Category Archives: Gearheads – Planetary

Motion Control – Application – Mini Pan/Tilt for HD Cameras

Motion Control – Custom Gearmotors
motion control - pan tilt stage

With digital television fast approaching, camera manufacturers are flooding the market with new, lightweight units, but few companies are providing the professional equipment that goes with the upcoming change.

“We searched across all known small motor manufacturers, but only Maxon Precision Motor was able to provide a motor that met our requirements,”
motion control - maxon

Fall River, MA — Motion Control  Application – Up until 2006, the only broadcast-use professional motorized Pan/Tilts in the market were very heavy. This is because the equipment was built to hold analog video cameras, which could weigh as much as 50 kg and up. With February 2009 approaching, the final day of transition for digital TV, the leading HD camera manufacturers, Sony and Panasonic, have flooded the US market with new lightweight HD digital cameras, such as HDR-FX1 and AGHVX200, respectively. These new, HD cameras weigh less than 4.5 kg, and that weight continues to drop as the use of flash memory storage devices continue to rise.

Motion Control Motors- 5 challenges an electric motor has to overcome on Mars

Motion Control Motors- Electric motors on Mars

Outer space is unforgiving. This is why precision drives embarking on a trip to other planets need to meet extremely high-quality standards.

Miniature DC Motors - motor for mars

Taunton, MA — Miniature DC Motion Control Motors – Every Mars drive from maxon is based on a catalog product and is modified for the specific mission. That’s because the DC motors, gearheads, and encoders face brutal conditions during liftoff, the long journey through space, and the mission on the Red Planet. In this blog, I will talk about the properties a drive needs to have to qualify for a journey to Mars.
miniature dc motors - maxon

Vibration and Shock

The first challenge is to survive the rocket launch. This means that the miniature dc motion control motor must be resistant to shock and vibration. The vibration is not as strong as people might think: A little more than on a passenger plane, but not much more, and only for a few minutes. Shocks, on the other hand, are something that we need to deal with on a regular basis when working with standard products. These occur mainly during staging, which is when the first stage separates from the rest of the rocket. The resulting forces would destroy normal motors because the rotor would become separated from the stator. That’s why we need to reinforce our drives, for example by encapsulating the rotor and using special welds, special retaining rings, and optimized materials.

Vacuum and Radiation

The trip to Mars takes about six months. During this time, the drives need to survive the vacuum and radiation. The most damaging radiation doesn’t come from the Sun, but from high-energy particles from outside the solar system, which can damage the electronics. That’s why we need specially hardened electronics for the Hall sensors on the motors. To be extra safe, we’re installing them in pairs for redundancy. In a vacuum, the durability of components is important. You can’t use a glue that undergoes changes in its chemical properties and loses its adhesiveness after a few days in a vacuum.

Weight Reduction

Rockets can carry only a limited mass to other planets. To be as light as possible, we also resort to unusual shapes and use thinner housings, or titanium instead of steel. We also often use the smallest possible drive sizes, because we know that the operating time required is usually shorter than for industrial applications. Higher wear is therefore acceptable.

Atmosphere of Mars

After arriving, the motor must work flawlessly for the entire duration of the mission: Due to the thin atmosphere, the lubricants need to be resistant to outgassing and need to retain their properties. Especially for brushed DC motors, it is also necessary to use the right brush mixture. No patina forms on Mars, which is why we developed special brushes impregnated with a lubricant (silver graphite with 15% MoS2). That’s one of the most important modifications, because regular brushed motors fail after only a few hours in a vacuum.

Quality Tests

While drives used on Earth are also tested, there are limits to those tests due to financial considerations. This is different with a Mars mission, where any kind of risk is unacceptable. Here it pays to test every single component. We also test every assembly, and the tests are comprehensively documented. This is how we prove to our customer that the motor is exactly as we promised. The models used on mission must be identical to the units that were qualified, because these were exposed to the same strains in tests as in real life. They were put on a shaker, exposed to temperature cycles, and subjected to durability tests. If the drives pass all these tests, then we can be confident that the design is good. The only remaining step is to build all the other drives in the exact same way—hence all the documentation. The process takes a lot of effort, but it’s worth it: The history of space missions shows that anything that’s overlooked will cause problems—and outer space is unforgiving.

