Automation and robotics

Micromotors play a crucial role in robotics and automation applications due to their compact size, precision and efficiency. Their lightweight nature is key where larger, heavier motors can restrict movement and power.

Micromotors for industrial automation systems

No industrial facility can exist without automation. Whether it’s a laboratory that requires automated liquid dispensing, or the precise application of adhesives and lubricants in mechanical engineering environments, DC micromotors are a suitable choice for the essential power, control and consistent reliability needed for industrial automation systems.

Specific applications include:

• CNC machines
• Electrical grippers
• Conveyor systems
• SMT assembly machines

Motors for robotics

When you think of automation, robotics often falls top of the list. However, the design of robotic parts can be complex, and poses challenges with balancing speed, accuracy and power with size and weight. Here, small DC motors offer the ideal solution.

From robots supporting healthcare workers and inspection robots on conveyor belts, to grippers picking and packing in a warehouse, robots are increasingly finding their place in a range of scenarios.

Inspection robots can be found in many industrial applications including in manufacturing and offshore infrastructure, which rely on the robots to gather data and accurately evaluate scenarios that may be unsafe for humans to access.

DC micromotors are also essential to the functionality and performance of ROVs such as drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and underwater vehicles, where they are used for propulsion, stabilisation and control of various components, such as cameras and sensors.

Choosing your small DC motor

FAULHABER SR

FAULHABER’s DC motors are renowned for being highly compact. Most models include integrated high-resolution encoders, making them suitable for applications that require precise positioning and speed control, as found in robotics and automation systems.

The FAULHABER SR series is ideal because of its small size, low contact resistance and a clean, low-noise commutation signal. This makes it perfect for battery-operated applications where conserving current is crucial.

FAULHABER BXT

For applications with strict size requirements in one axis, FAULHABER’s BXT flat motor series features innovative winding technology. This allows it to offer torques of up to 134 millinewton metres with a maximum diameter of 42 millimetres and a length of just 22 millimetres.

The iron-core motors with 14 high-performance rare earth magnets on the rotor and 12 teeth on the stator are just 14 mm, 16 mm and 21 mm long, making them suitable for applications that require a short drive solution with high torque.

Case studies

Detect, secure, defuse

The timely tracking down and disarming of bombs, IEDs and other dangerous munitions is most definitely a job for the professionals.

Prior reconnaissance — to avoid calling in the specialists unnecessarily and to ensure a confirmed threat is handled safely — is an essential element of this process. In this scenario, remotely operated devices can drastically reduce the risk to the professionals involved in such activities, with high-precision micromotors replacing manpower to undertake the necessary hazardous operations at the scene.

AB Precision (Poole) Ltd. has been supplying the British Ministry of Defence since the mid-1960s. To respond to the currently heightened risks in tracing and defusing explosive devices, the experts from Dorset developed the latest generation of their Guardian Miniature Remotely Operated Vehicles (MROVs). The modular miniature vehicle is designed to carry additional equipment as required. For this project, AB Precision called on EMS to supply 15 micromotors for its MROV.

Read the full case study here.

With more than 30 years of experience supplying the market across the UK and Ireland, EMS can specify micromotors for your robotics or automation application. To discuss your requirements, get in touch with a member of the team today.