The Application:

This proven, world renowned robot is an all-terrain ROV with high payload capacity and multiple attachment options designed to provide multiple mission support. In particular, by operating hundreds of meters away it enables reconnaissance activities as well as active surveillance for military, security and police forces alike and keeps operators directly out of any potential harm or danger.

Customer Requirements:

High efficiency expectation

• Battery supplied, mobile operation needing 8+ hours duty / 7-day standby capability
• ≥98% efficiency to extend overall battery life

Motion experience assistance needed

• Customer’s original experience was with other industries, not mobile robotics
• In-house engineering initially had limited motion control knowledge

Small size and low weight considerations

• Available space was at a premium
• Portability key to overall design / use

Solutions Technology:

Engineer-to-engineer interaction

• ADVANCED Motion Controls’ engineers[...]

Motion Control Products Ltd. introduces innovative integrated torque motor with harmonic gearbox.

Offering high levels of torque and precision, the latest torque motors have an integral strain wave (harmonic) gearbox. With high efficiencies and compact sizes, they are available in four series: MAS, MAT, MAH and MGM.

The all-in-one MGM series has an integral torque motor, encoder, brake and servo drive. Delivering a high precision of up to 60 arc sec, their high torque of up to 557Nm makes them ideal for a host of application, demanding low noise, high torque and precision control, such as collaborative robot applications for loads of up to 25kg. Integrated servo drives for EtherCAT or CANOpen enable the units to interface with most mainstream controllers on the market. A hollow shaft simplifies system design by allowing the passage of cables, pipework etc.

The other series of low cogging, low noise motors have an integrated strain wave gearbox and frameless motor with a range of encoder[...]

Motion Control Products have introduced a new range of Coreless DC motors that have some distinct advantages over standard DC motors. These include longer life expectancy, light weight, high acceleration, less vibration, less noise and can operate at very low speeds.

The coil is formed as a thin hollow cylinder, rather than the coils being wound around a stack of laminations. The stator with its permanent magnets supplies the magnetic field flux and fits in the hollow centre of the winding. These features provide a much lighter weight motor in comparison to a conventional iron core DC motor. Also, Coreless DC versions are much more efficient, as there are no iron losses. In addition, Coreless rotor technology means a smooth running, cog-free operation, with the low inertia rotor providing high dynamic, fast acceleration compared to iron core DC motors.

Motion Control Products offer these motors from as tiny as 4mm diameter, up to 50mm in the standard, motor only format. However, they can[...]