Despite the name, servo drives aren't your common disc drive. The servo drive is a part of an electronic automation process that has developed for robotics and other fast-growing fields. A servo drive is just one component of the holistic setup including robotic infrastructure, circuit routing and implementation interfaces.

A servo drive connects programming solutions to a circuit board, and there are many ways to accomplish this connectivity. Businesses rely on various types of servo drives and controls, including:

1. Direct-mounted servo drives that plug in to a circuit board.

2. Web-enabled servo drives for programming automation controls through the web.

3. Servo drives with special features for self-adjusting position, torque and other variables in an evolving automated environment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get great connectivity with new servo drives that efficiently deliver data to systems

For more modern automation systems, you can find some of the newest innovations in 'plugged in' servo technology by browsing the pages of online providers who have made it their role to outfit business clients with programming options for maximum convenience.

I recommend: Ethernet enabled servo drive systems from Parker Motion help to get automation equipment connected to control technology. Control Technology offers products for programmable automation controls. Ask reps about how their user interfaces measure up to web enabled or software connected servo systems.

Find various mounting solutions for servo drives

The mounting of a servo drive model varies according to how it fits into an overall system; companies offer panel or box mounted servo drives, or drives that are more directly plugged into a circuit board. Choose from among the various options according to how your automation system is set up.

I recommend: Advanced Motion Controls has servo drives, mounting cards and packages to get servo drives mounted directly onto PCBs. Get panel mounted servo drives and other models from Baldor, another dealer with a lot of gear for automation and programmable design and a long history of producing automation gear for business use.

Find special features servo drives

Along with mounting and controller options, there are more features for advanced automation with servo drives. Lots of companies are adopting technologies for servo drives and servo systems that are self-adjusting or self-diagnostic, or that monitor the controls and the processes for positioning, torque or other factors.

I recommend: Advanced Motion Systems builds monitoring tools into their servo drives: look for product specs online or talk to reps about how MECHATROLINK II and other features help provide better precision for automation. Find more servo drives with self-diagnostic and monitoring features on GlobalSpec.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  All servo drives are not created equal. Be precise in your orders and tenacious about checking for compatibility across a system to ensure that the gear you buy will result in a process that gets you where you want to be with in-house automation for whatever range of products you are contemplating.