THE NEWLY developed EvoDrive ST-17 has been used to drive a syringe pump in a laboratory requiring very accurate liquid handling.
Syringe pumps are used for accurate dispensing of fluids. While they provide the smoothest flow rate of any pumping technology, they are notoriously noisy.
The manufacturer provided EVA Robotics with a pre-loved 60mm syringe pump, and asked what the EvoDrive ST-17 could do for them.
Syringe pumps use an external syringe, made of inert materials. The syringe barrel is connected to a valve, and the plunger is connected to a lead screw driven by a stepper motor.
The drive technology needed to provide precise, smooth motion. EVA Robotics replaced the electronics and frame 23 stepper motor in the syringe pump with the EvoDrive ST-17.
The company opted for a frame-17 stepper motor to demonstrate the closing of the control loop means the motor no longer needs to be over-sized to avoid loss of synchronisation.
According to EVA Robotics, despite the more compact size, the new EvoDrive ST-17 solution offers better functionality than the original electronics. It also generated less noise and generated less heat in the stepper motors.
The EvoDrive ST-17 has a low speed resonance damping mode which removes the effect of the detent torque. This helped smooth the flow of the liquid.