Machine Design A 314: Class notes on motor selection

AH Basson
18 Feb 2015
Rev 3
When selecting a motor and gearbox for precision position control, four primary factors have to be considered: duty
cycle, torque, speed and spindle inertia. Ideally, one wants to use a motor's capabilities to a reasonable extent, in
other words a significant part of the motor's torque and speed capabilities must be used, but in all operational
situations, the speed and torque must be safely within the motor's capabilities (taking the duty cycle into account);
while the effective load intertia must always be less than 5 to 10 times the motor's rotor inertia.

Some typical cases are considered below to illustrate the principles involved. Using these principles, students
should be able to adapt the examples to select motors for their design projects.

Case 1: Servo motor driving a gearbox driving a pulley (or pinion) driving a
toothed belt (or rack) driving a load

Nomenclature

Design targets
Load mass (includes rack) Massload 30 kg
Distance that load has to cover Xtotal 350 mm
Time that load may take to cover distance ttotal 0.4 s

Parameters already selected and here considered fixed

Pulley pitch radius or pinion pitch radius Rp 40 mm
Pulley/pinion width (approx belt width) Wbelt 10 mm

References: Festo, 2011/07, "Servo motors EMMS-AS"

SKF, 2005, "Ball Screws", Publication 4141 EN 2005-06

Univ. of Stellenbosch 1 Machine Design A 314

 Simplifying assumptions
Inertia of belt and shafts are negligible or included elsewhere
Friction and backlash are negligible
Elasticity of belt, shafts and gearbox is negligible

Step 1: choose velocity profile V

At this stage of the design process, it is
usually sufficient to assume that the load Vmax
will be accelerated at a constant
acceleration, run for a period at constant
speed, and the decelerate at a rate
opposite of the acceleration. The load's
speed profile will then be as shown in the t
figure. ta ttotal

Distance covered = area under velocity profile

Xtotal = Vmax 0.5ta ttotal 2 ta 0.5ta = Vmax ttotal ta

Let be the fraction of the total period that the velocity is Vmax. Then can range from 0 to less than 1. The
smallest torque (lowest accellerations) will be required if there is no constant speed part in the profile,i.e.
=0. First try that case and only if the motor cannot handle the speed or if its intertia is too low compared to
the load, then increase .

Try 0
then ta 0.5 ttotal ( 1 ) 0.2 s

Xtotal m
Vmax 1.75

ttotal ta s

Vmax 2
Acceleration aload 8.75 m s
ta

Force required to accelerate: Fload Massload aload 262.5 N

Angular equivalent at gearbox output:

aload 2
2 218.75 rad s
Rp

Vmax
2max 417.782 rpm
Rp

Tload.2 Fload Rp 10.5 N m

Univ. of Stellenbosch 2 Machine Design A 314

 Step 2: motor torque
Although the inertia of pulley/pinion will be small in this case, we include its effect to show how a rotating load will
be treated
3
Assuming an aluminium pulley with density Al 2700 kg m
1 2
Js = m d [Budynas&Nisbett, 2008, Table A-16, p1014]
8

Jpulley Al Rp Wbelt 0.5 Rp 1.086 10

2 2 4 2
kg m

Typical max speed for many servomotors is 3000 rpm. Therefore tentatively select gear ratio to use most of
speed range
GR 5

Try gearbox: Festo EMGA-60-P-G5-SAS-55.

2 6 2
From catalogue Jgearbox 0.079 kg cm 7.9 10 kg m

Conditions at gearbox input/motor shaft:

3 2
1 2 GR 1.094 10 rad s
3
1max 2max GR 2.089 10 rpm

Tload.2
Tload.1 2.1 N m
GR

Tload.1 3 2
Jload_effective.1 1.92 10 kg m
1

1
Tpulley.1 Tpulley.2 GR Jpulley
Jpulley_effective.1 = = =
1 2 GR 2
GR
Jpulley 6 2
Jpulley_effective.1 4.343 10 kg m
2
GR
2 5 2
Try Festo EMMS-AS-55 motor. From catalogue Jmotor 0.223 kg cm 2.23 10 m kg

Torque required:
Trequired Jload_effective.1 Jpulley_effective.1 Jgearbox Jmotor 1 2.138 N m
3
Max speed required: 1max 2.089 10 rpm

Jload_effective.1 Jpulley_effective.1 Jgearbox

Inertia ratio 86.648
Jmotor

Univ. of Stellenbosch 3 Machine Design A 314

 From the Festo catalogue: Servo motors
EMMS-AS

Assessment
Too little of the speed range is used; the torque required exceeeds the rated torque, but not the peak
torque (motor could sustain the required torque for short periods); intertia ratio unacceptably high.

Consider addressing all factors by increasing the gear ratio, but Festo does not supply a large gear ratio
gearbox. However, a quick check shows that the gear ratio has to be increased beyond 15:1 to get the
inertia down enough, but then the speed is too high.

Decision: try large size motor, with matching gearbox

Try Festo EMMS-AS-70-S and 100-S motors.

