Blogs

Performance Benefits of Air Core Axial Flux Motors Introduction Axial Flux motor architecture is a form of rotary actuation that delivers torque in a non-traditional form factor. Unlike radial flux motors, where coils run in line, or parallel with the rotation axis, axial flux coils sit perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and when combined…

A Guide to Custom Motors The term Custom Motor has many meanings. Let’s start with a definition of some terms to make this easier. Custom Motor is typically a motor that has unique features and performance specific to the application and this set of requirements is not available when the project is started. Many custom…

Gimbal Motor Gimbals can be found on unmanned vehicles, telescopes, satellites, ground communications systems, infrared communications systems, lidar systems, security monitoring systems, and many more mobile and static platforms. Anytime you wish to provide rotation and elevation (pan and tilt), some form of a gimbal is required. A gimbal is a two-axis motion system where…

Challenges for Motors Operating in Vacuum Environments Allient specializes in the design and manufacture of Vacuum-Rated Motors and Actuators for Semiconductor Equipment, Medical Devices, Precision Optical Systems, and Space Equipment (down to 10^-9 Torr). Traditional motors, actuators, and their electronic controllers are not compatible with vacuum environments without major design and material changes. There are…

Electric & Frameless Motors What Is An Electric Motor? It is an electromagnetic machine that creates torque or force through a combination of electromagnetism and sometimes (but not always) permanent magnets. If you don’t consider holding everything together and providing some output (shaft) to drive a load, then it is only the electromagnetic components, rotor…

Vacuum Compatibility and Why It Matters Vacuum applications present a unique set of challenges for electromagnetic actuation. Brushless DC motors, whether rotary or linear, are composed of materials and built by processes that do not readily make them vacuum compatible. When considering a motion system requiring vacuum, partnering with a trusted motor/motion system supplier, with…

Aligning Magnet Track Segments This blog provides instructions for the proper spacing and alignment of multiple magnet track segments with even numbers of magnet pairs. Contact our Solutions Center for guidance in aligning tracks with odd numbers of magnet pairs or if tracks with even and odd magnet pairs are combined. Background Allient linear motors…

Allient Linear Motors Allient ironless brushless linear motors deliver best-in-class precision, power density, quality, and performance. Allient has three standard motor profiles customized for Original Equipment Manufacturers worldwide. Our engineers can help select the best Allient linear motor for the most demanding applications including Electronic Assembly and Test, Metrology, Semiconductor Processing, Precision Machining, Life Sciences,…

What is a Torque Motor? LS Series Torque Motor Torque motor is a term that has been created to describe a motor that will be used mainly for torque control in a precision system. Many of these systems move in very small increments and limited angles of rotation and the motor could be holding position…

Direct Drive – An Engineer’s Guide Direct Drive has seen a rebirth in awareness and new applications over the past 20 years. Driving a shaft directly is really nothing new and has been done for over 100 years. What has changed is the types of motors used for the application and the types of motor…