NSK will release an “EtherCAT compatible driver” (“Driver Model EGC” and “Converter Model ECC”) as a device to drive and control NSK’s high-precision positioning and transport device “Megatorque Motor”. The introduction of this product enables integrated control of multiple motors, high-speed synchronous operation, and finer rotation positioning while maintaining the high environmental resistance of the Megatorque Motor.
It contributes to improving production efficiency and high-precision positioning in various applications including semiconductor manufacturing equipment. NSK will exhibit this product at “SEMICON Japan 2024″ to be held at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) from Wednesday, December 11th to Friday, December 13th, 2024. Based on customer feedback at the exhibition, NSK plans to start selling this product for two Megatorque Motor models (PS3015, PN4135) from April 2025. After that, the company plans to install the technology in a total of 11 mega torque engine models by March 2026, aiming for sales of 1.5 billion yen in 2026.
Background of Development
1.1 Features of Megatorque Motor
The Megatorque Motor is NSK’s direct drive motor (a high-precision positioning and transport device that does not use a gear reducer). It has an integrated structure of bearings, motor, and angular sensor, producing precise rotational motion, allowing the transport target to move quickly and stop accurately at the desired position. It features high environmental resistance capability and adopts a highly reliable dedicated resolver*4 as an angular sensor, ensuring stable performance even in harsh environments. It is widely used in various applications, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment and industrial machinery.
1.2 Market Demands for Megatorque Motor
In recent years, industrial automation in factories has seen the spread of industrial Ethernet with high speed and real-time capabilities as a field network connecting devices, driven by trends like Industry 4.0 and IoT. In the semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, the share of EtherCAT, which has superior real-time performance among industrial Ethernet standards, is expanding, leading to increased demand for Megatorque Motor to support EtherCAT. Additionally, the demand for EtherCAT support is growing in applications such as electronic component inspection equipment and image processing equipment. Meanwhile, with the increasing precision of semiconductor products, there is a demand for further precision improvement in Megatorque Motor.
Product Features
2.1 Achieving Integrated Control of Multiple Motors and High-Speed Synchronous Operation with EtherCAT Support
By enabling Megatorque Motor to support EtherCAT through this product, integrated control of multiple motors and high-speed synchronous operation, including devices other than Megatorque Motor, can be achieved. This contributes to improving production efficiency by shortening the startup time of equipment and the operation time in each process.
2.2 Improving Angular Resolution of Megatorque Motor by 1.6 Times (to 4.19 million divisions per revolution) Compared to Current Dedicated Driver Unit, Enabling More Precise Rotational Positioning
The analogue/digital processing of the signals from the dedicated resolver built into the Megatorque motor with the converter of this product improves the angular resolution by 1.6 times (angular resolution: 4.19 million divisions per revolution) compared to the current product (angular resolution: 2.62 million divisions per revolution). This enables more precise rotational positioning of the Megatorque Motor, contributing to high-precision positioning of the equipment.
2.3 Supporting 11 Current Megatorque Motor Models
This product lineup supports 11 models of Megatorque Motor, making it usable in a wide range of applications, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment, electronic component inspection equipment, and image processing equipment. Additionally, even in facilities that have already adopted Megatorque Motor, EtherCAT support can be achieved by introducing this product.
Product Benefits
The introduction of this product maintains the Megatorque Motor’s traditional high environmental resistance capability while achieving integrated control of multiple motors, high-speed synchronous operation, and finer rotational positioning of the Megatorque Motor. This contributes to improved production efficiency and high-precision positioning in a wide range of applications, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment.