A gear motor combines an electric motor and gearbox into one cost-effective machine. It’s simple, affordable and offers high-torque and low-speed applications. But first, choosing the right motor and understand the application requirements.
Here are a few tips on how to select the best motor for you.
Do your research
Before you can begin to decide which motor you need, you need to look at the application requirements. Make a checklist when developing the specification and note down the parameters and project requirements. This will help to determine the ideal motor for application and avoid gathering incorrect inputs.
Motor technology
You need to decide what type of motor technology you want to use. There are four main types, and each has its own characteristic’s. Look at the speed and torque required for application and use that to determine the type of motor you need.
You need to decide whether you want a pre-engineered gear motor or a separate gearbox and motor to assemble for gear motors. Both are effective, but of course, the pre-engineered motor will save you a bit of time and heavy lifting. The manufacturer will have made sure that the motor and gearbox combination works together and provided performance calculations. With a pre-engineered motor, you are less likely to encounter failures, like an improper component match or miscalculations.
Some motors and gearboxes can be combined so you can find the most effective and cost-effective pairing. You need accurate ratings for the motor and gearbox to successfully combine them. For example, some AC motors can be paired with planetary and parallel shaft gearboxes.
Review the limitations
Every motor has its own limitations. Take a look at the manufacturer’s performance calculations and see if it will cause any issues in the application. You need to look at thermal characteristics, full-load gearbox torque, intermittent duty considerations, gearbox input strength and gearbox yield strength.
Perform some test runs
Once your gearmotor has been installed, you can begin to test it out. If there is a problem, you are likely to hear unnatural noises, spot motor distress or feel extreme motor heat. It’s pretty obvious when there’s a big problem. You can contact the manufacturer about any big problems. It may be that your selected motor is not suitable for the required application, and you need to start the selection process all over again.
Choosing the right motor is critical, and it can take some time and effort to get it right. The wrong motor can cause a lot of problems and permanently damage the application. You need to get the best motor to optimise the application’s efficiency and potential.
Choose the right motor for your application and achieve the most effective outcome.
