What is shaft processing that makes stepping motors smaller and reduces the amount of work required?

Typical examples of stepping motor shaft processing include "shaft length adjustment," "D-cut," "keyway processing," and "gear installation."

Other processes include gear machining, through-hole machining, and pulley installation.

Purpose of machining the shaft of a stepping motor

Connection to other parts or devices

The motor shaft must fit precisely to connect with other components.
By machining the shaft diameter and shape, it can be precisely aligned with other components and devices and easily attached.
In addition, by machining a keyway into the shaft, axial misalignment with the coupling and transmission loss can be eliminated.

Benefits of customizing stepping motors

When a customer requires shaft processing, we generally recommend that the shaft is delivered in a customized state. The reasons for this are listed below.

Motor quality can be ensured

If you perform post-processing on the motor yourself, external force may be applied to the shaft, which may damage the bearings, etc.
Damage to the bearings can lead to abnormal noises when the motor is operating and can also adversely affect the motor's lifespan.
On the other hand, when the manufacturer processes the shaft, this is done before the motor is assembled, so no external forces are applied to the bearings, etc., and the quality of the motor is not compromised.

Reduces customer workload

When installing a motor into a device, it is necessary to connect it to a reducer or coupling, but if the shaft side is delivered in a shape that matches the reducer or coupling, it can be used as is.
By having the manufacturer customize the shaft shape, customers can reduce assembly time and the number of parts they need to purchase. In addition, they no longer need machines or equipment for processing.

Warranty including customized parts

Any post-processing done by the customer is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. If the motor is customized by the manufacturer, the entire motor, including the customized parts, is covered by the warranty.

Example of a problem with stepping motor shaft machining

Case 1: The shaft length is not suitable, making miniaturization an issue...

This is an example of an equipment manufacturer that was aiming to downsize their next model of equipment.

The shaft shape of a standard motor did not fit, which was a bottleneck in making the device more compact.
Therefore, we processed the shaft length and shape to perfectly fit the customer's equipment.
This resulted in a nearly built-in design that can be directly connected to the customer's equipment, which enabled us to make the next model more compact.
Furthermore, the problem of misalignment between the device and the motor was resolved by machining the key groove.

Case 2: I want the shaft length to be longer...

This is an example of a kitchen equipment manufacturer's next-generation oven model.

To keep the temperature inside the oven uniform, it was necessary to use a fan-like blade to circulate the air and eliminate temperature variations.
However, because the inside of the oven is so hot, it was not possible to put a motor inside. So we attached a motor to the outside of the oven and attached metal blades to the shaft to rotate it, but because it was a large oven, the shaft length of a standard motor was not long enough, which caused some problems.
Therefore, we processed the shaft and delivered it to the customer with a length that matched their equipment, thereby achieving the intended movement.

If the shaft is lengthened, the radial load ^* and thrust load ^* should be taken into consideration.
* Radial load is a force applied vertically to the center line of the shaft.
*Thrust load (axial load) is a force applied laterally to the center line of the shaft.

In the case of this customer, it was discovered that the radial load would be large because the fan was placed horizontally, so we made the shaft diameter larger to withstand the radial load.

Expertise in Stepping Motor Customization

Please feel free to consult with us about customization requirements and related challenges.
With extensive customization know-how, we can propose functional improvements. 
Through SANYO DENKI’s customization, we help enhance the competitiveness of our customers’ equipment.

* Please note that customization may be subject to certain conditions, such as minimum order quantities. Contact us for further details.