When purchasing an electric motor, there are various factors to keep in mind when making your selection – these include voltage, current, speed and torque. Be mindful of a motor’s duty cycle and lifecycle when operating beyond its rated capacity. Doing so wastes energy and could potentially result in overheating of the unit.
Price
Price of an electric motor should be taken into account when selecting the ideal powertrain for your vehicle. When considering various aspects that determine its cost and your budget, this can help make an informed decision. Key aspects that contribute to its price include manufacturing materials and techniques used, design engineering practices used during manufacture, assembly processes used, quality testing procedures implemented as part of quality assurance testing procedures, overhead expenses associated with distribution/marketing efforts as well as profit margin.
Manufacturing and materials costs of an electric motor include copper wires, laminations, magnets and insulation materials – with higher-grade industrial electric motors typically having more expensive materials used for manufacturing and assembly. Research, development and prototyping phases also add costs; while labor and assembly play an integral part in overall electric motor costs. Depending on its complexity and level of customization will also impact these aspects of its cost.
when purchasing an electric motor, it’s essential to consider both its upfront price and long-term costs. Select a motor with high energy efficiency ratings – saving money through reduced energy consumption – as well as efficient cooling mechanisms that prevent overheating while cutting maintenance and repair costs.
Efficiency
Electric motors consume significant energy when running, so efficiency should be one of the top considerations when selecting one. A more energy-efficient motor will decrease costs while increasing productivity.
To evaluate a specific electric motor’s performance, take note of its torque and horsepower ratings. A motor with high torque will enable you to perform tasks requiring forceful movements like lifting heavy machinery more easily. Furthermore, pay close attention to speed and power density; higher values indicate more efficiency from that particular motor.
As when selecting any major investment, one key aspect to keep in mind when purchasing an electric motor is its operating duty cycle. Since most applications don’t run continuously, you should select a motor which can handle peak loads without overheating; also consider selecting one with low temperature rise.
For an informed decision, it’s essential to understand your budget and environment of use for the motor. Consider factors like its ingress protection rating so it can stand up against harsh working environments as well as its fan-cooling status; non-ventilated motors take longer to cool off after use than fan-cooled ones.
Durability
Considerations should always be given to the durability of an electric motor when being used in harsh environments, especially if this will include temperature extremes, media conditions, vibration exposure and maintenance regimens such as greasing the bearings, performing preventive or predictive maintenance and keeping away contaminants.
Durability of electric motors can also depend on their workload requirements; when overworked, motors experience stress that shortens their lifespan significantly. Therefore, it’s essential that you know the load requirements of any applications that involve using an electric motor.
Consideration should also be given to the enclosure rating and environment where your motor will operate, with certain environments necessitating increased protection from water or dust, or food-grade stainless steel material being necessary for some applications. Furthermore, it’s necessary to determine whether you will require an AC or DC motor with DC being more powerful upfront but requiring more frequent maintenance than AC motors; and brushless or brush-type electric motors as brush motors create sparks which cannot be used in environments prone to explosions such as those found inflammable environments such as explosions.
Warranty
Purchase of an electric motor may seem straightforward at first, but selecting the model with the lowest initial cost may be misleading. When making this important purchase decision it is also important to keep other factors such as lifespan in mind as these will have an effect on its total life-span beyond initial price alone.
An environment can make an enormous impactful statement about its longevity of a motor. Will it be operating in areas with extreme temperatures, in which case an insulated motor may be necessary to protect its internal components from excessive heat. Ambient temperature also has an impact on performance by decreasing efficiency and increasing power consumption.
Mechanical stress can have a substantial effect on a motor’s lifespan and should be taken into account as an important consideration. For instance, installing it on an uneven surface could result in vibrational shocks that lead to internal mechanical issues. To minimize any damages due to incorrect installation it is highly advised that professional installers be hired.
Considerations when purchasing an electric motor include its warranty. A manufacturer’s guarantee can help you decide whether the product meets both your application and budget needs, with warranty information easily found by using Smart Search or browsing to the product page on eMotors Direct’s website.