Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Smart Motors

Mariss Freimanis wrote:

> Hi, Let me see if I understand this. You put some electronics that
> has a hard enough time to get rid of waste heat on the back of a
> motor that generates plenty of heat on its own. Then you include a
> controller as well. All in one integrated package.
>
> You fire up the whole mess and let it run. The motor gets hot. The
> drive gets even hotter. Something throws in the towel and dies.
>
> Now you are out of a (1) motor, (2) a drive and (3) a controller. But
> hey, it was cool having all of them in one integrated package, wasn't
> it?

Well, I'm sure these guys have fought all those battles. Machine tool
and automation builders won't come back if the units don't handle
moderately hard use.

But, you're right - how much trouble did they have to go to to handle
the thermal problems, and how much extra does this unit cost becuse
of it? You probably can't put a fan on it, because the fan will fill up
with
dirt and stop. Putting the servo amps in a nice clean cabinet with
forced
air cooling sounds a lot better to me.

On the other hand, they simplify wiring between the motor/encoder
package and the servo amp/axis control package. They also
simplify the shielding problems with encoder signals running right
next to the motor power wires.

This is not the first company to do this. But, I'll bet they don't have

a Bridgeport machine sized package that sells for under $500 in
small quantity. I'd like to be proven wrong, but I just doubt it.

Jon