Micro motors from FAULHABER

Standard motors are often sufficient in everyday products. If their characteristics are no longer sufficient, this is where motors from FAULHABER come into play. They are used in challenging applications in practically all branches of industry. To meet the increased demands of such applications, DC micro motors from FAULHABER are manufactured using only high-quality materials. Depending on the application, correspondingly optimized and effective materials are used, e.g. neodymium permanent magnets, turned back irons and ball bearings.

From the motor shaft to the housing – at FAULHABER, all components are trimmed to maximum power density, accuracy and reliability. This also applies to the self-developed DC motor controllers: these ensure optimum operation throughout the entire service life.

Micro motors from FAULHABER are operated predominantly with ironless, self-supporting coils. These coils have no cogging torque and only a very low rotor inertia. Dr. Fritz Faulhaber Sr. developed the self-supporting, ironless rotor coil with skew-wound design ("FAULHABER winding") and patented it in 1958. It remains the core component of FAULHABER micro motors to this very day. The special design of the FAULHABER winding and the resulting motor characteristics have opened up new drive possibilities for numerous application areas.

The key benefits of this unique drive technology are:

• Extremely high torque and performance values in relation to weight and volume
• No cogging torque, high efficiency
• Precise speed control and positioning
• Linear speed/torque ratio
• Low rotor inertia for maximum dynamics

In DC micro motors, electrically energized conductors in the coils generate multiple magnetic fields. Their attractive and repulsive forces act on permanent magnets. Targeted changes to the magnetic fields generate forces that cause mechanical movement of the rotor.

This movement is usually rotational: the rotating rotor passes its power to the central axis of the drive. An exception are the linear motors. Here the coil and magnets are arranged in such a way that the change in the magnetic fields causes a linear movement. In all DC micro motors, the change in the magnetic fields is brought about by commutation. This term refers to the redirection of the current flow between various coil segments.

Commutation with and without brushes

In DC micro motors, commutation can occur through a mechanical sliding contact (with brushes) or electronically (brushless).

Brushed DC-motors from FAULHABER are available with graphite or precious metal commutation. Graphite commutation is particularly robust and is ideally suited to dynamic high-performance applications. Precious metal commutation makes extremely small DC motors possible. Brushed micro motors are very easy to control.

With brushless DC motors, commutation is performed by an electronic control, which operates contactless and wear-free in this case. The additional electronics complicate integration because the control needs to be matched to the motor in order to ensure effective operation. Brushless DC micro motors are especially suitable for frequent overload conditions as well as for continuous operation. Thanks to the electronic commutation and the use of ball bearings, an extremely long service life is possible.

FAULHABER also offers brushless DC micro motors in the following special variants: flat motor, external rotor motor, stepper motor or linear motor.

Bespoke manufacture on customer request

FAULHABER's expertise lies not only in the manufacture of series products but above all also in the fabrication of customer-specific drive solutions. Numerous key components and parameters can be adapted to meet the specific needs of the micro motor's subsequent application:

• Additional voltage types
• Connection cables and connectors
• Length of the output shaft, second shaft end
• Modified shaft geometry and pinion configurations (e.g. flats, gears, pulleys, eccenters)
• Extended temperature range
• Vacuum compatibility (e.g., 10^-5 Pa)
• Modifications for particularly high speeds or loads
• Modifications for motors with increased electrical or mechanical tolerance requirements