ELECTRIC DRIVES

Importance of Electric Drives

Requirements to be met by Electric Drives
Dc Motors with Commutator
Electric Motors used in Robots
Electric Stepping Motors
Linear Electric Motors
Direct Drive Electric Motors
 1.1 Importance of Electric Drives
 During the early stages of industrial robotics, pneumatic and hydraulic drives
were the primary choices. However, as user requirements became more
demanding, the development of electric drives rapidly accelerated.
 It is estimated that 50% of currently used robots are now equipped with electric
drives, offering numerous advantages such as simplicity, accuracy, and low energy
losses.
Advantages of Electric Drives
Simplicity Precision Efficiency
Electric drives have a simple
Electric drives provide accurate Electric drives have low energy
power supply, and modern
control and easy positioning, losses and minimal
electric motors can be mounted
making them well-suited for environmental pollution, making
directly in the joints without the
robotic applications. them an eco-friendly choice.
need for gear reducers.
 Electric drives, including DC and AC servo motors,
are versatile and easy to control. They are widely
used in position and speed control systems, offering
precise speed, torque, and direction control.

Motor Types
 Common electric motors used in robots
include DC motors, stepping motors, and
direct-drive AC motors, each with their
own strengths and weaknesses.

Requirements
 Electric drives for robots must meet stringent
requirements, such as aperiodic transient
response, stable operation under varying loads,
and the ability to maintain precise positioning
even during power failures.
 1.2 Requirements to be met by Electric Drives
The transient response should be aperiodic in the whole range of
parameters change. Speed changes and overshoot in the process of
positioning cause problems during manipulation and affects the quality
of work
 As robots usually work in unsteady conditions, the mass parameters of
electric motors (often situated on manipulator arms and introducing
additional dynamic load) should fulfil particular requirements;
 Electric drives should feature stable operation when the moments of
inertia and loading torques change. Electric drives should also protect
the robot against the effects of link and joint compliances (should
provide additional damping)
 Electric drives should be safe (explosion-proof), free from sparking,
reliable and economical (drive economy is described by power
consumption per each operating cycle)
 Electric drives should maintain desired parameters of motion, namely
positioning accuracy, continuous and smooth adjustment of current in
a wide range, possibility of maintaining one position for prolonged
period of time, even in case of power supply failure;
 Requirements concerning work safety should be also met (self-locking
of the drive in case of failure)
 The system controlling the angular position of the electric motor
output shaft should pe1mit teaching the manipulator (storage of
motion program) in manual and automatic teaching mode.
 1.3 Dc Motors With Commutator
 DC motors with commutator (working as servodrives)
have found the widest scope of applications in
robotics. This results mainly from simple adjustment
of speed and torque.
 As such motors have been used for a long time in
processing machines, the control systems for such
motors are well-known and many solutions have been
tested in industrial practice.
 For a given electric motor, its acceleration can be
increased only by increasing the torque developed by
the motor or by decreasing its moment of inertia.
Figure shows the schematic diagram of a position control
 1.4 Electric Motors Used In Robots
 Electric motors used in robots have long rotors with relatively small diameter.
 This is aimed at the reduction of time constant T,11, which is less than 10 or 20 ms.
 Such motors are durable and feature high thermal capacity (time constant > 1 h),
good mechanical propetties and small self-inductance of the rumature winding
(about 100 J.lH).
 Let us give several examples of technical data taken from AXEM catalogues
 Specialized Electric Motors for Robotics

Long Rotor Design

 Electric motors used in robots often feature long rotors with
relatively small diameters, which helps to reduce the time
constant and improve the dynamic properties of the drive.

High Thermal Capacity

 These specialized motors are designed to be
durable, with good mechanical properties and
small self-inductance, allowing for efficient
operation and high power output.

Printed Circuit Disc Rotors

 Innovative printed circuit disc rotor designs
further improve the responsiveness and torque-
to-weight ratio of electric motors for robotic
applications.
 1.5 Electric Stepping Motors
 The principle of operation of all stepping motors is based on discrete changes of the
electromagnetic field in the motor gap. The changes in the situation of the excitation
field axis move the rotor which cycles through predetermined positions.
 The number of these positions is always higher than two per one full revolution of the
rotor.
 Stepping motors transforms electric signal changing in a discrete manner into
increments of angular displacement. They are of synchronous type, which ensures
correlation between the number of input pulses and the final position of the rotor
 The main vices of stepping motors are: discontinuous acceleration profiles, limited
performance and variable torque depending on the rotor position.
 Three types of stepping motors can be listed here:
 Magnetoelectric steppers (with permanent magnet)
 Variable reluctance steppers
 Hybrid steppers (combining the features of both former types)
Stepping Motors

