The Japanese art of miniaturisation finds new expression in all manner of products. For Oriental Motor, though, it is its new 5-phase CRK series stepper motor and driver package that sets something of a new standard for small footprint, precision, low vibration positioning technology.
Machines and instruments are getting smaller, so there is increasing demand for smaller sub-assemblies, which do not compromise on performance. Indeed, there is often a requirement for higher performance and enhanced functions from these smaller size systems. With the CRK, Oriental has managed to reduce the circuit board area of the driver by around 42%, its volume by 29% and overall weight by 20%, compared with its previous product - about half the size of a comparable conventional micro stepping driver, claims the company.
A different approach to the current control method (adoption of pulse width, as opposed to pulse amplitude, modulation technique) has allowed a reduction in the size of the circuit components. At the same time, the new control algorithms and peripheral circuitry have been consolidated into just two new integrated circuits, developed specifically for the CRK by Oriental's VEXTA microelectronics division.
Apart from the size reduction advantage, the new control method achieves significant improvements in terms of reduced system vibration and noise. Motor current transitions are now smoother, so there is no rapid change in magnetic flux. This has a direct influence on motor noise. Most evident at low speeds (up to 300rpm), there is approximately an 8dBA reduction in noise at 150rpm, when comparisons are made with the former CSK II series product.
At the moment, there are four frame sizes in the new CRK family (the group is shown on the front cover of this supplement), and various of these can be combined with different gearboxes to achieve your desired drive configuration and level of torque.