Can you not decide whether to use an aluminum casing motor or a cast iron casing motor? Let's now take a look at the differences between the two types of motors.
Aluminum casing motor:
The material used is aluminum. The advantages are lightweight, good heat dissipation performance, good thermal conductivity, can be die-cast, good plasticity, higher elongation rate than iron, low noise, good stability in operation. The disadvantages : low hardness. It is suitable for installation in places where little effort is required.
Cast iron casing motor:
The motor casing is mostly made of cast iron material. Its advantages are high hardness, strong resistance to external pressure, not easily deformed, and can be installed in places with heavy workload and relatively poor environment. The disadvantages are heavy weight, poor thermal conductivity, cannot be die-cast, poor plasticity performance, and lower elongation rate than aluminum. It generates loud noise and has less stability compared to aluminum.
The differences and pros and cons between aluminum shell motors and cast iron motors are far more than just the ones mentioned above. Through practical work and life, we can also discover more differences and advantages/disadvantages between them, in order to choose a motor that is more suitable for our own equipment use.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of motor aluminum casing and cast iron casing?
Aluminum-cased motors are generally used for stable DC motors with high operating speeds, installed in less demanding locations. Aluminum is soft, so compared to cast iron casings, aluminum casings are lighter in weight, have good thermal conductivity, can be die-cast, have good plasticity, higher elongation than iron, higher price, and lower hardness.
Electric Motors with a relatively high center height do not use aluminum casings because the mechanical strength of aluminum is insufficient.
Cast iron motors are more powerful and are installed in places where there is greater driving force and poorer environmental conditions. Their stability is not as good as that of aluminum. There are several considerations for using aluminum casings for small motors:
- Aluminum has a smaller density which reduces the overall weight of the machine.
- Aluminum has better thermal conductivity than iron, which benefits motor heat dissipation.
- Aluminum has low strength which facilitates processing and manufacturing while saving processing costs.
We know that in AC motors, the motor housing does not participate in the conduction of electrical circuits or magnetic circuits within the motor; therefore it does not affect the electrical performance of the motor but only affects its mechanical performance.
Is there a difference between an electric motor with an aluminum casing and one with a cast iron casing?
Electric Motors with a shaft height above 180-315 almost never have an aluminum casing due to their poor mechanical strength.
Electric Motors with a shaft height above 56-160 could be with aluminum casing .
Electric Motors with a shaft height ranging from approximately 80 to160 may have both cast iron casings and aluminum casings. These two materials should not have much impact on the overall performance of the motor.
The difference between using cast iron or aluminum for electric motor housings lies in:
- Cast iron housings are durable, resistant to impact damage, and have high mechanical strength. Disadvantages: They are relatively heavy in weight, prone to rusting easily, and have poorer heat dissipation compared to aluminum.
- Aluminum housings are aesthetically pleasing, resistant to rusting, easy to process, and have good heat dissipation performance. However, they have lower mechanical strength, higher cost, and correspondingly higher price points.
- In terms of electrical performance, whether the motor housing is made of cast iron or aluminum material makes no difference.
