Motors, Drives

Hybridization can help companies control and reduce energy expenditures. Courtesy: Danfoss/Control Engineering Europe
Energy, Power August 29, 2019

Hybridization as a disruptive, profitable energy strategy for manufacturers

The basic configuration of electrical power systems for industrial and commercial applications has altered little for decades, but hybridization could change this in a disruptive and positive way.

By Steve Moore
Figure 3: Three eXtended Reality (XR) technologies, such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR), and digital twin models can add value to manufacturer applications. Courtesy: Industrial Internet Consortium
Motors, Drives August 19, 2019

Top 5 Control Engineering articles August 12-18

Articles about digitizing reality, using the cloud for business, long battery life, making the IIoT work, and IIoT's effects on the motor business were Control Engineering’s five most clicked articles from August 12-18. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra
Figure 2: EASA and Plant Engineering (CFE Media) research included asset management strategies for motors and rotating equipment. Those who lag in adopting asset monitoring technologies may risk losing business to those who do. Courtesy: EASA and Plant Engineering
Motors, Drives August 16, 2019

Motors, fans, pumps, compressors: IIoT avoids downtime

Think Again: Remote monitoring, sensors, analytics and real-time intelligence is helping those who manufacture, use, and repair motors and attached critical assets to avoid downtime with prescriptive maintenance technologies, says EASA and Plant Engineering research.

By Mark T. Hoske
Courtesy: CFE Media
Motors, Drives August 16, 2019

Industrial drive specification criteria for success

The key to selecting an industrial drive is to understand how that drive has been designed and constructed to operate in conjunction with other machines and control systems.

By Paul Streatfield
After the male and female snaps have been inserted, the UR5 places the fabric under a vision camera lens for quality inspection and sorts it in either a “good” or “reject” pile. Courtesy: Universal Robots
Robotics August 15, 2019

Do-it-yourself collaborative robotic project

Case study: Collaborative robots at a thermal wrap manufacturing company deliver a zero-defect rate while doubling production output. Installation, integration and use has been a do-it-yourself (DIY) project.

By Joe Campbell
Pump selection for parallel pump control is critical in determining the desired total system output. Check pump curves to make sure that the number of pumps, flow, head, and multi set points are adequate for your system needs. Head pressure may not remain constant in some cases, as the flow is increased to multiple pumps. Courtesy: Crane Pumps & Systems.
Motors, Drives August 15, 2019

Use of variable frequency drives in injection molding saves money

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) improves process cooling optimization and pump efficiency.

By Timothy Albers and Dan Roberts
Figure 1: Shown on the left is a 200W servo motor and compatible servo drive with the necessary power and feedback cables for connecting the motor and drive together. Shown on the right is a comparable 200W integrated servo motor that combines the individual motor and drive components into a single package while providing the same speed and torque performance. Utilizing integrated motors into a machine design reduces system complexity and saves space. Courtesy: Applied Motion
Motors, Drives August 8, 2019

Integrated motors offer flexibility with fewer components

Integrated motors save space compared to separate motor and drive components by reducing the number of components in the system, simplifying cabling and reducing costs over conventional solutions.

By Eric Rice
Figure 2: Material handling conveyors are a common constant-torque application well-suited to ac motors. Courtesy: AutomationDirect
Motors, Drives August 6, 2019

Three steps to size motors

Proper motor sizing precludes equipment failures, ensures efficiency and reduces maintenance issues.

By Bryan Sisler
The results from the IIoT Readiness Survey regarding the biggest challenges that organizations face with implementing IIoT indicates lack of knowledge and workplace culture are among the biggest challenges. Courtesy: IHS Markit
Motors, Drives August 3, 2019

IIoT’s effects on the motor industry

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can help companies realize a greater return on investment (ROI) for plant-floor motors, but companies need to know what they seek and want.

By Ivan Campos
Courtesy: CFE Media
CNC Motion Control June 25, 2019

Motion control and motor market reports decline in first quarter of 2019

The Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA) reported that the global motion control and motor market saw a very small decline in shipments in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 2018.

By Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA)