Nidec Develops AC Servo Motor Equipped with Zignear®, the Location Detection Technology that Accommodates 17-bit Resolution, for the Industrial Robot Market

MC Nidec DEvelops AC Servo Motor Equipped with Zignear 1 400

June 9, 2022

 

Nidec Corporation recently announced that it and Nidec Sankyo Corporation have jointly developed an AC servo motor (resolution: 17bit) equipped with Zignear®, the position detection technology that can be applied to industrial robots and replace encoders.

About this motor:

  • •Uses a similar number of components to a magnetic encoder, with similar location detection and tracking capabilities of an optical encoder;
  • •Boasts the maximum accuracy in mechanical angles for location detection errors (less than ±0.02°)*;
  • •Can operate similarly to a conventional 17bit‐AC servo motor (demonstrated in a system test with a Zignear-equipped motor to drive an automated guided vehicle (AGV));
  • •Is of an identical shape to a conventional magnetic encoder, making replacements between the two easy;
  • •Uses a general-purpose microcomputer to accommodate a wide variety of output formats, including the ABZ phase output that is outputted by an optical encoder, and formats common in magnetic encoders, such as serial
  • •Is intended for industrial robots and AGVs among others.

 

An encoder, which is a sensor used to detect the rotation of a brushless DC motor mainly, is essential in adjusting a motor to an intended location, and keeping its rotation consistent. Conventionally, a brushless DC motor has required an encoder, as it has been difficult to detect its accurate location due to the “inconsistency” in the magnetic sensor, or the installation of a hall sensor and sensitivity in particular. Now, however, after developing an algorithm that corrects such inconsistency, Nidec has successfully improved the location detection accuracy with the use of general-purpose microcomputers.

Despite its high accuracy and capability to operate in a strong magnetic field, an optical encoder tends to become larger in proportion to its accuracy, requiring precise positioning. This is why an optical encoder tends to be costly due to its code wheel and other components, and installation cost, and to deteriorate in an environment full of dust, oil, etc.

Meanwhile, a magnetic encoder operates even in a dusty environment, and is cost-competitive as it works with a relatively inexpensive IC chip, but the encoder’s accuracy is lower than that of an optical counterpart. Nidec’s Zignear®, which requires as small a number of components (only a hall sensor and a general-purpose microcomputer) as does a magnetic encoder, uses software to maintain location detection and tracking capabilities that are equal to those of an optical encoder.

Going forward, in the fields of industrial robot and mobility system that are becoming increasingly innovative and diverse, Zignear®-equipped AC servo motors will contribute to meeting the needs for high-level accuracy, diverse forms of communication, and replacing conventional products.

MC Nidec DEvelops AC Servo Motor Equipped with Zignear 2 400

 

 

To learn more about Zignear®, the location detection technology, click here 

 

Related Articles



Editor’s Pick: Featured Article

Weidmüller’s u-control 2000: The Automation Controller

Weidmüller’s u-control 2000: The Automation Controller

Weidmüller’s scalable engineering software, u-control 2000, adapts individually to your requirements. And, the u-control is powerful, compact and fully compatible with Weidmüller’s I/O system u-remote. This article looks at what makes u-control the heart of your automation.

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are one of the main components of any automated system. A typical control system has inputs, outputs, controllers (i.e., PLCs), and some type of human interaction with the system, a human machine interface (HMI), for example.

Read More



Latest Articles

  • Making the Sustainable Transformation of the Process Industry a Success

    March 25, 2024 By Krystie Johnston and Dr. Manfred Jagiella Sustainability facilitates opportunity when approached with a mindset to preserve resources and promote circularity. We share one Earth, and it is our global responsibility to care for it for the next generation. Endress+Hauser is one global company that understands this responsibility – and practices it… Read More…

  • Upgrading Legacy Automation: Implications, Challenges, and Best Practices

    March 25, 2024 On today’s factory floor, upgrading legacy automation equipment is often a taboo subject. “Why fix what isn’t broken”? “What fix it unit it is broken”? “Why borrow trouble”? There are many quick rebuttals to team members who have faced a close call on the production floor around legacy equipment. Legacy automation, characterized… Read More…