Fractional Horsepower Motors

A fractional horsepower motor is a motor built in a frame and has power rating smaller than one horsepower. Also known as FHP motors, being categorized as a fractional hp motor can be relative to the frame size as well as the amount of fractional horsepower. For instance, if the frame size is a 42, 48 or 56, the motor can still be classified as a fractional horsepower motor even if the horsepower exceeds one horsepower, although motors such as ½ HP motors and ¼ HP motors are more easily identifiable.

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OEM manufacturer of 3.3", 3.6" & 6" diameter PMDC motors, 12 to 240 volts, 1/50HP to 5HP, 400 to 10,000RPM, battery or rectified AC powered, variable speed & reversible custom designed for OEMs worldwide. Our fractional motors are built to customer specification using up-to-date technology. Fractional horsepower motor maker MET Motors provides reliable high performing motors.
Specialty Motors, Inc.
Valencia, CA
800-232-2612
Specialty Motors is a premier manufacturer of custom fractional horsepower motors, including permanent magnet, universal, gear and brushless DC motors. We offer our customers the best quality, service and cost with a short turnaround time for your convenience. Since the military depends on our quality products, so can you.
Motor Specialty Inc.
Racine, WI
262-632-2794
For over 50 years, Specialty Motor has been designing & manufacturing custom universal motors for machine tool, medical, dental and other industries. We also provide dependable shunt wound fractional & integral horsepower motors. Also available are permanent magnet motors, flexible shaft motors & special purpose electric motors. Please visit our website to learn more information.
Allied Motion Technologies Inc.
Eglewood, CO
303-799-8520
Allied Motion is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-quality fractional horse power motors, DC motors, AC motors, permanent magnet motors, universal motors and much more. We serve commercial, aerospace and defense markets. For more information about Allied Motion`s high-quality motors, please call or visit our website.
Bay Motor Products, Inc.
Traverse City, MI
231-941-0411
Bay Motor Products is a custom manufacturer of sub-fractional horsepower motors, reversible motors & electric motors. We also design motors to your custom specifications. We offer the best in customer service & quality while also maintaining competitive prices. Our production lines can handle large or small quantity deliveries. Please feel free to contact us to help solve your motor requirements.
Power Electric
Plymouth, MN
763-553-1090
Founded in 1986, Power Electric is the world`s largest source of small electric motors, gear motors, AC & DC motors, universal motors, stepping motors, vacuum motors, brushless motors, coreless motors & actuators from 30 manufacturers. We specialize in small OEM motors and fractional/sub fractional horsepower (FHP) gear motors for all major types of technology meeting the needs of any application.

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Industry Information

The frame size of fractional horsepower motors is based on the standards put in place by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and at times, fractional horsepower motors can be referred to as NEMA motors. Despite being relatively small motors, at times even called miniature motors depending on the frame size, fractional horsepower motors are widely used for controlled motion in industries including: medical, for surgical devices in hospitals; automotive, for many applications such as electric windows, powered seats, central locking systems and more; residential, for household appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators; industrial manufacturing, in pumps, compressors and many other necessary components and processing and assembly applications; and HVAC, for the operation of equipment such as fans and blowers.

Fractional horsepower motors can come in a wide variety of types and can be fuel powered, although they are most often electric. Thus, most often seen as small electric motors, fractional horsepower motors can fulfill many functions as universal motors, variable speed motors and even reversible motors. As a universal electric motor, fractional horsepower motors are capable of functioning on either direct current (DC), in which the current flows in one direction or alternating current (AC), in which the current that flows in either direction. As variable speed motors, fractional horsepower motors are able to direct the rotational speed of an AC or DC motor, causing it to slow down or speed up as desired. Fractional horsepower motors are a popular type of variable speed motor because the smaller horsepower allows for easier control of motion and speed. As a reversible motor, fractional horsepower motors function to reverse the direction of rotation by way of a switch that controls the motor connections when the motor is inactive. Much like a variable speed FHP motor, reversible FHP motors work well because of the increased precision in control. Besides fuel and electrical power, fractional horse power motors can also be powered by means of permanent magnets, which are referred to as permanent magnet motors.

The basic design of an electric powered fractional horsepower motor consists of an enclosure, rotor, axle, coil and field magnet. Some contain brushes, which are used to help conduct the electrical currents. If the motor is brushless, then an external power supply must be used to transfer the current. Because of their lack of brushes, brushless electric motors are actually more expensive. Although they can be AC or DC, both types of electric fractional horsepower motors use magnets to provide the motion necessary for power generation. The magnets provide motion by reacting with the electrical current, which causes rotation by flowing through specific points of the motor. The rotational movement provides power that can then be transferred into the desired equipment. In order for an electric motor to be classified as a fractional horsepower motor, it must have a rated output power of 746 watts or less. A watt is a unit of measurement equal to one joule per second. The design of a fuel-powered fractional horsepower motor is similar, except instead of the coil and field magnet, a fuel-powered motor will feature exhaust valves and a fuel chamber. Commonly referred to as internal combustion engines, fuel-powered FHP motors may use either gasoline (called petrol in Britain) or diesel, although each type calls for a slightly different design.

