Sierramotion engineers have the experience to design motors and mechatronic systems to directly match application needs. Using finite element analysis tools for magnetic, mechanical, thermal simulations, the perfect solutions is only hours away. For more complex situations, the team can perform computational fluid dynamics simulations to design active cooling flow analysis and even design fluid dynamic bearings. These capabilities capture all of the critical design points and meld them into a solution.
Whether it is a ball screw actuator, a limited travel motion system, or a robot joint, an active cooling motor system, or a cardiac assist device, talk to the Sierramotion team and see what a difference real experience makes in helping to solve your unique problem set.
Form-fit-function replacements
There are times when an existing system has a motor or an actuator that has obsolete components. If an exact designed replacement is possible, with the team and tools to re-engineer to exact requirements.
Short development times
Rapid design and prototyping with faster development tools and manufacturing processes to match today’s tight schedules. The global shortage of materials is also driving some standard product lead times out further than a newly designed customized solution. It is time to re-think what is possible.
Design verification and testing
The best design still needs to be verified. Fabrication of parts, inspection, functional testing are all done with state of the art equipment. In some cases very specific measurements are made with motor appropriate torque transducers with near zero friction and very low inertia.
Performance simulations
Sometimes design simulations need post processing to convert the details into valuable user information. Sierramotion engineers will create torque, speed, efficiency, torque angle curves, temperature rise information, thermal resistance calculations, and mechanical stress analysis.
Materials selection and analysis
The design is not complete until materials are selected. Environmental conditions could include high temperatures, low temperatures, vacuum, high humidity, radiation, and etc. Knowledge of the proper selection can only come with experience, and Sierramotion has it.
Hermetic sealing
It is common practice for Sierramotion engineers to design laser welded enclosures for motor parts. Whether it is an implantable medical device in Titanium, or a deep vacuum application, designing the motor or actuator to be hermetic is required.
Motor and Motion System Examples
- Arc-Shaped limited angle actuator assembly
- Large diameter axial flux modular motor a gantry imaging system
- Direct drive axial flux motor kit for camera gimbal
- Linear actuator for an implantable medical device
- Permanent magnet motor for micro-EV market in S.E. Asia
- PM motor based on hairpin alternator stator
- Direct drive ball screw driven lift system with integrated brake and dual encoders
- Linear motor for limited travel with magnetic bias for gravity compensation
- Frameless direct drive motor for robot joint
- Integrated gearmotor for robot joint with precision gear, encoder and torque motor
- Limited travel linear motor assembly with air bearing
- 30,000 rpm direct drive motor for film winding application
- Linear motor based module with 7 axes of linear motors for beam collimation
- Complete product line of linear motors covering 10-1000 Newtons of force
- Permanent magnet 5 KW generator
- Frameless motor re-design for an obsolete motor
Manufacturing Capabilities
Sierramotion’s facility includes all necessary equipment to assemble, fabricate and test motors and actuators. Available equipment includes:
- Electrical test
- Data acquisition systems
- Torque transducer systems
- Labview
- Hipot tester
- Class 100 flow hood
- Black light and bright light test equipment
- Vacuum pump and bell jar for degassing epoxies
- Coil winding machinery
- Coil lead soldering and crimping equipment
- Force gages
- Flow measurement
- Pressure testing
- Special ovens
Frequently asked questions
No, not really. Expect design and tooling for low volume production to be in the $20,000 range. Historically, motor suppliers talked of 6 figure costs to put a new design into production, that is just not the case any longer with rapid prototyping and new soft-tooling approaches.
Typical parameter tables have +/-10% tolerance on torque and related parameters. You can expect up to 20% difference in motor torque output from unit to unit. Some suppliers will test and sort parts to get into the +/- 5% tolerance range.
Not all, but most do. It is not something that is shown on datasheets, but ask your supplier if they test for this condition.
Typical magnets are held to +/- 2-3%. When used in a motor, there are many other factors that impact actual torque including dimensions and electrical winding tolerances.
Yes. There are two regions, the reversable temperature region and the irreversible region. Normally, motor designers will select a material that is consistent with the temperature rating of the motor. Samarium Cobalt magnets have the most resistance to demagnetization.