FEATURE DRIVES, CONTROLS & MOTORS
powered by a combination of electric motors, levers, hydraulics and pneumatics, that provides limb movement with more strength and endurance limits for the wearer. An exoskeleton could be likened to
In defence of small motors To ensure optimal performance and safety, small,
high precision and reliable motors are vital for OEMs in
the defence sector, as Stewart Goulding, managing director of precision drive system supplier EMS, explains
T
he UK is the third largest buyer of defence equipment in the world
and, in 2017, UK defence exports were worth £9 billion to the economy. The equipment needed for this sector
needs to be precise, long-lasting and capable of operating in the most extreme environments. Take remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as one example. ROVs are primarily used for bomb
disposal and feature robotic arms designed to handle the suspected bomb – a process which requires immense dexterity and precision to allow the operator to delicately manoeuvre the ROV, pick up the package and carry out the bomb disposal. To achieve this, each axis of the robotic arm is fitted with compact and precise motors. Using motors with a high power-to-
weight ratio also helps keep the weight of the ROV down, allowing it to traverse tough terrain while improving operational time by reducing the load on the onboard battery. Another example is the optical
systems used by military personnel to carry out reconnaissance in order to gather potentially life-saving intelligence. Here, the optical system depends on compact and precise motors to deliver the zoom, focus, and pan and tilt functionality required to gather high quality images and video. Breathing apparatus such as PAPRS is
used in environments affected by life- threatening chemical attacks or outbreaks of disease, where it is not safe to breathe the air naturally. Powered by a motor, the fan filters dangerous gases and bacteria out of the environment and forces clean air back into the mask. If the motor is faulty and stops working, it could result in potentially life-threatening consequences
22 OCTOBER 2019 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
for the person wearing the apparatus. Using a motor with a high power-to- weight ratio ensures that the equipment is wearable and light.
MISSILE GUIDANCE In October 2018, a paper was published in Defence Industry Bulletin which discussed turning simple rockets into smart missiles. The paper reported that technological developments and miniaturisation mean that small laser-seekers can now be incorporated into unguided munition systems, giving them guided capabilities. One of the first to adopt this technology
was the French missile industry, allowing them to transform the nation’s
The high power-to-weight ratio, reliability and incredibly small size of the FAULHABER precision motors makes them ideal for the defence industry
a mechanical armour. Sensors are fitted to the structure and record the movements of the soldier wearing it; and the information collected is transmitted to the machine’s mechanised muscles, or electric motors that power the soldier’s movement. All the motors in the machine must be
synchronised to enable it to optimise and balance a soldier using postural recognition capacity – or the machine’s ability to interpret the position the user wants to adopt. According to 360 Market Updates, the
military exoskeleton industry across the aerospace and defence sector is expected to grow by 65% by 2023.
SIZING PRECISION MOTORS While these examples describe a limited number of defence scenarios, they illustrate the need for small, powerful, precise, reliable and efficient motors across the sector. Whatever the application, sizing
precision motors necessitates gathering data like payload, speed and acceleration, amongst others, accompanied by calculations using specific units of measurement. It requires an in-depth understanding of
maximum speed, load torque and moment of inertia. Moment of inertia is the force required to overcome load resistance and to move it. It quantifies load resistance as
“The UK is the third largest buyer of defence equipment in the world and, in 2017, UK defence exports were worth £9 billion to the economy. The equipment needed for this sector needs to be precise, long-lasting and capable of operating in the most extreme environments”
ageing systems in 2005. The warhead and guiding system are fitted onto a miniaturised motor, making the system more compact and more efficient than many American counterparts. Micromotors with high power ratios
and levels of reliability are crucial to this transformation as they allow for finer and more precise movements in the missile guidance systems, all while maintaining smaller sizes. This means that the ordinance can move with high levels of precision, allowing the rockets to accomplish missions accurately even at high performing vectors.
EXOSKELETONS An exoskeleton is a wearable suit
angular acceleration; the rotational motion equivalent of mass (force x acceleration) in Newtonian linear motion calculations. Using a supplier like EMS can ensure that
UK industry continues to deliver defence equipment capable of saving lives. EMS is the sole UK supplier of high-
“All the motors in an exoskeleton must be
synchronised to enable it to optimise and balance a soldier using postural recognition capacity – or the
machine’s ability to interpret the position the user wants to adopt”
quality precision micro-drive systems from FAULHABER. The high power-to- weight ratio, reliability and incredibly small size of the FAULHABER precision motors makes them ideal for the defence industry. In particular, DC, Brushless DC and stepper motors can be used in ROVs, optical systems and breathing apparatus.
EMS
www.ems-limited.co.uk
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