StepSERVO Closed Loop Stepper Motor Technology

Traditional step motor systems offer many benefits for an automation engineer looking to accurately and repeatedly position a load. This class of motor is traditionally considered to be a go-to motor for engineers because they are easy to set up, maintain, and troubleshoot.

Their simplicity comes with trade-offs however, and some of those trade-offs require special attention. For example, step motors are traditionally run open loop, which means that if the torque demand from the machine is greater than the motor can produce, the motor either loses position or stalls. Unless there's a feedback device—like an encoder—attached to the rear shaft of the motor, the drive/controller isn't aware that the motor has lost position or stalled, which can cause numerous problems for machine performance. Additionally, open loop step motors typically run hotter than other types of motors because they always run at full current, regardless of load conditions—this also causes the system to have significantly higher energy consumption.