Introduction: Electric Motor Demonstration

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About: I am 18 years old and I started with 3D printing in March of 2017. This all started with some inspiration and motivation, which came from school and youtube videos. I own the Anet A8, which I feel all beginner…

This electric motor demonstrates the basic principals of electromagnetism. This demo is simple to build and only takes a weekend to do so.

Parts List:

3D Printer

Laser Cutter

Electrical Wire

Magnet Wire

(1) Ceramic Magnet

Medium Grit Sandpaper

(2) Corner Braces

(1) AA Battery Power Supply

Super Glue

(2) M3 x 16 Screws

(2) M3 Butterfly Nuts

(2) M4 Washers

Step 1: 3D Printing

Start this project by 3D printing the battery housing. Open the 3D models in your slicer (Cura, Simplify 3D, Slic3r, etc).

Input the settings you will be using:

- I used 30% infill on all of the parts

- Printed them at a 0.15mm layer height

Will take around 6hrs to print all of the parts, if printed at a 25mm/sec speed

Attachments

Step 2: Laser Cutting

To start laser cutting, open the Board.dxf in your choice of software (Illustrator, Autocad, Corel Draw) in order to send the cutting file to your machine

Once cut, the length of the Board should measure 6 inches in length. You can apply a wood stain on the wood to give it a nicer look.

Attachments

Step 3: Make the Coil

First, cut off a piece of magnet wire to a length of around 50 inches
Get a marker or dowel which you will wrap the wire around Wind the wire around from 10 to 20 times. Note: Make sure to leave 2 inch leads once you have completely wound it up. Now remove the wire from the dowel/marker. Warp one end of the wire around the coil, and then the other. Make sure that the wire leads remain straight Important: Use a medium grit sandpaper and sand ONLY the top on both wire leads. If you have extra magnet wire, try using a different circular object, so the diameter of the coil will vary.

Step 4: Put It All Together

Now that you have all the parts ready to go, let assemble it:

To attach the magnet, apply some super glue to one side of the magnet and press it against the wood. I used an angle grinder to cut down the length of the corner brace and sanded it smooth(Optional). Position the corner braces close to the magnet as possible leaving around 3mm between the two parts. Drill one hole through the hole on the corner brace. Now get a M3 x 16 screw and feed it from the bottom through the hole. Place an M4 washer followed by the M3 butterfly nut to secure the corner brace down. The 3D printed battery housing fits through the slots that were cut out. On the bottom side of the laser cut piece, you can use super glue to attach the 3D printed feet.

Step 5: Test Your Electric Motor

Plug in two AA batteries and connect the wires.

Loosen the butterfly nut so the exposed wire can fit underneath the washer. Tighten the butterfly nut to hold the wire in place. Once connected you may need to give the coil a gentle tap/twist to get it spinning. Once you are done using your electric motor. Disconnect both of the wires or batteries.

If your coil does not begin spinning, ask yourself:

- Are the batteries working?

- Is the top half of each wire lead completely sanded?

- Is the magnet positioned correctly?

- Are the wire leads straight?