Case Study of Products for Stable Operation of Small Automated Warehouses and Downsizing of Conveying System

Industries	Material handling
Process and Equipment Name	Small automated warehouse
Issue	Stable operation, downsizing, lightweight

Issue: Selecting Optimal Motors for Small Automated Warehouse Conveying System

Existing Problems/Requests

Space in the warehouse is limited and the conveying system should be as compact as possible.
To reduce initialization time as much as possible during system start-up and after emergency shutdown.

Solution: The αSTEP AZ Series and the Brushless Motor BMU Series Enable Compact Automatic Equipment for Improved Productivity

To improve productivity by introducing an automated warehouse, but space in the warehouse is limited and large equipment can not be installed. Also, to minimize initialization time during start-up and emergency shutdowns to achieve stable operation.
By adopting αSTEP AZ Series, stable operation of automated warehouses and shortened initialization time can be achieved. In addition, the αSTEP AZ Series and brushless motor BMU Series are compact, high-output motors that enable equipment size reduction.

αSTEP AZ Series: Accurate and Reliable Drive Without Adjustment

The αSTEP AZ Series offers high-accuracy positioning motors with features of closed loop control, no gain tuning, and no hunting.
For example, even a mechanism with low rigidity, such as a timing belt used in an automatic sorting system, can be moved synchronously with the command without gain adjustment. Also, since it does not hunt, it can be used safely in processes affected by slight vibration when the motor is stopped.

Image of AZ Series Adoption in a Small Automated Warehouse

Green electromagnetic brake motor to prevent falling; white storage box in alignment — The electromagnetic brake type can prevent falling even if the power supply is interrupted

The αSTEP AZ Series: Shorter Initialization Time

The αSTEP AZ Series is equipped with a battery-free absolute encoder (ABZO sensor) for manage location information. Therefore, return-to-home is possible without using un external sensor such as a home sensor or limit sensor, leading to shorter initialization time when the system is started up. In addition, since variations in the home position due to sensor sensitivity do not occur, the accuracy of the home position can be improved.
Furthermore, even in the event of an emergency stop, such as power failure or some other malfunction during positioning operation, the position information is retained, thus reducing the time required for return-to-home operation.

Image of Recovery Operation in Case of Emergency Stop

The left side is the AZ Series with a green light, and the right side is another manufacturer's motor with a red

The Brushless Motor BMU Series: Downsizing and Lightweight Conveying System

In a small automatic warehouse, each motor used to drive a load feed is transported up, down, left, and right, so a compact and lightweight motor is desirable.
The brushless motor BMU Series 30 W has a frame size dimension of 60 mm and a mass of 0.7 kg (motor: 0.42 kg, gearhead: 0.28 kg), which can help reduce the size and weight of the conveying system.