34 n PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MOTION CONTROL October 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com Miniature drive systems: specification is crucial Over the past 25 years, designers of miniature motors and drives for precision applications involving brushed and brushless DC motors up to around 750W, have come up with increasingly smaller, torque-dense designs with enhanced control. These advances have enabled OEM engineers to specify miniature drive systems comprising motors, gearheads, encoders and drives, that are increasingly task-specific. The biggest recent change has been to the complexity of projects, including modifications to create completely bespoke motors. Twenty years ago, modifications might have involved a customised shaft or a cable change. Today, the complete drive system can be designed from scratch. Instead of users having to work with what is available, drive systems are now customdesigned to fit exacting requirements. Applications where performance is critical have benefitted the most from this approach. This has also changed the focus for manufacturers of precision miniature motors, where high-volume OEM customers increasingly require bespoke systems. Customisation Crucial to developing customised drive systems is the initial specification. This depends on the experience and expertise of the drive system engineers – a role that has become increasingly important as applications have become more demanding. OEM design engineers often provide a detailed list of requirements for the drive system manufacturer to fulfil. From this starting point, engineers carry out a detailed review of the application to create an accurate concept. Getting this stage right is essential to optimise the subsequent design and manufacture of the drive system. The best way to achieve it is through engineer-to-engineer conversations. This approach is essential not just for high-volume OEMs, but is advisable for all sizes of project. Often, engineers at an OEM or design company might not be fully aware of the needs or possibilities of drive systems, and this could make a significant difference to the performance of their application, or affect the time-to-market. Engineering support can involve bespoke development, partial customisation of standard designs, or helping to choose the right motor from a catalogue. While online selection tools are available – and are useful for repeat requirements or to guide initial discussions – input from experienced drive system engineers is invaluable. Particularly for sectors where motor performance is critical, standards covering component and material traceability, design criteria, as well as production, should also be applied to the specification and concept development – including when customisation is applied. The push for standards has also coincided with the trend for OEMs to request integrated drive systems including motors, gearheads, feedback devices and controls for speed, torque, and position. Instead of procuring a motor and then designing the control electronics in-house, integrated drives cut resource requirements and development times for OEMs and project engineering teams. Most importantly, relying on a dedicated engineering team to develop turnkey drive systems can improve performance. Aerospace is one of the UK’s largest markets for precision drive systems, with applications ranging from pilot controls to the emerging drone market. The medical sector is also important for precision drive systems, with applications ranging from prosthetics to surgical tools, as well as the fast-growing use of patient-implantable devices. The continued growth of robotics is also significant, with miniature drive systems providing precision motion control with small footprints. Future demands Looking at future requirements, as we continue to see a developing need for Miniature drive systems for precision applications are increasingly being customengineered for specific applications. William Mason, managing director of maxon in the UK and Ireland, explores trends in such applications. Developing application-specific miniature drive systems requires close collaboration between suppliers and end-users
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