Sharpen Workers’ Skills in Stepper and Servo Motor Control Technology

Stepper and servo motors are essential for precise and controlled motion, enabling greater automation, accuracy and efficiency in many industrial applications. Yet despite their benefits, these systems’ intricate control systems demand a nuanced grasp of electrical engineering, as well as programming skills and an ability to navigate the interplay between mechanical and electronic components.

To help your workers develop and sharpen their skills in this motor technology, we’ve developed a training package that provides a safe and controlled learning environment for them to hone their foundational skills. Such technical expertise will lead to many benefits, facilitating system commissioning and troubleshooting, reducing downtime, saving costs, enhancing safety and much more.

New Skills Requirements

The evolution from older control systems to stepper and servo motor drives has brought many advancements in motion control technology, such as more precise positioning and an ability to execute complex motion profiles. Working with stepper and servo motor drives, however, requires a combination of technical skills to ensure proper installation, programming, troubleshooting and maintenance, such as:

• Understanding the principles of motor control and the operation of stepper and servo motors.
• Interpreting motor specifications, including torque, speed and power.
• Using motor control software for configuring and programming drives.
• Programming and troubleshooting a PLC.
• Establishing communication between PLCs and motor drives.
• Understanding feedback devices like encoders and sensors.
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting issues associated with motor drives.
• Recognizing mechanical systems and the integration of motors into machinery.
• Grasping safety features in motor drives and implementing various safety procedures.

This non-exhaustive list shows that servo and stepper motor drives demand a nuanced grasp of electrical engineering, precise programming skills and the ability to navigate the interplay between mechanical components and electronic controls for optimal performance in various applications.

A Complete Training Kit for Self-Paced, Autonomous Learning

With these new skills requirements in mind, we designed a comprehensive and engaging course that guides learners through study and practical learning activities using safe training equipment. The course guides learners step-by-step through the exercises and includes videos and other multimedia to present ideas in a straightforward way.

The learning program offers complete coverage of essential notions with a focus on position, speed and torque control. It empowers learners to build their expertise with little supervision and apply their knowledge immediately on the job.

To provide a realistic learning experience, the course hardware includes:

• The servo drive CMMT-ST that can be configured and diagnosed with the free professional Festo Automation Suite.
• The stepper motor EMMS-ST.
• And the ball screw linear actuator ELGC-BS, used in the linear-axis application.

Ready To Learn More?

Visit our website about the new stepper and servo motor control technology training package and contact a Festo Didactic representative to get started.