Q: Torque-speed? Motors and rotating plinths - Please help

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the selection of a motor and gearbox for a project involving a rotating plinth designed to support a weight of 1 kg. Participants explore the specifications of various motors, their torque and speed capabilities, and the feasibility of achieving a low rotational speed of approximately 1 RPM.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires whether a specific motor (MM54) is suitable for supporting a 1 kg weight and questions the importance of high torque speed in motor selection.
  • Another participant suggests searching for "gear motor" on eBay to find options that meet the 1 RPM requirement.
  • A participant proposes two alternative motors with different RPM and stall-torque ratings, questioning the effectiveness of using a dimmer switch for speed control.
  • Concerns are raised about the relationship between the weight requirement and stall-torque, with questions about whether specific stall-torque values are adequate for the intended application.
  • A later reply estimates that the required torque for supporting the 1 kg weight is significantly lower than the stall-torque of the suggested motors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the suitability of different motors and the relationship between stall-torque and weight capacity. There is no clear consensus on the best motor choice or the effectiveness of using a dimmer switch for speed control.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the torque requirements in terms of vertical mass support but do not provide detailed calculations or assumptions regarding the specific setup of the rotating plinth.

designchick
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Dear engineering gurus,

I was wondering if some of you might be able to help me out with my project (2 part question):

I'm basically trying to make a rotating plinth (like those used
in jewelry displays - except i need it to bear a weight of 1kg.
(Most ready-made plinths won't take anywhere near that so i imagine id have to build my own.

Now I've come across a small motor (MM54) that has the following info for its specs:

Constant Volts: 6 - 9
Speed RPM: 8900 - 16200
Torque (g-cm): 174 - 236
Stall torque (g-cm): 980 - 1800

My first question is - would anyone know if this motor is powerful enough to take the weight of 1kg and still function?
(Am i right to be choosing a motor that has a high torque speed?) Is there another motor that someone could recommend that would suit my purpose?

Second question - As i need to bring this down to about 1 RPM, can anyone recommend a gearbox that will allow me to do this?
(Is this even possible with the motor I'm suggesting?)

Apologies if my questions seem a little inept - I've never done anything quite like this before. And i really really appreciate any help or suggestions...

Thanks!
 
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Go to www.ebay.com[/URL] and search for "gear motor". I got over 1000 hits. Some are around 1 RPM.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Bob,

Thanks for that.

I found 2 other motors that (i believe) seem more appropriate:

The one is: 12V, 1 RPM, 65 Stall-torque (in-oz)
The other is: 12V, 2 RPM, 31 Stall-torque

If i wanted to have a bit more control in the RPM, should i be getting
the second one that is 2RPM and then get a dimmer-switch type thing to adjust it?
Would that work?

And also, what is the relation between my 1kg weight requirement and the 'stall-torque'?
Is 31 stall-torque a lot? does it equate to a weight capacity? Could i go for maybe something that has 7RPM but then only 16 stall-torque?

Thanks again.
 
1 kg is the just the vertical mass the unit has to support. The required torque is probably less than 0.5 inch oz (or maybe 10 gram-cm). If you get a dc one, you can adjust the speed by reducing the input voltage.
 
Ah ok,

So the 12V motor with 31 stall torque is more than 60x what i need to rotate the 1kg?

Great.

Thanks again for the help Bob.
 
Last edited:

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