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IndustryArena Forum > CNC Electronics > Gecko Drives > Steppers are going hot
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    46

    Steppers are going hot

    And they smell if you get your nose up on them .

    I cant touch them so i think that it must be more than 70 Celsius . So i was wondering what could be the cause . Is it that i am going way to slow, is it the resistors that if i can recall is less than the steppers amperage, what would it be ?

    So is it a bad thing or it is normal .

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Steppers are going hot

    depending on which manufacturers data sheet you look at 70 to 80 C is normal !

    RS Pro H i g h T o r q u e H y b r i d Stepper Motor.pdf

    with stepper motors the current is controlled by the stepper driver and does not depend on the mechanical load on the motor

    some stepper drivers reduce the current when the drive is idle which helps to reduce the motors temperature when its idle and not moving

    with stepper drivers like the Geckodrive G540
    the default motor current is 3.5A with no resistor fitted to set the current

    the current reduction when idle only works
    when the 3.5K resistor is fitted to set the current to 3.5A - a detail that can be missed


    see page 4 of the manual !

    Attachment 415690



    John

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    46

    Re: Steppers are going hot

    thanks for ur reply. I am way down from what you have told. my bigger resistor is 2.8 and the others are 2.2Kohls. I also use a 24v psu which is lower than the 50v that g540 can handle. I also use speeds at 600mm/min, which is slow. so I am not pushing my steppers and that's why I am wondering where is the fault I 've done .

    thanks guys, once more, for ur kind replies...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2083

    Re: Steppers are going hot

    whats the part number of the stepper motor are you using ?

    whats the motor current specified in the motor data ?
    if you set the G540's output higher than specified the motor will over heat
    reducing the current will reduce the motors torque


    from the G540's manual
    The power supply voltage is determined by multiplying the square root of the motor’s inductance by 32, as in the example below for a 2mH rated motor:
    32 * (?2) = 45VDC

    powering the G540 with a 24V supply will reduce the maximum speed youcan step the motor unless you have a motor with a very low inductance

    I don't expect you will find a motor with a 0.56 mH inductance

    32 x root 0.56 = 24

    John

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