Hi guys, I am trying to find out what the difference in stepper motors are. I understand a Nema 23 is a bigger motor than a Nema 17. Does their speeds differ, how much stronger is one over the other as far as working through a cut. What about amperage between them? I am thinking about building an OX-Metal with threaded rod drive and I am not really sure what I might be cutting on it. Sure I plan on being able to cut 16mm mdf and perhaps 6mm Aluminium plate, but I am not planning on going any bigger than that. A Dewalt router is the plan for the spindle at this stage and I believe it will cut through almost anything. Great site, by the way and thanks for sharing!
Hello Paul. Thank you for posting. Please see the Specs for our different NEMA Stepper Motors in the Product Details section of the pages below; NEMA 23 Stepper Motor - High Torque NEMA 23 Stepper Motor NEMA 17 Stepper Motor We hope this helps and we look forward to seeing your Build posted on OpenBuilds.com!
It varies. Some 17s are faster that 23s and vice versa. It depends on the physical construction of the motor, the power supplied, the load, and the drives. In general, 17s have more zip and 23s have more torque. Torque at a given rpm is really the important spec. However, without a torque curve and data sheet it gets tedious to determine how a motor will perform overall. So using what is working for many others is a good starting point. I think a good beginner's rule of thumb is to have others look at your machine design and your intent to use it to help determine motor size. At this point, the OX and C-beam are pretty much Nema 23 systems for their torque at operation speeds. One might get away with a 17 on the Z for light tools like a dremel, pen, printer, etc. Joe.
Thanks for your reply Joe and CiaraB. I have decided on the Nema 23's as they seemed to be what most are using. I went for the middle of the range ones, being 127 oz. From what I have learnt so far they should be ok to cut aluminium although I have no idea what I am going to be cutting on the machine next apart from the aluminium plates.
