Stepper Motor question (newbie here)

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BigRedNole
 
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Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:20 am

Stepper Motor question (newbie here)

Post by BigRedNole »

I have been tasked to automate what is theoretically a very simple project. Unfortunately, it is a daunting task and my efforts so far have been wasting money. I want to fix that by getting the right components at one time.

Project: Gearing a motor, drive a nut up and down a bolt at specified RPMs (example: up at 4RPMs, down at 50RPMs). I want to be able to return the nut back to the starting position as close to exact as possible.

Products: Adafruit Arduino Uno R3, Adafruit Motor/Stepper/Servo shield. I thought the motors came with the kit, but that is not a big deal.

Question: The demands of the motor are extremely minor in my opinion. There will be some minor weight being lifted by the nut on the bolt, but nothing that would require much torque. The stepper motor on Adafruit is rated at 12V. I can get a 12V battery for about $20 or so from Ace Hardware. My question is whether this motor will do the trick because I do not want to have to go buy another one?
https://www.adafruit.com/products/324

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Stepper Motor question (newbie here)

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

That motor should be able to lift a moderate load with a threaded rod. The shaft is 5mm (a little under 1/4"). McMaster-Carr and Amazon Supply are both good sources for couplers to mate the motor with your threaded rod.

You will get quite a bit of mechanical advantage with a threaded rod. Just make sure it is properly lubricated. Average hardware-store threads can be a little rough and might bind a bit under load. They typically smooth out after some use.

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