Glossary · Motion control and drives
Servo drive
Also known as: Servo amplifier, Servo controller, Servo inverter
German: Servoregler
In motion control, a servo drive is a drive that powers a servo motor and closes the current, velocity and often position loops using motor feedback, so the axis follows commanded positions, speeds or torques precisely and dynamically.
- Motion control
In one sentence
A servo drive powers a servo motor and closes its current, speed and position loops from motor feedback for precise, dynamic motion.
Example
Each axis of the cartoner has its own servo drive connected to the motion controller via a real-time Ethernet network.
How it applies
- Engineering: Servo drives are sized by continuous and peak current; many include safety functions such as Safe Torque Off (STO), sometimes extended ones like SS1, SLS or SDI.
- Commissioning: Motor data (often read from an electronic nameplate), encoder, loop tuning, limits and safety parameters are set and saved.
- Maintenance: Replacing a drive requires restoring its parameters and, where applicable, its safety configuration, followed by a check of the safety functions.
- Documentation: Write a clear replacement procedure: backup, parameter download, safety configuration check, functional test. Warn that the DC link remains charged for a while after switch-off and state the waiting time given by the manufacturer.
Servo drive vs. frequency inverter
A Variable-frequency drive (VFD) mainly controls speed of standard motors. A servo drive controls position and torque with high dynamics, using encoder feedback. The boundary is blurring as inverters gain positioning functions.