From catalogue
2 5 2 2 4 2
Jmotor_r2 0.611 kg cm 6.11 10 m kg Jmotor_r2 2.529 kg cm 2.529 10 m kg
0 1

Tnominal_r2 2.29 N m
0 Tnominal_r2 3.76 N m
1
Nnominal_r2 4100 rpm Nnominal_r2 3500 rpm
0 1

Festo gearbox EMGA-70-P-G5-70 and 80-P-G5 85-100

same gear ratio as before, therefore effective load inertia remains unchanged
2 6 2 2 5 2
Jgearbox_r2 0.078 kg cm 7.8 10 m kg Jgearbox_r2 0.45 kg cm 4.5 10 m kg
0 1
ii 0 1
Torque required:
2.18 N m

Trequired_r2 Jload_effective.1 Jpulley_effective.1 Jgearbox_r2 Jmotor_r2 1
2.431

3
Max speed required: 1max 2.089 10 rpm

Jload_effective.1 Jpulley_effective.1 Jgearbox_r2

ii
Inertia ratio InertiaRatio
ii Jmotor_r2
ii

Univ. of Stellenbosch 4 Machine Design A 314

 Design margins:
Tnominal_r2 1.05

Trequired_r2 1.547

Nnominal_r2 1.963

1max 1.676

31.623
InertiaRatio
7.787

Assessment
Speed and torque reserve are acceptable for larger motor, utilising a large part of the motor's speed and
torque capacity. The large motor's inertia matching is good. Therefore, motor and gearbox selection is OK for
large motor, although possibly not optimal.

The smaller motor's intertia matching is not acceptable. Alternatively, could look for another supplier for a
gearbox with higher speed ratio (would try 10:1), but if pressed for time, the larger motor would do.

If the motor's speed was not sufficient, then changing the velocity profile, with >0, could have been
considered

Univ. of Stellenbosch 5 Machine Design A 314

 Case 2: Servo motor driving a gearbox driving a ball screw driving a
load (lead screw nut and load does not rotate, the lead screw itself does
rotate)
To start, consider same load parameters as above, but replace belt and pulley with ball screw
Use subscript c2 for parameters whose values in this case differs from previous case.

Design parameters in addition to case above

Select ball screw : SKF SDS 25x15R

Ball screw pitch Pbs 5 mm

2
kg mm 6
Ball screw's own J Jbs 10.1
m

Xtotal 150 mm 5.05 10
2
m kg

Efficiency bs 0.9

Try to achieve same velocity profile as above

Pitch relates rotation of ball screw () and translation of load ((X), and therefore also velocities and accelerations:
X 2 2
= therefore = V and 3 = a
2 Pbs Pbs Pbs load

1
Note for hand 1
Vmax mm s 4
calculations: 60 2.1 10
2 4 1
bs.max V 2.1 10 rpm Pbs mm
Pbs max

The rotational speed exceeds the capabilities of commonly available servomotors, therefore try to adjust the
load's velocity profile
Try c2 0.9
then
ta.c2 0.5 ttotal 1 c2 0.02 s

Xtotal m
Vmax.c2 0.921

ttotal ta.c2 s

2 4
bs.max Vmax.c2 1.105 10 rpm
Pbs

This speed is above the nominal speed of Festo's smallest (and fastest) servomotor. The high required speed
illustrates that belt drives are more suitable for high speed loads.

Univ. of Stellenbosch 6 Machine Design A 314

 Consider a case with requirements that are more suited to a ball screw application:
Use subscript c3 for parameter whose values in this case differs from previous case.

Massload.c3 300 kg

ttotal.c3 1.5 s

The other requirements are the same as in Case 1

0.9
Try two values c3 i 0 1
0.7
0.075 s
then
ta.c3 0.5 ttotal.c3 1 c3
0.225
Xtotal 0.246 m
Vmax.c3

ttotal.c3 ta.c3
0.275 s

2 2.947 1000 rpm

bs.max.c3 Vmax.c3
Pbs 3.294
Vmax.c3 3.275 m s 2
aload.c3
ta.c3 1.22
982.456 N
Fload.c3 Massload.c3 aload.c3
366.013

2
4.115 103
bs.c3 aload.c3 rad s 2
Pbs 3
1.533 10
Torque required to accelerate load: use energy transmission to relate rotational and linear movements
1
T = F V

F V F Pbs Pbs F
therefore T= = =
2 2
Pbs Fload.c3 0.869
Torque on ball screw to accelerate load:
Tload.c3 N m
2 bs 0.324
Calculate power as first estimate of the minimum size of the motor
Wload.c3 Tload.c3 bs.max.c3 268.117 W
i i i Wload.c3
111.638
Festo's servo motors that can provide the required torque have substantial excess power. Therefore consider
adding a gearbox to the motor. Evaluate the size 55 and size 40 motors, respectively, for the two values.

