What Is Stepper Motor. What Are Its Uses?
A stepper motor is a type of electric motor that can rotate in discrete steps, or angles, by receiving a series of electric pulses.
The advantage of a stepper motor is that it can move and hold its position precisely without any feedback sensor, as long as it is correctly sized and controlled for the application.
Stepper motors are widely used in robotics, CNC machines, 3D printers, cameras, and other devices that require accurate and precise movements.
¹²Some common applications of stepper motors are:- Robotics: Stepper motors can provide precise and repeatable movements for robotic arms, grippers, wheels, and other parts.
They can also be programmed to perform complex tasks and sequences. Stepper motors are used in Mars rovers, for example, to drive wheels and operate cameras and instruments.
³- CNC Machines: CNC stands for ComputerNumericalControl and refers to machines that can cut, drill, mill or engrave materials using computer instructions.
stepper motors are used to control the position and speed of cutting tools and the workpiece. For example, stepper motors are used in CNC milling machines, lathes, milling machines, plasma cutters, and laser engravers.
⁴- 3D Printers: 3D printers are devices that can create physical objects from digital models by layering materials.
The stepper motors are used to move the print head and build the plate at precise intervals, allowing the printer to create complex shapes and details. For example, stepper motors are used in FDM (FusedDepositionModeling), SLA (Stereolithography), and DLP (DigitalLightProcessing) printers.
⁵- Cameras: Stepper motors can be used to control the focus, zoom, iris, shutter, and pan/tilt functions of cameras.
They can also be used to create smooth, stable motion when shooting video or time-lapse photos. Stepper motors are used, for example, in DSLR cameras (digital single-lens reflex cameras), webcams, security cameras, and camera sliders.