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News: Did You Know?
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Applied Motion Products will be moving into our new headquarters in Morgan Hill over the weekend between Friday July 23rd and Monday July 26th, 2021. While our objective is to minimize operational disruption some downtime during the move is unavoidable. During this time our operational status will be:
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TruCount™ multi-turn, absolute encoders are available on select StepSERVO™ Integrated Motors. There are numerous benefits of using multi-turn, absolute encoders in motion control, but you need not spend a fortune to get them. Simplified pricing on TruCount™ encoders makes the decision to purchase easy because there is no premium cost adder for them compared to the same integrated motors with incremental encoders.
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The Serial Command Language (SCL) or Streaming Command Language, as it is often called, provides a real time communication link to many of Applied Motion Products’ stepper and servo products. The commands that comprise the SCL command set allow for configuration, motion control, I/O control, and status queries over a network connection such as Ethernet or serial RS-232/422/485. Recently added SCL commands support new features and functionality on the StepSERVO and SV200 servo drive products.
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StepSERVO closed loop integrated motors with the Step-Servo Quick Tuner software and built in Q Programmer are well suited for labeling, packaging, and food & beverage applications. StepSERVO integrated motors provide closed loop servo control of position, velocity and torque using high torque step motors. The result is higher acceleration for faster machine cycles, and the motors run cooler and quieter than open loop stepper systems.
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This Did You Know? article covers the process of closing a simple analog position loop using a Q program and an Applied Motion stepper drive with differential inputs.
Some step motor applications require an operator to adjust a rotary valve or air vane and cannot use a homing sequence on power-up. The operator just needs to turn a control knob and have the load move to the correct location.
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Many of our customers take advantage of the benefits of Q Programming, our text-based programming language designed for simple yet powerful programming of single axes. Q Programming incorporates commands for various kinds of motion, I/O control and sequencing, and math functions that enable users to create all kinds of motion control sequences and algorithms, from the most basic to very advanced.
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Did you know the same technology that drives the new Five-hundred-meter Aperature Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China is available to Applied Motion Products customers everywhere? Initiated in 1994, the FAST telescope is a key national scientific and technological infrastructure project in China. Standing in a region of typical Karst depressions in Guizhou province, the dish-like telescope will be as large as 30 football fields.
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That’s the answer to one of the more common questions we get at Applied Motion. We maintain inventory in our California warehouse as a commitment to zero lead time for our most popular set of step motors. The CORE step motors are the best choice to match with our drives and have been fully characterized with speed-torque curves with recommended drives. Speed-torque curves are important for every project because they are the most accurate representation of performance for a given motor and drive combination.
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Servo amplifiers need to be tuned to optimize performance for each application. This normally straightforward task can be complicated if the speed and torque requirements vary greatly during machine operation, for instance when there are distinct loaded and unloaded states. The SV200 Series Servo Drives provide a couple of useful options to resolve this dilemma.
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Here on our website there is a wealth of useful information, but did you know that by clicking the Add to Cart button you can also see whether or not an item you’re interested in is in stock? This is one of the most common questions we receive in our Customer Service department.
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Most popular hybrid step motors have a "step angle" of 1.8 degrees. The 1.8 refers to the angular distance between full steps and is a bit of an anachronism. Most applications now employ microstepping to electronically divide the step size to as low as 51200 steps/revolution. Nonetheless, another class of hybrid motors exists that provide a full step size of 0.9 degrees.
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In our last post, we showed that you can get more torque at higher speeds if you operate a motor at a higher voltage. In the example below, the red curve, measured at 70 VDC, provides much better high speed torque than the orange (12V) curve. So why not always use 70 volts? Better still, why not apply 100 volts and really flatten out that curve?
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In our post What Do NEMA Sizes Mean?, we examined the NEMA frame sizes in which step motors are made. Larger frame sizes produce more torque. But this is not a one dimensional process: within a given frame size, the motor length can vary and that also affects torque. Because step motors require expensive tooling in order to be produced economically, a fixed rotor length is chosen, as is the stator that surrounds it.
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In the posts What Do NEMA Sizes Mean? and What is Step Motor Stack Length? we discussed factors affecting holding torque in step motors, such as frame size and stack length. Holding torque is a measure of how much rotating force is required to force a stationary step motor shaft out of position.
