Understanding Servo Motors And Servo Drives

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Servo Motors can be broadly explained as simple electric motors which are controlled for specific angular rotation with the aid of an added servomechanism. They are essentially a combination of various electronic parts, including the well-known DC and AC motors. They are used in a closed loop mechanism which registers its position feedback to control its rotational speed.

However, nowadays, servo motors consist of large industrial applications for controlling purposes. For industrial purposes, they are implemented in machine tools, packaging, factory automation, material handling, printing converting, assembly lines, CNC machinery, automated manufacturing, and many other demanding robotics applications. Some of the prominent areas where servo motors are seen in consumer products are remote-controlled toy cars to monitor the motion and CD or DVD players where the motor which sets the tray into motion. These are just two common examples to explain it’s applicability – however, even apart from these devices, there are several applications in our daily lives.

In its most basic form, Servo Motors use DC motors and align them accordingly through a potentiometer. It moves at high speed, until and unless it is instructed not to by an action received by the controller. Such types of servo motors are highly recommended in radio-controlled devices such as model aircrafts, toy cars, or even drones. The servo motors used in an industrial commercial setup possess both positioning and speed sensing. They also administer proportional-integral-derivative control algorithms, which subsequently enables the engine to position itself quickly without any fail since the speed of the shaft can also be regulated.

Servo Drives

A servo drive can also be termed as an amplifier due to its ability to take the control signals from all the controllers and escalates it to give out a certain amount of the voltage and current of the motor. Servo drives are applied in functions such as robotics, automation, CNC machining, and even in the processes of manufacturing semiconductors.

There are various types of servo drives, the most common being the torque-mode amplifier. It receives and then converts the command signal from the controller into the specific motor current. They offer a wide range of advantages, such as superior positioning, greater speed, and efficient motion control.

Some of the most common applications include CNC machining, factory automation, and robotics, among various other industrial processes as well.

Similar to servo motors, their major benefit setting them apart from DC or AC motors is the inclusion of motor feedback. The function of motor feedback is to help in identifying any disruption in the accuracy of the command motion. Servos have a valuable lifecycle when used in a constant speed, compared to the typical AC wound motors. In an industrial or commercial setup, both servo motors and servo drives are equally critical and used for monitoring positions and controlling speeds. Whether one is in need of a system with better torque than your stepper motor or just more precise control, servo drives are sure to meet your needs.