Learn more about maxon’s contribution to the current NASA Perseverance mission: mars.maxonworld.com

About Maxon

The Swiss specialist for quality drives maxon is a developer and manufacturer of brushed and brushless DC motors, as well as gearheads, encoders, controllers, and entire mechatronic systems. maxon drives are used wherever the requirements are particularly high: in NASA’s Mars rovers, in surgical power tools, in humanoid robots, and in precision industrial applications, for example. To maintain its leadership in this demanding market, the company invests a considerable share of its annual revenue in research and development. Worldwide, maxon has more than 3000 employees at nine production sites and is represented by sales companies in more than 30 countries.

Maxon is a developer and manufacturer of brushed and brushless DC motors, as well as gearheads, encoders, controllers, and entire mechatronic systems. With over 50 years of experience in drive technology, maxon works closely with engineers designing high-tech innovations. maxon drives are used wherever the requirements are particularly high: in NASA’s Mars rovers, in surgical power tools, in humanoid robots, and in precision industrial applications. Worldwide, maxon has more than 2800 employees at nine production sites and is represented by sales companies in more than 30 countries. www.maxongroup.com

Contact maxon for more details https://support.maxongroup.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Comprehensive documentation and software are included with every delivery, and are also available for you to download from our website at www.maxonmotor.com.

motion control - miniature components


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View 2023/2024 Maxon Catalog

miniature dc motors - maxon motors

Motion Control – New Miniature Gearhead from Harmonic Drive LLC: The CSF-2XH

Motion Control – Miniature Harmonic Drive Gearhead!

THIS ZERO BACKLASH MINI GEARHEAD IS IDEAL FOR SERVO & STEPPER MOTOR APPLICATIONS

motion control - miniature harmonic drive gearhead
motion control electromate robotics

 

 

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control – Electromate – Harmonic Drive LLC, a leading provider of precision motion control solutions, is proud to announce the release of its CSF-2XH mini gearhead designed for servo and stepper motors.

Available with an output shaft or flange, the CSF-2XH miniature gearheads are offered in 4 sizes with gear ratios 30:1 to 100:1 and peak torque: .5~28Nm. These mini strain wave gears are ideal for semiconductor and robotics applications.

Motion Control – Electromate Unveils Quantum Devices’ Cutting-Edge QM22 Series Miniature Encoder

Motion Control – Miniature Encoder!

motion control - miniature encoder
motion control electromate robotics

 

 

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control – Electromate, a leading Canadian distributor of state-of-the-art industrial automation products, is proud to announce the addition of Quantum Devices’ latest innovation, the QM22 series of optical incremental encoders, to its comprehensive portfolio.

Motion Control – Harmonic Drive Introduces Next-Generation FHA-C Actuator with Integrated Servo Drive

Motion Control – Harmonic Drive Actuator!

motion control - harmonic drive actuator

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control -Harmonic Drive, a leading manufacturer of precision motion control technology, is pleased to announce the release of the FHA-C Mini Actuator with Integrated Servo Drive. The FHA-C Mini Actuator features a highly efficient, integrated servo drive that allows for precise control of position, velocity, and torque. This, coupled with its compact size, makes it ideal for use in a wide range of applications, including robotics, medical equipment, and industrial automation.

Motion Control – Positioning Stage Has 3,890 lbs Load Capacity!

Motion Control – Linear Positioning Stage

motion control - linear stages
motion control - electromate robotics

 

 

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada -Motion control – LINTECH’s 160 series tables are designed to
maximize performance while minimizing physical size and
cost. These tables use a low friction, preloaded, recirculating linear ball bearing system, which rides on precision ground linear rails. The linear rails are mounted to an aluminum base, which offers a rigid support over the entire travel of the table’s carriage.

Motion Control – Maxon Gearheads – Great power in Compact Form!

Motion Control – Maxon Gearheads – Great power in Compact Form!

motion control - gearhead cutaway

Motion Control – Micro gearheads from maxon with improved efficiency.

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Products – Maxon has developed a unique upgrade in the form of a new product series for its standard micro gearhead: A wide range of performance improvements offer new opportunities.
motion control - maxon

 

The first ideas for the UP-gearhead were inspired by ESA’s Mars project ‘ExoMars’ and NASA’s ‘Mars 2020’ project, where there was a need to ensure the highest possible availability even in extreme environmental conditions.

This also directly affects further parameters of the drive system: Given the same input power, ie. using the same motor and the same motor control system, the gearhead can deliver 30% more torque.

Motion Control – The Maxon Miniature Spindle for Linear Positioning Tasks!

