Pneumatic stepper motor: R-90 Bourke engine by VincentGroenhuis 3d model
3dmdb logo
Thingiverse
Pneumatic stepper motor: R-90 Bourke engine by VincentGroenhuis

Pneumatic stepper motor: R-90 Bourke engine by VincentGroenhuis

by Thingiverse
Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago
Printed in PLA, this motor can deliver up to 1.6 Nm (yes, 1.6 Newton meter or 160 Ncm) at 4 bar pressure. Forget all those other designs that can hardly lift a few grams, the real work starts here. See video how it lifts 5+ kg using a 60mm diameter spindle. Without gearbox.
The mechanical design is more or less identical to that of the Bourke engine, which was developed in the 1920s. The only difference is in the gas: here, pressurized air is used instead of fuel combustion.
The engine acts as a rotational stepper motor with step size 90 degrees, so it needs two 5/2-way valves (or equivalent) for control.
Video with assembly instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9DUlbN97yk
Enjoy making this thing, and feel free to ask for help if you need to!
July 8, 2019: Renamed to "R-81 Bourke Engine"
Oct 9, 2019: Renamed to "R-90 Bourke Engine"

Tags