Hybrid Stepper Motors

Case Study: Hybrid Stepper Motors for PSP Dental Scanner

NEMA 17 and 23 Stepper Motors (42Q Geared Series) for Intraoral Scanner and X Ray Film Scanner 

The Challenge

We were approached by a client developing a desktop dental scanner that utilized phosphor plates in clinical settings. While dental PSP scanners are now common, due to their compact size, light weight, convenience, and affordability, the digital diagnostic imaging was still a novel commercial technology at the time.

They were looking for a reliable stepper motor supplier to overcome the limitations of standard, off-the-shelf stepper motors. The supplier needed to provide reliable lead times and superior product quality within the medical imaging device’s size and weight constraints. Pricing was also a key factor, as the PSP X-ray scanner had to be accessible to the average dental clinician.

Our partnership, which started over 15 years ago, has been instrumental to this manufacturer’s global market success, and today they are a leader in PSP scanner manufacturing.

Choosing Between Servo Motors and Stepper Motors

Our OEM client found that mass-produced, standard stepper motors led to vibration and noise in these lightweight scanners, which would hinder their commercial success with clinicians. However, servo motors were not an adequate alternative, as their higher price point would increase the overall price of the digital dental scanner for end users.

Moreover, unlike stepper motors which have built-in position sensors, servo motors require an additional encoder or sensor to track actuation position. This would require a larger footprint for the desktop dental scanner, thereby compromising its appeal.

It was clear that stepper motors were the superior choice for digital x-ray scanners to servo motors, but standard motors were insufficient for our OEM client’s needs. They needed a custom-built solution that delivered high-quality performance with long service life.

Custom Engineering and Manufacturing Process

We engaged in a collaborative design and development process to customize the perfect stepper motors for our client’s medical imaging devices from scratch. Eventually, this client’s dental intraoral scanner utilized a custom version of our NEMA 17 42Q geared stepper motors. Currently, our OEM client’s PSP scanner is also one of the smallest in the industry, with a smaller surface area than leading PSP scanner brands, making it particularly attractive to end users.

We continued our collaborative development with this medical imaging OEM as they developed other computed radiography (CR) scanners for veterinary and mammography applications. These later developments used a customized stepper motor from our NEMA 23 series.

Once the custom motors were developed, we became their primary manufacturer for NEMA 17 and NEMA 23 stepper motors. The easy transition from development to manufacturing was made possible by our reverse engineering and R&D capabilities, as well as our reliable lead times.

The Result

Our stepper motors successfully fulfilled our client’s needs for excellent motor performance (low noise and vibration) and reliable manufacturing supply, while maintaining overall product affordability and competitive specs. As a result, our digital x-ray scanner OEM now claims the largest market share of the regional computed radiography industry, with clients in North and South Americas, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

We were able to leverage this expertise to create long-term partnerships with various medical imaging OEMs, and build a reputation for collaboration, reliability, and product performance.  For more information or price quotations on our stepper motors, reach out to speak to our dedicated product manager.

Stepper Motor for Dental X-Ray Film Scanner Equipment Case Study

Case Study: Stepper Motors for Automated Document Feeders

NEMA 23 Stepper Motor for Automated Document Feeder Applications | 56Q Geared Series

Summary

A Japanese global printer and photocopier machine manufacturer was looking for a reliable, long-term partner to manufacture NEMA 23 stepper motors for their ADFs (Automated Document Feeders) when total in-house production became too costly. After a collaborative process of co-designing and testing our custom stepper motors with our engineers, the manufacturer made us their exclusive supplier for stepper motors.

The Challenge

The client first approached us for a consultation with our design engineers. They were looking for NEMA 23 rotary hybrid stepper motors with a positioning accuracy of under 5% for their ADFs. Accurate motion control was required to push and pull documents through the scanner.

The Design Process

Our engineers developed custom motor specifications that were perfectly suited to the client’s ADFs. They considered several factors in the design, including ADF type, paper sizes, and machine operating speeds. Further, thanks to our experience with printer and scanner applications, we knew that the ideal holding torque for the ADFs should be between 0.1Nm and 0.5Nm.

We used the standard NEMA 23 hybrid stepper motors from our 56Q series as our baseline design. Then, from the standard model, we customized the housing design and holding torque to 0.4Nm. We happily supplied custom stepper motors without regard for the client’s order volume, which was small at the beginning. Before expanding production, we provided samples of the custom hybrid stepper motors to our client, so that they could observe and test the performance in their automated document feeders to satisfaction.

The Result

Our custom stepper motors excelled in our client’s performance tests on our first design. Likewise, we hold a perfect track record in satisfying our clients’ specific needs on our first iterations of custom stepper motor designs.

Check out NEMA 23 Stepper Motors in the 56Q Series product datasheet for more information, or contact us to place an order for custom hybrid stepper motors.

Stepper Motors for Optical and Optometry Equipment

NEMA 17, 23 and 24 Hybrid Stepper Motors for Medical Imaging Equipment | 42Q Series

Background

A leading optical imaging scanner manufacturer was looking for a stepper motor manufacturer whose expertise, efficiency, and accommodation would make for a valuable long-term partner as they developed new devices and expanded their product range.

The Challenge

The new supplier had to meet the quality of their current stepper motor manufacturer, a Japanese company, at a lower cost. In addition, the client was engaged in many R&D projects, requiring engineering support and customized motor development, which their existing supplier was unwilling to support.

Our Solution

We suggested our NEMA 17 motors from our 42Q series as a replacement for their existing hybrid stepper motors. The client was able to inspect and test our stepper motors in their own equipment and production facilities. We were successful in identifying the right model for their needs and providing high quality products on our first attempt, which helped gain their trust.

The partnership didn’t end there. Our engineers collaborated with the client to design and develop new precision optometry equipment. Due to our experience with designing stepper motors for the medical industry, this collaboration has been prolific in producing over 10 ophthalmic and optometry equipment types for the client. Moreover, our involvement from the design stage helped our client save time and costs in their product development funnel. Our custom 2-phase hybrid stepper motor solution for this client expanded to include our NEMA 17, NEMA 23, and NEMA 24 stepper motors.

The Result

This relationship has since evolved into a 20-year long-term partnership that continues to produce a range of industry-leading optometry equipment for this client, who is the leading and most trusted brand by medical professionals in 114 countries.

Stepper Motors vs. Servo Motors for Medical Imaging Equipment and Devices

Our client chose hybrid stepper motors over servo motors for their ophthalmic and optical devices for multiple reasons.

1) Superior position control: Stepper motors provide the unique capacity to control motor position without a separate encoder or position sensor, which lowers production costs. In contrast, servo motors require an additional encoder or sensor to identify the motor position, which makes them the less cost-efficient option. Finding high-quality, cost-efficient custom motors was important for this client, as they produced end-user medical devices.

2) High Holding Torque: Stepper motors have superior holding torque, especially when compared to servo motors. As a result, they are ideal for applications in precision equipment and vision system positioning such as our client’s ophthalmic equipment, which require standstill stability.

3) Smooth, Consistent Motion: Our hybrid stepper motors operate in half-step rotations and work with micro-stepping drivers for smoother motion and more consistent torque production.

With decades-long expertise in stepper motor applications in the medical field, we offer efficient custom solutions for your equipment development. We are happy to help you find the right stepper motor for your equipment, even in small order volumes.

Check out our NEMA 17 Stepper Motors in the 42Q Series product datasheet for more information, or contact us to place an order for custom hybrid stepper motors.

Custom Stepper Motors for Ophthalmic and Optometry Equipment Business Case