Motion Control Spindle Drives

The GP 6 S micro linear motion spindle drives have a diameter of six millimeters and is available with integrated ball bearings for high axial loads. Versions include metric ceramic or metal spindles.

motion control spindle drives

motion control - maxon

 

 

Fall River, MA – Linear Motion Spindle Drives are the perfect solution for linear positioning systems, lens adjustment, or syringe pumps. If the drive also has to be compact, then maxon motor’s GP 6 S spindle gear is the perfect choice. To provide a cost-effective alternative to the ceramic version, it is now also available with a metal spindle.

Motion Control – Maxon’s ESCON Module 24/2 Servo Motor Controller!

Motion Control – Miniature Servo Motor Controller

motion control - miniature servo motor controller

motion control - maxon

 

 

Taunton, MA -Motion Control – Maxon Motor expands its offering of miniaturized controllers with its latest OEM plug-in module. This high performance 4-quadrant PWM servo motor controller is designed to command permanent-magnet-activated brushed and brushless DC motors with Hall sensors up to 48 Watt continuous output and 144 Watt peak output.

Motion Control – Maxon’s Driven Magazine – See the article “Speed or Torque – or Both?”

Motion Control – Maxon’s Driven Magazine

motion control driven magazine

 

Motion Control article “Speed or Torque – or Both” in Maxon’s Driven magazine helps in selecting the right motor for an application.  An application that could be on Mars, under water, or even implanted in the human body!

motion control - maxon

 

 

Fall River, MA — Motion Control – The Maxon catalog contains a large number of brushless motor types that are called EC Motors. The artice in this issue of DRIVEN briefly describes their properties and possible areas of application.   

Motion Control – New Mini Planetary Gearmotors from Applied Motion Products Available from Electromate!

Motion Control – Mini Planetary Gearmotors!

Motion Control – Small, Cost effective Planetary Gearmotors Are Ideally Suited for Step Motor Applications

motion control - mini planetary gearmotors


motion control - electromate robotics

 

 

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control  — Applied Motion Products New PH Series Mini Planetary Gearmotors are used with small step motors in NEMA 8, 11, and 14 frame sizes.  TThese gearmotors are used in applications where space is critical.  Small motors usually don’t produce enough torque for demanding applications.  Mini Planetary Gearmotors are an ideal solution.  They offer an increase in torque, and better inertia matching without breaking the budget.

Motion Control – Kollmorgen debuts EKM Series Brushless AC Servo Motors

Motion Control – Brushless AC Servo Motors!motion control - electromate robotics
motion control - ac servo motor

 

                             

 

Motion Control – These enhanced, high-performance motors are MilSpec 810E rated and IP67 sealed. They are supplied standard with a stainless-steel shaft and chemical agent-resistant paint for reliable duty in harsh environmental conditions.

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control – Kollmorgen has recently introduced the new EKM series of Enhanced, High-Performance, Brushless AC Servo Motors. EKM Series Motors are Mil-Spec 810E rated and IP67 sealed for duty in harsh environmental conditions.

Motion Control – Kollmorgen debuts new generation of robot-ready frameless servo motors

Motion Control – Frameless Servos for Robots

motion control- frameless motors for robots


Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control – Components — Kollmorgen has introduced the new TBM2G series of frameless servo motors, introducing features that simplify the design of collaborative, surgical, aerospace and defense and other robots while delivering optimal performance in a lighter, more compact package. These new motors will complement Kollmorgen’s existing TBM and KBM series of frameless motors.

motion control - electromate robotics

Resulting from several years of research, testing and customer feedback, the TBM2G series offers high-performance torque in an extremely compact electromagnetics package. These next-generation motors enable robots with lower joint weight, higher load-carrying capacity, improved energy efficiency, lower thermal rise, and faster, smoother movements.

Motion Control – ADVANCED Motion Controls Release New Micro-Sized FlexPro® Servo Drive model FM060-60C-CM

Motion Control –  Right Angle Gearheads

motion control micro servo driver

 


motion control - electromate robotics

 

 

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control — ADVANCED Motion Controls has released a new 60A continuous FlexPro servo drive model FM060-60C-CM. This model is the second “machine embedded” version in this power range adding CANopen communication to the previously released EtherCAT version.

The 60A continuous current rating means the servo drive can operate at the 60A peak rating continuously with no need for current foldback.  This feat is impressive because the new model is in the same package size as our “micro-sized” FlexPro models meaning up to four units can fit within the footprint of a business card.

