3D Printed Single Coil Pulse Motor

myminifactory

As a single coil 3d printed pulse motor, it packs surprisingly little torque, rendering it all but useless except for science fair projects and boasts that are more about ego than engineering merit, but the assembly process is undeniably fun, fine tuning requires patience and precision, and testing yields results that are both thrilling and educational. Check out a video of this prototype at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2n7DDyfocE. Built on a Replicator 2 using Makerware's "standard" settings in PLA, this motor has its limitations. Caveats abound: After carefully winding the coil, I measured its resistance to be a precise 24 ohms. At 5Vdc, that translates to a current of .208 amps. Using an infrared temperature detector, I found the operating temperature of the coil to be merely ambient (room temperature). Running the motor at higher voltages will naturally result in increased currents and thus higher temperatures which could potentially melt the spool structure. Mine runs safely and efficiently within a voltage range of 3 to 6VDC, resulting in a stable and safe spool temperature for PLA.