Mitsubishi HC-SFS152 AC Servo Motor — 1.5 kW MELSERVO J2S Medium-Inertia Drive Motor, New in Box Factory Sealed

Choosing a 1.5 kW servo motor for industrial automation isn't just about the watt figure — it's about how cleanly that power translates into controlled torque at the shaft, how precisely the feedback system closes the position loop, and how reliably the motor performs across years of production cycles. The Mitsubishi HC-SFS152 delivers on all three counts, and this listing is for a factory-sealed, new-in-box unit — original Mitsubishi Electric packaging, untouched.

The HC-SFS152 in the MELSERVO J2S Lineup

The HC-SFS152 belongs to Mitsubishi's HC-SFS 2,000 rpm series — the medium-inertia, medium-capacity family within the MELSERVO J2S generation that has been a workhorse of industrial automation and CNC machine tool applications for over two decades. Sitting at 1.5 kW in the HC-SFS range, it delivers a 7.16 Nm rated torque at 2,000 rpm — a combination that makes it particularly well-suited to applications requiring substantial holding and driving torque at moderate speed, such as rotary tables, large-format conveyor drives, and the heavier feed axes of bigger machining centers.

The 130 × 130 mm flange is shared across the HC-SFS mid-range family, which simplifies machine design when the same mechanical mounting accommodates different power ratings.

Technical Specifications

7.16 Nm Rated Torque — What It Means in Practice

Torque is the practical currency of servo performance. At 7.16 Nm continuous rated torque, the HC-SFS152 can drive loads that would overwhelm smaller motors in the HC-SFS family — think heavy workholding fixtures, large ballscrew assemblies with significant preload, or rotary table mechanisms with substantial friction and inertia. The peak torque figure of 21.6 Nm (three times rated) supports the kind of rapid acceleration that CNC profile cutting and robotic pick-and-place cycles demand at the start of each move, without exceeding the motor's thermal envelope during sustained operation.

The 2,000 rpm rated speed places this motor in the category that favors torque density over top-end speed. For direct-drive or lightly geared axis designs, 2,000 rpm provides a practical working speed range, while the 3,000 rpm maximum accommodates rapid traverse moves that overshoot rated speed briefly.

17-Bit Absolute Encoder — 131,072 Positions, No Homing Required

The encoder in the HC-SFS152 is not a passive pulse generator — it's a 17-bit absolute optical encoder delivering 131,072 discrete position values per revolution through Mitsubishi's high-speed serial link to the servo amplifier.

Absolute encoding means the motor's shaft position is known at all times, including through power-off cycles. With a battery installed in the paired servo amplifier, the multi-turn position counter is maintained when mains power is removed. Power the machine back on after a weekend shutdown, after a mid-shift emergency stop, after a planned maintenance interval — the axis knows exactly where it is, immediately.

The practical effect is no reference return homing sequence at startup. For machines where multiple axes each need to run homing routines before the machine is usable, eliminating that sequence saves time on every power cycle across a machine's entire service life.

Oil Seal and IP65 — Protection That Matters in Service

The HC-SFS152's straight shaft passes through an oil seal at the drive-end bearing face. On a machine where cutting fluid, coolant spray, or lubricant mist is part of the normal environment, the oil seal prevents contamination from reaching the bearing and encoder cavity — the most common failure pathway for servo motors in machine tool applications.

The IP65 housing provides complete dust exclusion and protection against water jets from any direction. Together with the oil seal, this makes the HC-SFS152 suitable for direct installation on machine tools, packaging equipment, and production line machinery without additional environmental enclosure.

Compatible Servo Amplifiers

The HC-SFS152 pairs with Mitsubishi's MR-J2S-200A (analog command, 2 kW class) or MR-J2S-200B (SSCNET digital command) servo amplifiers. The motor is also compatible with the MR-J4 series amplifiers via Mitsubishi's renewal tool approach for installations transitioning from J2S to newer amplifier generations.

Amplifier selection depends on the command interface: MR-J2S-200A for systems using pulse-train or analog speed/torque commands from a PLC or NC, MR-J2S-200B for multi-axis motion systems controlled via SSCNET from an A or Q series motion controller.

Application Fit

The 1.5 kW output at 2,000 rpm places the HC-SFS152 in the performance band that covers a broad range of the most common industrial automation and machine tool requirements:

CNC Machining Centers — primary feed axes (X, Y, Z) on mid-range and large-format vertical and horizontal machining centers where the 130 mm flange and high torque output match the servo requirement of larger ballscrew assemblies

CNC Turning Centers — Z and X axis servo drives on CNC lathes, particularly where heavy turning cuts demand sustained high torque

Rotary Tables and Tilting Heads — 4th and 5th axis positioning drives on machining centers where rotating heavy fixtures requires substantial holding and driving torque

Industrial Robots — shoulder and elbow joints on medium-payload articulated robots where the combination of torque and medium inertia supports stable dynamic control

Automated Material Handling — pallet transfer, automated storage and retrieval, and conveyor indexing drives where 1.5 kW provides the force margin to move loaded pallets reliably

Winding and Tension Control — web handling and material winding applications where torque control mode in the servo amplifier manages tension across variable roll diameters

HC-SFS152 Variant Summary

The HC-SFS152 base motor is available in suffix variants to address different installation configurations:

• HC-SFS152 — standard straight shaft, no brake
• HC-SFS152B — with built-in electromagnetic brake
• HC-SFS152K — with keyed shaft
• HC-SFS152BK — electromagnetic brake and keyed shaft

All variants share the same 1.5 kW output, 17-bit absolute encoder, IP65 rating, and 130 × 130 mm flange. Select the variant that matches the shaft coupling method and whether a holding brake is required for the application.

FAQ

Q1: Which Mitsubishi servo amplifier is compatible with the HC-SFS152?

The HC-SFS152 pairs with the MR-J2S-200A (analog/pulse command interface) or MR-J2S-200B (SSCNET digital interface) amplifiers, both rated at 2 kW to cover the 1.5 kW motor. The choice between A and B types depends on whether the upstream controller uses analog/pulse commands or SSCNET network communication.

Q2: Does the HC-SFS152 require a homing cycle at machine startup?

No — not with the absolute position system active. Adding a battery to the servo amplifier enables absolute position retention through power-off. Once a home position is established during initial commissioning, the axis reports its position immediately at every subsequent startup. No reference return required.

Q3: What is the difference between the HC-SFS152 and HC-SFS152B?

The HC-SFS152 is the standard motor without a brake. The HC-SFS152B adds a built-in spring-applied electromagnetic brake that locks the shaft when the brake coil is de-energized — the safe state for vertical axes, inclined drives, and any load that must hold position without continuous drive power. All motor ratings and physical dimensions are identical between both variants.

Q4: Why is the rated speed 2,000 rpm rather than 3,000 rpm like some other HC-SFS models?

The HC-SFS152 belongs to the 2,000 rpm sub-series of the HC-SFS family, which is optimized for higher torque output relative to speed compared to the 3,000 rpm variants. The 7.16 Nm rated torque is considerably higher than what the equivalent 3,000 rpm motors in the same family produce at the same power level. For applications where driving torque is the primary requirement rather than top-end speed, the 2,000 rpm series is the correct engineering selection.

Q5: Is the HC-SFS152 still manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric?

The HC-SFS series is part of the MELSERVO J2S generation, which has been succeeded by newer J4 and J5 series products. The current-generation equivalent in Mitsubishi's lineup is the HG-SR series (J4), which offers higher resolution encoding and updated amplifier compatibility. New-in-box HC-SFS152 units remain available through industrial automation channels for machine maintenance, spare parts, and compatible retrofit applications.