Try EMMS-AS-55 servomotor (rated 457 W)

and EMMS-AS-40 servomotor (rated 222 W)

0.223 kg cm2 0.68 N m 6600 rpm

Jrotor.c3 Tnominal_c3 Nnominal.c3
0.054 0.2 10300
Since the motor will be operating at full torque for a small % of each cycle, the motor can be used near the peak
torque
2.7 N m
Tpeak_c3
1

Univ. of Stellenbosch 7 Machine Design A 314

 Minimim gear ratio required: Nnominal.c3 2.239

bs.max.c3 3.127
Festo catalogue only provides 3:1 and 5:1 gearboxes. Therefore consider 4 cases: the larger motor with two gear
ratio's, and the smaller motor with two gear ratio's
1
GRc4
Use subscript c4 to indicate this data set i4 0 3 3
3
Try with large motor: no gearbox and EMGA-60-P-G3-55 gearbox 5

on small motor: EMGA-40-P-G3-40 and G5-40 gearboxes
0
0 5

2
1.35 10
Jgb.c4
0.135 2
kg cm m kg
0.031 6
3.1 10
0.19
5
Gearbox efficiency: gb 0.96 1.9 10

Assign previously determined values to arrays

Tload.c30 Jrotor.c30 bs.max.c30 bs.c30

Tload.c3 Jrotor.c3 bs.max.c3 bs.c3
Tload.c4
0
Jrotor.c4
0
bs.max.c4
0
bs.c4
0
Tload.c3 Jrotor.c3 bs.max.c3 bs.c3
1 1 1 1
Tload.c3 Jrotor.c3 bs.max.c3 bs.c3
1 1 1 1

Tnominal_c30 Tpeak_c3 0 Nnominal.c30

Tnominal_c3 Tpeak_c3 Nnominal.c3
Tnominal_c4
0
Tpeak_c4
0
Nnominal.c4
0
Tnominal_c3 Tpeak_c3 Nnominal.c3
1 1 1
Tnominal_c3 Tpeak_c3 Nnominal.c3
1 1 1

Univ. of Stellenbosch 8 Machine Design A 314

 Calculate performance metrics
0.869
Tload_effective.c4
1 0.29
Tload_effective.c4 Tload.c4 GRc4 N m
i4 i4 i4 0.108
0.065

2.947
motor.c4
8.842
motor.c4 bs.max.c4 GRc4 1000 rpm
i4 i4 i4 9.882
16.471
4.115 103
4
1.235 10 1
motor.c4 bs.c4 GRc4 motor.c4
i4 i4 i4 3 2
4.599 10 s
2.111 10 4 7.666 103

Tload_effective.c4 5
2.345 10 2
Jload_effective.c4
i4
Jload_effective.c4 m kg
i4 motor.c4 5
i4 2.345 10
8.443 10 6

5.05 10 6

7
2 5.611 10 2
Jbs_effective Jbs GRc4 Jbs_effective m kg
i4 i4 7
5.611 10
2.02 10 7

J 1
Jrotor.c4 motor.c4
Trequired.c4 load_effective.c4i4 Jbs_effectivei4 Jgb.c4 i4 gb
i4 i4 i4
1.018
Trequired.c4
0.758
N m
0.155
0.262

Jload_effective.c4 Jbs_effective Jgb.c4
i4 i4 i4
InertiaRatioc4
i4 Jrotor.c4
i4 9.692
InertiaRatioc4
1.682
5.021
5.12
Design margins:
0.668
Tnominal_c4
Tratio.nominal
i4 0.897
Tratio.nominal
i4 Trequired.c4 1.292
i4 0.763
2.651
Tpeak_c4
Tratio.peak
i4 3.563
Tratio.peak
i4 Trequired.c4 6.462
i4 3.815
2.239
Nnominal.c4
Nratio
i4 0.746
Nratio
i4 motor.c4 1.042 9.692
i4 0.625
InertiaRatioc4
1.682
5.021
5.12

Univ. of Stellenbosch 9 Machine Design A 314
 Assessment
Note: once the above calculation was set up, the selected values of were iteratively changed until the "best"
design margins were found.
The larger motor can work without a gearbox. It provides generous safety margins with respect to torque
(peak torque is available at the maximum expected speed) and speed, but its inertia ratio is a bit higher than
ideal. It is, none the less, a viable solution.

The smaller motor with a 3:1 gearbox also meets all the design requirements, but the speed margin is small
and the torque margin is close to the limit of what one would accept (since it is so close to the limit, even the
gearbox efficiency was taken into account in the calculation). The peak torque curve given above shows that
the available torque at the maximum speed (10000rpm) will only about the nominal torque The inertia ratio is
very good.

Final decision will be influences by cost and a trade-off between the importance of inertia ratio vs
torque/speed design margins. Festo's smallest servo drive will suffice for both motors considered here, and
therefore the cost comparison need only involve the motors and the gearbox. Prices obtained on 5 March
2012 (with Stellenbosch University discount) are R12 900 for the small motor with a 3:1 gearbox and R9900
for the larger motor. For interest sake: the CMMP-AS-C2-3A motor control driver costs R14600. These prices
exclude VAT.

Univ. of Stellenbosch 10 Machine Design A 314

 Univ. of Stellenbosch 11 Machine Design A 314