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In our last post, we explored the possibility of connecting a step motor to a small gas engine for use in recharging a 12 volt battery. The effort resulted in a computer model which we hoped to use to optimize the design without having to expend excessive time and effort on trial and error. Our first concern was whether the step motor had the optimal number of winding turns on the stator. Changing the winding of a step motor is a difficult experiment because of the complexity of reprogramming a winding machine and loading it with a different size wire.
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Background In some applications, power dissipation in step motors and drives is a critical aspect of system design. Too much heat from the drive can cause a cabinet to overheat. Too much power loss in the motor can cause the motor to overheat at high ambient temperatures. Heat can also transfer into attached equipment causing it to misbehave. One example is a digital ink pump, where excess heat from the motor can cause undesirable changes in the viscosity of the ink. A recent customer was modeling their enclosure and requested detailed power dissipation data.
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Step motors are prized for their ability to provide precise positioning without a feedback mechanism or closed loop control system. This inherent precision is owed to the fact that hybrid step motors have toothed rotors and stator that create an electromechanical gearing system to increase the resolution provided by rotating the stator field by 50X. Move the field by 90° (one full step) and the motor shaft moves by just 1.8°.
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In our last post, we learned about step motor holding torque and pullout torque when full stepping. There was a time when full stepping was the only affordable way to drive a step motor, but advances in processing and sensing have made it possible to divide the typical hybrid step motors 1.8 degree full steps into much smaller steps. Why would we want to do that? Smaller steps improve smoothness and accuracy. Let's revisit the torque versus displacement curves of a step motor being driven in full step. Holding torque and pullout torque are noted.
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(The OSI Model, Part 1 may be found here.) Welcome back! Last time we covered the basics of the OSI model and briefly discussed two of the most common forms of serial communications: RS-232 and RS-485. This time we'll take a quick look at TCP/IP and conclude with a look at how something like standard snail mail might look if we press-fit it into an OSI model mold.
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The OSI model forms the basis of modern communications systems. It uses the concept of layers to explain and formalize the discrete steps in the process of sending data from source to destination.
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Applied Motion Products stepper and servo drives have supported sensorless homing for several years. Also known as “hard-stop homing”, there is no need for a hard-wired home sensor (hence the name sensorless) when using this method because a physical hard stop is being used to stall the motor, create a position following error, then automatically recover from the fault by moving off the hard stop and setting the home position.
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Applied Motion recently released a new line of SV200 Digital Servo Drives. Along with excellent functionality and performance, the SV200 digital servo drives are complemented by great software available as a free download from our website.
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Q programmer is a versatile application that permits programmed motion to be combined with digital I/O. The combination can occur in several ways: sequentially, simultaneously and armed-at-all-times.
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Use a motor as a generator, you say? Surely those are completely different things. Turns out, they aren’t. If the motor is driving the load, it’s a motor. If the load is driving the motor, it’s a generator. Most of the motor applications I work with involve point to point position control: in getting from Point A to Point B, the motor must accelerate to some speed, then decelerate such that the motor speed reaches zero just as we arrive at Point B. During acceleration, energy is supplied to the motor as it drives the load.
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Applied Motion Products recently took delivery of a 2nd generation 3D printer manufactured by 3DP Unlimited. This new 3D printer is one of the largest available with a work area of around 1m by 1m by 1/2m. This massive work area allows developers to explore the characteristics of large scale prototypes quickly to either confirm performance prior to tooling commitment or make a functioning part in the case of one-off unique requirements.
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All Q programmable drives provide digital inputs that can be used singly or in combination. In programs where only a single input must be examined the TI (Test Input) command is commonly used. The TI command can be used sequentially to test many inputs one right after the other, but it can be cumbersome to create a decision tree in this fashion. A better method may be to bit-wise AND the I/O register. The result is a number that represents the ON & OFF conditions of only the inputs of interest.
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Though it's long been rumored that step motors are driven by tiny hamsters on wheels contained inside, I can assure you that this is not only untrue, but also promulgated by unscrupulous pneumatic actuator salesmen.
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Applied Motion Products has delivered our first IP67 compatible motor! An OEM found our new line of brushless DC motors and performance matched drives to be the perfect choice for their project - with one exception, one BIG exception. The motor needed to survive full immersion in liquid for a 24 hour period.
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You probably already know about the excellent networking capability of the Applied Motion Products DC stepper offering. Did you know that Applied Motion also has CANopen, EtherNet/IP Modbus RTU, and the ASCII based Streaming Command Language (SCL) networking options for the SV7 Series DC servo amplifiers? Additionally, Modbus TCP/IP is just around the corner with a scheduled release in Q1 2015.
