Precision Microdrives' 4mm Spring / Pad Surface Mounted Vibration Motor

    LONDON, ENGLAND, April 17, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Precision's Pico Haptic range of PCB vibration motors, contains a type of PCB-mountable motor known as 'spring / pad' surface mounting vibration motors. They're not SMT / surface mount in the classic reflow sense, but nonetheless they offer a neat manufacturing method for adding a vibrator motors securely to an application with little fuss, or variability. It's for this reason, that this design has been copied world-over, and is used in millions of mobile phones.

The 304-108 spring vibration motor has a tiny footprint and simplifies product assembly. The motor which is moulded into a square rubber mount, is secured within a recess the application's enclosure moulding. Gold springs protrude from the motor and rubber case which offers a secure press-fit electrical connection with pads on a mating PCB. The motor can be assembled into the enclosure as part of one process, and then the mating between motor springs and PCB pads happens on final assembly when the PCB is secured to the enclosure.

An increasing number of handheld devices these days are incorporating micro sized vibration motors like the 304-108. These battery powered products tend to have either 1.2-1.5 or 3-3.6v buses and this is why Precision's Pico Haptic vibration motors are available in two nominal voltages. The 304-108 being a 3v nominal motor lends itself to dual cell alkaline / nickel based rechargeable batteries, or single cell lithium based batteries.

As a reliable way of alerting users, vibration feedback is ideal. People have all become used to the handy vibra-ring function in mobile phones, and many designers of other handheld products are now using vibration feedback as a way to differentiate their products against the competition. Some recent applications that Precision Microdrives have worked on, include watches, GPS receivers, heart rate monitors, RFID & barcode scanners, medical devices, and even drum sticks! Except for the latter case, all these applications benefit from non-audible or visual feedback. Alarms where the user can't see a lamp or LED, and can't hear a speaker or buzzer.

The 304-108 spring vibration motor is rated at 3v DC, with a working range between 1.2v and 3.6v. The motor will run at a nominal speed of 10,000 RPM (167 Hz) at 3 volts, whilst producing a typical 0.6g (5.87 m/s2) of vibration output. The motor design is based on our standard coreless micromotor topology; a 3-pole coreless machine with toroidal neodymium magnetic. The current draw is typically 85mA and this equates to a vibration efficiency of 3.5 g/W output. This off-the-shelf part operates at temperatures from -20 degrees C to +70 degrees C, though these can be extended by request. This vibration motor like all those in Precision's Pico Haptic range is quiet with a typical audible noise level of less than 40dBA. Spring vibration motors come in standard 4mm motor trays, and are available from stock in 1+ quantities.

Precision Microdrives' engineering support team is comprised of experts in the field of applied haptic feedback, particularly for handheld battery powered products, and they are on hand to help customers find the best vibration motor for their application. Spring and pad vibration motors are just part of a much wider range of 4mm to 7mm Pico Haptic vibration motors, which come in a wide range of form factors, such as PCB vibration motors and coin vibration motors.

About Precision Microdrives
Precision Microdrives simplifies prototyping and pre-production activities by holding the largest and widest range of stocked vibration motors in the world. All of these parts are available for same day dispatch and worldwide delivery. Their engineering application support team are always happy to lend a hand and give free, but nonetheless valuable advice about best-practice as the design progresses. However their experience and competence in the field really comes into its own when the application goes into production, and customers require a consistent supply of high quality and reliable motors. In their London lab, Precision Microdrives have racks of bespoke made vibration testing suites which are used to verify the performance of newly manufactured motors to the highest standards, and perform longevity testing with conditions that match customer usage profiles.

For support in any of these areas, Precision Microdrives can be reached via email or phone and they'll be very happy to help.

Website: http://www.precisionmicrodrives.com

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