Principle
Stepping motors convert discrete electrical signals
into incremental angular displacements, providing a
direct correlation between input pulses and final
rotor position.
Types
The main types of stepping motors are
magnetoelectric, variable reluctance, and hybrid,
each with their own characteristics in terms of
torque, speed, and precision.
Control
Stepping motors are typically controlled using
electronic commutators that provide the necessary
sequence of pulses to the motor windings, enabling
precise positioning.
 Four-phase stepping motors are most common in robotic dtives.
 Figure illustrates the principle of operation of a
stepping motor with a double-pole permanent
magnet rotor.
 The figure shows four consequent phases of the
commutation cycle.
 When a voltage is supplied to the coil of pole 1
(phase J), a magnetic flux ¢I = ¢s directed as shown in
the drawing will be generated.
 The rotor, which is now polarized and has two poles,
will move to the position in which the direction of its
magnetic flux is the same as the magnetic flux of the
stator.
 If the coil of pole 2 is powered simultaneously
(phase 2), the magnetic flux of the stator ¢s, being
the resultant magnetic flux of ¢I and ¢2, will change
its spatial position.
 Figure shows a diagram of a stepping motor control system. Energy losses in stepping
motors are similar to the losses in commutator-type DC motors. Parameters of a four-
phase stepping motors with a step of n/12 (24 steps per one full revolution)

 Table Shows the these parameters refer to a particular power supply system using an
electronic commutator based on seiniconductor-type, MOSFET bipolar electric valves.
 1.6 Linear Electric Motors

Principle Operation Resolution

Linear electric motors use a By sequentially energizing the The resolution of a linear
series of electromagnets to electromagnets, the linear electric motor is determined
directly generate linear motion, motor's slider can be made to by the pitch of its poles,
without the need for rotary-to- move in discrete steps or with typically in the range of 2-10
linear conversion mechanisms. continuous motion. mm per basic step.
 Linear Electric Motors
 Linear induction motors are built with a permanent
magnet moving in a housing filled with epoxide.
The moving link slides on a pneumatic bearing
0.0132 mm thick.
 Each new excitation phase causes the slider to
move by 1/4 of the slider pitch, allowing motion
covering 3/4 of the pitch.
 The linear electric motor may also house two
orthogonal sliders moving in one housing.
 The position of the slider relative to the housing is
discretized, with a typical pitch of 10.16 mm and a
basic step resolution of 2.6 mm.
 1.7 Direct Drive Electric Motors

 A new type of electric motor was designed in the 1980s, called the "Megatorque
motor system" by Motometics Corporation.

 This motor allows for direct drive without the need for a gear-type speed reducer,
generating high output torque of 507-14480 Nm at very low angular velocities of 30
RPM.
 The Megatorque motor is a three-phase AC motor with an electronic commutator,
similar to a DC motor with a mechanical commutator. It is a variable-reluctance
machine containing no permanent magnets.

 The heart of the motor is a set of plates joining the rotor and stator, with a thin, ring-
shaped rotor mounted between two concentric stators.
 Three-phase magnetic field is generated by 36
coils of two stator windings (18 coils per each
stator). Each of the stators has 150 teeth; the rotor
acts as a pole of the electric motor.
 The torque is produced by sequential excitation of
these 12 poles. For each full revolution of the rotor
150 variable cycles take place giving a gear ratio of
150:1, which conesponds to the amplification of
the electromechanical torque.
 It must be noted that by the situation of the rotor between two stators (as in the
design described above) one can obtain the same rated output parameters as in the
case a conventional electric motor with 300 poles or 900 coils in the stator winding.
High Torque Output
 Direct drive electric motors, such as the "Megatorque" system, are designed to
generate high output torque at very low angular velocities, eliminating the need
for traditional gear reducers.
Integral Position Sensing
 These advanced motors feature integrated position sensors, providing precise
feedback and control over the robot's movements without the need for additional
external sensors.
Simplified Design
 The direct drive approach simplifies the overall robotic system, reducing
complexity and improving reliability by eliminating the mechanical components
associated with traditional gearboxes.
Transmission of Motion in Robots
 Motion transmission mechanisms are used to
transfer the motion of motors into the motion of
the links in a robot's open kinematic chain.

 In some cases, such as with closed kinematic

chains, the relative displacements of the links
are not independent, and the motion
transmission mechanisms must be arranged
differently.