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Space flight is challenging enough without having to worry about the operational limitations of the components used in the devices going to space. Stepper Motor Design Challenges for Space Flight Applications Space flight is challenging enough without having to worry about the operational limitations of the components used in the devices going to space. Terry Persun Cool Stuff Jul 9, 2025 The harsh environment of vacuum and microgravity applications pose many issues with component capabilities that don’t commonly have to be dealt with here on Earth (Figure 1). That is especially true when it comes to components where movement is their primary function—such as motion control systems. Motors specifically introduce many inherent problems to the environment mainly due to the fact that they require considerable amounts of power to operate, can generate excessive heat, can introduce unwanted vibrations into the system, and can become a source of contaminants. Also from EE: Robots Used in Food Preparation, Serving, and Delivery Figure 1: Specifically designed to be used in satellites and space craft, vacuum rated motors can be used for communications antennas as well as vehicle controls. (Photo courtesy of NASA.) Dealing with these issues comes at a substantial cost. Higher power requirements necessitate larger power generation systems, more heat generated requires bigger cooling systems, dealing with unwanted vibrations requires more robust damping systems, and contaminations can cause havoc on instruments and other on-board components. Lin Engineering has designed their space hybrid stepper motors to work in these harsh environments. Their motors are assembled in accordance with Aerospace AS9100 standards in a fully compliant facility in California, where each component origin is traceable to maintain strict control over the manufacturing process as well as the final product specifications. In space applications, every watt that is wasted by a system that has not been fully optimized for space costs precious resources. Optimizing for power consumption includes customizing motor windings (Figure 2) so that they are able to deliver a peak amount of dynamic torque at the desired operating speed—which takes the proper integration of high-precision components, such as low inertia rotors operating at their highest efficiency. Using proprietary, and proven, algorithms, Lin Engineering is able to optimize torque and speed, noise reduction, heat generation or loss, and/or power optimization. Figure 2: Windings can be customized for high and low speeds, torque output tailored to a specific application requirement, and for high and low temperatures. Temperature Management Two critical concerns related to temperature affecting the performance of hybrid stepper motors in space include the temperature range in which the motor operates and the amount of heat the motor generates. Satellites and other spacecraft operate in extreme temperature ranges. Externally mounted systems expected to function in these extreme temperature variations can cause operational issues if not designed properly. For example, heat affects the magnetic strength of permanent magnets embedded in the rotor. As heat increases, motor performance decreases. The solution to this challenge is to incorporate permanent magnets that are constructed from an alloy that provides greater magnetic power at higher and lower temperatures. For example, either rare-earth samarium-cobalt or neodymium are both used for this purpose. Heat also affects the life of the bearings used in the motor and therefore shortens the lifespan of the entire system. To alleviate this problem, it is necessary to use bearings with oil or grease that can withstand high dynamic temperature ranges—from -80C to +200C. High-temperature, non-outgassing bearings can be designed in as well. Although all motors generate some heat, in a vacuum environment, this can become a major problem because there is no atmospheric medium through which heat can dissipate—from the motor or the vehicle. On Earth, air acts as a conductor, which dissipates the generated heat, while in space, heat needs to be dissipated by other means. By optimizing the winding of the stepper motor, the amount of heat generated can be reduced considerably. In addition, the incorporation of conductive pathways in the motor design also assist in temperature management. These pathways include thermally conductive materials that allow for heat dissipation between the insulator (glue) and motor end bells. Vibration Management Getting a spacecraft into orbit is a violent ordeal. Components are exposed to high amplitude vibration, low amplitude vibration, and shock from several different directions during the launch. Then there are the vibrations generated by the stepper motor during its normal operations. The optimization of the motor windings is a practical way to minimize the resonance frequency that develops at specific operating speeds. By using high quality components, which are specifically machined to high concentricity and dimensional accuracy, it is possible to ensure that components such as rotors or shafts do not introduce unwanted vibrations into the system. In space, however, vibrations need to be avoided at every turn. Low-level oscillations can affect measurement sensors as well as the quality of imaging devices. Dampening vibrations in a microgravity environment is challenging since the craft or satellite is suspended in space where there is nothing to transfer the energy to. Every component has to withstand these challenges, which is why every