Servo motor application question
Servo motor application question
(OP)
Hi, I am new to this forum and also very new to automation. I am a mechanical engineer but the plant I work at is small and we don't have any electrical engineers. Anyway, long story short, I am looking to replace an existing air-actuated rotary gate with a servo motor setup. The problem is that I don't know a whole heck of a lot about servo motors, controllers, etc.
The gate is basically a cylinder with 4 sets of cups located 90° apart around the circumference that take dough balls from a belt and load them onto an overhead proofer. The gate receives the balls, gets a signal from a proximity switch, rotates 90° and drops the balls into the proofer trays. Acceleration is moderate, torque requirements are very small, but the accuracy is important.
I guess what I am wondering is will a servo motor and controller be a decent solution for this application and if so, is the motor and controller basically all I need or are there other components that I am overlooking? In other words, can a servo motor with a controller be used as a stand-alone device or does it require other control/power components? (we have 3-phase, 480v at the plant)
The reason we want to change the setup for this operation is that the air actuator we are using right now has been failing on a monthly basis at $2500 a unit - primarily due to poor maintenance. We are hoping a servo motor setup would provide us with much better control and negligible maintenance. Any input is appreciated - thanks:)
The gate is basically a cylinder with 4 sets of cups located 90° apart around the circumference that take dough balls from a belt and load them onto an overhead proofer. The gate receives the balls, gets a signal from a proximity switch, rotates 90° and drops the balls into the proofer trays. Acceleration is moderate, torque requirements are very small, but the accuracy is important.
I guess what I am wondering is will a servo motor and controller be a decent solution for this application and if so, is the motor and controller basically all I need or are there other components that I am overlooking? In other words, can a servo motor with a controller be used as a stand-alone device or does it require other control/power components? (we have 3-phase, 480v at the plant)
The reason we want to change the setup for this operation is that the air actuator we are using right now has been failing on a monthly basis at $2500 a unit - primarily due to poor maintenance. We are hoping a servo motor setup would provide us with much better control and negligible maintenance. Any input is appreciated - thanks:)





RE: Servo motor application question
Best regards,
Mark Empson
http://www.lmphotonics.com
RE: Servo motor application question
RE: Servo motor application question
You program canned moves and the moves are executed when a signal is asserted (usually from a PLC). For your application an inline gearbox should be used to decouple the motor from the load.
The Mitsubishi reps can basically recomend-design the system for you.
RE: Servo motor application question
Here is a decent overview on stepper motor basics.
http://www.ams2000.com/pdf/step101.pdf
This company makes a decent all-in-one servo motor/controller, and in looking at their site again, it appears they may have a new version that is a stepper as well.
http://www.animatics.com/index.html
"Venditori de oleum-vipera non vigere excordis populi"
RE: Servo motor application question
T. Dent
RE: Servo motor application question
If the air going into a rotary screw air compressor is more than 33% relative humidity, you are going to have problems with water emulsifying with the oil. Hooking up a set of household dehumidifiers to the pump intake filter comes to mind as a cheap solution.