Benefits of Pancake Motor Design

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing landscape, industries are increasingly focused on improving precision, efficiency, and accuracy in their operations. As a result, the demand for advanced motion control solutions has never been greater.

Pancake motors, otherwise known as servodisc motors or printed armature motors, are rising to meet these demands. These innovative motors are gaining popularity across numerous industrial sectors due to their ability to deliver rapid stop-start functionality with a compact design, low inductance, minimal cogging, and precise control. Compared to conventional brushed DC motors, pancake motors offer distinct performance and reliability benefits, making them well-suited to high-end servo applications where precision and efficiency are critical.

Learn more about pancake motor design and its numerous advantages below.

How Pancake Motors Are Designed

Pancake motors feature a distinctive design that sets them apart from other motor types. A key element of their design is the armature, which consists of windings printed on a disc — hence the name “printed armature.” The disc is often made from an insulating, non-magnetic material such as glass fiber, with copper conductors. The armature disc, or rotor, sits between two stator discs, each containing permanent magnets that are arranged with alternating north poles and south poles. This configuration generates opposing magnetic fields between adjacent pairs, enabling high efficiency and precision.

The construction of pancake motors results in an axial air gap, with magnetic flux that runs along the length of the motor. This allows current to flow radially, from the center to the outer edges, producing torque around the motor’s axis through the Lorentz force principle. Pancake motors also feature an ironless core for smoother operation, and they lack a commutator, significantly reducing maintenance needs.

Benefits of This Design

Due to their unique design, pancake motors offer numerous benefits that make them an ideal choice for applications requiring precise, smooth, and high-performance operation. Key benefits include:

• No Cogging or Torque Ripple: The ironless armature eliminates cogging, which commonly occurs in traditional motors when magnets in the stator attempt to align with the iron in the rotor, causing uneven motion. Pancake motors can achieve smooth, consistent motion with no torque ripple.
• Low Inductance and nNo Arcing: Their ironless design also results in minimal inductance, which improves efficiency and reduces energy loss. Because there is no need to dissipate stored energy during commutation, there is no arcing of the brushes. This greatly enhances brush life and reduces maintenance requirements.
• Higher Peak Torque: Due to their ironless armature and axial magnetic field, pancake motors can withstand peak currents up to 10 times their continuous rating. This means that pancake motors produce higher peak torques compared to traditional motors.
• Instant Torque Production: The minimal inductance of pancake motors results in low electrical time constants. This allows for very fast current flow for virtually instant torque production.
• Compact Design: The flat construction and lack of a commutator ring result in a much more compact motor compared to conventional cylindrical motors.
• Fast Acceleration and Deceleration: Their slim design and low inertia allow pancake motors to achieve extremely quick start-stop cycles.

Learn More About Pancake Motors

Pancake motors are proving to be a game-changing solution for applications requiring precise motor control, high efficiency, and reliable stop-start capabilities. At Pelonis Technologies, we offer superior, cost-effective pancake motors for use in various industries and applications. With extensive product development and manufacturing experience, our expert team strives to provide excellent quality, innovation, and service all at a competitive price.

As part of our catalog, we offer our GM Series Pancake Motors for high-performance industrial applications, our GP Series Pancake Motors for general-purpose applications, and our GN Series Brushed Pancake Motors for compact and responsive motion control solutions. For more information about our pancake motors and other offerings, contact us or request a quote today.