-performance technology, a new technique is bringing the step motors a fresh lease of life. This new drive technique is the stepper servo, and it uses the generic stepper motor, yet extracts significantly more performance out of it. The technique requires adding an encoder and operating the motor effectively as a commuted two-phase brushless DC motor. While the inclusion of an encoder makes the stepper servo Read more [...]

Intelligent Phase Control for BLDC Motors

Many applications use BLDC or Brushless DC motors for powering several types of high-speed equipment. These include industrial machines, data center cooling fans for servers and home vacuum cleaners. One of the challenges designers face is to ensure the motors operate effectively and reliably. Now, Toshiba is making it easy for designers to do this with its intelligent phase control motor controller. While other manufacturers also offer intelligent phase control devices, they usually meet a specific Read more [...]

Industrial Motors for Machine Automation

Industrial engineers use different types of motion control devices for improving the production rates and efficiencies on the floor of automated factories. Three major types of motion control devices are in demand for machine automation—stepper motors, servomotors and variable frequency drives (VFDs).
In general, stepper motors along with their drives, and controllers are widely used as they offer simple implementation, beneficial price/performance ratios, and high torque at low speeds. This motor Read more [...]

Difference between AC, DC, and EC Motors

People have been using different types of motors for ages. Primarily, motors can be broadly classified into AC and DC types, depending on the power source they require to operate. However, the basics of operation remain the same for all types of motors. Current running through a wire generates magnetic fields around it, and if there is another magnetic field present such as from an external magnet, the two interact to generate a mechanical force on the wire capable of moving the wire. This is the Read more [...]

Stepper Motors with Higher Efficiency

Stepper Motors are essentially open loop systems working efficiently when required to produce torque. However, when the motor faces low torque situations, its efficiency falls drastically. By simply closing the current loop, it is possible to make the entire system operate more efficiently.
Users find them to be economical as stepper motors offer the advantages of excellent positioning with their simplicity. This feature makes them highly popular for use In general automation tasks such as positioning, Read more [...]

What are Stepper Motors Good For?

Stepper motors rotate in discrete steps. These are DC motors with multiple coils arranged in groups or phases. Energizing each phase sequentially enables the shaft of the motor to rotate in single steps. It is possible to achieve very fine positioning and speed control with a computer controlling the stepping. This allows use of stepper motors for several industrial applications involving precision motion control. As stepper motors come in various sizes, styles, and electrical characteristics, it Read more [...]

Different Types of E-Bike Motors

The major difference between electric bikes is the various types of drive systems they use. These include shaft drives, mid-drives, geared and gearless hubs. In addition, there are differences between the motors, chiefly brushed and brushless. Therefore, if you are looking for an e-bike for a specific use, this article will help you to understand and focus on finding the right one.

The shaft drive

This system works more like the arrangement in an automobile, with the motor positioned more towards Read more [...]

Increasing the Accuracy of Peristaltic Pumps

There are vast applications of peristaltic pumps because of their simple construction and ease of use. The construction of peristaltic pumps does not allow the liquid being pumped to be exposed to the pump's mechanism. That helps hospitals using these pumps to circulate blood during bypass surgery as a critical part. Used in heart-lung machines, the design of these pumps prevents significant hemolysis – the rupture of destruction of red blood cells. The chief advantage of the design is the compressible Read more [...]

Selecting the Proper Brushless DC Motor

You may have an application that requires high-speed, but quiet operation with low EMI generation and long operating life. For such applications, BLDC or brushless DC motors are what you must be looking at. Among many advantages of these motors, high-speed operation is a special one. As there are no brushes or commutator in the motor, the bearing friction is the only factor limiting their rotational speed.

Absence of brushes and commutator also means there is no arcing within the BLDC motor to Read more [...]