New Release of Free Engineer's Design Tool, MOTORTEC(TM) STP Plus, Assists in Motor Evaluation
Upgraded Feature for Electrical Input and Loss Calculations Highlights Motor Requirements and Simplifies Sizing
Sioux Center, IA-September 17, 2007-Groschopp, Inc. announced the release of Version 1.4 of MOTORTEC(TM) STP, its Speed, Torque and Power Calculator that is available for free download from the Groschopp website effective immediately. Ron Didier, Groschopp's Vice President of Engineering, is the author of MOTORTEC STP PLUS, which was originally released in January 2006. Since then, STP PLUS has been enthusiastically received-with over 3000 downloads by a wide audience of engineers and scientists in private business and academic institutions.
One of the primary features of this new release is the ability to calculate estimated electrical current and losses. "A major question in sizing a motor and making the right selection has to do with knowing if the available current will support the required output power," said Didier. "With the new STP PLUS, you're able to determine the current requirement based on the available voltage, and make sure that the efficiency of the motor you're specifying will give you that desired power."
Didier also explains that knowing the electrical loss (in watts) is a strong indication of the heat that is going to be generated by the motor, based on efficiency. "We regularly run into this when guiding customers through their applications," added Didier. "If you know the rating of a motor and the amount of heat it can dissipate, you can make sure that the electrical loss doesn't exceed the ratings, this is of particular interest when dealing with intermittent duty applications. We know that if the motor runs too hot, the insulation system of the motor will degrade. For every 10 degrees Celsius that a motor operates above its rated temperature, its insulation life is decreased by one half, which is significant."
Other new features include additional conversion factors of Torque units to include milli-Newton meters (mN-m). Didier explained that throughout the industry, there is a wide variety of units used for Speed, Torque and Power values. STP was originally designed for Groschopp's own Application and Design Engineers, so that they could easily and accurately make conversions when assisting customers with applications. "It was so helpful to us, that we thought it would be great to make it available to others," he said.
STP PLUS allows a user to print out a detailed report with Speed, Torque and Power with all available units listed, as well as a chart of efficiency and electrical input and losses. The report can be customized to show a project title and notes.
In future versions of STP PLUS, Groschopp is considering a calculation tool that would allow for an intermittent duty cycle to be factored in, so that intermittent and continuous duty ratings could be compared when making motor selections for an application.
To download STP PLUS, go to groschopp.com/stp_plus.php. For more information on STP PLUS, please email Brenda Bunkers at brendab@groschopp.com.
About Groschopp, Inc.
Groschopp is an industry leader in the engineering, design and manufacture of high-quality durable and serviceable fractional horsepower electric motors, gearmotors and reducers. Groschopp specializes in customized OEM motors and integrated motion solutions for high-reliability applications. For further information, contact Groschopp, Inc. - www.groschopp.com - Email info@groschopp.com
