Gear motors have always been considered essential components in the world of mechanics, and their success lies in their usefulness. Gearboxes are mechanical gear drives that transmit the movement of a motor to the machine to which they are applied, reducing its speed to adapt to the needs of the application. Let’s see all the types of gear motors and how to choose the right one.
Gear motors are an all-in-one solution consisting of an electric motor and a gearbox. The gearbox contains a series of gears whose purpose is to reduce the speed of rotation of the input shaft.
Used for low-speed, high-torque applications, gear motors can be employed in a variety of sectors: industrial and home automation, banking, medical, vending, wellness, security, printers, ventilation, etc.
Micro Motors manufactures small direct current (or DC) gear motors with torque up to 9 Nm (Newton meter).
Characteristics of the different types of gear motors
There are many types of gear motors, each one suitable for different applications.
Spur gear motors with direct current (DC) motor
They are designed to meet customer requirements while remaining compact and economical. These gear motors feature a series of gears coupled together in a 1:1 ratio. The gears have straight or helical teeth which determine the speed and torque of the motor.
Advantages: good quality/price ratio.
Available series:
Planetary gear motors with a direct current (DC) motor
They are designed to increase power and generate more torque in a similar space as a conventional spur gearbox because they have multiple gears working simultaneously on an external crown. This type of gearbox has the advantage of having a lower backlash than a traditional spur gearbox.
Advantages: high efficiency and high torque when compared to a spur gear motor.
Available series:
Planetary gear motors with brushless direct current (DC) motor
They combine a brushless motor with a high-precision planetary gearbox. This type of motor has onboard electronics, with which many operations can be performed such as adjusting the speed, changing the direction of rotation, start&stop, and reading the speed (encoder).
Advantages: a lifetime of about 4000 hours, low noise and low interference.
Available series:
Stepper gear motors
They consist of a stepper motor combined with a spur gearhead. The special feature of this type of gear motor is the position accuracy and torque increase given by the motor combined with the speed reducer. The gearhead in this case also increases the resolution of the stepper motor, ensuring greater accuracy of positioning.
Advantages: compact size, low noise, position accuracy, longer lifetime.
Available series:
How to choose the right type of gear motor based on your needs
To ensure that the chosen gear motor is right for your needs, it is essential to know the desired output speed and torque. If, for example, your application needs low speed and high torque you will need to select a gear motor with a high reduction ratio, or conversely, if you need high speed, a gear motor with a low reduction ratio should be your choice.
Once the torque, ratio and RPM required have been calculated, you need to consider the dimensional limitations given by the machine, weight, operating temperature, duty cycle, required accuracy, lifetime, voltage and current consumption.
With all this information, your choice will be guided towards a particular gear motor among the available series.
Why choose Micro Motors
Founded in 1972 by Mr. Magni Giovanni, Micro Motors designs and produces small gear motors. The constant research and development of the product have allowed for diversifying its range, including planetary and stepper gear motors. There are many different reasons for choosing Micro Motors:
- 50 years of experience;
- High-quality Made in Italy products, and 100% testing;
- Flexibility: possibility of small customizations of shafts, cables, connectors and pinions. We listen to our customers, propose solutions and accommodate small customizations.
- Excellent quality/price ratio;
- ISO 9001 certification, the international standard for a quality management system (QMS). In order to be certified to the ISO 9001 standard, a company must follow the requirements set forth in the ISO 9001 Standard to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements and to demonstrate continuous improvement;
- Possibility of supplying small batches;
- Careful selection of components and raw materials, preferring reliable and local suppliers to guarantee the utmost quality;
- On-time deliveries: we are always endeavoring to meet the deadlines set with our customers;
- Pre- and after-sales technical support, quick response time and maximum availability. You will always have a referent to speak with;
- Availability and reliable commercial support during all the project time.
