Motors

The main types of motor and their uses

There are several main types of motors, used in a variety of situations, from the manufacture of small electronic or household appliances to aircraft and industrial machine tools. Depending on the end use, consumption and even size, the same engine model will not be integrated into a machine. The main types of motors include AC or DC, synchronous or asynchronous and brushless engines.

Alternating current engine

AC motors are used in many industrial applications due to their high functional flexibility. These engine models have a low starting power consumption and many settings can be set: acceleration, torque limit, starting speed, etc. AC motors can be synchronous or induction/asynchronous motors. The former is used in particular for constant speed control equipment and high precision positioning devices.

The induction motor is the most widely used AC motor in the industry due to its high load capacity. It is integrated either in small appliances such as household appliances for a single-phase motor, or in industrial tools requiring a greater force such as lifting equipment, pumps or compressors, for a three-phase motor.

Direct current motor

The DC motor is the most represented in industrial applications today. The initial costs are lower than for an AC motor for low-power devices, but can quickly increase for high-power devices. Installation of the DC motor is easy, and its various functions are quickly put into operation. It also has a high starting torque and a linear torque-speed curve.

Brushed motor

The brushed motor is the most classic model. It is mainly used for consumer applications and relatively basic industrial equipment. Under heavy use, the life span of a brushed motor is relatively limited. There is a wide range of brushed motors which can be series excited, shunt excited, compound or permanent magnets.

Brushless motor

The use of brushless motors overcomes some of the disadvantages of the brushed motor. They have a simple mechanism that gives them a long service life and requires little maintenance. This type of motor is often used in applications requiring high reliability and robustness, such as fans, pumps or compressors.

The motor is a major source of vibration

Regardless of the engine model used, this element generates significant vibrations that can cause early wear and damage to other functional equipment on a machine (onboard equipment, control devices, etc.). It is therefore essential to insulate a motor correctly, to limit possible damage to itself or its direct environment.

Paulstra anti-vibration and acoustic solutions

The anti-vibration and acoustic solutions offered by Paulstra are designed to provide effective vibration and acoustic insulation for various types of motors for all types of use. We have developed numerous elastomeric and metallic anti-vibration mounts, acoustic foams, elastic joints and couplings as well as dynamic sealing solutions to best protect the motor and its direct environment from vibration-related damage and noise.