[Dylwad]

Do steppers usually run better after they are warmed up? Or does it make a difference?

Dylan

[erase42]

it may be all in my head, but i had one that would drag a little bit and never seemed to do it once it got warm. Ive got no proof though.

Ed

[H500]

There's no reason for them to work better at high temperatures. If it's dragging, the alignment is probably off by a few microns. Heating causes expansion, which probably just happened to deform the motor in the right direction to stop the drag.

[Dylwad]

From the Stepper motor white papers on www.geckodrive.com

An efficient motor, defined as the smallest motor sufficient to meet the demands of the
application, will run hot. Think of the motor as having a fixed power conversion efficiency. Some
percentage of the input power will be converted to heat; the rest will be converted to mechanical
power. To get the maximum performance from the motor, the waste heat must be just under what
the motor can tolerate. Usually this motor will be biased to operate just past the corner speed as
well.

Dylan

[Torsten]

Electricity is most efficent in very cold environments.
Getting close to a superconductor at some -300 degr.
I do not know of any limits on this but this is about
what can be archived withliquid nitrogen.
The same can not be said for most bearings however
they are usually build to tolerances that allow them to
operate at higher temperatures. which makes them very
sloppy in cold environments.
On a stepper motor there is definately some compromise.
Efficiency as defined by a motor doing the most work in
relation to the energy supplied cold will be better.
Heat is lost energy.
I don't think the most energy efficent stepper motor setup
would lead to a resonable compromise.
It requires higher voltages and some exess current to get
the most work out of any given motor size.

[CNC Darren]

While I cant see any reason for them to work better hot. Mine for some reason do seem to run better hot rather than cold(could just be me) so I thurn them on and let them sit for 10-15 minutes before I start cutting. Note: my router in in my garage which has been in the mid to low 30's right now, during the summer they worked fine cold or hot.

Darren

[ViperTX]

Pick a stepper and look at it's specified operating temperature range, they may even specify a storage temperature. Better then guessing...I guess....*smile*

[ViperTX]

Here's an excerpt from Pacific Scientific's Nema 23 Steppers:
2. Do not subject the motor to any of the following conditions:
• Locations where strong vibrations or shock occur
• Dusty locations
• Locations where water, oil or other liquids are likely to come
in contact with the motor
• Locations where the ambient temerature is outside the
permissible temperature range of -20°C (-4°F) to +40°C
(+104°F)
3. Temperature rise
• The temperature rise of the motor's outer surface should not
exceed +100°C (+212°F). Note that operating the motor with
a constant-current driver can lead to a sharp rise in
temperature under certain drive conditions. Employ forced-air
cooling if the temperature exceeds +100°C (+212°F).