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Here at Accutek, we’ve taken care to make sure that our packaging machines are continually upgraded to better meet customers’ production needs. Within the past few years, we’ve begun adopting more servo and stepper motors to increase their accuracy and efficiency.
You might be thinking: “Well, that doesn’t mean much to me. Why’s that significant?” Good questions; let’s break the topic down.
Explaining Servo and Stepper Motors
Per Control.com, what sets a servo motor apart from, say, AC and DC motors is its feedback loop and drive system. Essentially, a servo motor can provide precise data about its own position in real time to the machine’s computer.
A stepper drive works similarly, but it can’t determine its own precise location. Its name comes from how its output shaft moves along in single segments. You might use a stepper motor instead of a servo motor for simpler operations, where you’re not as concerned about precision.
According to ISL Products International, servo motors can work up to two to four times as fast as a stepper motor. This is because servo motors operate under constant position feedback (or closed loop, where encoders provide feedback data). This is opposed to a stepper motor’s open-loop system, which generates more heat (that can be potentially compensated for).
Adopting Servo and Stepper Motors
We spoke to Dan Yaich, Accutek’s Electrical Lead, who’s been working on the machines for several years. Some of his responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
When asked about how our technology has changed in that time, he responded, “We’ve changed a lot of servo drive stuff instead of other methods of making stuff move. It’s more accurate, it’s quicker, it’s quieter.”
“Like a regular drive, it’s got speed control via hertz. But stepper drive(s), they can just give [the machine] pulses from a PLC program and it’ll go much quicker. It can start and stop immediately, and just continue on with pulses. You have a lot more control. Especially through the touchscreens and stuff. You get a lot more control through it that way.”
One packaging machine that benefited from such an upgrade was Accutek bottle washer. Originally, this machine was installed with an air cylinder, which has since been replaced with a stepper drive. “It’s really quick compared to the air one,” Yaich said. “A lot faster.”
Our New Capping Machine Uses a Stepper Motor
Installing these motors can also eliminate the need for costly builds. Just to give an example, Accutek is currently working on a new rotary capping machine that will appear at the upcoming Packaging Expo in Las Vegas. Instead of using an expensive and difficult-to-manufacture cam system, it relies on stepper motors that help it achieve capping rates of up to 90 containers per minute.
Contact Accutek today to learn more about how our servo- and stepper-equipped filling, capping, and labeling machines can fulfill your production needs.
