And, of course, a capable 3D printer. I own the MakerGear M2.
Situation
After being inspired by existing designs, I began researching brushless DC motors (BLDC). However, reading can only take you so far-I wanted to build one from scratch to better understand winding patterns, slot counts, and printable tolerances.
Task
Build an eight-pole, twelve-slot motor that prints cleanly, can be wound by hand, and assembled using off-the-shelf hardware.
Action
First, I did lots and lots of reading. The links above were invaluable for understanding the theory behind BLDC motors.
I settled on an 8-pole, 12-slot concentrated winding as a good balance between complexity and ease of winding.
I modeled the entire motor in Blender from scratch to ensure all parts fit together (see file linked above).
I inverted Christoph Laimer’s design to place the stator on the outside and the rotor on the inside, allowing for easier mounting.
All parts were printed in PLA on a MakerGear M2.
The stator was wound manually by hand using 24 AWG magnet wire.
I used the winding calculators linked above to ensure the correct number of turns and proper winding pattern.
I ordered all hardware and magnets online.
Once everything arrived, I assembled all metal and plastic components.
After winding and assembly was complete, I tested the motor using a simple DC speed controller.
Result
Video Demonstration
Noise Warning: The motor is somewhat loud but runs smoothly and effectively demonstrates the principles of BLDC motors.
