Applications
Industrial and non-industrial applications demand high performances permanent magnet brushless synchronous motors. Although not a high-volume product, torque motors range over wide applications. Fields where they gave good results are, for instance: machine tools, machining centers, metal forming, rotary transfer systems, printing/converting machines, plastics extrusion/injection molding machines, and in the printing industry. Non industrial applications include wind power generation and wave power harvesting. Also its can be used in ocean wave power conversion and in new-generation elevators, replacing hydraulic solutions with lower maintenance cost and simpler installation benefits. In short, torque motors are at home wherever traditional gear trains, chains, or timing belts have been used in the past.
The most unique feature of a torque motor concerns their physical dimensions. They have a relatively large diameter to length ratio, and they also have a rather short axial length. Torque motors are a type of “frameless” motor. This means that the motor does not include a housing, bearings, or feedback device. In this sense the motor is a “kit” motor, meant to be an integral part of the machine structure. To assist in integrating torque motors, they can be provided with a reusable assembly aid called a “bridge”. The bridge is set at the factory to ensure the proper alignment of the rotor and stator for assembly. The bridge also keeps the magnetic field contained within the motor, thereby eliminating the need for a special non-ferrous area for assembly, and protecting the rotor from damage from metal scraps or loose screws.