Integrated motors pack more punch

StepSERVO motors from Applied Motion Products are IP65 rated to handle challenging wet or dusty environments such as in factories or food and beverage applications.

Well established by now, integrated motors (alsoreferred to as smart motors) are a more common option inmany motion control and automation system designs.

Basically, an integrated motor is a combination of a motor and a number of other components combined together into one physical unit. Common configurations include a motor and drive, but can also consist of integrated encoders and controllers as well as cabling and communication ports. Communication options can include serial communication links such as RS232 or RS485 and advanced network topologies for complex motion control tasks—CANopen, DeviceNet, or Ethernet protocols.

For machine builders, integrated motors help reduce machine size and complexity. That’s because smart motors significantly reduce the amount of space required for a machine by consolidating components, eliminating cabling, and possibly the need for entire enclosures. Integrated motors can also in some cases eliminate external controllers such as PLCs.

With the increased use of decentralized motion-control architectures, applications using integrated motors have only proliferated. As an alternative to centralized motion control, decentralized architectures distribute motion control to a number of individual motion axes (in this case, to individual integrated motors), eliminating the need for a central controller. This means that individual motors can execute the control closer to the actual axis of motion or load, thereby taking the computational burden off of a central controller and distributing it to individual integrated motors.

Adding to their appeal, new integrated motor products featuring improved networking capabilities are making them even more attractive for applications where space is at a premium or for uses in remote locations. For instance, a new integrated motor from Applied Motion Products features Power over Ethernet (PoE), which provides dc power and Ethernet communications on a single cable. Such a function is commonly used in IT applications such as wireless access points, IP cameras and VoIP phones.

The TSM14POE StepSERVO integrated motor combines a motor with an encoder, drive and controller, all combined into a single integrated package. The motor gets power and Ethernet over a single cable, eliminating the need to connect motor power and feedback cables to an external motor controller and simplifying design and installation. Built upon the company’s StepSERVO closed-loop stepper technology, the motors provide a number of benefits over conventional open-loop stepper motors including higher torque and greater efficiency. Specifically, the motors are NEMA 14 frame size and feature an integral 4,096-count magnetic encoder providing high position and velocity accuracy. Applied Motion’s Q Programming language lets the motor run motion control profiles on its own as well as react to messages on the Ethernet network.

One of the significant benefits of integrated motors is the ability to execute control programs stored within the motor. Having the ability to execute stored programs created with the Q Programming language lets designers apply complicated logic and motion sequences to solve challenging motion control problems.

For instance, in a product labeling application in a food and beverage plant, a product sensor can be tied to one of the motor’s digital inputs, triggering a WI (wait input) command when the product nears the labeling position. To prevent wrinkling or tearing, the label must be applied at the same speed that the product is traveling on the conveyor. To accomplish this, the motor measures the conveyor speed from a master encoder whose A/B quadrature signals feed into the motor’s X1 and X2 digital inputs. The FE (follow encoder) command automatically ratios the label speed to the master encoder frequency while monitoring the label sensor to position the label at exactly the right location on the product. The math capability built into the Q Programming language offers additional customization and control options for a range of other applications as well.