Gearfuse Technology, Science, Culture & More
Every day it becomes harder to keep up to date with the technological advances that are happening. Even if you were to go out right now and buy a top-of-the-line model of any kind of appliance then within weeks it will no doubt be outdated. It is one of the best and worst things about living in a technological age.
One way to combat this is to build your own devices. This means that you can buy the carcass of a good model and then replace it with all of the parts you need for the most impressive systems. Though it can be hard to know which things to buy. This article will guide you in the motor part of this conundrum.
Stepper Motors
Stepper motors are powered by a direct current but rather than using the brushes that a rotor motor would, they use evenly spaced wire that can act as magnetic poles. As well as this, the rotor component of the step motor is made of magnetic pairs. They are known as stepper motors because the operating system can control which pole the rotor jumps to. They are best used to provide hold torque. This is really important for anything that requires precise positioning like robotics. As well as this they are used often in hard drives, military equipment, and printers.
Rotor Motors
These motors also use direct current to create rotation. They are often split into brushed and brushless motors. Though it should be noted that a brushed design is the most common and cheapest version available. These motors have been around since the 19th century and as such has been used in some applications. They are easier to install and often cheaper. Most appliances in the home use them as well as your smartphone.
Which Is Better?
As you would expect, it will always come down to what you need the motor for. Equally as frustrating is that the motors share many similarities. However, there are some key differences. The motors are controlled in similar ways but the speed that they can offer is different. A brushed rotor motor can offer more speed than a stepper motor, but it is nowhere near as reliable.
When it comes to the torque offered by the motors, Stepper motors come out on top as they can offer maximum torque at the lowest speeds. If you are looking for precision tools, then this is the kind of motor that you need. It has been especially recommended for robotics and 3D printers. Rotor motors can offer high torque as well but have to work much harder for it. It all depends on what you are looking for from your motor.
Which is best?
The comparison of these two motors shows time and time again that they excel in different areas. When you are thinking about purchasing one, you need to judge what you need it for. Rotor motors can be used for things that require constant torque like power tools whilst if you are using precision equipment then a stepper motor would be better for you.