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Applied Motion Products has always prided itself in developing easy-to-use products, including both hardware and software. Programmable drives can turn what would otherwise be a basic stepper or servo drive into a very smart independent controller that will auto-execute a customized Q program upon power up and react to numerous input conditions, including digital inputs and motor position feedback. This type of technology has been around for years here at Applied Motion.
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Brian Mason, Regional Sales Engineer – Southwest
Applied Motion Products is like an iceberg. At the tip, you know them to be a renowned manufacturer of high-precision, cost-effective motion control products. Below the surface however is where the real action is! Advanced algorithms such as step smoothing filters, harmonic waveform smoothing and electronic damping propel our technology ahead of the curve. Let’s dive into these technology characteristics with competitor data analysis to showcase why ours is better.
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Many of our stepper and servo drives have I/O available for connecting to external devices such as control signals, incremental encoders, limit switches, proximity or photoelectric sensors, PLC I/O, lamps, and other devices. The drives come with digital inputs, digital outputs, and single-ended analog inputs (analog inputs can be wired together as 1 differential analog input).
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A question often asked is this: which is better, servo or stepper? Perhaps a more precise question is: for which applications are servos the best choice and for which are steppers the best choice? As with many things, the answer is not always simple and there are many factors to consider. The common answer is: servos are better for high speed applications and steppers are better for low speed.
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Applied Motion Products’ Integrated step motor drives offer an ideal motion control solution for an ever increasing variety of 3D printers. 3D printer technology is being applied to an amazing number of applications including: Fabrication of aircraft parts, personal items including shoes, medical devices, carbon fiber structures and even biological systems. 3D printing will revolutionize the manufacturing industry, enabling developments that previously could not be imagined.
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Q Programmer is a very versatile programming platform where motion is involved. Incremental positioning, absolute positioning, encoder following, pulse and direction, analog velocity, multi-segment moves and torque control are some of these motion modes. However, machines are becoming more sophisticated, and often require the motion controller to have PLC logic capabilities as well as motion capability.
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The Modbus just keeps rolling along!
The most recent products to get on the bus are the STM17Q and STM23Q integrated motors. We started by adding Modbus to the STM24Q and SWM24Q (IP65) integrated stepper motors, and then, by popular demand, we added it to the ST5Q and ST10Q DC powered stepper drive/controls as well.
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The STM24 and ST Series are Modbus compatible and ready to plug and play with HMI’s and PLC’s.
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In the third part of our Industrial Networking focus articles, we will take a look at how Applied Motion products can be easily integrated into an existing machine or new machine design using the EtherNet/IP protocol. First, let’s take a look at the products that have the EtherNet/IP networking capability.
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If you read Ken Doner’s Industrial Networking article in the March newsletter, you know that Applied Motion is big in real time connectivity. This month, we show examples. The device below is a linear actuator driven by an Applied Motion STM24QF integrated drive+motor. The STM24 accepts Modbus commands from an HMI over RS-232.
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Did you know that Applied Motion Products supports a wide range of Industrial Networks? Manufacturers and OEMs have recognized the production gains that can be realized from increased data communication and machine control by using industrial networks. The number of industrial networks, the number of network nodes, and the capabilities provided by industrial networks have increased dramatically over the last decade.
Applied Motion Products offers connectivity to EtherNet/IP, CANopen, Modbus RTU, and RS-232 and 485 serial networks for our stepper and servo products.
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Applied Motion Products offers a standard range of gear ratios (3:1 up to 100:1) in its complete line of planetary gearheads, compatible with both NEMA and metric motor frame sizes. Planetary gearheads are ideal for high torque motion control applications requiring precise positioning, high efficiency, and low backlash. In applications where there is a large load-to-rotor inertia mismatch, these gearheads are the perfect compact solution.
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As a salesperson, I love when I am asked questions. Asking me questions is a great way for me to better understand your needs. There are no dumb or stupid questions - questions are how we learn. Too often, salespeople don’t ask enough questions and we lose opportunities to solve a problem or sell a solution. So here are some questions I would ask Applied Motion Products if I was buying from the website or a sales manager. Some of the answers may surprise you!
