10 Advantages Of Using Gearboxes On Stepper Motors

Enhance Stepper Motor Performance With Gearboxes

Using A Gearbox With A Stepper Motor Offers Several Advantages:

Gearboxes are mechanical devices designed to transmit and modify the rotational speed, torque, and resolution of a stepper motor. When integrated with stepper motors, gearboxes play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and versatility of these motors. Stepper motors are known for their precise control of movement in discrete steps, making them suitable for various applications such as robotics, CNC machines, 3D printers, and more. The addition of a gearbox to a stepper motor can provide several advantages.

Increased Torque: Stepper motors have limited torque output, and using a gearbox can significantly increase their torque. This is especially useful when you need to move or control heavy loads or overcome high friction in a mechanical system.

Precision and Accuracy: Stepper motors are known for their ability to move in precise and well-defined steps. When combined with a gearbox, you can achieve even finer levels of accuracy and control, making them suitable for applications requiring precise positioning or motion control.

Speed Reduction: Gearboxes can reduce the speed of the motor’s output shaft while maintaining high torque. This is useful in applications where the motor’s natural speed is too fast, and you need to slow it down to a more manageable level.

Noise Reduction: Stepper motors can be noisy, especially at higher speeds. Using a gearbox to reduce speed can help reduce noise, making them more suitable for applications where quiet operation is required.

Backlash Compensation: Gearboxes can help mitigate backlash, which is the play or clearance in the mechanical system. By incorporating a gearbox, you can reduce the effect of backlash and improve the accuracy of your system.

Energy Efficiency: By using a gearbox to reduce speed and increase torque, you can often operate the stepper motor at a more energy-efficient point on its torque-speed curve, which can lead to lower power consumption.

Space Savings: In some cases, using a gearbox allows you to use a smaller, lower-torque motor to achieve the desired output, saving space and potentially reducing costs.

Mechanical Isolation: Gearboxes can provide a degree of mechanical isolation between the load and the motor. This can protect the motor from external forces, vibrations, and shock, increasing its durability and reliability.

Gear Ratio Selection: Gearboxes offer flexibility in choosing the gear ratio, allowing you to adapt the system’s performance to specific requirements. This versatility is particularly beneficial in custom applications.

Smooth Motion: Stepper motors can exhibit a jerky motion at low speeds when driven directly, especially with a high pole count. A gearbox can smooth out this motion and provide more even and continuous movement.

Standard Stepper Motor Options with Gearboxes

SANYO DENKI designs SANMOTION stepper motor models so that they can be easily customized to meet any equipment requirement. SANMOTION stepper motors also include a lineup of standard options, including models with gearboxes and models with encoders. Table 3 from our development white paper shows the lineup of options. The gearbox options consist of six low-backlash gear models with different speed-reduction rates and two harmonic gear models.

The standard lineup of models with encoders consists of three models with different resolutions. Models with electromagnetic brakes are also part of the semi-standard offerings. With these offerings, customers can easily customize products to suit their equipment and build schedule. The wide lineup of options offer considerable flexibility in designing equipment.

Local Engineering Support & Gearbox Assembly

It’s important to note that using a gearbox with a stepper motor also introduces increased complexity, cost, and potential efficiency losses due to friction in the gearbox. The decision to use a gearbox should be based on the specific requirements of your application and the trade-offs between torque, speed, accuracy, and other factors.

SANYO DENKI AMERICA, Inc. has announced a significant expansion of its assembly factory in Torrance, California. The expansion reflects our commitment to align our engineering and assembly support with our customers’ business needs. Contact us to take advantage of the benefits associated with outsourcing locally.