Looking for motor that's tiny; slow and quiet

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LostBoyNZ

New Member

• Feb 17, 2010

• #1

Hi. I'm making a custom PC case, and need a motor just to slowly turn some black cardboard around and around. I think something like 60 rpm would be perfect. Since I'm making the PC to be nearly silent however, the motor also needs to be just about silent. I think the motor will also need to be smaller than about 5cm (2 inches).

I was wondering if anyone has any hints of what type of motor to search online for that might fit my needs?

Thanks so much!

 

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mneary

New Member

• Feb 18, 2010

• #2

I wonder if the spindle motor from a floppy drive (360 or 300 rpm) could be hacked?

 

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LostBoyNZ

New Member

• Feb 18, 2010

• #3

Hmm I wonder yeah. That could be powered from inside the computer too, which would certainly be an advantage.

I was just thinking now if taking apart a clock could work?

 

Hero999

Banned

• Feb 18, 2010

• #4

Use a synchronous mains motor with the appropriate ratio gearbox to give 60RPM?

 

Boncuk

New Member

• Feb 18, 2010

• #5

Hi,

a stepper motor would certainly mean some electronics around it to get it turn the way you want.

There are small DC-motors with reduction gear for robot applications. They are fully encapsuled including the gear box and available for any transmission ratio.

I purchased two of them for a solar tracker driving a worm gear and they are really small. Motor diameter is 8mm and gear box 10mm, overall length is 15mm.

Google for robot motor drives.

Boncuk

 

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LostBoyNZ

New Member

• Feb 19, 2010

• #6

Thanks guys!

After googling those I found this, which seems like what I'd want. It's about 38rpm but that'd still be totally fine. It runs on 5v, which is perfect to take power from a USB port but it says "With a 5V power source it draws 600mA when stalled and 52ma when unloaded."

I see USB has a maximum output of 500mA, but I'm not quite sure what the text means about it drawing 600mA when it stalls. Being too much, I imagine that would damage the computer?

Gear Motor 2: Offset Shaft

Thanks again!

 

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HarveyH42

Banned

• Feb 19, 2010

• #7

Why use the USB for power. This is for inside the case, so use the 5 volts from the pigtail connector. Have spent much time inside a computer case, since I stopped building my own, (Pentium was still relatively new, Windows 95), so been a few years, and a lot of changes, but the power supplies still seem about the same, should have 5v and 12v, and plenty of current to work with.

 

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LostBoyNZ

New Member

• Feb 19, 2010

• #8

Thank you, haha, that's a perfect solution. It shows how little I know about the power supply and such going on inside a computer. It's my first mod (although it'll be my 3rd computer build) and has been one big learning experience.