Latest Motors & Motion Controls Technical Articles

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Simple, Cost-Effective I/O: Control Techniques Releases Drive Expansion

Expanding motor drives with I/O is a cost-effective way of increasing local control without burdening the control system. Control Technique’s new SI-I/O 24 Plus expands I/O right on the drive unit.

one day ago by Joshua Tidwell

Take a Look Inside a Research and Demo Lab at Epson Robotics

Recently, the Control.com engineering team had the opportunity to visit the R&D demo lab facility for the robotics division of Epson, located in Los Alamitos, CA. Come learn how the magic happens!

April 10, 2024 by David Peterson

Power and Precision | Electrical Motor-Driven Linear Actuators

Electrical control holds many advantages over fluid power with precise control, feedback, and a lower-maintenance system. But how do electric actuators work, and how do they stack up against fluids?

April 09, 2024 by Gunner Scott

How-To: Servo Motor Control Concepts and Programming

Learn how to control servo motors from a PLC using Allen-Bradley servos and Rockwell Automation’s Studio 5000 using a simple-to-understand method.

March 27, 2024 by Shawn Dietrich

Too Much Current! Breaker Curves and Overload Trip Classes

We know what a circuit breaker is meant to do: stop the flow of electricity in case of a fault or failure. But just like fuses, breakers and overloads respond differently depending on the load.

March 06, 2024 by David Peterson

What is a Servo, and How do Servo Motors Work?

Servo motors are common in all kinds of motion control applications for various industries, but what are these devices, and what makes them different from standard AC or DC motors?

February 27, 2024 by David Peterson

Accelerometers and Gyroscopes: Understanding The Metrics of Motion

Many sensors, like prox, optical, and ultrasonic, are familiar to control engineers. More and more modern devices are incorporating advanced motion profiles requiring motion sensing in many axes.

February 19, 2024 by David Peterson

How to Wire Motor Starters and Contactors

This article investigates the basic components and wiring conventions for common three-phase motor starter configurations, including direct online, reversing, and star-delta.

February 13, 2024 by Damond Goodwin

Motor Starter Wiring Infographic

Complete wiring guide for 3-phase motor starters with and without overload (OL) relays.

February 06, 2024 by David Peterson

Relays, Relays, and More Relays: 7 Kinds of Industrial Relays

Have you ever heard of a relay? Of course you have. There are many different kinds, plus hundreds of different trade lingo names. What are some of the most common, and how do we use them?

January 25, 2024 by David Peterson

What is a Stepper Motor, and How Does it Work?

When the angle or distance of motion is more important than speed and power, certain motors shine brighter, like steppers, named for the individual steps they take when control voltage is applied.

January 24, 2024 by David Peterson

Teardown: What’s Inside a Solenoid-Controlled Safety Interlock?

Safety devices have two main purposes, both of them meant for (you guessed it) safety. They protect both machine and operator from harm. But what’s inside, and how do these switches work?

January 17, 2024 by David Peterson

3-Phase Motor Wiring Infographic

Compete wiring diagram guide for 3-wire, 6-wire, 9-wire, and 12-wire three-phase motors used for industrial automation.

January 17, 2024 by David Peterson

How Do You ‘Megger’ a Motor? Understanding Motor Insulation Resistance

Within motors, two very different types of resistance are evident. The resistance of the windings is measured with a normal multimeter. But what is insulation resistance, and how is it measured?

January 16, 2024 by Gunner Scott

Electrical Drawings, Schematics, and Wiring Diagrams: How to Read Them

In order to trace control system problems to the core, the ability to read and interpret various resources, from facility-level diagrams to machine-level wiring layouts, is critical.

January 15, 2024 by David Peterson

What is a Soft Start? Reducing Start-up Load on Motor Circuits

Controlling the startup of a motor not only reduces the wear on the motor, but eases the burden on the electrical supply, reducing infrastructure demands and the running cost of industrial loads.

January 09, 2024 by Seth Price

What is a Fuse? The Skinny On Overcurrent Protection

Protecting equipment and personnel from overcurrent dangers, like sparks and fires, is the primary job of the humble fuse, one of the most basic, yet critical of all safety devices.

January 04, 2024 by Shawn Dietrich

Star-Delta Wiring for Reduced Voltage Starting of 3-Phase Motors

Digital controls like VFDs and soft starts have advantages by elongating start time, but simple strategies for starting motors with a reduced current draw, like star-delta (or wye-delta) are common.

January 02, 2024 by David Peterson

What is a Circuit Breaker?

We depend on circuit breakers all the time, even when you have a day off or work from home. These overcurrent protection devices keep machines running safely, reducing the risk of fires and arcing.

December 27, 2023 by Seth Price

What is a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)?

When we need to change the speed of an industrial motor, whether to control a process or save energy costs, we turn to the variable frequency drive, better known simply as a VFD.

December 13, 2023 by David Peterson