One USA customer is developing an innovative blending machine and needs DC gear motors for blending usage.
Background: In the blending application, the loaded torque varies; normally it’s 7-10kg.cm. The starting torque can be up to a maximum of 15kg.cm, especially when frozen products are in the jar. The rated torque is 60-80RPM. Additionally, because the blender is battery-powered, the customers expect a current draw as low as 1.5A to extend the battery’s lifetime. Moreover, to distinguish the new blending machine in the intensely competitive market, the customers have size restrictions to ensure the product is as compact as possible while seeking a low-cost DC gear motor solution.
Work Scenario: Duty cycle: the gear motors will run for 30 seconds and then shut off for 2 minutes each time. They will run a maximum of 300 duty cycles every day, with only a CCW output direction. As there is overload protection in the customer’s design, stalls will not occur. Based on the above, a lifetime of 60,000 duty cycles is expected.
Challenge:
Gear motor type selection: Due to the varying loaded torque, which could cause vibration, planetary gear motors are usually recommended for durability. Considering the customer’s limited budget, our engineering team evaluated the work scenario and life-cycle expectancy. They decided to try 37mm spur gear motors first, which are much cheaper than planetary gear motors. To strengthen the gearboxes, internal gears are all CNC machined for the gearbox. Furthermore, thread-locker is added to all the screws of the gearbox housing and bottom plates to reinforce the gearbox against vibrations.
Low current draw requirement: The customer wants low current consumption while expecting higher torque for an added factor of safety. As the running torque will change in the application, it’s premature to define the current. We can only determine the current draw after the motors’ performance is finalized. Additionally, it’s a paradox to request lower current and higher torque. We explained this to the customers and gained their understanding.
Solution: The 37mm diameter spur gear motor, HT-SOG37D, is recommended to the customers with two performance options for testing.
1st Sample:
Nominal voltage: 12V
No-load speed: 120RPM
Rated torque: 8kg.cm
On-load speed: 100RPM
2nd Sample:
Nominal voltage: 12V
No-load speed: 85RPM
Rated torque: 10kg.cm
On-load speed: 80RPM
After the customer completed all tests, they preferred the 2nd sample and approved mass production.
Conclusion: Spur gear motors can also be applied in blending products instead of planetary gearbox motor. Our gear motors are widely used in various industries and products. Their applicability depends on your design. We will evaluate your given specs and usage information and recommend suitable gear motors, building them accordingly.