Fractional horsepower motors are becoming increasingly popular in many industrial, residential and commercial applications. The technology for electric motors was first developed by Nicola Tesla in 1888, the year he patented his induction motor. However, it was when cities began to have electricity in 1915 that the fractional horsepower motor industry began to rapidly develop. In fact, fractional horsepower motors experienced their first big push in popularity in the 1920s due to the invention and eventual wide-spread use of appliance such as power washers. However, fractional horsepower motors began to truly become highly popular after World War II with the rise in consumerism experienced during the 1950s and 60s. Ever since, and particularly in the early 2000s, the market for fractional horsepower motors has steadily grown, showing no signs of slowing down due to their environmentally-friendly levels of power generation efficiency. Most notably, fractional horsepower motors have become widely used for applications such as automotive systems, household appliances and power tools. Often needing to be customized for more unique applications, the essential elements of a fractional horsepower motor that need to be kept in mind are the voltage, frequency and number of phases of power supply needed.



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Fractional Horse Power Motors and Fractional HP Motors Images Provided by Met Motors


Fractional Horsepower Motors Types

  • 1/2 HP motor are fractional horsepower motors with a power output of ½ HP, which is roughly equivalent to 373 Watts. 
  • 1 4 HP motor are fractional horsepower motors because they output power that is less than one HP, or 746 watts when referring to electric motors.
  • AC (alternating current) motors are either induction or synchronous. They have a current that flows in either direction, usually with electric power.
  • DC (direct current) motors have variable speed operation capabilities with current, which flows in one direction. Often use electric power.
  • Electric motors are motors that convert electric energy into motion using magnetism. (http://www.electric-motors.net)
  • FHP motors is the abbreviation for fractional horsepower motors, which are motors that are built in a frame, traditionally with a power output of smaller than one horsepower.
  • Gearmotors are a combination of a motor and gearhead that reduce motor speed to desired RPM's. (http://www.speed-reducers.org)
  • Integral-horsepower shunt motors are used when minimum speed variation requirements are necessary at constant potential with full to no load and/or constant horsepower.
  • Miniature motors also referred to as micro motors or small motors, are fractional horsepower motors that must not only fit the frame size and/or less than one horsepower requirements, but also size dimensions of a couple inches or less.
  • Multi-speed motors come in two, three or four speeds.  They have varying connections that can alter the speed at the starter, because of the way they are wound.
  • NEMA motors are electric motors that fit the standards set by NEMA, which stands for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
  • Permanent magnet motors have magnets in their rotor assemblies. These allow the rotor assembly to arrange itself in a line with the rotating magnetic field of the stator, which results in no slip and higher torque efficiency.
  • Reversible motors can be AC or DC.  A typical DC motor is almost always reversible by changing the polarity of the field; an AC motor is reversed in a three-phase power motor by reversing connections of one leg and in a single phase by reversing the leads.
  • Small electric motors have less than one horsepower of power.
  • Small motors use a fraction of a horsepower, or 745.7 watts, of power to run.
  • Synchronous motors operate up to full load at a constant speed and are often used to maintain an exact speed. The rotor speed and the rotating magnetic field speed are equal.
  • Universal electric motors can run on either AC or DC power.
  • Universal motors are capable of operating on both direct current and alternating current.
  • Variable speed motors direct the rotational speed of an AC motor and can be found in many heating and cooling systems.
  • Variable torque motors are essentially multi-speed motors whose loads have varying torque requirements along with varying speed requirements. Found in pumps and blowers.



Fractional Horsepower Motors Terms

Actuator - A device that creates mechanical motion by converting various forms of energy to rotating or linear mechanical energy. (http://www.iqsdirectory.com/linear-actuators/)
 
Coil (Stator or Armature) - Electrical conductors in the core slot, insulated from the iron core. They produce and transmit the magnetic field as current passes through.  
 
Commutator - A mounted cylindrical device, to which the motor brushes are attached, on the armature shaft made of copper segments set around the shaft.
 
Constant H.P. - Name used for motors with variables speeds whose loads need the same amount of horsepower despite their speed.
 
Core - The segment of the stator and rotor, usually iron; made up of cylindrical laminated electric steel.
 
Cycles per Second (HERTZ) - A complete reverse flow of alternating current during a rate of time.
 
Duty Cycle - The comparison of operating and rest times due to normal operating temperature.

Efficiency - The ratio of electrical input to mechanical output. It measures the motor's effectiveness when converting electrical energy into mechanical energy.  
 
Enclosures - Either open or closed, the frame or housing of the motor.
 
Endshield - The part of the motor housing that supports the bearing and acts as a protective guard to the electrical and rotating parts inside the motor. An endshield is often referred to as an "end bracket" or "end bell."
 
Horsepower (HP) - Work done per unit of time: 1 horsepower equals 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute or approximately 746 watts. Motors for pumps are an example of a motor that is rated in horsepower.
 
Jackscrew - A device used for the positioning of a motor. These are adjustable screws fitted on the base or motor frame.
 
Load - The burden of the motor by its application. The required power to overcome the resistance of the machine it powers.
 
Motor - A device that turns a shaft by taking electrical energy and converting it into mechanical energy.
 
Rotor - Made of stacked laminations, the rotating component of an induction motor.
 
Shaft - The rotating part of the motor that protrudes past the bearings for attachment to the driven equipment.
 
Skew - The laminations arranged on a rotor or armature. These help abolish low-speed cogging effects in an armature and reduce induced vibration in a rotor.
 
Stator - In an AC induction motor, it is made of laminations with a large hole in the center for the rotor to turn and slots in the stator for the windings to be inserted.
 
Thermocouple - A device to detect temperature that contains two dissimilar metals which generate voltage as a function of temperature. (http://www.iqsdirectory.com/thermocouples/)

Torque - Force for turning, provided by a motor or gearmotor shaft, often expressed in pounds.