3D Printed Single Coil Pulse Motor

cults3d

As a single-coil 3D printed pulse motor, it packs very little torque, rendering it nearly useless except for science fair projects and bragging rights, but assembling, fine-tuning, and testing it is an absolute blast. Video of the prototype in action can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2n7DDyfocE. The motor was printed on a Replicator 2 using Makerware's standard settings in PLA material. Important considerations: After carefully winding my coil, I measured a resistance of 24 ohms. At 5Vdc, this translates to a current draw of .208 amps. Using an infrared temperature detector to measure the operating temperature, I found that the coil remained at ambient (room temperature) levels. Running the motor at higher voltages would result in increased currents and subsequently higher temperatures, potentially causing the spool structure to melt. Fortunately, my setup runs safely within a 3 to 6VDC range, resulting in a comfortable spool temperature for PLA material.