Design engineers wanting to learn more about efficiency as it relates to motors and gearmotors in OEM applications are encouraged to register for a Medical Design Webinar set for April 16 at 2 pm ET, featuring engineers Ron Didier and Jared Birk from Groschopp, Sioux Center, IA.

"Efficiency in the typical sense isn’t something that is often thought about with fractional horsepower motors,” Birk notes. “In reality, it’s surprising how deep the topic really runs and how many other things with which efficiency is intertwined. That’s what we plan to cover with our Webcast.”

Efficiency will be explored as it relates to other design considerations such as power source, motor and gearbox types, operating cost, temperature, purchase cost, and size. Didier and Birk will use quick reference guides to show how to match the components to achieve both performance points and energy efficiency for the overall system, including a discussion of which combinations may be better, or worse, than others.

Cost impact of an “efficient” system will be demonstrated through application of formulas and computations to evaluate system cost and operating cost, while still meeting application design requirements. “Calculating operating costs and system efficiency may not sound very intriguing, but the answers can be interesting and surprising,” says Didier.

The Groschopp engineers will conclude their presentation with application examples to illustrate the cases when a more efficient, and often more costly, motor or gearmotor does and does not provide an ROI over the life of an application.

Webcast attendees will receive an early-release download of Groschopp’s new STPe desktop design tool, which allows engineers to calculate operating cost based on speed, torque, power performance parameters, and local power costs. Previous STP versions have had more than 5,000 downloads and are in use worldwide.