It’s time to take your 3D printer to the next level with a motor upgrade. A stepper motor is an integral component for any 3D printer, and it’s important that you choose the right one. There are many different attributes to consider when shopping for a stepper motor, voltage, size, weight and torque being just a few. But don’t worry; this knockout post will help you through the process of selecting the perfect motor for you.
What are The Most Common Types Of Stepper Motors for 3d Printers?
There are many stepper motors for 3D printers, but the most common types of stepper motors are bipolar and unipolar. Bipolar stepper motors are considered the most common type of motor, and they’re found in the majority of 3D printers. Bipolar stepper motors feature two coils with four wires, one center tap (of the four wires) for each phase wire and have five leads. These leads are attached to a three-pin header. The three-pin header is where the five leads are attached, and it determines which direction the motor will turn. When the voltage is applied to the coils in opposite directions, it causes the motor shaft to rotate one way. When adding a diode into a bipolar stepper motor circuit, it will rotate in the other direction.
Bipolar stepper motors have a center tap wire on each coil, which is the middle leg on a three-pin connector. By connecting each center tap wire to the opposite ends of either power supply, the motor will turn one way. This is the most common and simplest way to control a bipolar stepper motor.
Unipolar stepper motors can be combined or operated separately. Most commonly, they can be found as a four-wire motor or six-wire. Using the four-wire as an example, one pair wire is connected to the positive terminal of a power supply; and the other pair wire, which is opposite, are connected to the negative terminal on the power supply. The positive and negative terminals aren’t necessarily the terminals on the power supply unit. They’re just referred to as such because they are opposite each other. Therefore, when applying voltage to the pair wires, it will cause a current to flow through them and make the motor rotate in one direction only. For this reason, they have also been referred to as current-controlled motors.
What Factors Should You Consider When Buying A New Stepper Motor?
When choosing a new stepper motor, there are a few factors that you should take into consideration. The voltage of the motor is one of these factors and it not only determines how much power the motor will have but also how fast it can turn. If you want to ensure that your 3D printer can reach its maximum potential, then you’ll need to make sure that you get an appropriate voltage. Another factor to consider is the size of the stepper motor. This will depend on whether or not you intend to mount the motor directly onto an axis or keep it stationary in place at all times. Other factors to consider are the number of coils, the shape and composition of the coils, insulation, as well as whether or not it has a holding torque. Finally, weight should also be taken into consideration, as this will determine how much torque your new stepper motor will produce.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned about the various considerations that must be made when choosing a stepper motor for your 3D printer. We hope this blog post has given you some helpful insight into what factors might affect your decision making process.