Do you know the nine major advantages of linear motors?

Linear motors are widely sought after in the automation industry, not only due to their obvious advantages such as structure, accuracy, speed, and control methods, but also because of their characteristics of no wear, easy maintenance, and long service life. Next, Line Horse will elaborate on the nine important advantages of linear motors for you.

1、 High speed
The theoretical speed of a linear motor can be faster than that of a rocket! However, there is still a certain gap between theory and practice. In the current automation industry, the speed of linear motors is limited by the material of the guide rails. Although the moving stator of a linear motor is non-contact, in practical applications, the linear motor must be equipped with guide rails and sliders to function effectively. The speed is too fast for the guide rail to withstand.

At present, the best guide rails on the market can withstand a speed limit of 3.5 meters per second, while many are below 2 meters per second. A very small number of guide rails can adapt to a speed of 6 meters per second, but their lifespan is relatively short.

Schematic diagram of the visual inspection application of linear motors by Xianma Technology

2、 High precision
In terms of repeated positioning accuracy, in general, the accuracy of the screw module is ± 0.005mm - ± 0.01mm, the belt module is ± 0.04mm, and the gear rack module is ± 0.1mm.

The module, which is assembled with a linear motor as the core, along with a grating ruler, reading head, slider, guide rail, driver, etc., generally has an accuracy of ± 0.0025mm (magnetic grating ruler) to ± 0.0015mm (grating ruler) after basic configuration. If equipped with high-end air bearing and marble base, the repeated positioning accuracy of the linear motor can reach nanometer level.

3、 Easy to control
The control method is the soul of automation and the primary consideration in automation design. The traditional transmission control method is relatively single, with mechanical actions, thin required commands, and poor editability. Linear motors can be flexibly configured, supporting various mainstream control modes and encoder feedback methods, as well as supporting secondary development from most manufacturers.

Schematic diagram of fixed crystal application of linear motor by Xianma Technology

4、 Simple structure
Linear motors include various forms such as iron core, coreless, magnetic shaft, DD motor, voice coil motor, etc., and have a simple structure, mainly composed of two parts: the rotor and the stator.

The benefits of a simple structure are not only easy to install and adjust, but more importantly, it is not easily damaged. Even if there is a malfunction, troubleshooting is relatively easy. At the same time, due to the non-contact between the rotor and stator of the linear motor, there is a certain air gap between them, so there will be no wear and tear between them, and they are also less likely to be damaged, resulting in a longer service life.

Traditional linear transmission methods, such as screw and nut, belt and synchronous wheel, gear and rack, all require contact transmission without exception.

5、 Smooth and stable operation
Based on the previous statement, the moving stator of a linear motor has no contact or friction, so the operation of the moving stator is very smooth and seamless.

Although there may be some cogging effect in iron core linear motors, their smoothness and smoothness are far superior to traditional transmission methods, let alone ironless motors and magnetic shaft motors with zero cogging force.

Schematic diagram of the application of adhesive coating on large LCD glass substrates using linear motors from Xianma Technology

6、 The stator can be spliced and the stroke can be infinitely extended
The stroke of traditional transmission methods is limited. The stroke of the screw module is limited by the length of the screw and guide rail, the belt module is limited by the output power of the belt and motor, and the gear rack module is limited by the power output.

The stroke of a linear motor is the magnetic levitation motion of the rotor on the stator, and any area covered by the magnetic force of the stator can be considered as the stroke range of the rotor. Therefore, in theory, the stroke of a linear motor can be infinitely extended, just like a maglev train.

7、 Support independent movement of hyperactive individuals simultaneously
A linear motor can simultaneously run multiple moving parts on the same set of stator, all of which operate independently and are controlled by the upper computer, greatly improving the efficiency of automation equipment. At present, there are many mature manufacturers of multi movement sub ring guide rails on the market, and Line Horse Technology is one of them.

8、 Fast response, high acceleration, and improved efficiency
First, let's talk about the concept of acceleration. It can be abstractly understood as a car starting from a stationary state, accelerating, and then reaching the required speed, driving smoothly. This is the concept of the time required for a hundred meter acceleration that many manufacturers advertise.

Linear motors, like other transmissions, also have an indicator to evaluate the time required from start-up to maximum speed, which is usually understood as concepts such as response speed and acceleration.

The higher the acceleration, the faster the response from rest to maximum speed. This advantage has opened up new scenarios for the application of linear motors, such as aircraft catapults on aircraft carriers, which utilize the high acceleration characteristics of linear motors. The response speed of traditional transmission is usually tens to hundreds of times that of linear motors.

9、 Lower noise and quieter working environment
The noise generated by transmission methods such as screw rods, belts, gears and racks is loud and not conducive to the work efficiency of employees, while the sound of linear motors is about 50-60 decibels, much lower than the noise decibels generated by the former.
Linear motors are replacing traditional transmission methods such as screws, belts, gears, and racks on a large scale. Although it also has some shortcomings, such as high price and certain technical requirements for electronic control personnel, the flaws do not overshadow the strengths. Linear motors are still one of the mainstream components in the automation industry.