Interesting Uses of Servo Motors in Technology Applications

There are lots of places where engineers need precise linear or angular motion. In some cases, these are simple industrial applications, and in others, they are complex everyday applications in mechanical systems we interact with every day. When engineers need precise movements, they often turn to servo motors. These motors are often combined with a feedback device and a control device so they can communicate with the user. They are also great for lots of mechanical applications because they provide precise feedback on where they are in the 3D space. Here are some interesting uses of servo motors in our everyday world.

Elevators

Safety and precision are perhaps the two most important considerations when designing an elevator system. Engineers need to know that the elevators they design will stop at precise points and transport passengers safely no matter the floor they are going to. Servo motors come in handy here because of their precision and reliability. Engineers often use a combination of a servo motor, a control system, and a feedback system in a single integrated system for most of the tallest buildings in the world.

Telescopes, Cameras, and Antennas

Servo motors play a critical role in positioning the cameras and telescopes we use to capture images thousands or even millions of miles from the earth. When used to either help focus on a galaxy a few light-years away or on a subject a lot closer, engineers can take advantage of their precision as well as rotary and linear motions.

Robotics

Ever since humans started thinking about the various ways we can use robots in various applications, their applications seem to increase every day. Now, robots can be found in diverse industries, from the manufacturing plants of popular vehicle brands to healthcare.

Nearly all robotic applications use servo motors of various sizes. The features taken advantage of here include their different sizes, precision as well as force, and torque density. Servo motors are used to start and stop robots, which makes them great for applications such as bomb detonation robots and unmanned fighting vehicles.

Industrial Applications

Perhaps the most recognizable use of robotics is in various manufacturing processes. Manufacturers and businesses are always developing new robotic solutions to reduce human errors and injuries as well as increase productivity.

Robotic arms that use servo motors are being used to create robotic arms that require angular positioning and precise movement. Combined, these features help these robots weld and move materials, and even assemble whole products.

Servo motors are also used in fabrication machines that take advantage of their torque density and precision to cut, bend or shape sheets of metal. These same properties are needed for milling machines that are needed to cut denser materials precisely or materials that need a lot of power and seed to work with.

Lastly, servo motors are used in conveyor systems that are in use in textile, packaging, printing, and bottling.

As technology takes over, engineers will need systems that have a lot of power, are fast, and are very precise. Servo motors fit this description accurately. Combined with feedback and control systems, the applications of servo motors will only continue increasing.