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High-Precision Delta Robot Demo Showcases the Real-World Advantages of ECM’s Servo Evaluation Motors

Designed for Demanding Robotic Applications

The delta robot demo highlights not just the capabilities of ECM’s 2Nm servo evaluation motors, but the broader advantages of PCB Stator architecture in high-performance motion control. From mechanical simplicity to electrical precision, every design choice supports accuracy, reliability, and system integration.

Challenge

In modern robotics, especially in dynamic and multi-axis systems, engineers are constrained by several persistent challenges:

Precision & Responsiveness: Coordinating multiple axes in real time demands high-resolution feedback and seamless motion.
Noise & Vibration: Many traditional motors introduce cogging, acoustic noise, and unwanted mechanical vibrations, which can be problematic in haptic or precision environments.
System Footprint: In space-constrained robotic architectures, motor size and complexity can limit integration options.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): EMI can disrupt control systems and create noise in sensitive environments, particularly when controllers are located far from the motor.

ECM’s Solution

At Automate 2025, ECM showcased a delta robot, whose mechanical arms were actuated by three (3) PCB Stator servo motors from the newly unveiled shelf-stock line. This demo highlighted how ECM’s technology overcomes the challenges above through several key innovations:

Direct Drive, Zero Cogging Torque: Thanks to ECM’s patented PCB Stator axial flux design, the motors offer smooth, cog-free operation, eliminating vibration and improving motion quality. Also, this direct drive approach simplifies system architecture, reduces the bill of materials (BOM), and mechanical backlash.
Integrated Absolute Encoders for Real-Time Coordination: Integrated within each motor is an optical absolute encoder, enabling precise, closed-loop control of position and speed. The delta robot leverages this to maintain tight synchronization across all axes—crucial for rapid pick-and-place tasks and high-precision movements
Compact Form Factor for Better Integration: The axial flux architecture results in a slim, low-profile motor design, ideal for compact robotic arms like delta systems. ECM’s 2Nm servo motors integrate cleanly into the delta robot’s joints, preserving torque output and motion precision without adding bulk. This compactness simplifies system layout and allows tighter packaging in space-constrained environments.
Exceptionally Quiet Operation: The motor is mechanically quieter thanks to direct drive, eliminating belts, gears, and backlash. ECM’s PCB Stator design further reduces acoustic noise through structural innovation. Unlike traditional motors with iron cores and exposed windings, ECM’s stators feature fully encapsulated copper coils within a composite structure. This construction dampens mechanical vibrations and isolates external forces, leading to significantly lower noise during operation. The result is a motor that’s exceptionally quiet, ideal for haptic robotics, cleanroom environments, and other sensitive or public-facing applications.
Lower EMI for Cleaner System Design: Because ECM’s servo motors include onboard integrated controllers, the signal path between the drive electronics and the motor windings is

“Integrating ECM’s 2Nm servo motors into the delta robot allowed us to achieve exceptionally smooth, quiet, and precise motion, all within a compact and elegant form factor. The combination of PCB Stator technology and integrated controls streamlined both the mechanical and electrical design, enabling real-time multi-axis coordination with minimal EMI and impressive repeatability. It’s a motor platform that simplifies complexity.”
Dr. Eric Ponce, PhD. ECM Director of Research and Development

Outcome

The delta robot demo demonstrates how ECM’s servo motors can unlock higher performance in compact robotics platforms, offering OEMs a plug-and-play solution for fast prototyping and deployment.

See a video of it in action at Automate here

To learn more about ECM’s shelf-ready evaluation motors for robotics and automation, contact us today

Designing for Disassembly: How Motors Built with ECM Technology Support the Circular Economy

The electric motor recycling industry is at a crossroads. As recyclers manage legacy motors designed decades ago, they face labor-intensive, hazardous, and inconsistent processes. Materials are difficult to separate, magnets are hard to extract, and disassembly methods vary widely between motor types. Recovering valuable elements—like copper, aluminum, or rare earth magnets—often requires chemical treatment or destruction of components.

Yet in the push toward electrification and sustainability, recycling is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a necessity.

