Motor Controllers

At Develco we can offer you advice on choosing the right kind of electrical motor. As we do not have any preference for any particular technology, we are able to offer you a perfectly objective evaluation of the technology most suitable for your specific set-up.

If the motor is already given, Develco has experience in controlling a wide range of motor types – and we are more than willing to learn about others.

DC motors are very simple, easy to control, and cheap. Develco has built DC motor controllers of various complexities – from simple on/off switch, to speed and acceleration controlled, with feedback from a tacho.

BLDC (Brushless) Motors

BLDC motors are more complex to control. Switching phases in the motor is done electronically, based on feedback from the motor. BLDC motors are extremely well suited for applications in which they are heavily loaded for a short period at a time. They can be overloaded by several hundred percent frequently, without any decrease in their lifetime.

Develco has designed several BLDC motor controllers based on either feedback from hall-elements in the motor, or measurement of the phase current. Several driver techniques are used, from integrated chip drivers, via FET transistors to large cooled driver blocks. As a specialty, Develco is capable of controlling the BLDC motor at a speed of almost 0 rpm.

Step Motors

Step motors are often used in applications where positioning is the main requirement. In a step motor the controller controls the field, and it has to rely on the rotor to follow. This requires the controller to ramp up speed in such a way that the rotor is able to follow. It is not suitable for applications where the contra torque is varying or unknown.

Develco has designed several step motor controllers for e.g. pumps, robots, positioning systems etc. As a specialty, Develco has invented a way to minimize power consumption in such a way that it follows the torque load.

Synchronous motors are AC motors that exactly follow the field generated by a frequency converter. Controllers are quite complex, and the motor is a little expensive – but it is the most precise AC motor and capable of delivering high momentum at a very low speed.

Asynchronous motors are very cheap. It is the most widely used AC motor; the disadvantage is that the speed is only approximately the same as the point set by the frequency converter. The speed depends on the load. If you can live with this, an asynchronous motor is often preferable.