Nema 17 Stepper Motor Linear Actuator - 100mm Stroke, 450N Force, 20mm/s (6V-24V)

Specifications

• Motor Type: Bipolar Nema 17 Stepper Motor (4-Wire)

• Stroke Length: 100mm

• Maximum Force (Thrust/Pull): 450N (~45 kg)

• Maximum Speed: 20mm/s

• Operating Voltage: 6V to 24V DC (Driver dependent, 12V/24V highly recommended)

• Architecture: Folded-back / Parallel mount

• Mounting Type: Clevis pin holes on base and extension rod

• Material: Aerospace-grade Aluminum Alloy extrusion

Key Applications and Projects

• Automated Fluid Dosing: Pushing the plunger of a massive industrial syringe to dispense exact, calculated milliliters of epoxy, nutrients, or chemicals.

• Custom CNC Z-Axis: Providing the rigid, high-torque lifting force required to raise and lower a heavy router spindle on a DIY CNC machine.

• Sim-Racing Platforms: Building realistic motion-simulators that can aggressively shift and tilt the driver's seat based on telemetry data.

• Automated Camera Sliders: Moving heavy DSLR cameras along a track with ultra-smooth, perfectly timed, and repeatable movements for cinematic time-lapses.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The Robotic Sorting Chute: Are you building an automated factory line in your workshop? Evolve your conveyor belt! Mount this 100mm Stepper Actuator perpendicular to your conveyor. Use a Raspberry Pi equipped with a camera and OpenCV to identify defective or incorrectly colored parts rolling down the line. Because this actuator uses a stepper motor, it doesn't just smash everything blindly. You can program it to extend exactly 40mm to nudge a small part into "Bin A", or extend the full 100mm to shove a large box into "Bin B", and instantly retract. You have just built a multi-stage, intelligent robotic sorting mechanism!

Package Includes:

• 1 x Stepper Motor Linear Actuator (450N, 100mm Stroke, Nema 17)

This video describes the Linear Actuator Applications.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Q: How is this different from a regular linear actuator? Regular actuators use DC motors that simply extend or retract blindly. This actuator uses a stepper motor, allowing you to tell it exactly how many millimeters to move, track its position in code, and stop instantly without coasting.

Q: Can I connect this directly to a 12V battery or power supply? No! Connecting a stepper motor directly to a DC power supply will instantly short out and destroy the motor coils. You MUST use a dedicated Stepper Motor Driver.

Q: What kind of driver do I need to control this? You need a bipolar stepper motor driver. For light loads, an A4988 or DRV8825 on a RAMPS board will work. For utilizing the full 450N of force, an industrial TB6600 or DM542 driver is highly recommended.

Q: Does it have built-in limit switches? No. Stepper actuators typically do not have internal limit switches. You must install external optical or mechanical endstops on your physical machine so your microcontroller knows when the actuator is fully retracted (to establish a "Zero" or "Home" position).

Q: What happens if it hits the physical end of its stroke before I stop it? The motor will aggressively stall, "skip steps", and make a loud grinding noise. Doing this repeatedly can damage the internal lead screw or gear train. Always use limit switches in your code.

Q: How many wires does the motor have? It is a standard 4-wire bipolar stepper motor. It has two separate coil pairs (e.g., A+, A- and B+, B-).

Q: How do I find which wires belong to which coil pair? Use a multimeter set to continuity mode (the beep setting). Touch the probes to two wires. If it beeps, those two wires belong to the same coil pair and should be wired into the A+ and A- ports on your driver.

Q: What voltage should I run this at? While the motor coils may be rated for a lower voltage (like 6V), stepper drivers act as current limiters. It is highly recommended to supply your driver with 12V or 24V DC to ensure the motor can maintain torque at higher speeds.

Q: What does 450N mean in practical terms? 450 Newtons is approximately equal to 45 kilograms (or 100 lbs) of lifting, pushing, or pulling force.

Q: Is 20mm/s the absolute maximum speed? 20mm/s is the rated speed for reliable torque. While you can pulse the stepper driver faster in your code to increase the speed, doing so drastically reduces the motor's torque, leading to skipped steps or stalls under load.

Q: Will it drop its load if the power goes out? No. The internal lead screw provides a high mechanical advantage. Combined with the friction of the system, it is self-locking and will not back-drive under a static load when power is removed.

Q: Can I use this with an Arduino? Yes. You wire the Arduino to your Stepper Driver (using the Step and Direction pins), and the Driver powers the actuator. You can easily control it using the standard AccelStepper library in the Arduino IDE.

Q: What does "Nema 17" mean? Nema 17 dictates the physical faceplate size of the motor (1.7 x 1.7 inches). It is the universal standard size used in almost all desktop 3D printers and desktop CNC machines.

Q: Is this actuator waterproof? No. While the aluminum extrusion is sealed, the motor housing and internal electronics are not IP-rated for underwater use or heavy rain. It is designed for indoor or protected automation environments.

Q: Why is the motor mounted on the side instead of the back? This is a "folded-back" or parallel configuration. By placing the motor parallel to the rod and connecting them internally via gears or a timing belt, the overall length of the actuator is drastically reduced, making it much easier to fit into compact projects.

Q: Can I manually extend or retract the rod by pulling it? No. Because of the mechanical gear ratio and the lead screw, attempting to forcefully push or pull the rod by hand will not work and may damage the internal threads. It must be moved electrically.