ThinGap 2300 Series - Construction Video 1:17min

The ThinGap Embedded Motor is a very high performance BLDC motor with smoothness and design flexibility beyond any other motor.

 A ThinGap motor consists of five components:

• Hub* (Can be part of a larger mechanism)
  
  
• Shaft* (Can be part of a larger mechanism)
  
  
• Rotor (Can be integrated into a larger mechanism)
  
  
• Stator
  
  
• Mount* (Can be part of a larger mechanism)

* May be supplied by either ThinGap or the customer

ThinGap has available a variety of Voltage and Torque constants when pairing up the components:

2 coils options are available with a “Wye” and a “Delta wiring of the stator.

4 Rotor options are available with the rotor outside diameter from 2.24” to 2.625”. 

2 different standard mountings: M1 (Minimum size Round), and M2.

Part Sets are available with all offerings.

Hall Effect Sensors are standard with a thermistor for monitoring of stator temperature.

All ThinGap motors can be used as a generators.

Volume Efficiency:

The ThinGap Motor is essentially hollow. When space is precious, other components or structure of the mechanism can be located inside the motor. Contact ThinGap for details.

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Hub: Typically made of aluminum, with holes to allow cooling, the Hub is press-fit into the rotor. Hubs can be manufactured by ThinGap or by the customer for integration into a larger mechanism. Dimensioned drawings can be supplied by ThinGap in PDF or Solidworks format.

Shaft: Shafts are normally made of tool steel, and are press fit into the Hub. A circlip, fitting into a circumferential slot in the shaft, retains the Shaft/Hub/Rotor assembly to the Mount. 

Rotor: The ThinGap Rotor consists of three pieces: Outer Iron, Inner Iron, and Magnets. The Outer Iron and Inner Iron are pressed together after the magnets are bonded to either the Outer Iron, Inner Iron or both. Second machining operations (such as drilled/tapped holes) can be performed to either the Outer Iron or Inner Iron before magnet installation and assembly. Note: Rotors may need to be balanced after assembly for high RPM operation.

Stator: The ThinGap Stator is the heart of the ThinGap Motor. The ThinGap Stator is a laminated structure of precision-etched copper sheets, each separated by an insulating layer. Multiple patents cover the design of the Stator and the manufacturing techniques used. The copper “coil” is bonded to a mounting ring.

Mount: ThinGap Mounts typically contain double bearings in flexible housings in order to prevent misalignment. 

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Stators:

ThinGap Embedded Motor Stators are constructed from precision-etched sheets of copper. Sheets are wound on mandrels with insulation between each layer of copper. A mounting ring is then attached, and the layups impregnated with resin and cured.

A mounting ring (custom available) is soldered and bonded to the base of the Stator. Note that mounting rings can be bonded either inside the coil, outside the coil (allowing more clear space inside the ring) or both. A small PCB with Hall sensors and a thermistor is attached, and the Stators inspected and tested. Note that mounting rings can be bonded either inside the coil, outside the coil (allowing more clear space inside the ring) or both.

Stators can be made to order in diameters and axial lengths to meet OEM customer requirements for mechanical fit as well as torque and speed properties.

Stators are available with an internal wiring for a "Wye" or Delta configuration. The "Wye" offers a higher Torque Constant than the Delta. The Delta is used in lower voltage applications or higher speed whereas the "Wye" is used in higher Torque or higher voltage applications.

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Rotors:

ThinGap Embedded Motor Rotors are constructed from magnet material such as carbon steel and 17-4PH stainless steel.

Different models of Rotors are used in combination with different models of Stators to achieve a range of Torque/Speed characteristics.

Rotors can have magnets mounted outside the inner iron of the Rotor, inside the outside iron of the Rotor, or both.

For high speed applications, the magnets must be mounted inside the outer iron to make the centrifugal force work to hold the magnets in place.

The ThinGap Embedded Motor uses Neodymium magnets. Operating range is up to 100 degrees C measured at the stator. Exceeding the temperature range will cause Neodymium magnets to lose field strength as temperature increases. Permanent loss of field strength will occur if the magnets are exposed to consistently high temperatures.

See the 2300 Series Rotor Video 1:19min

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Hubs and Shafts:

Shafts are press-fit into the Hub.  Hubs are press-fit into the Rotor body. Custom Shafts and Hubs are used for many purposes on ThinGap Embedded Motors. Dimensions, materials, designs can be varied greatly.

The ThinGap Embedded Motor allows a wide variety of Shafts (or no shaft at all) to be used. Solid Shafts of different diameters, Shafts with special steps, indentations, keyways or other features can be accommodated.  While Shafts are normally fabricated from hardened steel, other materials can be used as well, including both aluminum, brass and titanium.

Customers often design, manufacture and install special Shafts and Hubs to save space and increase the performance of mechanisms.

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Mounts:

 

The ThinGap Embedded Motor can either be used with a generic ThinGap mount or highly integrated into a customer’s mechanism to save space or weight, or to increase performance in various dimensions.

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Application Examples: