Retrieving Stepper Motors

[andy_ck87028]

With all these stepper motors up for sale, clearly others buy them them apart from hobbyists?

I'm checking out photocopier repairers at present and have found a supply of dead photocopiers to raid but I suspect the motors will not be big enough (I need => 400oz/in motors). I'm getting them for nothing so only my time will be wasted.

If I find that I have to look elsewhere for wrecked machinery .... what machinery do I look for?

Andy

[ger21]

Originally Posted by andy_ck87028 If I find that I have to look elsewhere for wrecked machinery .... what machinery do I look for? Andy

CNC machinery

Printers and copiers more than likely won't have more than 150 oz steppers in them. They only have to move paper. I really don't know where you can find larger ones, other than possibly machinery.

[jerber]

I've got a nema34 size 500 oz stepper from a A0 size plotter. I believe it was a hp.
There are also big steppers used in airplanes like the boeing 747 (fly by wire).
Generaly steppers are used in equipment with precise movement.

[2muchstuff]

Big steppers and big servo motors can be found in commercial sized copy machines like the Xerox 9900. Big machine, lots of parts, servo's, steppers, ballscrews......

[andy_ck87028]

With Australia being near the end of the global supply chain, (NZ is further down the chain), a re-use mentality makes commercial sense..

I might check out photocopier/plotter repairers here and in NZ a bit more thoroughly and target those who repair the big machines.

Thanks for the thoughts

Andy

[Jason Marsha]

2muchstuff,

Thanks for the tip on the big xerox machines. The largest stepper I found so far was a 200 oz/inch unipolar stepper in a canon copier along with some 5 phase vexta steppers of unlisted torque.

Jason

[2muchstuff]

jason marsha,

Glad to be of some help in your quest for steppers. Sometimes you can cross the part numbers to find out the specs but most times the motors are of a priority type, specifically made for the piece of equipment. Most OEM's of the part won't give you any info on it. Sometimes you can get lucky by contacting the manufacture of the piece of equipment. Good luck.

[andy_ck87028]

Jerber

Do you know of any 747s being trashed?

Andy

[Imagineering]

Yes the photocopier Steppers will work, but expect very slow movements & lack of power. This is OK if you are contemplating a small precision machine and time is not an issue. I've finally got my CNC machine up and running a few nights ago, this machine uses steppers from commercial photocopiers and I'm already loosing steps as low as 400Hz operating frequency on an old 386 Laptop.

[Jason Marsha]

Imagineering,
Could you list the name and specs of the stepper motor losing steps.

Jason

[anoel]

what voltage are you running your steppers at?

[Imagineering]

Originally Posted by Jason Marsha Imagineering, Could you list the name and specs of the stepper motor losing steps. Jason

I dont have Torque/Power figures for these steppers but this is what I'm using;

X-Axis;
Sanyo Denki, 4.2 Volt, 1.5 Amp (8 Ohm 20 Watt Resistor)

Y-Axis;
Minebea, 5.7 Volt, 1.14 Amp (9 Ohm 20 Watt Resistor)

Z-Axis;
Shinano Kenshi, 8.5 Volt, 0.96 Amp (8 Ohm 20 Watt Resistor)

I'm using a 16 Volt 5 Amp Linear PSU with the resistor values as above.
The Computer is an old Toshiba 386 Laptop which TurboCNC describes as;
Timer Latency; 11.51 Microseconds
Max is; 431.00
Min is; 11.00
10% Jitter is; 10363.0 Hz

It may very well be a Computer hardware problem, so I've created a thread in the TurboCNC Forum querying the suitability of various Computers I have.