Motors News

Pulling skiers up the lift seems innocent enough, but harmonics from the DC motor controls created a high level of disturbance for nearby subscribers. The ski lift operator got rid of his DC motors and installed two 400 kW AC motor and drive systems, and completely solved the problem.

One of several recent engineering attempts to increase AC motor efficiency is to integrate the encoder into the fan. This move reduces the costs and complexity associated with engineering, and also makes it easier to retrofit. Of course, the resolution is modest — these affordable encoders offer up to 24 pulses per revolution.

A pair of battery-powered gearmotors power small vehicles such as wheelchairs, patient beds, AGVs, material handling carts, and commercial lawn care equipment. Power is applied to opposite wheels; when the vehicle needs to turn, one motor runs in reverse direction for applications requiring zero turn radius maneuvering.

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter DirectU2 The world of Medical Equipment Design.

A line of brushless DC motors ranges in size from the very small 15 mm (0.6 in.) diameter up to 65 mm (2.5 in.) diameter and 500 W of power. These high-efficiency motors are designed for installations in industrial, medical, packaging, and material handling industries where restricted areas require small volume motors.

Introduced at this year's SPS/IPC/Drives show, the 1PH8 series is designed for universal use in various motion control applications of heavy industrial machinery, such as cranes, converters, presses and extruders, and eccentric rotational axes in the paper and printing industry. They are available in air or water-cooled versions.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter DirectU2 The world of Motion Control Components.

Most stepper motors come in two or four phase designs, but this new motor and controller combination is a three phase version. Its manufacturer says that allows the motor to have quiet, smooth operation and high accuracy. It offers a step angle of 1.2 degrees compared with the usual 1.8 degrees.

It's always a good idea to keep a close watch on a company's electric motors by using condition based monitoring (CBM) techniques. However, that may not be an easy project to start. DLI Engineering offers its OnWatch™ service to help plants get into the process — in weeks, rather than years.

Have you ever heard of motor bearing failures from shaft currents induced by variable speed drives? This article says it causes 'thousands of hours of unplanned downtime' annually. It describes a special conductive bearing protection ring that redirects the currents from shaft to frame, bypassing the motor bearings entirely.

This editorial says that just a few decades ago, people feared automation would replace them. Today, we all rely on technology. In just a few more decades, that earlier fear may be a moot issue. Companies say that thousands of engineering positions are vacant because they can't find the technical people to fill them. But this problem is only a small part of a much bigger problem — populations in the industrialized world are shrinking, and it won't be just engineers that we are lacking.

There are electric motors, and then there is the internal combustion engine. And the drive of choice for many are mini vans and SUVs. The designers of a new spoiler for the back of vans and SUVs claim it will reduce drag by 5%, and, given that two-thirds of a motor vehicle's power is consumed overcoming drag at speeds above 60 mph, this could be serious fuel savings over a period of time.

The Free Energy Myth

Do wind turbines really take advantage of free energy, or do we need to take a closer look at the payback analysis for this form of alternative and renewable energy?