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Brian Mason, West Regional Engineer
The Life Sciences industry has seen tremendous growth across many disciplines including scientific informatics, drug discovery devices and nanotechnology. From 3-D printers capable of producing functioning organs, to pumps capable of delivering liquids on a pico-liter scale, the future for Lab Automation is looking bright. Now is the time to collaborate with chemical engineers and scientists that are prototyping the next product that will pave the way to a higher quality of life.
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Does your motion control application involve more than 1 axis of stepper or servo? Applied Motion Products multi-axis control, SiNet Hub Programmer™ software and one of our SiNet™ Hubs may be the right solution. SiNet Hub Programmer™ takes our single-axis Si Programmer™ software and augments it to handle up to 4 or 8 axes, depending on whether you use it with the SiNet™ Hub 444-DIN or SiNet™ Hub 8.
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Applied Motion Products offers a wide and ever-increasing range of products for your automation needs. That said, we’ve all been in a situation where an exact solution to a particular need simply doesn’t exist. You might need something that simply hasn’t been done before, or maybe an existing product is painfully close to what you would call “ideal” except for one particular feature that you need to have modified in some way.
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LabVIEW® software from National Instruments is a powerful tool that is commonly used to control automated processes found in a laboratory setting, test environment, or even an industrial facility. By using the data provided to a LabVIEW program as input variables, the outputs can be automatically adjusted with the use of function blocks to provide closed loop process control. These outputs can be specially programmed to send commands to an Applied Motion Products stepper or servo system that is the foundation of the motion control system for your particular automated process.
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Q Programs are normally executed one line at a time. This ensures precise sequencing of events in the program. There are applications however where motion must occur simultaneously with other events and we offer a multitasking mode to accomplish this. Multitasking allows you to launch a move then perform other operations while the motion is occurring. At the end of the move you can re-synchronize motion and program execution with a WM command.
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Because we have added innovations like DSP based resonance cancellation and closed loop control, stepper drives and step motors are being used more extensively than ever. This has highlighted a need for ruggedness and reliability step motors have not always been known for. Customers tell us motors need to withstand harsh environments and be easily installed and maintained in factory automation and even outdoor uses.
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You can access all of the available videos from either the support dropdown link in our navigational bar or by checking out the video linked on relevant product pages.
These '2 Minute Intro' videos as well as our training videos are great ways to become more familiar with our products.
Speaking of new releases, stay up to date by visiting the News button on the homepage. This button takes you to all the archived news feeds and you can search for past articles based on keyword.
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Sorry, this is not an article on dating! We get many calls on what motor is compatible with what drive, or what drive is compatible with what motor. An easy way to figure out product compatibility is to view your selected product web page on our website.Viewing this page will give you an enormous amount of information along with products that are recommended and related to the product you are viewing.
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Microstepping in most Applied Motion drives is variable in increments of 2. Many stepper drives offer a selection of microstepping resolutions that include commonly used values like; 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000 steps per rev. These are commonly selected by mechanical dip switches. Most of Applied Motion’s intelligent drives allow you to select between 200 steps per rev and 51,200 steps per rev in increments of 2.
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Encoder following, which is also known as A/B Quadrature control mode, can be utilized on stepper and servo drives sold by Applied Motion Products. An encoder is a feedback device most commonly found in servo systems where positional feedback is essential for closed-loop control.
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For most systems, a new or replacement drive will be commissioned with ST Configurator before installation into the machine. This is a one-time event for a drive, and if a predefined configuration file is used it takes only a few minutes to complete the procedure. It does however, require a PC to load the configuration data to the drive. ST Configurator remains the recommended way to configure a new drive, but for large or very complex machines this extra step is something that the operators may wish to avoid.
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The Move Profile Analysis tool allows you to graphically view the move profile you are programming. Not sure how your stepper motor will perform when you change one or more characteristics of the move profile, such as, distance, accel, decel, or velocity? You do now! The Move Profile Analysis Tool allows you to make one or more changes and then test the move in your application via the Test Profile button. Your stepper motor will move when you click the Test Profile button so be prepared and use caution.
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Did you know that Applied Motion Products will help all of our Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers protect their valuable spare parts business? Applied Motion Products will assign a custom part number or assist with designing a custom label to help your organization build brand awareness and protect your OEM machinery’s spare parts business. When any organization inquires directly to Applied Motion Products regarding a custom part number, it is Applied Motion Products’ organizational policy to re-direct that request for the custom part back to the OEM.
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In another recent Did You Know? article we introduced you to some of our customized motors. Our customized solutions also include drives and software. One example is a three axis microstepping drive with an integrated PC for an engraving machine (top photo). We saved the customer money and simplified their assembly by integrating three of our popular 3540M step motor drives with a personal computer.