At ECM, we believe circular design must begin at the drawing board. Motors developed with our patented PCB Stator architecture and PrintStator software aren’t just efficient to operate—they’re radically simpler to recycle. And they don’t require new harvesting methods.

Challenge: What Recyclers Are Up Against

Electric motors can yield valuable materials—but getting to them is costly. Based on average scrap values and weight content, a typical 100 lb motor might contain:

Metal	Scrap Value per Pound	Weight Content	Scrap Value (100 lb Motor)
Steel (Electrical, cast iron)	$0.03–$0.05	80%	$2.40–$4.00
Copper(Magnet Wire)	$0.75–$3.41	10%	$7.50–$34.10
Aluminum	$1.16–$1.38	6%	$6.96–$8.28
Stainless Steel	$0.30–$1.08	3%	$0.90–$3.24
Rare Earth Magnets (Neodymium)	$23.00–$64.00	1%	$23.00–$64.00

Yet magnets are notoriously difficult to extract. Internal permanent magnet (IPM) rotors often epoxy the magnets into steel laminations. Recovery typically involves acid dissolution or hydrogen decrepitation. These are destructive, energy-intensive processes that introduce contamination risk.

Even separating magnet types (e.g., neodymium vs. ferrite) poses problems. Most look identical and are attracted to each other and to surrounding steel. As a result, magnets often end up in the steel stream.

Solution: Motors Designed with ECM Software and Technology Enable a Smarter End-of-Life

At ECM, we believe circularity starts at the design stage, not the scrapyard. While many recyclers won’t encounter ECM PCB Stator motors for another 20+ years, our architecture already considers disassembly, material recovery, and lifecycle impact.

Unlike legacy machines that rely on encapsulated windings or destructive disassembly, motors built with ECM software and hardware are engineered for simplified teardown. Fasteners and non-encapsulating adhesives are applied where appropriate, enabling clean separation of copper, aluminum, and magnet assemblies—without the need for melting, cutting, or hazardous chemicals.

Electric motor recycling is simplified as ECM’s PCB Stator replaces the iron core and copper windings

But we take it further. ECM’s open motor architecture gives customers more control over the mechanical design of their motors. That means manufacturers can intentionally design for recyclability, adjusting materials and assembly methods based on cost targets, sustainability goals, or downstream requirements. You’re not locked into legacy OEM structures that ignore end-of-life realities.

Even in cases where adhesives are used, ECM’s axial design allows for magnet recovery using solvent-assisted techniques rather than high-heat or acid-based processing. Components can be separated cleanly, whether manually or through automated systems, preserving material purity and reducing environmental impact.

In short, motors manufactured using ECM’s design platform give partners the flexibility to balance performance, cost, and end-of-life outcomes—supporting a more circular future for electric machines.

***ECM PCB Stator Motors are simple to assemble and disassemble.***

“At ECM, we design with the end in mind. Our software-driven approach lets us align with each customer’s sustainability goals from day one—making disassembly, material recovery, and circularity part of the DFM process.”
Mark Puglia, ECM Director of Product Engineering

Electric Motor Recycling: A Smarter Path Toward Circularity

The path to a circular motor economy doesn’t start at end-of-life—it starts with design. Motors developed with ECM software and PCB Stator hardware offer a cleaner, simpler recovery process while delivering best-in-class operational efficiency during use. Our architecture reduces the need for raw materials, simplifies recycling, and enables downstream partners to reclaim high-value elements without reinventing the wheel.

In a world where electric motor use is set to double by 2040, ECM is helping define a smarter, more sustainable path forward.

Interested in the future of recyclable motor design? Connect with us to explore custom motor solutions that align with your sustainability goals.

See our simple assembly process video here

This Lightweight Motor Uses Up To 80% Less Material! And It’s Changing Motor Design Forever

What PrintStator v8.3 Means for the Motor Industry

From Concept to Parts in 2 Hours. And a New Era of Agility for Motor Teams

How long does it usually take your team to go from concept to parts?

If you’re like most motor or product development teams, the answer is measured in weeks—sometimes months. CAD handoffs, vendor delays, and redesign loops make the process slow and expensive, often forcing teams to compromise on speed, accuracy, or cost. We hear this frustration all the time from engineers and product leads trying to move faster without sacrificing performance.

