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Ultra-Small Pancake Motors Keep Gimbals Moving

Ultra-Small Pancake Motors Keep Gimbals Moving

Servo motors are at the heart of modern gimbals, allowing them to move and position components in tracking and communication equipment for military and surveillance devices, navigation systems, industrial robots as well as drones and UAVs. In order to achieve the precision these demanding applications require, the motor you choose must operate smoothly and offer high torque and low cogging capabilities. And, it must be compact and lightweight for use in space- and mass-constrained devices.

To meet these challenges, we’ve introduced a line of ultra-compact high-performance gimbal motors. Featuring a pancake-style form factor, the motors are wound to operate at low speeds typical for gimbals while exhibiting a high torque constant for fast response when needed. Our gimbal motors are engineered to minimize cogging torque and ensure smooth rotation for stable imaging or pointing. Because these brushless motors are electronically commutated, they can change speeds quickly and offer exceptional reliability. Orbex gimbal motors are also lightweight — an important characteristic for drones, UAVs and other airborne craft that need to maximize flight time.

Orbex gimbal motors are available in two sizes: 16 millimeters (OD) by 10 millimeters (H) and 26 millimeters (OD) by 12 millimeters (H). In addition to these standard units, Orbex can also provide custom-engineered motors to meet your application’s needs, with special windings, connector configurations or mounting interfaces. The motors allow users to easily integrate a magnetic encoder for feedback.

High Performance and Compact Size to Suit Demanding Applications
DC servo motors are integral to gimbals and many other devices that require slow, precise movement and positioning. Thin, lightweight Orbex pancake-style motors are ideal for space-constrained applications and deliver the smooth rotation, low-cogging operation, high torque constant and reliability that modern gimbal systems demand. Be sure to speak to an Orbex technical sales representative to learn more about how to incorporate pancake-style motors into your gimbal system.

For more information, contact us.

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