In automation design, the choice between a Stepper Motor and a Servo Motor is often decided by budget. But looking at the price tag alone is a mistake that leads to machine failure. Steppers are excellent for holding loads stationary (high holding torque). Servos are kings of high-speed motion. If you choose a stepper for a high-speed application, it will lose torque and "miss steps." If you choose a servo for a simple low-speed application, you have wasted $500. This guide explains the physics behind the choice. Table of Contents 1. Open Loop vs. Closed Loop (The Risk) 2. The Torque Curve: Speed Kills Steppers 3. Inertia Mismatch 4. Selection Summary Advertisement 1. Open Loop vs. Closed Loop (The Risk) The biggest difference is not the motor itself, but how it is controlled. Figure 1: Steppers run "blind" (Open Loop). Servos use an encoder to verify position (Closed Loop). ...
Figure 1: The Column Constant (C c ) marks the boundary between Inelastic Buckling (where material yielding dominates) and Elastic Buckling (pure instability). The Great Divide: Long vs. Short Columns In Part 2 , we learned how to calculate the Slenderness Ratio (Le/r) . This ratio tells us the geometry of the column. However, geometry isn't enough. We also need to account for the material properties. A steel column behaves differently than an aluminum one. To decide whether to use the Euler Formula (for elastic instability) or the J.B. Johnson Formula (for inelastic buckling), we must calculate a transition value known as the Column Constant (C c ) . Advertisement Search for Mechanics of Materials Books Calculating the Column Constant (Cc) The Column Constant represents the specific slenderness ratio where the critical stress equals half of the material's yield strength. It is the borderline between ...