What are the advantages of magnetic motor feedback systems?

Andreas Wiessler is head of the MagLine department at Siko. © Siko

First and foremost, these are the compact designs. For rotary applications, for example for torque motors, relatively small shaft diameters, usually also continuous hollow shafts, with sizes from 35 mm can be equipped with the technology. With our technology, we are able to realize very compact bearingless systems. This allows us to integrate the encoder technology directly into slim robot arms. In general, magnetic position sensors are very resistant to external influences such as dirt or vibration and shock. This opens up many possible applications. The measuring accuracy is somewhat lower compared to optical systems, but the resolution and repeat accuracy meet almost all requirements for highly dynamic system operation. For many applications, the technical and commercial advantages of magnetic motor feedback systems outweigh the disadvantages anyway.

What applications would that be in the field of robotics, for example?

In the broadest sense, this is handling technology. Robotic arms would be one area of application in which several axes can be moved simultaneously. However, there are also many areas of application in handling automation where rotary and linear movements interact, for example pick & place, the entire PCB semiconductor processing or in assembly systems, for example for modern smartphones, which are manufactured fully automatically. These are usually rotary axes. Among other things, torque motors are used there, small compact units that are directly driven to rotate 360°, usually in combination with linear systems, which are then directly driven linear axes.

What is important for these applications?

What the user needs in these areas is high dynamics and reproducibility. We are talking about repeat accuracy here, and this is particularly important when parts have to be picked up or placed quickly, precisely and exactly in the same spot, for example when assembling a PCB board. These are applications that require a high degree of precision and repeat accuracy. However, these applications are also often the ones that generate dirt, for example from plastic chips and dust. Our systems have the advantage that they are not disturbed by such external influences. This means that we do not have to compromise on our requirements or the specifications we offer.

What challenges are you facing in the further development of the systems?

We have to become ever more compact with our technology, as applications are also becoming ever more compact. Another factor is the implementation time in which we tailor our systems to customer requirements. Periods of a few months are already common to implement a project from the idea to the finished solution. It is important for us to be able to fall back on technologies that we have in our own hands, i.e. both the scale technology and the electronics. However, we also try to offer customers a functioning system quickly through short development times - the standards from the catalog are of course also available at short notice. In the meantime, however, a rapidly growing proportion of our orders and solutions are customer-specific.