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Many of the stepper drives we offer are set up through the ST Configurator™ software. These include the ST5/10, STAC5, STAC6 and STM drives. ST Configurator provides an easy, fill-in-the-blanks approach to personalizing the drive to your requirements. However, ST Configurator can do much more.
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Applied Motion can customize your motor. As with our other value added capabilities, such as mounting encoders and gearheads, we offer quick turnaround on custom shaft treatments and connectivity options.
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Applied Motion Products is pleased to announce the release of a new, 16 page Servo Products Datasheet. This colorful brochure details our broad servo system offering, with M and V series motors ranging from 50 to 750 watts of continuous output power and both AC and DC powered drives from our popular BLu and SV lines. All motors include precision incremental encoder feedback.
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Stepper drives from Applied Motion Products provide many advanced control features. Microstep Emulation is one feature that should interest all users. Microstepping was a major advancement in step motor technology when it was introduced to the market many years ago. However, because of the many low-frequency indexing systems still in use to this day, not all users have been able take advantage of it. Fortunately, Microstep Emulation from Applied Motion makes microstepping available to all system designers and machine builders.
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Hold on! No, it’s not an 80’s song. We receive calls on a frequent basis about applications requiring a holding brake. Typically in vertical applications, where the position of the load cannot be maintained when power is turned off, a spring-applied-power-off brake can be used to maintain the position of the load. Our NEMA 17, 23 and 34 frame stepping motors allow easy installation of NEMA frame size, modular, front-mounted brakes from Inertia Dynamics or Electroid.
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Our ST5 and ST10, STAC5, STAC6 and STM stepper drives with Q programming are well suited for labeling applications. A product sensor can be tied to one of the 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 the product is traveling on the conveyer.
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Did you know that Applied Motion Products’ STAC6-Q AC-powered Advanced Microstep Drive w/ Q Programming and Encoder Input provides the capability to solve encoder following with registration control applications? If your application requirement is 1 HP (750W) or below, requiring high torque at low speed and rotary speeds less than 2000 RPM, consider Applied Motion Products’ STAC6-Q stepper drive.
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Applied Motion Products has a long history of making products that are simultaneously powerful and easy to use. While this remains a priority for us, the sheer number of variables can seem a bit daunting to a newcomer. Let’s take a step back and examine the different options.
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Readers who have used our ST, STM or STAC stepper drives are probably familiar with our ST Configurator™ set up software. Many of you have also used Q Programmer™ for constructing and testing stored Q programs, and a few of you have probably updated your drive’s firmware to access the latest features.
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There are some applications using Q Programmer™ that require the operator to make a slight “trim” adjustment to a move parameter. An HMI can be used to do this but a simpler approach, using the drive’s analog input, is often easier and less expensive. The example program below shows trim capability built into an application. An STM24QF integrated stepper is used in this example but all Q drives have an analog input so all can use this approach.
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Using a joystick to control the speed and position of a motor is an intuitive solution in many applications. Joystick operation is available with many Applied Motion drives, both stepper and servo.
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With the advent of the EtherNet/IP line of products, drives from Applied Motion Products can now communicate with the world’s leading PLC vendors using the most popular native communication protocol: EtherNet/IP. With its unparalleled power and flexibility, EtherNet/IP has captured a huge part of the industrial marketplace. Unfortunately, configuration and use of EtherNet/IP devices has historically been a difficult and mysterious process for many users.
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When your application calls for a closed loop servo system you must take into consideration the requirements for tuning. For many systems the load inertia is the primary factor in setting the tuning parameters. Embedded in our Quick Tuner™ software are tuning files for all recommended motor-drive combinations. When choosing a motor file you will have the option of using a predetermined inertia load as indicated by a suffix in the file name.
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Applied Motion offers a range of high performance, true planetary gearheads that complement our offering of step motors, integrated steppers and servo motors. These gearheads offer high torque output, high efficiency and high shaft loading capacity.
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The new STM24SF and QF models of integrated stepping motors have four optically isolated 5-24 vdc Flex I/O points. Each of these I/O points can be configured for use as either an input or as an output, or as a pre-defined function that is based on whichever STM model you are using. Assignment of the Flex I/O points is realized by use of our free ST Configurator™ software.
