NEMA 17 Stepper Motor + Cork + Heatsink

grabcad

This assembly is commonly used on various models of 3D printers. The cork absorbs some of the vibrations from the motor, but only if the motor is not affixed too tightly. A 40 mm heatsink (plus a fan) prevents motors from overheating and missing steps; ideally, the fan should pull air through the fins, also drawing a small amount of air through the motor's coils. Arctic Alumina thermal adhesive is recommended for attaching the heatsink to the motor, as it can be removed by twisting the heatsink or using acetone to loosen the adhesive with a razor. However, remember that acetone is flammable and corrosive, while razors are sharp, so ensure you use proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for safety. Heatsinks obtained from old computer video processors can work well. Before attaching the heatsink to the motor, clean both parts with acetone or isopropyl alcohol to remove any manufacturing oils and hand oils. Be careful not to let the alcohol or acetone enter the motor as it will damage the bearing seals. For guidance on using thermal adhesive, check YouTube for helpful videos. The NEMA 17 used in this assembly was originally sourced from pefozzy on Thingiverse and combined into a single part for generating BOMs of various projects (thing:185269 and thing:456025). The heatsink was obtained from Alan Bullick's aluminum chipset heatsink design.