Coreless Design Maximizes Motor Efficiency

Portescap, a Danaher Motion Company, introduces the Athlonix high-power density brush DC motors, which are compact, highly-efficient endurance motors that provide high speed-to-torque performance in a lighter package. The Athlonix motors feature a coreless design with a self-supporting coil and magnetic circuit that provide high power density and prolonged endurance for the motor life. They have an output power up to nine watts, and they are available in 12, 16 and 22 mm frame sizes.

"Athlonix motors are powered by a proprietary self supporting coil, whose design optimization flows from more than 70 years of Portescap research and design. The result is maximized magnetic flux and turn-density for a given diameter, within the Athlonix motor platform," says Udayan Senapati, brush DC product line manager for Portescap.

"In contrast, typical self-supporting coils have inherent turn-density limitations that affect the magnetic flux density in the magnetic circuit, which further limits output and endurance of the motor."

The coil design allows for a low motor regulation factor in which energy efficiency is near 90 percent, depending on motor load conditions. The result is a motor that performs better over its lifetime, and the package weight has been reduced to 15-53 grams, depending on the frame size.

"The motor regulation factor, measure by R/k² where R is the coil resistance and k is the torque constant, is a critical measure of a motor's power density over its performance lifetime," Senapati says. "The lower the motor regulation factor, the lower will be the heat loss at higher loads, thus enabling the motor to retain high power density with sustained endurance. The heat loss from a motor is detrimental not only in terms of reduced efficiency, but it also degrades motor performance over the life of the motor. Superior motor regulation, then, is the key to levels of performance and endurance that set Athlonix apart from conventional technologies."

Athlonix motors have motor regulation factors lower than most comparative motors by 5-20 percent, according to a Portescap press release. The result here is consistent power density over the motors' lifetime. They also are capable of higher throughput than other motors because of the quick acceleration they're capable of.

The Athlonix motors are well suited for applications such as medical analyzers and electronic assembly that require constant pick-and-place operations during machining, assembly and scanning. They are also suitable for medical pumps, secure door locks, watch winding mechanisms and robotics.