Surgical Robotics Technology
US Electric motor design and software company ECM PCB Stator Tech unveiled a fully integrated and customizable electric motor controller that facilitates premium system efficiencies.
ECM’s 5kW, Unum Potentia controller was developed to maximize the benefits of the Boston-based startup’s PrintStator Motor CAD platform and PCB Stator innovation.
As a unit, the controller delivers a measured efficiency of 98 percent. When combined with a PrintStator designed PCB Stator machine, ECM’s new controller enables IE5 ultra-efficiency performance in electric motor systems.
“The unit efficiency of this ECM controller is what’s driving greater overall system efficiency. With a near 100 percent efficient controller—vs. one in the 80s or low 90s—you’re drawing less system energy to compensate for an inefficient controller,” said ECM CEO Brian Casey.
In addition to premium efficiency, the new motor controller further advances the form factor and design optimization capabilities of ECM’s PrintStator Motor CAD.
As a software platform, PrintStator powers the custom design, manufacture, and integration of PCB Stator electric motors to precise performance and form factor requirements.
ECM’s new motor controller is customizable via PrintStator and fully integrated, both structurally and thermally, to the resulting motor housing. This provides the most compact footprint possible. Pairing the controller to ECM’s PrintStator CAD platform enables full motor system optimization. ECM’s software is capable of outputting motor tuning parameters and translating those into a code file that uploads to the controller. This makes ECM’s motor system design capabilities truly plug and play.
The controller schematic is equipped to run motors from 3kW up to 8kW based on components changes; however, the board itself and its footprint stay the same.
Additional specifications of ECM’s Unum Potentia motor controller include the following:
- Operates on a 220 & 480 3 phase AC supply
- Offers sensorless control capable of running motors down to ~50rpm
- FETs are capable of switching upwards of 100kHz
ECM’s new motor controller will be available to ECM’s PrintStator SaaS clients—and partners that work with ECM to create optimized PCB Stator electric motor systems—for roughly 1/10th the cost of controllers that support similar electric motor kW ranges.
“With this controller, ECM customers will now have the ability to pursue fully integrated design on our PrintStator platform. Not only can you customize and optimize your PCB Stator motor, you can now design a drive-controller perfectly tuned to your full electric system,” said ECM CEO Brian Casey.
Source: ECM PCB Stator Tech
