An Introduction to Mini DC Motor
A DC motor is a motor that converts direct current electrical power into mechanical power. The DC motor is generally composed of two parts: a stator and a rotor. While the stator consists of the main magnetic pole, the frame, reversing pole, and the brush device, the rotor is made up of armature core, armature winding, commutator, shaft, and fan, etc. The working principle of the DC motor is based on the principle that when a current-carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field, it experiences a mechanical force.
There will be two magnetic fields. One field is produced by the main magnetic poles, the other field is produced by an electrical current flowing in the motor winding. These two fields result in a torque which tends to rotate the rotor. As the rotor turns, the current in the winding is commutated to produce a continuous torque output.
How to Choose the Right Voltage
Considering that modern electrical equipment is becoming smaller, the DC motor is required to provide high torque with small size. Here comes the mini DC motor. As we know, the speed of a DC motor (N) is equal to N = K (V – IaRa)/ ø Where K is a constant.
Thus, the speed of a DC motor can control in three ways:
- By varying the flux, and by varying the current through the field winding
- By varying the armature voltage, and the armature resistance
- Through the supply voltage
A simple method to control the rotation speed of a DC motor is to control its supply voltage. Within reasonable range, the higher the voltage is, the higher speed the motor tries to reach. Smaller DC motors are commonly used in the smart home, intelligent robots, and automobile mechanisms, such as electric car seats.
If the DC motor is powered by batteries, the lower operating voltage will be preferred. Then you don’t need to use lots of batteries per time. For a mini DC motor, the operating voltage ranges from 1.5volt to 100V, the common ones are mini DC motor 3V, mini motor DC 6V, and miniature 12V DC motor. However, at higher voltages, electronics to drive a motor are typically more efficient.
Mini DC Motor 3V
Model: ZWBMD006006-XXX
1. Rated Voltage: 3-12 V
2. No-load Speed: 11-3824 rpm
3. No-load Current: 30-40 mA
4. Rated Load Speed: 10-3229 rpm
5. Rated Load Current: 100 mA
Above is an example of a mini DC motor 3V. When combined with a planetary gearbox, the 3v DC motor can be used for an electric screwdriver to meet the design and functional requirements of the small size and large torque of the electric screwdriver. Through the analysis of the functional requirements of the electric screwdriver, ZHAOWEI uses forward and reverse planetary gearboxes to adjust the torque of the electric screwdriver for tightening and loosening the screw. In terms of safety, self-locking can be achieved by using a reduction gearbox and a screw rod. The internal self-locking structure will automatically open to avoid damage to the motor if it’s detected that the screwdriver is manually twisted.
Mini Motor DC 6V
Model: ZWMD008008-XXX
1. Rated Voltage: 3-12 V
2. No-load Speed: 19-4630 rpm
3. No-load Current: 90-100 mA
4. Rated Load Speed: 15-3361 rpm
5. Rated Load Current: 155-160 mA
Above is the example of mini motor DC 6V. When combined with a planetary gearbox, the 6V brushless DC motor can be applicable for a hair curler. It doesn’t hurt the hair when perming. The gearbox adopts the brushless DC motor and the helical tooth design mechanism to realize self-locking. It solves the difficulty of retracting the rotating mechanism and improves the service life of the product when the hair has curled to reach certain torque.
Miniature 12V DC Motor
Model: ZWBMD010010-XXX
1. Rated Voltage: 3-24 V
2. No-load Speed: 20-4318 rpm
3. No-load Current: 60-80 mA
4. Rated Load Speed: 18-3625 rpm
5. Rated Load Current: 215-220 mA
Above is an instance of a miniature 12V DC motor. When combined with a planetary gearbox, the 12V brushless DC motor can be applicable for robot joint.
For quick response and interaction during communication, the DC gear motor is used to drive the joints of the robot, which requires a large power to mass ratio and torque to inertia ratio, high starting torque, low inertia, and a wide and smooth speed regulation range. In particular, the end effector (gripper) of the robot should use a joint motor with a small volume and mass and a large short-term overload capability. Equipping with ZHAOWEI planetary gear motor can greatly improve the quality and efficiency of the robot.
After reading the introduction on how to select the mini motor of the right voltage, you may find a suitable motor according to your needs. ZHAOWEI Machinery & Electronics Co., Ltd is committed to providing gear motor development and manufacturing drive systems for motorized shelf lift with customized technical parameters. Diameter: 3.4mm-38mm, voltage: under 24V, output power: under 50W, output speed: 5rpm-2000rpm, speed ratio: 5-1500. Output torque: 1.0 gf.cm -50kgf.cm. The gearbox rotation accuracy is 1-2 arc minutes, and the gear transmission noise is below 45dB. Moreover, if you want to know the detailed small dc motor datasheet, you can refer to the product page of each motor accordingly.