If the OEM uses well-designed, proven components, the mobile platform will provide many years of service, handling cumbersome, heavy loads efficiently with minimal downtime for maintenance.
ElectroCraft’s MPW Wheel Drives Offer Best-in-Class Mobile Robot Solutions
Article from | ElectroCraft
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are key elements in optimizing the efficiency and profitability of an automated warehouse. Minimizing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the AGV or AMR is a must, and this depends heavily on the design of its drivetrain. If the OEM uses well-designed, proven components, the mobile platform will provide many years of service, handling cumbersome, heavy loads efficiently with minimal downtime for maintenance. In contrast, a poorly designed drivetrain will lead to higher energy costs, increased maintenance and premature wear and failure.
The difference in the TCO between the reliable machine and its less robust counterpart is stark. That puts pressure on the design engineer to choose the best power supply, control systems, motors, gearboxes, wheels and brakes to combine into a drivetrain, which ensures the mobile robot features the optimum trade-off between cost, reliability, efficiency, load-carrying capability, uptime and longevity.
Wheel drive systems for these applications require efficient and durable high torque brushless DC (BLDC) gearmotors to achieve the long-term performance and reliability that users expect. In the MPW wheel drive series, ElectroCraft offers best-in-class designs optimized for mobile robot applications. The MPW is an integrated design combining a high torque-density BLDC motor with a heavy-duty integrated planetary gearbox mounted inside the hub of a lightweight aluminum wheel with custom tread. Compared to earlier permanent magnet motors, BLDC motors are quiet and efficient, and require little maintenance because they have no brushes to wear out. The absence of brushes also lowers inertia, making BLDCs very responsive with high efficiency output and quieter operation.
The MPW provides increased performance and reliability compared to traditional motor, gearbox and wheel combinations. The increased efficiency yields benefits in longer battery life, increasing the time between recharges. Robotic OEMs can save space and reduce weight without sacrificing load capacity and speed.