At our glossary page, you can find definitions to any words you might find unfamiliar. It will clarify for you some of the more technical words and acronyms that are used on the site.
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Actuator
ABN Interface
BB - Baseboards
BLDC - brushless DC motors
Advantages: speed/high RPM operation
CAN-Bus
CANopen
CAP
closedLoop
Motors are referred to as either closed loop or open loop. Closed loop means that data flows both to the motor and back to the controller, whereas open loop only flows one way. This means that as a closed loop stepper motor system spins, adjustments can be made if there are imperfections in the motor’s operation, such if the motor is given a load that is too large or if the motor is stopped altogether. This way, the controller can attempt to correct these irregularities so that velocity, torque or position can be maintained despite an error.
eGEH
Encoder
EtherCAT
FOC - Field-Oriented Control
fullCAP
GEH-x-y
(x=flange/width y=length)
H-Version™
Hall-Sensor
Holding Torque
IKS
intelligent, programmable controller
compact by using newest chip technology, no cooling nessessary
mCAP
Microstepping
Open Loop
Motion control without feedback assumes motors always behave as expected. Under common conditions, the motor position of the motor is deterministic and predictable. To cover uncommon conditions, the motor needs to be operated with safety margins, which can reduce efficiency and overall performance.
RS485
sGEH-x
Stepper Motor
Stepper motors, on the other hand side, work through a magnetic push and pull of gearwheels in very small steps. These gearwheels do not pulsate two to eight times per rotation, but more than a hundred times, which results in a motion that is quite slow, but in return very high-torque and highly precise. Standard motors can also perform this kind of operation, but only through the use of bulky, inefficient and complex gears. Essentially, every operation that is easy to perform by hand, is a perfect task for an automation with a stepper motor.
The most common applications are linear drives, mirror-, lense- or camera mounts, liquid handling systems, intelligent lighting, solar panel orientation, scanners, printers, plotters, 3D printers and CNC machines.
Standard motors do have some advantages though. They are, for instance, very easy to handle and do not need complex controls. Additionally, they work independently of the position of the magnetic field inside the motor. That means, if there is a laod too heavy for the standard motor, there will always be a resistace, even if the motor runs in the opposite direction. If the teeth of a motor are misaligned due to an overly high load it loses the ability to apply force. But there is a solution for this issue. Many of the controllers that we build contain a safety mechanism that detains the system of supplying too much power to the motor. Basically, it works like a sensor, that detects the load limit of the motor and prevents the limit from being exceeded. Therefore, it is secured that the motor stays oriented, active and precise.
If you have any questions regarding stepper motors, stepper motor controls or equivalent applications, please contact us and we will be glad to consult you and to answer your questions.