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Many servo and stepper systems require a clamping circuit to limit increases in power supply voltage when the motor is decelerating under load. As the motor reduces its speed it increases the voltage on the DC bus of the drive. This is commonly referred to as “regeneration”, and occurs when DC motors are driven by their load. Generally, this situation occurs in cases where a large inertial mass is being decelerated.
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Take a quick walk with us down memory lane...
Some 32 years ago a young salesman from an old industrial company saw potential demand for high tech uses of step motors. When he approached his employer about this emerging market, they did not share his enthusiasm or vision.
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For many modern machine builders, touchscreen HMIs have become an essential component for granting machine operators intuitive and functional access to system parameters, diagnostics and data.
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Applied Motion has embedded help files that are tied to the physical attributes shown in our pictorial representation of the drive within the STAC Configurator™ and ST Configurator™ software applications.
Simply open the STAC Configurator™ or ST Configurator™ software and position your mouse, for example, over the I/O connector of the drive shown. Left click the I/O connector with your mouse, and a new window will open with wiring information for the selected I/O connector.
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Digital Signal Processing (DSP) provides the foundation for much of the latest stepper control innovation. Precision current control via custom algorithms within the DSP and encoder feedback allow today’s stepper drive technology to detect stalling of a step motor. Applied Motion Products takes this technology a step further by providing the logic necessary to allow user control of the system current in a near-stall situation to ride through or prevent most stall conditions.
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Applied Motion drives offer a variety of control modes, each with its own niche application. Most are intuitive and easily applied: pulse & direction, velocity, streaming commands (SCL). But sometimes these simple approaches don’t quite offer the elusive “perfect” solution. Analog positioning is one such application.
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Applied Motion drives with Q programming functionality allow the user to program many different types of moves, interface with various I/O, and perform complicated tasks previously reserved for standalone motion controllers or PLC’s. The Q language is actually pretty easy to use, but the first project in any new language can be intimidating. To help accelerate the learning curve, Applied Motion Products has included a number of sample programs with every Q Programmer installation.
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Many Applied Motion drives use screw terminal connectors for easy wiring. But screw terminal connectors take up a lot of space, so most of our programmable drives use higher density “D-SUB” connectors, allowing for more compact designs. Drives with D-SUB connectors include the popular ST, SV, STAC and BLU models.
D-SUB connectors are preferred by many OEMs because cable harnesses can be produced on automated equipment using the “crimp and poke” style mating connectors. Or you can hand solder wires to a “solder cup” style mating connector.
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With the introduction of the new STAC5 stepper drives, Applied Motion has expanded what used to be called the STAC6 Configurator™ software to include both the STAC5 and STAC6 stepper drives. Accordingly, the name of the software has changed to STAC Configurator™
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Quick Tuner™ has a built-in scope that is very useful for verifying tuning parameters. For many customers our pre-configured tuning files are all that’s needed to set the servo parameters. You can verify the system’s performance after downloading a pre-configured file by selecting the Sample Move option in the Tuning-Sampling tab. Here you can use a built-in move profile generator to actuate the motor and observe the system performance in the scope screen.
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For applications that require S-curve acceleration and deceleration ramps, Applied Motion servo drives offer an easy-to-use jerk filter. The jerk filter is set in Hertz within Quick Tuner™, Applied Motion’s servo configuration and tuning software. It can also be set with the SCL command KJ. The lower the Hertz value the more pronounced the S-curve profile will be.
S-curve acceleration/deceleration ramps are beneficial in positioning systems where instantaneous changes in speed may cause the load to jerk excessively. One example is when the load is connected to the motion actuator via a long moment arm.
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Our less expensive “S” models can be controlled in real time by a host!
Most of Applied Motion’s newer drives feature “S”, “Q”, and “Si” models. Each of these model types offer different ways for fitting into the overall control architecture of the device being designed.
- “S” models are typically controlled by an external pulse source – step & direction.
- “Q” models are programmable via an ASCII based programming language and can act as stand alone or host controlled motion controllers.
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Applied Motion Products’ DSP-based stepper drives with encoder options offer a unique feature. The stall prevention feature of the STAC6, ST5, ST10 stepper drives and STM integrated steppers not only prevents stalling, but maintains the position of the motor at rest as well. This feature is called position maintenance.
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Our NEW HT24 high torque 1.8 degree stepping motors are now in stock! This new series of motors offers over 30% more torque than conventional motors of the same size. The HT24 motors mount within the same mounting pattern as our NEMA 23 frame motors.