That’s why ECM’s announcement of PrintStator v8.3 isn’t just a software update. It’s a turning point for how electric motors are designed, built, and integrated into next-generation products.

With PrintStator v8.3, engineers can now generate complete electromagnetic simulations, CAD, CAM, and Gerber files in under 2 seconds—and go from digital design to machined motor housing in as little as two hours.

This isn’t just a technical achievement. It’s a shift in control for product and engineering teams.

A Real-World Use Case: Innovation and Speed with Thrustmaster

Thrustmaster, a global leader in racing simulation hardware, partnered with ECM to design and launch a high-performance, direct-drive racing wheel powered by PCB Stator technology.

Once Thrustmaster finalized their product design, ECM was able to rapidly produce prototype motors within that form factor—then iterate and refine the design to optimize performance for the final product. That speed and flexibility helped accelerate their go-to-market timeline and opened new doors for product innovation.

“Our collaboration with ECM has enabled us to develop an innovative solution that perfectly meets the needs of our racers. This synergy opens up new perspectives for Thrustmaster by fully exploiting the potential of ECM technologies.”
Bruno Ormel – Thrustmaster, Development and Production Director

Thrustmaster T598 Featuring ECM’s Patented PCB Stator Technology

Why Speed Is a Business Case, Not Just a Feature

For decades, motor design has relied on slow, siloed processes, multiple handoffs, legacy windings, and long lead times. The traditional workflow limits iteration, increases cost, and makes vertical integration nearly impossible.

PrintStator v8.3 flips that script.

By giving companies near-instant design capability and production-ready exports, we’re enabling:

Shorter development cycles
Fewer external dependencies
Faster responses to market shifts and client demands
More flexible, decentralized manufacturing

Whether you’re an OEM building next-gen motors, an HVAC company launching smarter more efficient systems, or a product team exploring electrification, time-to-market is now a controllable variable.

ECM Engineer Interfacing with PrintStator

What’s New in v8.3

100x Faster Optimization

Full EM simulations, CAD generation, and motor datasheets in less than 2 seconds. This enables near real-time iteration and drastically reduces design cycles. That’s orders of magnitude faster than competing approaches

From CAD to Hardware in 2 Hours

In a recent internal test, ECM’s team designed, exported, and machined a motor housing in just two hours using v8.3’s CAM-ready outputs.

Production-Ready File Formats

Gerber and JSON outputs integrate directly with global PCB fabrication houses and CNC systems—enabling scalable, regionalized manufacturing.

Parametric Housing Models

Export mechanical housings tailored to your exact design—without needing a third-party CAD vendor.

Smarter Optimization + Built-in Validation

New logic layers increase simulation fidelity and automatically validate your design, improving both speed and accuracy.

You can read the full press release on PrintStator 8.3 here.

What Can’t Be Skipped?

While PrintStator v8.3 eliminates most of the delays in motor design, sourcing certain components—like custom stators or magnets—can still take several weeks, depending on supplier lead times.

The difference now is that this no longer stalls progress. With your motor design finalized in seconds, your team can use that time to focus on mechanical integration, production planning, and validation—turning what used to be downtime into forward momentum.

What This Means for Motor Design Teams and OEMs

PrintStator v8.3 gives companies more than just speed. It creates a strategic edge:

Shorter product cycles
Less dependency on external design firms
Improved time-to-market
Better agility for reshoring and localized production
Greater supply chain independence

This matters whether you’re a startup building electric air taxis or an OEM modernizing HVAC systems.

“This isn’t just about speed—it’s about redefining how, where, and how quickly electric motors can be designed and brought to life.”
Brian Casey – ECM, CEO

Bottom Line

PrintStator v8.3 doesn’t just make your workflow faster. It gives your team back time, control, and the freedom to innovate on your terms.

If your motor development cycles are still bottlenecked by slow simulations, vendor delays, or legacy winding constraints—now’s the time to rethink your approach.

Ready to go from concept to machined parts in hours, not weeks?
Explore what PrintStator v8.3 can do for your team: Contact us today