Contact UsModular System Solutions for Motion Control
Modern motion control is rarely solved by a motor alone. In most machines, the required drive unit consists of a carefully matched combination of motor, gearbox, encoder, brake, controller, communication interface, and mechanical adaptation. Dunkermotoren’s modular system is designed to make these combinations technically consistent, configurable, and scalable from a single prototype to series production.
Instead of developing every drive train from separate components, the modular approach allows engineers to select a motor platform and combine it with matching gearboxes, attachments and electronics. This helps reduce integration effort while keeping the drive system adaptable to torque, speed, installation space, feedback, safety, and communication requirements.
From Motor Component to Complete Drive System
Dunkermotoren offers a broad drive portfolio including brushed DC motors, brushless DC motors, AC motors, linear systems, and gantries. These motor technologies can be combined with planetary or angular gearboxes, integrated or external electronics, brakes, encoders, and further attachments depending on the application.
The modular system supports a wide performance range for rotary and linear drive technology, with Dunkermotoren positioning its portfolio from 1 W up to 5,000 W output power.
Modular Drive Architecture
The modular system is based on a simple principle: start with the mechanical and electrical requirements of the application, then configure the drive unit around them. Depending on the task, the final system can be a compact motor-gearbox unit, a smart motor with integrated electronics, or a fully matched system including controller, encoder, brake and software configuration.
| System Layer | Typical Options | Engineering Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Platform | BLDC motors, brushed DC motors, AC motors, Linear motors | Defines basic power, dynamics, efficiency, and motion type. |
| Gearboxes | Planetary gearboxes, Angular gearboxes, Bevel gearboxes, Worm gearboxes, Spirotec gearboxes, Combi gearboxes, and Hub wheel gearboxes. | Adapts speed, torque, installation direction, and mechanical interface. |
| Feedback | Incremental encoder, Absolute encoder, Hall sensors, Safety encoder | Provides speed, position, commutation, or safety-relevant feedback. |
| Brake | Power on and power off brakes | Supports load holding, stopping behavior, and machine safety concepts. |
| Controller/Drives | Integrated electronics, External controller | Enables speed control, positioning, PLC functions, and communication. |
| Communication | I/O, CANopen, PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP | Connects the drive to the machine control architecture. |
| System Adaptation | Shaft, connector, cable, software, testing, special mechanics | Aligns the drive unit with installation and application requirements. |
Product Matrix: Modular Drive Combinations
Dunkermotoren’s product portfolio is structured to support combinations across different motor types, gearboxes, electronics, brakes, and encoders. The modular concept applies both to standard product configurations and customer-specific system solutions.
| Product Area | Modular Combination Options | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| BLDC Motors / BG Series | Gearboxes, brakes, encoders, integrated or external electronics | Dynamic automation, mobile robotics, conveyors, packaging, medical and industrial equipment. |
| Brushed DC Motors / GR-G Series | Gearboxes, brakes, encoders, external electronics | Robust and cost-effective drives for adjustment, door, conveyor, and actuator applications. |
| Gearboxes | Planetary, angular, bevel, worm, hub gearboxes, combi gearboxes | Torque and speed adaptation, compact installation, right-angle drive layouts, wheel drive concepts. |
| Controllers | Integrated electronics, external control electronics, gateways | Speed control, positioning, PLC functions, and fieldbus integration. |
| Encoders | Feedback systems for position, speed, direction, or commutation | Closed-loop control, positioning, speed monitoring, and safety-related feedback. |
| Brakes | Motor brakes for BG and GR/G series | Holding functions, controlled stopping, and safety-oriented drive concepts. |
| Linear Systems | Linear direct drives, gantry systems, actuators, spindles, electric cylinders, belt drives | High-dynamic, precise, low-maintenance linear motion. |
| System Solutions | Customer-specific drive systems beyond the modular kit | Pre-qualified, application-specific assemblies with mechanical, electronic, and software adaptations. |
Application Engineering: Why Modularity Matters
Intralogistics and Mobile Robotics
Conveyors and Material Handling
Conveyor systems often require repeatable speed control, robust gearboxes, and compact mechanical integration. A modular motor-gearbox-controller setup allows engineers to adapt speed, torque, and communication without redesigning the entire drive concept.
Medical and Laboratory Equipment
Medical and laboratory systems frequently require quiet operation, precise control, compact dimensions, and reliable holding or stopping functions. Brakes, encoders, and integrated electronics can be selected according to the required motion behavior and machine architecture.
Industrial Automation and Machinery
Packaging machines, machine tools, production equipment, and handling systems benefit from configurable drives because mechanical space, control architecture, and duty cycles often vary significantly between machine modules.
System Integration and Customer-Specific Configuration
A modular drive system is more than a combination of parts. It is a matched electromechanical unit based on parameters such as torque, speed, duty cycle, voltage supply, communication interface, mounting space, feedback, braking behavior, and software integration.
