Whedco Adds New Stall Detection to Stepping Motor Cube
Whedco, a subsidiary of GE Fanuc Automation (Ann Arbor, MI), has added a new stall detection feature to the Stepping Motor Cube with DeviceNet.
The new sensorless stall detection capability provides accurate, user-configured motor stall feedback to the control system and allows users to avoid costly encoders, additional cables and more complex programming.
"Most stepping-motor applications are designed without position feedback.
This open-loop configuration relies on the stepping motor not to stall in
order to achieve its desired position," explained Jeff Christensen,
president and CEO of GE Fanuc's Motion Business. "Theoretically, an
application can be designed well within the motor's stall torque limits.
But, when real world constraints are taken into consideration, the
possibility of a stall condition increases. This problem can be solved most
cost effectively through sensorless stall detection."
Whedco's Stepping Motor Cube is a space-conscious, high-performance
integrated controller/amplifier and NEMA 23 motor with DeviceNet that fits
easily into systems where panel space is limited. Three motor frame sizes
and several motor windings are available with a 3A rms continuous rating
to manage torque levels from 50oz-in to 175oz-in. Input power requirements are
24Vdc to 48Vdc single-phase at 2.4A.
The Stepping Motor Cube supports the DeviceNet position controller profile's I/O and explicit messaging protocols. Either protocol may be used to monitor the fault status and set parameters within the controller. The Cube can serve with up to 63 other industrial devices on a single network. An LED provides Motor Cube device and network diagnostics to identify system faults such as under-voltage and over-voltage on single or multi-axis systems.