Motion Control – New LDL Programmable Linear Actuator from SMAC

Motion Control – A Great Place to Work!

motion control - smac linear actuatorsCost-competitive Alternative to Pneumatics, Starting at $300 US/ea

Motion Control – Vaughan, Ontario, Canada – The New LDL Programmable Electric Linear Actuator from SMAC has been designed as a cost-competitive alternative to pneumatics.  A common trend in industrial automation is that users are looking for electric alternatives to their pneumatic components for a number of reasons: increased control, improved cycle life, and reduced operating cost.

The LDL series actuator features several innovative cost reduction elements that result in a list price starting at $300 US/ea. 

Motion Control – Electromate extends its product portfolio to include Robots from Mecademic!

Motion Control – Electromate adds Robots from Mecademic!

motion control - electromate robotics

Electromate’s new partnership with Mecademic will expand its reach to end users and manufacturers needing ultra compact and precise industrial robots across Canada.

 

 

 

TORONTO, Ontario — Electromate Inc., a leading Canadian Distributor of Precision Robotic & Mechatronic Solutions, today announced a partnership with Mecademic, a Montreal based premier manufacturer of the world’s smallest, most compact, and precise industrial robots.

Motion Control – From soaring heights: Camera stabilization with maxon drives!

Motion Control – Camera stabilization System!

Aerial images can be beneficial for many businesses and industries. Often things are revealed from above that are hidden to the observer on the ground. Drives from maxon are used in camera stabilizer systems.

motion control - Application


motion control - maxon motors

 

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Application – Mining companies, for example, survey mines from the air, oil and gas suppliers monitor their drilling rigs, and energy utilities monitor their overland lines. All these applications have one big challenge in common: In these often rough operating environments, the camera needs to be protected against wind, turbulence and the vibration of the carrier aircraft while being kept in a stable position. This is the job of a high-precision stabilization camera gimbal. These gimbals provide users with a stable and level platform that allows them to capture high-quality aerial images.

Motion Control – Maxon introduces a multi-axis controller for highly dynamic positioning tasks!

Motion Control – Miniature Multi-axis Controller

Maxon is launching the next generation of Motion Controllers with its MiniMACS6-AMP-4/50/10. The controller is ideal for use in applications where PLC solutions may be too expensive or cannot meet customer-specific requirements.

motion control - miniature controller

Taunton, MA — Motion Control Products – Maxon’s new multi-axis controller, the MiniMACS6-AMP-4/50/10, offers precise and highly dynamic control of up to six brushed DC motors or four brushless DC motors (up to 540 W continuous output power and 1.6 kW peak output power).

motion control - maxon motors

 

 

The controller is an economical and compact solution for system designers who develop autonomous robots or shuttle systems

A significant advantage of the new multi-axis solution is that it is programmable with the comprehensive ApossIDE automation software and the license-free Motion Control Library (written in C). Integrated bus interfaces enable efficient data exchange with higher-level controllers; however, it is also possible to run complete process sequences autonomously, without a PLC or PC. The MiniMACS6-AMP-4/50/10 will be available in early 2021.

Motion Control – Robotic Cycloidal Gearbox from GAM is available from Electromate!

Motion Control – Robotic Cycloidal Gearbox!

motion control- cycloidal gearbox


motion control - electromate logo

 

 

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control Components — GAM announces the release of the new GCL cycloidal gearboxes. The new gearboxes provide high precision and rigidity for horizontal and vertical robotic and motion control applications.

The GCL is designed to withstand the frequent start-stop impact loads of industrial robots and other motion control applications with impact resistance five times nominal torque. The GCL series is available in a wide range of sizes with ratios from 36:1 to 192:1.

Motion Control – The Mars helicopter continues to makes history – with maxon’s precision motors!

Motion Control – Mars helicopter has maxon’s motors!

Space fans are thrilled: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has successfully completed its pioneering flight on Mars. This is the first time in the history of powered, unmanned spaceflight that a device has flown in a controlled manner on another planet.

motion control - mars helicopter


motion control - maxonTaunton, MA — Motion Control Products – A short flight for “Ingenuity,” but a big success for unmanned space flight. NASA’s Mars helicopter flew over the surface of the Red Planet for about 40 seconds on Monday, April 19th and landed back on four legs. From NASA’s perspective, this is a historic event similar to the Wright brothers’ first controlled flight in 1903.

With the Mars helicopter, the concept of powered, unmanned, and autonomous flights on foreign planets is being tested. This is comparable to the first Mars rover “Sojourner”, which paved the way for scientific follow-up missions such as “Curiosity” and currently “Perseverance”. “Ingenuity” is about to complete several flights over a period of 30 days, each lasting up to 90 seconds and reaching a maximum altitude of five meters.

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