Dunkermotoren’s Product Finder supports the selection of suitable drive combinations using key parameters such as torque, speed, voltage supply, interfaces, and attachments. For selected combinations, technical data and characteristic curves can be provided for the complete drive unit, not only for individual components.
Where standard combinations are not sufficient, Dunkermotoren’s Systems Experts support customer-specific drive solutions with additional components, specialized gears, control systems, tailored hardware, software adaptations, prototyping, sampling, and system validation.
Technical Support & Configuration
Selecting the right drive system depends on the full application profile: load, motion cycle, installation space, environmental conditions, supply voltage, control concept, safety requirements, lifetime expectations, and cost targets. The modular system provides the building blocks; the final configuration depends on the machine.
Our application engineers can support the selection of motor, gearbox, brake, encoder, controller, and communication interface for your specific motion task.
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FAQ: Modular Drive Systems for Motion Control
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What is the Dunkermotoren modular system?The modular system is a configurable drive architecture that combines motors with matching gearboxes, encoders, brakes, controllers, communication interfaces, and mechanical adaptations. It allows engineers to build complete drive units based on application requirements instead of selecting isolated components.
Product Finder
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Which components can be combined?Typical combinations include BLDC or Brushed DC Motors with Planetary or Angular gearboxes, Encoders, Brakes, Integrated Electronics, External Controllers, and Communication Interfaces. Linear systems and customer-specific system solutions can also be part of the overall portfolio.
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Can the Modular Drive System be configured online?Yes. Dunkermotoren provides a Product Finder. The Product Finder supports parameter-based selection using values such as torque, speed, voltage supply, communication interface, and attachments.
Product Finder
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When is a customer-specific system solution useful?A customer-specific system solution is useful when the standard modular kit does not fully cover mechanical, electronic, software, or validation requirements. Dunkermotoren’s Systems division supports solutions beyond the modular construction kit, including specialized gears, control systems, tailored hardware, and software.
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What are typical applications?Typical applications include conveyors, adjustment drives, automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots, sorting systems, door drives, medical equipment, packaging machinery, machine tools, and general automation tasks.
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How does a modular drive system reduce engineering effort during machine development?A modular drive system reduces engineering effort because the main drive components, such as motor, gearbox, encoder, brake, controller, and communication interface, can be selected as a coordinated system instead of being engineered as separate parts. This helps engineers match torque, speed, feedback, braking behavior, and control architecture earlier in the development process.
For machine builders, this can simplify specification, mechanical integration, electrical planning, and commissioning. Instead of calculating every component individually, selected drive combinations can be evaluated as a complete unit, including characteristic curves and technical data for the full drive system. This makes the selection process more reliable and supports faster development of scalable machine platforms. -
What is the difference between a modular drive system and a customer-specific system solution?A modular drive system is based on predefined, combinable components such as standard motors, gearboxes, encoders, brakes, controllers, and interfaces. It is suitable when the required drive unit can be built from existing product families and adapted through standard configuration options.
A customer-specific system solution goes beyond the standard modular kit. It may include special mechanical interfaces, defined cable or connector layouts, pre-tested assemblies, application-specific software behavior, or a higher level of integration than a standard configuration can provide. This is especially useful when the drive system must fit precisely into a machine architecture or when additional validation, testing, or documentation is required.
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Which applications benefit most from a modular motor, gearbox, and controller concept?Applications with varying torque, speed, installation space, feedback, and communication requirements benefit strongly from a modular motor, gearbox, and controller concept. Typical examples include conveyors, belt drives, adjustment drives, automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots, sorting systems, packaging machines, door drives, medical devices, laboratory automation, and general industrial automation.
The modular concept is especially useful when similar machine platforms need different drive variants. For example, one machine version may require a compact motor with integrated electronics, while another may need an external controller, a different gearbox ratio, a holding brake, or a higher-resolution encoder. By using compatible building blocks, engineers can create multiple drive variants while maintaining a consistent technical architecture. -
How do integrated electronics and external controllers differ in a modular drive system?Integrated electronics are built directly into the motor. This can reduce the need for separate control hardware in the control cabinet, simplify wiring, save installation space, and support decentralized machine concepts.
External controllers are used when the control electronics need to be separated from the motor. This can be useful because of space limitations at the drive location, thermal requirements, machine architecture, or service preferences. In a modular system, both options can be considered depending on the electrical design, communication concept, maintenance strategy, and available installation space of the machine. -
Why are CAD data and complete drive-unit specifications important in modular drive selection?CAD data and complete drive-unit specifications are important because the mechanical integration of a drive system depends on the full assembled geometry, not only on the motor itself. Once a gearbox, brake, encoder, connector, or controller is added, the overall length, mounting position, shaft layout, cable routing, and available installation space may change.
Complete drive-unit specifications are equally important because the performance of a motor changes when it is combined with gearboxes, brakes, and electronics. Specifications for the complete drive unit help engineers evaluate torque, speed, voltage supply, communication interface, mounting conditions, and attachments during the design phase. This supports more accurate planning and reduces the risk of integration issues later in the project.