Why Brushless Motors Make Sense for Conveyors
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June 03 03:11:55, 2025
In today's rapidly evolving industrial sector, conveyors play a pivotal role in streamlining material handling across various industries, including packaging, warehousing, and distribution. While several types of motors can be used in conveyor systems, this article focuses on why brushless motors are becoming the preferred choice for conveyor applications.
Conveyors can utilize different types of motors based on their specific needs. Fixed-speed conveyors, where space is not a constraint, often rely on AC induction motors for their cost-effectiveness and ease of use. However, gearheads are frequently needed to reduce the speed. Brushed and brushless motors can achieve the desired speed without gearheads. On the other hand, variable-speed conveyors, which require multiple speeds, commonly use VFD-driven AC induction motors. Brushless motors can provide better speed regulation and reduce the overall footprint, while servo motors offer even higher performance.
Indexing conveyors, which require precise stopping and holding torque, usually opt for stepper motors due to their high stop accuracy. However, servo motors may be considered in situations where heat generation and limited duty cycles could pose issues.
Generally speaking, brushless motors can be used across all types of conveyors. They can even handle start/stop conveyors when stop accuracy or holding torque is not a critical requirement. Moreover, they offer several advantages that make them a cost-effective and efficient choice for many conveyor applications.
The Case for Brushless Motors
Brushless motors are typically smaller and lighter than other motors used in variable-speed applications due to their design. For instance, brushless motors are smaller than brushed motors because they lack brushes, and they are shorter than servo motors since they typically employ hall-effect sensor feedback rather than encoder feedback. When compared to AC induction motors, the most common type of motor used in conveyor applications, these advantages are even more pronounced.
Brushless motors can be made smaller than AC induction motors because they are more efficient, run cooler, and use permanent magnets. By incorporating permanent magnets into their rotors and utilizing an electromagnet stator to generate rotation, brushless motors avoid the energy losses associated with electromagnetic induction in AC motors.
A visual comparison between brushless DC motors and AC motors reveals significant size differences, along with varying efficiencies at different speeds.
Brushless Motors vs Other Speed Control Systems
When compared to VFD-driven AC induction motors, brushless motors offer a substantial advantage with built-in closed-loop feedback and constant torque output. A brushless motor driver continuously monitors and adjusts the motor speed and torque according to feedback from the motor, ensuring consistent performance even under varying loads. In contrast, the speed of an AC motor can be inconsistent due to open-loop operation and load fluctuations. The most significant advantage of brushless motors lies in their size and weight.
When compared to brushed DC motors, brushless motors are more expensive because they require closed-loop feedback and a dedicated driver for winding commutation. Brushed motors use brushes and a commutator, so no driver is needed for commutation besides a variable voltage to control their speed. Brushless motors are also more efficient by design, consume less power, and are smaller in size. Additionally, brushless motors eliminate the need for regular brush and commutator maintenance, which is a major advantage over brushed motors.
When compared to servo motors, brushless motors provide a simpler solution in cases where servo motors might be oversized and over-specified. Brushless motors are quite similar in design and operation to servo motors, but their typical hall-effect sensor feedback simplifies the control method and drive circuitry. This simpler design helps keep costs low for conveyor applications that do not require the highest speeds, the tightest speed regulation, or the peak torque offered by servo motors. For less demanding conveyor applications, the choice between brushless and servo motors may come down to the functions offered by the driver.
When compared to stepper motors, brushless motors are structurally similar, except one uses a radially magnetized rotor and the other uses an axially magnetized rotor. Both operate similarly with power and phase excitation provided by a dedicated driver, but the similarities end there. The lower number of poles and lack of holding torque are the main reasons why brushless motors do not offer the same stop accuracy as stepper motors. Therefore, stepper motors are recommended for positioning applications with a limited duty cycle, such as indexing conveyors, while brushless motors, designed to run continuously, are a better match for continuous running variable-speed conveyors.
The table below summarizes the differences between AC motors, brushless motors, and servo motors. Additional speed control comparison information is available.
Here’s a video that compares the power consumption and CO2 emissions of a 6 W AC induction motor versus a 30 W brushless motor on a conveyor. The difference is quite noticeable.
To further reduce its size, Oriental Motor’s newest brushless motors combine an optimized magnetic design with high-performance magnetic steel sheets and permanent magnets. Closed-loop speed regulation for Oriental Motor’s brushless motors is rated at ±0.2% for motors with hall-effect sensors and up to ±0.05% for motors with encoders. With a small overrun ranging from approximately ±0.1 to ±0.4 revolutions according to RPM and load inertia, brushless motors can also run some indexing conveyors. However, start/stop frequency and accuracy must be tested.
Oriental Motor’s brushless motors come in various configurations, including long-life types, watertight models, and different gear options. The versatility allows proper sizing even for the smallest requirements.
With a wide range of wattages from 30 W to 400 W and different AC-input driver options, oversizing can be avoided without sacrificing performance. A variety of gear options are provided for even the smallest frame sizes, ensuring proper sizing for every application. One major difference between Oriental Motor’s brushless motors and those from other manufacturers is that we offer several different frame sizes for different wattages, whereas other manufacturers tend to keep the same frame size and increase the length of the motor.
Recommended Product Series by Conveyor Type
In this section, we highlight two types of conveyors that our AC-input brushless motor systems are typically used for: single-axis, modular, low-profile conveyors and packaging/labeling conveyors.
For single-axis modular low-profile conveyors with basic speed control requirements, a BMU Series brushless motor and dedicated variable speed driver are recommended.
For single-axis modular low-profile conveyors with basic speed control needs, the BMU Series brushless motor paired with a dedicated variable speed driver is ideal. The simplicity of the BMU Series and the ease-of-use of the front digital panel make it perfect for quick installation on single-axis, modular conveyors. The small size of the motor and driver helps reduce the footprint of the conveyor. The dedicated driver comes with built-in functions such as load factor and speed limits.
For conveyors with advanced requirements, such as those used in packaging and labeling, a BLE2 Series brushless motor and dedicated variable speed driver are recommended.
For conveyors requiring advanced control, such as packaging and labeling conveyors, the BLE2 Series brushless motor paired with a dedicated variable speed driver is ideal. Up to 16 speeds can be set via the control panel, external potentiometer, external analog voltage, or MEXE02 data setting software. An HMI can output an analog voltage to control two drives simultaneously and output commands to each driver via I/O. The driver comes with functions such as load factor, torque-limiting, and speed teaching.
Summary
A brushless motor’s high efficiency, small footprint, and tight speed regulation meet the design requirements of compact variable-speed conveyors. While a brushless motor presents many advantages over a VFD-driven AC motor, it can also replace brushed DC motors and even servo motors in certain applications.
While brushless motor design is similar among many manufacturers, Oriental Motor’s brushless motors are offered in many frame sizes instead of longer stack lengths. Dedicated drivers guarantee motor performance and add enhanced capabilities such as speed teaching and torque limiting.
Make oversizing a thing of the past. Contact our team for a motor sizing consultation today to find the perfectly sized brushless motor and driver for your conveyors.
We know how engineers like charts. Here’s a comparison of our two most popular AC-input brushless motor systems. Feel free to reach out to our team for additional motor options tailored to meet specific application requirements, like battery-compatibility or multi-axis network control.