Frequently Asked Questions About Linear Motors

Q. What is duty cycle? A. . Duty cycle is defined as (time on) / (time on + time off) per cycle. A lower duty cycle allows the motor to be run with as much as three times its continuous current rating for a short time period to produce higher forces than if the motor runs continuously. Q. Do standard rotary motor electronics work with linear motors? A. Baldor’s linear motors are designed to operate with most off-the-shelf motor controls and drives. Basically, linear motors use the same electric circuit as rotary motors. This applies to stepper, brush, brushless, and AC linear motors alike. Q. Can a linear motor be mounted vertically or upside-down? A. Yes, a linear motor provides the same performance when mounted vertically, upsidedown, or horizontally. However, a vertically mounted linear motor must be counterbalanced. Q. Can more than one stepper motor forcer be mounted on a stepper motor platen? A. Yes, multiple forcers that move independently may be mounted on one platen, as long as they do not physically interfere with each other. Q. Can more than one brushless linear motor moving coil (primary) assembly be used with a single magnet track (secondary)? A. Yes, more than one coil assembly can be used in conjunction with a single magnet assembly as long as the coil assemblies do not physically interfere with each other. Q. Does Baldor make specialty motors for waterproof, vacuum or clean room environments? A. . Yes, linear motors can be built for a variety of operating environments. To determine if a linear motor is suitable for a specific application, an applications engineer must review the specifications. Q. What are the advantages of a linear motor over a lead screw? A. The advantages of linear motors include higher velocities [ > 80 in/sec ( > 2 m/s)], non-wear moving part, free movement when power is off, no backlash because there are no mechanical linkages.