Do Industrial Motion Control Systems Still Use Brushed DC Motor Controllers?

1. Do Industrial Motion Control Systems Still Use Brushed DC Motor Controllers? Industrial motion control is still often the source of innovation in motion control systems. Miniaturization is a relatively new innovation, and it’s led to consumer-friendly robot parts becoming available. Gone are the days of needing to dedicate an entire floor of a building to a motion control system. Naturally, this does lead to a bit of a discrepancy between the two categories of motion control. While an industrial motion control system may be using the latest in technology, it may be inaccurate to say industrial applications have eclipsed the consumer industry. One such consideration on this matter is the choice of motor. Nearly half a century ago, all industrial motion control systems used brushed DC motor controllers with their, you guessed it, brushed motors. Efficiency was low but it was the best of the best at the time. Then you hear about the development of brushless motors and even AC motors. Each boasted greater efficiency, and many industrial systems switched when it became prudent to. This is starting to bleed over into consumer robotics. More and more you’re seeing brushless motors taking control of market space. For a newcomer to the hobby, you might be wondering: Just what is the deal with brushed motors? Are they still good? Are they a relic of the past?

2. Efficiency May Not Be Incredibly Important It may surprise you to hear that motor efficiency may not be that important depending on the circumstances. Many motors are actually rather close in efficiency ratings despite the differences between brushed and brushless motors. In large-scale systems with high-volume operations, maximizing efficiency may be the best choice not only due to system uptime but also for reducing costs. Yet that isn’t the reality for consumers, and it isn’t the reality for some industrial uses either. The difference in efficiencies could lead to negligible benefits, and in those instances it becomes difficult to justify going with the latest if you’re not actually saving money or truly impacting the performance of your motion control system. Brushed DC Motor Controllers Are Still “In” Up to now, we’ve established that: Large-scale systems with high-volume operations can benefit from high-efficiency motors. The value of a high-efficiency motor is dependent on volume and scale. Brushed motors are lower in efficiency but also lower in cost compared to its more advanced peers in the motor market. With those three facts in mind, here’s the skinny of it: Brushed DC motor controllers are still in use today in industrial systems. Newer factories in the West dealing with high-volume production are unlikely to be using them. However, older factories almost certainly are if they haven’t been retrofitted. New factories in the East are using them and producing them at a rapid pace. And, when it comes down to it, there are several real-world applications today that still use brushed DC motor controllers. Helicopters, aircrafts, and missiles, for example, can all use brushed motors in their internals because they simply get the job done and don’t require the higher efficiency (and higher price tag) of a brushless or AC equivalent. Getting the job done is ultimately what you need… and brushed motors do just that.