On the surface, a servo drive and servo motor can seem like they’re just about the same thing as they are often used in tandem together. In practice, they play different, but equally important roles in automation. So, what is the difference between a servo drive and a servo motor?

Servo Motors

Let’s first take a look at what a servo motor is and how it’s used in automation. Servo motors are a self-contained electrical device that moves and rotates parts of a machine efficiently and with precision. At its core, servo motors are part of a closed-loop system and are made up of a variety of parts; namely these parts are a control circuit, servo motor, shaft, potentiometer, drive gears, amplifier, and either a resolver or an encoder. To put it more simply, a servo motor is the driver behind robotic and other automated applications.

Servo motors are often found in precision robotic vehicles such as military bomb detonation and factories where cutting and forming metal needs to be precise like that of a car factory.

Servo Drives

Now that we know what a servo motor is, we’ll look at what a servo drive is and how it’s used in automation. Servo drivers are responsible for the motion control by precisely calculating the path or trajectory needed and sending command signals to the motor. Servo drives can control velocity, position, as well as torque; which is the main parameter it controls.

Servo drives tell the servo motor what to do and how to do it at lightning speed. Without a servo drive telling a servo motor what and how to do a task, we wouldn’t have many of the amazing tools and products we do today. From metal bed frames to vehicle roll cages and specialized robotics servo motors and drives work together to accomplish precision work.

You’ve come across a product created by or device that uses a servo motor and servo drive without even realizing it.

Our Servo Drives Thrive in the Toughest Environments

ESI Motion designs and manufactures rugged servo drives to perform in the toughest and harshest operating environments one could imagine. Our servo drives are sealed to IP67 standards and designed to perform in the hardest of operating environments. Whether the need for a servo drive is for aerospace, formula one racing, or military needs, we have the perfect servo drive to take on the challenge. Whatever your application, we have a servo drive for you – check out our full line of products or contact us today, we can’t wait to hear from you!