Electronic Gearing
“Electronic gearing” is transmission of a motion by means of an extra motor and electronic control. It thus involves moving two drives synchronously or in a certain ratio, without making use of a mechanical connection axis and/or (gear) wheels. The setup consists of a master axis (main axis) and a slave axis (follower axis).
It provides more flexibility and lower noise during operation, for example. Another benefit is that the mutual ratio can be programmed and manual configuration is not necessary. Electronic gearing is therefore in particular used in processes where the slave axis only partly follows the master axis. A good example of this is a flying saw, where it is required that the saw precisely follows the motion of the conveyor belt for a while, and then quickly returns back to the start position.
How does it work?
A setup can include several slaves that each follow the master axis in a certain ratio or phase. The maxon drives can fulfill this function, by means of the “Master Encoder Mode” function. Here it suffices to use one speed controller for the master axis and the
maxon EPOS controller ensures that the slave motors follow with the defined ratio and phase.
Advantages of electronic gearing:
-
Flexible: The ratio or phase can be changed easily
-
Simple: It is easy to decouple the motors temporarily (e.g. for an inspection)
-
Style: No noise stemming from gear wheels, bearings or mechanical parts
-
Dynamic: Gear play is a thing of the past
-
Less wear: Thus less maintenance
-
Improved control: Optimal coordination of the mass inertias between the motor and load
Individual points to keep in mind:
-
Synchronization based on speed is easier than synchronization based on position
-
It is necessary to add an absolute reference: After a malfunction or failure of the supply voltage, the axes each know how the other is positioned, to prevent damage
-
Avoid tracking errors by means of "hard" adjustments to the controller of the slave axis
For questions or more information please contact us via sales.nl@maxonmotor.com
© 2019 by maxon motor benelux
Back to the news overview