Servo motors are expected to exceed 12 billion dollars worldwide in the next few years and are becoming an everyday occurrence in automated processes. Much is written about their features and capabilities but not so much about their maintenance and repair. So should they be repaired just like any other electric motor?

Why are Servo Motors different?

Well a servo motor is constructed with similar basic parts as a conventional AC squirrel cage motor, with a stator winding, a shaft to transmit the mechanical power, bearings and an end shield. Servo motors, however, are used in automated processes in industries such as printing, packaging, robotics, automotive and machining centres where precise control and positioning along with high torque are required. So what is it that allows the servo motor to do this?

While the Servo motor requires a relatively sophisticated controller in its own right in order to function it also, in conjunction with it the motor itself, incorporates an integral ‘feedback’ device. This device takes the form of encoders or resolvers and work with the controller to ensure that the motor can be programmed to perform very complex tasks such as accurate positioning, rapid changes in speed and even maintain a static position while maintaining a certain level of torque.

It is the ‘programming and set up’ of these devices which need to be incorporated into the repair process. This can only be done using software which is specific to the make and model of the servo motor, without which the servo motor simply will not work.

Specialist Repair!

With the plethora of manufacturers around the world this means any repair organisation not only needs to have an exhaustive library of these software programmes but also must have the capability to keep abreast of new motors which come to market.

Returning servo motors to the Original Equipment Manufacturer is not always an option due to obsolescence, price or expensive lead times but a specialist repair organisation such as CPM ServoLab, who have repaired over 7,000 servo motors by specifically trained personnel with ISO 9000 repair specifications and a library of over one hundred software programmes, can offer a fast turnaround and guaranteed quality at a much lower cost.