FEATURE Drives, motors & controls
As automation continues to expand into food production, pharmaceutical processing, advanced coatings and other dust- and gas-sensitive environments, the middle ground between standard industrial servo motors and fully explosion-proof designs will become more important. Kollmorgen’s AKME series of servo motors was developed specifically for these applications
the approach builds on the established AKM servo platform and applies targeted enhancements to meet the requirements for Zone 2 and Zone 22.
The design makes use of several key
protection concepts. For gas environments in Zone 2, the motor employs increased safety and encapsulation. The windings are vacuum impregnated to isolate conductive
Take control of your motion.
SPEED. PRECISION. PERFORMANCE.
components and reduce the risk of ignition sources, while the design meets the T4 temperature class requirement. In practice, gases may enter the motor, but the rotor surface temperature remains well below the ignition threshold. For dust environments in Zone
22, protection is achieved through a sealed enclosure. The motors incorporate IP67-rated shaft sealing and connector sealing, exceeding the IP64 level required by the certification standard. This ensures that dust cannot accumulate inside the motor and allows it to meet the T130 temperature classification for dust that may settle on the motor surface.
Because the motor is not
required to withstand an internal explosion, it does not need thick-walled housings or flame paths. The result is a compact, lightweight solution that preserves the torque density, dynamic performance and mounting flexibility expected of a modern servo motor.
It is important to note that adopting a more measured response to motor specification does not diminish the importance of safety. On the contrary, increasing awareness of combustible dust and gas hazards have improved industry standards significantly. The goal is not to reduce protection, but to apply it intelligently.
UK.AEROTECH.COM
automationmagazine.co.uk
Kollmorgen
www.kollmorgen.com
Automation | May 2026 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
