A stepper motor, also known as step motor or stepping motor, is a brushless DC electric motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps. The motor's position can be commanded to move and hold at one of these steps without any position sensor for feedback (an open-loop controller), as long as the motor is correctly sized to the application in respect to torque and speed. 

Stepper motors have different torque-speed characteristics depending on whether the motor is starting/stopping or already running. But a stepper motor can also produce torque when it is not moving, and these stationary torque values — referred to as holding torque and detent torque — are also important factors to consider when sizing and selecting a stepper motor.  One of the beneficial features of a stepper motor is its ability to hold a load in place when the motor coils are energized, due to the attraction between the rotor and stator. This is referred to as the motor’s holding torque and is the torque required to move the motor one full step when the coils are energized but the rotor is stationary. A stepper motor’s holding torque is higher than its running torque and is limited primarily by the amount of current the motor can withstand. Detent torque occurs when the motor is not energized — that is, no current is flowing through the motor windings. It occurs because of the attractive forces between the magnets in the motor’s rotor and the stator. 

MAE stepper motors can be combined with a wide range of planetary gearboxes design, encoders and integrated controllers with CANopen, Ethercat or Modbus RTU interfaces.  

In some cases, the North American market requires UL or CSA approved solutions. With a few exceptions, we use UL listed materials. Ask Your Sales contact if your products can be UL or CSA approved.  

In general, MAE products are classified as components, a device which is not intended to work standalone, but needs to be incorporated into a system by electrical and mechanical provisions in order to function as intended and safely; as such, they do not require the CE marking.  Ask our sales department for details.