Jun 02, 2021 Servo Motor
Servo motors are part of a closed-loop system and are comprised of several parts namely a control circuit, servo motor, shaft, potentiometer, drive gears, amplifier and either an encoder or resolver. A servo motor is a self-contained electrical device, that rotates parts of a machine with high efficiency and with great precision.
The output shaft of this motor can be moved to a particular angle, position and velocity that a regular motor does not have, the servo motor utilizes a regular motor and couples it with a sensor for positional feedback.
The controller is the most important part of the Servo motor designed and used specifically for this purpose. The servo motor is a closed-loop mechanism that incorporates positional feedback in order to control the rotational or linear speed and position.
The motor is controlled with an electric signal, either analog or digital, which determines the amount of movement which represents the final command position for the shaft. A type of encoder serves as a sensor providing speed and position feedback. This circuitry is built right inside the motor housing which usually is fitted with a gear system.
Types of Servo Motors are classified into different types based on their application, such as the AC servo motor, and DC servo motor.
There are three main considerations to evaluate servos motors. First based on their current type – AC or DC, and secondly on the type of Commutation used, whether the motor uses brushes and the third type of consideration is the motors rotating field, the rotor, whether the rotation is synchronous or asynchronous.
Let’s discuss the first servo consideration. AC or DC consideration is the most basic classification of a motor based on the type of current it will use.
Looking at it from a performance standpoint, the primary difference between AC and DC motors is in the inherit ability to control speed.
With a DC motor, the speed is directly proportional to the supply voltage with a constant load.
And in an AC motor, speed is determined by the frequency of the applied voltage and the number of magnetic poles.
While both AC and DC motors are used in servo systems, AC motors will withstand higher current and are more commonly used in servo applications such as with robots, in-line manufacturing and other industrial applications where high repetitions and high precision are required.
Brushed or brushless is the next step. A DC Servo Motor is commutated mechanically with brushes, using a commutator, or electronically without brushes.
Brushed motors are generally less expensive and simpler to operate, while brushless designs are more reliable, have higher efficiency, and are less noisy.
Servo Motor is available through Quick Time Engineering Inc.
Servo Amplifier
Servo Amplifiers or servo amps are drives that are used to power electronic servomechanisms, such as servo motors. A servo amp transfers signals from the command module of the robot and translates them for the servo motor, so the motor knows how much it should move at any given time. By using servo amplifiers, servo motors are able to perform more consistently, meaning that the path trajectory and overall motion of the robot is smoother and more consistent during its application cycles.
There are several advantages to using servo amplifiers and their subsequent motors for a robotics system, as opposed to using traditional AC or DC motors. The main advantage is the feedback that these amplifiers are able to pass on to the motor and the command control. Because there is feedback, operators are able to watch for possible motion issues and any unwanted motion.
With these types of servomechanisms in use, a robot’s overall functionality is greatly improved. By improving the overall motion of the robot, a servo amplifier is also contributing to the operation of the robot as a whole. The speed and the accuracy improve, and that enhancement also translates to the quality of the product the robot is helping to produce.
Servo amplifiers are available through Quick Time Engineering Inc.
Quick Time Engineering Inc is an international company with offices and distribution networks in the USA, Hong Kong, Europe and Malaysia.
In its 20 years of operation since 1998, Quick Time Engineering Inc had emerged from a local engineering company with a single staff that provided solutions in factory automation to become nowadays a company that serves the Oil & Gas industries, EPC contractors, System Integrators and other industrial automation and process control companies worldwide. Customers from over 50 countries worldwide trust us with their need for process control instruments and industrial automation products.
For more information about Quick Time Engineering Inc, visit www.quicktimeonline.com or email enquiry@quicktimeonline.com