stepper motor designed for space must use the proper materials to create the structural integrity to handle any and all expected forces it may encounter—without altering dimensional accuracy or mechanical integrity. Lin Engineering has incorporated such materials in their standard motors, which makes them sufficiently robust for space applications. Figure 3: Lin Engineering designs and manufactures a complete line of vacuum motors capable of operating in space. Overall, the longevity of components that go into space is a factor of the time and effort put into the proper design of the components and their final assembly using the latest materials while manufactured in a clean room facility (Figure 3). Space flight and satellite applications require a keen sense of the challenges associated with their operating environment. For more information: Lin Engineering Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Leveraging the power of spatial computing with manufacturing’s digital twin technology leads to more capabilities for engineering collaboration, from product design to manufacturing. Spatial Computing Allows Engineers and Designers to Bring 3D Designs to Life Leveraging the power of spatial computing with manufacturing’s digital twin technology leads to more capabilities for engineering collaboration, from product design to manufacturing. Terry Persun Cool Stuff Nov 3, 2025 From a recent release, Dassault Systèmes announced that 3D UNIV+RSES, which is powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, will use spatial computing capabilities to provide a new dimension to virtual twins, with the use of the “3DLive” visionOS app. According to the release, Dassault Systèmes partnered with Apple to integrate Apple Vision Pro into the next generation 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This deep engineering-level collaboration between Dassault Systèmes and Apple has brought together the best of both platforms to deliver what Dassault Systèmes considers a magical experience. With 3DLive, virtual twins created on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform will appear to leap off the screen and into a user’s physical space, enabling real-time visualization and team collaboration in lifelike environments. Apple Vision Pro incorporates advanced cameras, sensors, and tracking to allow virtual twins to interact with the physical world around them in 3D UNIV+RSES with scientific accuracy. According to the release, this unique and powerful way to model, simulate, manufacture, train, and operate delivers value across all industry sectors and roles, enabling customers to harness the full potential of 3D UNIV+RSES and spatial computing to adapt quickly to market demand, ensure scientifically accurate product quality, accelerate workforce training, and collaborate and share knowledge and know-how. Elisa Prisner, Executive Vice President – Corporate Strategy & Platform Transformation, Dassault Systèmes is quoted as saying, “Our engineering collaboration with Apple represents a bold advance that reveals the power of 3D UNIV+RSES, where 3D is a universal language for a new world combining real and virtual. The wide and growing adoption of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform by our clients makes this cooperation a unique value for our highly diversified customer base, seeing the high potential of 3D UNIV+RSES to collaborate and train our next generation AI-based experiences on their own virtual twin data set.” Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group said, “Apple Vision Pro continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with spatial computing and is changing the way people work across key industries. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Dassault Systèmes to supercharge the 3DEXPERIENCE platform with spatial computing capabilities that will enable engineers and designers to easily bring 3D designs to life in ways not previously possible.” Enterprise customers can download Dassault Systèmes’ new 3DLive app for Apple Vision Pro. In addition, the release said that Dassault Systèmes has released a new Apple Vision Pro app—HomeByMe Reality—that allows users to imagine, explore, and visualize home interior options from the comfort of their own home, a furniture store, or in a showroom. All images courtesy of Dassault Systems. For more information: Dassault Systèmes 3DLive HomeByMe Reality Apple Vison Pro Read more about virtual reality >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

A student team gained valuable STEM experience by developing an underwater remote operated vehicle using commercially available industrial-grade components. Industrial Devices Used in STEM Project A student team gained valuable STEM experience by developing an underwater remote operated vehicle using commercially available industrial-grade components. Geoff Gardener, North Paulding High School Cool Stuff Jul 9, 2025 Exploration of both the deep sea and of outer space share a lot in common. Both are extremely unforgiving environments where it is very expensive to create manned vehicles to carry out missions. As automation has become more capable, robotics and unmanned remote operated vehicles (ROVs) are used to execute much of this work. Underwater ROVs operate in challenging environments, which means that industrial-grade automation products are a natural fit to support these designs. Also from EE: Escape Room Experience Uses Automation Tools Although, ROVs are controlled remotely by human operators, most have some degree of on-board automation, combining mechanical, automation, and other skillsets. To develop