{"id":1547,"date":"2026-07-30T14:29:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T06:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/?post_type=news&p=1547"},"modified":"2026-08-07T11:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T03:34:15","slug":"how-to-choose-a-stepper-motor-for-a-carving-machine-a-complete-selection-guide-from-beginner-to-proficient","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%ae%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1\/how-to-choose-a-stepper-motor-for-a-carving-machine-a-complete-selection-guide-from-beginner-to-proficient\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose a stepper motor for a carving machine? A complete selection guide from beginner to proficient"},"content":{"rendered":"

The stepper motor is the “heart” of the carving machine. If selected correctly, the carving machine can work quickly and steadily; Choosing the wrong one, either throw away useless steps or suffer from resonance noise. So, how to choose the stepper motor for the engraving machine?<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0This article will provide you with a complete practical guide from core parameters, common misconceptions, to selection steps.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/b>Step angle and phase number – trade-off between accuracy <\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>and vibration<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Motor Type<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\nStep angle<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\nFeatures<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\nApplicable<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>Scenarios<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2phase<\/td>\n1.8\u00b0<\/td>\nLow cost, large low-speed vibration, and fast torque attenuation at high speeds<\/td>\nIn situations where high speed and low precision are not required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3phase<\/td>\n1.2\u00b0<\/td>\nLess vibration, high-speed performance 30%~50% higher than two-phase<\/td>\nIn situations where high speed, precision, and stability are required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

For most DIY or desktop carving machines, the two-phase stepper motor has the highest cost-effectiveness; In situations where high surface smoothness is required for carving, three-phase motors can be considered<\/h3>\n

3. <\/b>Speed range – don’t be fooled by low-speed parameters<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n

A fatal weakness of stepper motors is that the torque rapidly decays with increasing speed. It is generally recommended to control the actual working speed below 600rpm; When the torque exceeds 600rpm, there is a significant decrease. When it exceeds 1500rpm, closed-loop stepper or servo motors should be considered.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  • <\/b>Open loop, closed loop, or servo? Understand a table<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Many people are struggling with which control method to choose. Based on the actual working conditions of the engraving machine, clear suggestions are given here<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Motor Type<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0632\u0627\u064a\u0627<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\nshortcoming<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\nApplicability of carving machine<\/b><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Open-loop stepping<\/td>\nCheap and easy to control<\/td>\nLosing steps without realizing it can easily accumulate errors<\/td>\nEntry level, light load, not concerned about occasional waste<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Closed loop stepper (with encoder)<\/td>\nLow speed torque is large, step loss can be corrected<\/td>\nHigh speed is still inferior to servo<\/td>\nThe first choice for carving machines – balancing cost and reliability<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    AC servo<\/td>\nHigh speed, high precision, fast response<\/td>\nExpensive and complex debugging<\/td>\nProfessional industrial carving machine, mass production<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    For most small and medium-sized engraving machine users, closed-loop stepper motors are currently the most cost-effective choice – they retain the advantages of low-speed and high torque stepper motors, while solving the pain point of step loss through encoder feedback<\/p>\n

    3\u3001\u00a0<\/b>4 steps to choose, follow without making mistakes<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Step 1: Calculate the load torque<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Calculate the required thrust based on the transmission method of the engraving machine (usually ball screw), and then convert it into motor torque. Formula reference:<\/p>\n

    Thrust=(2 x \u03c0 x motor torque x transmission efficiency)\/lead screw<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Taking a typical desktop engraving machine as an example: using a lead screw with a lead of 5mm and an efficiency of 90%, if a feed thrust of 100N is required, the required motor torque is about 0.09N \u00b7 m – this value is much lower than the static torque of a 57 step motor of 1N \u00b7 m. Therefore, the main limitation in actual selection is often not thrust, but speed and acceleration performance<\/h3>\n

    Step 2: Compare the speed torque curve<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

    It is necessary to check the “torque frequency curve chart” provided by the manufacturer to confirm that the motor can still output sufficient torque at the set operating speed. Relying solely on static torque selection is the most common mistake made by beginners.\u3002<\/p>\n

    Step 3: Select the machine base number<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Corresponding relationship between common carving machine stepper motor base numbers:<\/p>\n

    42\u00a0stepper motor (NEMA17): small desktop engraving machine, light load<\/p>\n

    57\u00a0stepper motor (NEMA23): the most mainstream choice, suitable for most small and medium-sized engraving machines<\/p>\n

    86 stepper motor (NEMA34): large engraving machine, heavy-duty<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    In terms of driving voltage: 57 motors are recommended to have DC 24V~36V, 86 motors are recommended to have DC 46V or above, and 110 motors are recommended to have DC 80V or above to achieve good high-speed performance<\/p>\n

    Step 4: Determine the driver and subdivision number<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Avoid using full step mode (with high vibration), and set up subdivision drive<\/p>\n

    When operating at low speeds, choose a larger fraction to ensure smooth operation, reduce vibration and noise<\/p>\n

    The current of the driver used should be greater than the working current of the motor<\/p>\n

      \n
    • <\/b>3 common selection misconceptions<\/b><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Misconception 1: The greater the torque, the better<\/b><\/strong>
      \nBlindly pursuing high torque not only increases costs, but may also lead to overload vibration or efficiency decline. What is suitable is the best.<\/p>\n

      Misconception 2: Neglecting heat dissipation issues<\/b><\/strong>
      \nThe continuous operation of stepper motors generates a large amount of heat, and the appropriate driving current should be selected according to the load and operating conditions, while considering the heat dissipation design<\/p>\n

      Misconception 3: Open loop stepping “fits together”<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

      If the equipment has certain value, it is recommended to spend a little more cost on closed-loop stepping – the cost of tool damage or workpiece scrap caused by one step loss may far exceed the price difference of the motor\u3002<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Summary: Suggestions for your final selection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Ordinary DIY carving machine: 57 two-phase open-loop stepper+fine fraction 8-16 subdivision driver \u2192 lowest cost
        \nStable desktop engraving machine required: 57 closed-loop stepper+adaptive closed-loop driver \u2192 Highly recommended<\/p>\n

        Heavy duty or industrial engraving machine: 86 or 110 three-phase stepper\/servo+high-voltage driver \u2192 configured as needed<\/p>\n

        When selecting, remember to first calculate the load demand, then look at the torque frequency curve, and finally determine the machine seat number – after completing these three steps, you will have chosen the right stepper motor for your engraving machine.\u3002<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        The stepper motor is the “heart” of the carving machine. If selected correctly, the carving machine can work quickly and steadily; Choosing the wrong one, either throw away useless steps or suffer from resonance noise. So, how to choose the stepper motor for the engraving machine?\u00a0This article will provide you with a complete practical guide […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-1547","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/1547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lqcncparts.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1547"}],"curies":[{"name":"\u062f\u0628\u0644\u064a\u0648 \u0628\u064a","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}