By Dave Beckstoffer, Product Manager Portescap, a Danaher Motion Company
The success of stepper motors is directly related to the progress of the semiconductor industry. The fundamental advantage of a stepper motor, speed and position control without feedback, is becoming more attractive to industries sensitive to cost, or to overcome the reliability problems linked to the mechanical commutation system of DC motors. Several designs are used for stepper motors, the rare earth permanent magnets, (SmCo and NeFe), offer designers opportunities to obtain performance attributes that rival brushless DC technology.