young talent to support this field, Monterey Peninsula College—via a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation—has established a program called the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center. MATE promotes marine engineering by inspiring and challenging students to learn and creatively apply STEM skills for solving real-world problems. Part of the program is the MATE ROV Competition, which offers five different contest classes, each based primarily on skill and not strictly by age group. At North Paulding High School in Dallas, GA, a number of students make up the “WhaleTech” team. Some of them have participated up to seven consecutive years, starting in middle school. Each year, the competition organizer publishes challenges and mock mission profiles simulating real-life conditions, with various restrictions. For example: dive to a pipeline simulation at a given depth, strategically remove a “bad” pipe segment, replace it with a new section, and bring the bad portion to the surface. The team builds a ROV to meet those challenges, and along the way they must act and present themselves as a professional company by developing technical documentation, conducting research, and selecting products. Throughout the process, the team must learn and follow safe practices, assemble and test the ROV and subcomponents, and even do a bit of marketing. The Details Many ROVs look a lot like aerial drones, with propellers arranged to provide thrust in various directions. Just as aerial drones use propellers to provide constant lift and control motion, an underwater ROV does the same, but it can also use an additional mechanism to adjust its buoyancy. Cameras and lights are common on ROVs, and many also have robotic arms and manipulators to perform tasks. Many of the monitoring and control needs mirror the types of functionalities needed by industrial automation control systems. AutomationDirect has a long history of supporting student STEM efforts, and this underwater ROV project exemplifies just how important it is for industry to support education. For the 2024 competition, the WhaleTech team needed to develop a well-controlled ROV with an extensible gripper. The buoyancy mechanism, gripper, cameras, propellers, and other components would need to be supported and arranged in a chassis, which meant that some design effort would have to be in parallel and iterative to achieve the functionality and create an integrated form factor. As part of the process, the team used cardboard mockups and 3D printing, and then they created many structural elements cut out from high density polyethylene (HDPE). The buoyancy engine is used to actively alter the buoyancy of the vehicle so the ROV can rise, descend, or stay at a fixed depth (Figure 1). A sealed cylinder compresses the fixed air volume, displacing it with water, which results in changing the overall density of the apparatus. Figure 1: The buoyancy engine consists of a specially modified pneumatic cylinder, driven by a stepper motor and an AutomationDirect SureStep stepper drive, to provide accurate control with minimal power consumption. (Photo courtesy of North Paulding High School.) After selecting an industrial-grade cylinder, the team needed a powerful yet controllable way to actuate the piston portion via a linear screw drive mechanism. After some trial and error, and investigation of technologies readily available from AutomationDirect, the team found that a stepper motor could do the job admirably. A stepper motor can continuously turn in either direction and be commanded in increments as small as 1.8 degrees per step, driven by an AutomationDirect SureStep stepper drive commanded by an Arduino nano. A stepper motor draws no power when idle, it works well within the available power budget, and there is no rebound when the target position is achieved. The buoyancy engine is also outfitted with a pressure sensor used to store depth data into the on-board computer, and a wireless transmitter to communicate this information to the surface computer for a graph display when the ROV surfaces. Similarly, the gripper assembly incorporates an AutomationDirect SureStep rotary stepper motor driving a screw shaft to provide the motion required to extend or retract a mechanism, which in turn opens or closes the gripper (Figure 2). Because this assembly must articulate, it is connected to the controller using a watertight flexible cable. Figure 2: The WhaleTech project team found the right cable assembly for the gripper by researching the AutomationDirect catalog where they found cut-to-length cable solutions that met their technical needs. (Photo courtesy of North Paulding High School.) In previous competitions, the team had experienced issues with umbilical cables—running from the ROV to the surface—that were not flexible enough to allow precise movements in the water, or were insufficiently shielded and therefore susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI). To solve these issues, the team researched cables on the AutomationDirect website and found products with better flexibility and improved resistance to electrical noise. Further, the team occasionally used AutomationDirect’s phone support to iron out details. As a result of their design and execution efforts, the WhaleTech team won first place in the Ranger class of the 2024 MATE ROV Competition. While some members are graduating and moving on to new work and educational endeavors, a new crew will assemble next year and work to build upon their successes. For more information, visit AutomationDirect . Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next