Medical Design Briefs - November 2022 - 23

1,000 rpm. When designing large, automated
laboratory equipment, engineers
select stepper motors for medium power
applications. Stepper motors are also used
for moving trays, whereas smaller steppers
can be used to control small valves.
BLDC motors. Brushless DC (BLDC)
motors combine the advantages of brush
DC and stepper motors. As with stepper
motors, brushless motors have an electronic
commutation for long life. However,
BLDC motors have a limited number
of magnet poles - generally two or four;
so fewer commutations are needed for
one motor revolution.
With the same commutation frequency,
the brushless DC motor works more
quickly thanks to a well-balanced rotor
and a strong ball-bearing assembly. In fact,
some BLDC motors reach speeds up to
100,000 rpm, making them the preferred
choice for high-speed requirements as
well as high-power density applications.
BLDC motors are generally controlled
via positioning feedback, such as
integrated Hall sensors or encoders.
Since the rotor position is always known,
BLDC motors are reliable and do not
lose steps. Figure 6 shows two versions of
brushless motors:
* Cylindrical motors: These motors typically
have longer length versus diameter
and are often used in robotic pipettes.
* Flat or pancake motors: These motors
usually have a larger diameter compared
to length. Disc magnets and flat coils are
used for this motor design. Flat motors
are typically found in robotic arms.
Thanks to their high-power density capabilities,
BLDC motors are appropriate
for applications requiring high power in a
compact package. In laboratory automation
machines, brushless DC motors are
ideal for reliable and high-volume tasks.
They are also typically used in robotic pipettes
as well as arms and grippers.
Optimizing Automated Laboratory
Equipment
Today's healthcare, pharmaceutical,
and agriculture laboratories rely on increasingly
automated and faster equipment
to meet challenging productivity
demands with high accuracy and repeatability.
Miniature electric motors, along
with smaller and inexpensive electronic
components, are transforming laboratory
equipment to give scientists the ability to
achieve these goals. Alt hough a single
motor technology cannot fit every laboratory
application, designers can choose
from several motor types - each with
their own benefits - to optimize machine
performance.
Miniature motor manufacturers like
Portescap can work with manufacturers
to select the right motor technology
to develop unique and customized
laboratory devices that will perform
with precision and reliability during
continuous operations.
This article was written by Clemence
Muron, Technical Commercial Program
Manager, Medical Markets, Portescap,
West Chester, PA. For more information,
contact sales.america@portescap.com
or visit www.portescap.com.
Unmatched UV LED
Spot-Curing Flexibility
With a broad selection of standard and custom LED wavelengths, the OmniCure®
LX500 UV LED Spot Curing System offers unparalleled control to provide a
consistent, repeatable, and efficient curing process.
* Smart: Intelli-Lamp®
*
technology tracks and adjusts LED
performance for a stable optical output over LED lifetime.
Precise: Calibration for absolute irradiance/ optical power
output*, and precisely controlled UV dose delivery with StepCure®
* Efficient: Next generation V3 LED heads provide high peak
irradiance, even radiation distribution, lower energy
consumption and longer service life.
* Versatile: Supports up to 4 individually controllable LED
heads, along with a wide selection of standard accessories
and customization options.
*Requires optional calibration kit. Power calibration for standard wavelengths only.
y
www.excelitas.com
660nm
850nm
625nm
re .
530nm
275nm
310nm
340nm
365nm
385nm
395nm
405nm
420nm
450nm
460nm
2022_10 MDB hlf pg ad_7 x 4.625in_FINAL.indd 1
Medical Design Briefs, November 2022
www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
10/5/22 9:10 AM
23
http://www.portescap.com http://info.hotims.com/82327-755 http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
Medical Design Briefs - November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Medical Design Briefs - November 2022
