60 years of AMKmotion

Since the foundation of AMK, we have been interested in specific solutions that do not yet exist on the market in this form – be it the first series-produced infinitely variable three-phase AC motors, digital three-phase AC drive technology or the world’s smallest intelligent drives. Recently there have been two trends that have clearly shaped our corporate history: firstly, the emergence of decentralised drive technology and – perhaps even more so – the move away from hydraulic and pneumatic systems towards electromechanical solutions, so-called Fluid Power Replacement (FPR).

This approach offers the user numerous advantages: an electromechanically operated system requires less additional equipment. It is cheaper and more efficient to operate, and since there are no leaks, it prevents pollution. We recognised the potential of electromechanical drives early on, which is why we developed innovative servo motors and – at least 30 years ago – our SKT hollow-shaft motors.

Since then, we have been continuously optimising them. Hollow-shaft motors are the more efficient alternative to existing hydraulic solutions or to linear drives when high loads have to be moved at differing speeds. Featuring a modular design, this compact mechatronic unit consists of a powerful servo motor with integrated axial bearing along with a multiturn absolute encoder. Optionally, the units can also be equipped with liquid cooling. In this case, they are even more compactly built and have a higher dynamic range.

Decentralised drive solutions are currently becoming increasingly popular on the market. This not only saves the user the control cabinet, it also allows the systems themselves to be more compactly dimensioned. Other benefits include flexibility and simpler integration of the drive components, for example thanks to cross-communication in master-slave operation.