ELECTRIC ACTUATORS STEPPER

MOTORS

Actuators

Pneumatic Cylinder
Hydraulic Motor

Pneumatic Motor

Stepper Motor

DC Motor

Servo Motor

What is stepper motor

It is device which transforms electrical pulses into equal

increments of rotary shaft motion called steps.

 Used in small robots with small payload and low

speeds.
Stepper motors are of permanent magnet, hybrid or
variable reluctance type.
Actuated by a sequence of pulses For a single pulse,
rotor rotates by a known step such that poles on stator
and rotor are aligned.
Typical step size is 1.8 or 0.9.
Speed and direction can be controlled by frequency of
pulses.
Can be used in open-loop as cumulative error and
maximum error is one step!
Micro-stepping possible with closed-loop feedback
control.

Parts of a Stepper Motor

Types of Stepper motors

Variable Reluctance (VR) Stepper Motors - Number of teeth in the
inner rotor is different than the number of teeth in stator.

Permanent Magnet (PM) Stepper Motors Similar to VR but rotor is

radially magnetized.

Hybrid Stepper Motors Combines best features of VR and PM

stepper motors.

Working principle

1) Electro-magnet 1 is activated --- Rotor rotates up such that nearest teeth line up.
2) Electro-magnet 1 is deactivated and 2 is turned on -- Rotor rotates such that nearest
teeth line up rotation is by a step (designed amount) of typically 1.8 or 0.9 degrees.
3) Electro-magnet 2 is deactivated and 3 is turned on--Rotor rotates by another step.
4) Electro-magnet 3 is deactivated and 4 is turned on and cycle repeated.

Stepper Motor Terminology

Stepping Rate - maximum number of steps the motor
Step Angle - number of degrees per arc the motor moves
per step
Step angle is determined by the number of rotor teeth
and stator poles used

Stepper Motor Speed

Stepper motor speed depends upon the
step angle and stepping rate

YxS
n =
6

n = Speed in RPM
Y = Step angles in degrees
S = Steps per second
6 = Formula constant

Micro stepping
Stepper motors tend to jerk at low
speeds
Stepper motors have limited resolution
Micro stepping overcomes these
problems
Uses simulated sine waves that increment or
decrement in small steps called micro steps

Micro stepper Operation

Use of Stepper Motor

Requirement of Controlled Movement
Particular position of the shaft
Some Application
Printers
Fax machines
Hard Disk drives
Medical Equipment etc.,

Drawbacks with stepper motors

Very low torque to weight ratio
Torque decreases with increase in the
stepping frequency

Advantages:
- The rotation angle of the motor is proportional to
the input pulse
- Excellent response to starting, stopping and
reversing
- Precise positioning and repeatability.
Disadvantages:
- Resonances
- Not in High speeds

AC Servo Motors
Controlled by AC command signals applied
to the coils
AC Brushless Servo Motor
Operates on the same principle as single-phase
induction motor

AC Brushless Servo Motor

Two windings
Main winding
Auxiliary winding

Electronic drive
provides the
necessary phase shift
for motor operation