If you're looking for a new motor for motion control these days you have more choices than ever. Here is a rundown on some of the new precision motors and actuators that are enabling real-time control.

Hybrid Approach
Baldor's HyCore linear motor combines features of brushless technology and less expensive stepper technology. The company says it offers zero backlash, high efficiency, unlimited travel, improved accuracy, fast velocities, and high accelerations-over 60 inch/sec and up to 3Gs.

Bearing-less Design

Danaher's new direct-drive rotary servomotors feature an integrated high-resolution feedback device and a bearing-less design. No bearings means faster installation-less than 30 minutes, Danaher says. The cartridge motors are available in two frame sizes with three stack lengths per frame.

Electromotive Coil

Peak torques of 574 oz-inch are available with Thin Gap's size 23 brushless dc servos. The motors contain a patented electromotive coil, which uses copper sheets instead of the magnet wire and iron core of traditional motors. The company says it eliminates magnetic saturation, eddy currents, and hysteresis of conventional iron-core designs.

Small Diameter

MicroMo Electronics is offering a 06mm-series ironless dc motor. It's 15 mm long. The motors have neodymium magnets, and core-less rotors with self-supporting skew-winding technology. There's also a matching inline planetary gearhead available with an all-metal design for operating temperatures up to 100C.

High Torque, Onboard Electronics

Intelligent Motion's MDrive line offers new options in high-torque steppers with onboard electronics: four additional sizes and numerous configurations. The smallest is size 14, and is for applications where space is tight. The largest is size 34 and can replace a central controller to run multiple axes.