Advantages and applications of direct drive motors
▲Rotary torque motors are commonly used in robotic applications
Regardless of the design - rotary or linear, flat or tubular, iron core or ironless - direct drive motors have the advantage of eliminating the gaps caused by certain mechanical components and reducing positioning accuracy and repeatability. Eliminating mechanical connections also reduces load inertia and allows for greater dynamic response - that is, greater acceleration and deceleration acceleration when the load is heavier - with less overshoot and oscillation. Direct drive motors also have lower noise than conventional motors, which are important for noise sensitive applications such as the medical and laboratory industries.
Without additional transmission components, direct drive motors tend to be more compact than conventional motors, making them easier to integrate into machines and systems in tight spaces. And because there are fewer mechanical components (typically, the only wear component is the direct drive rail), maintenance work is reduced and the mean time between failures (MTBF) is increased.
Rotating torque motors are used to drive goniometers, universal joints, rotary tables, SCARA and 6-axis robotic arms. Many designs have a central hole that allows cables and pneumatic lines to pass through the center of the motor.
▲Tubular (as shown here) direct drive direct drive motor for gantry configuration
Linear torque motors are used in a wide range of automation applications, including packaging machines that require continuous fast travel, machines that require extremely high positioning accuracy and high load carrying capacity, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment that requires ultra-smooth and precise motion.
