Page updated
February 2004

What is a 5040 Motor?

The components of an electric motor are: -

The 'can' which holds the magnets in place
The 'end-bell' which houses the bearings, the brushes, and the electrical connections
The armature, which is divided into three segments around which the wire is wrapped

Electrical current passes from the end-bell connections to the brushes and through the wires wrapped around the armature. The interaction between the current and the magnets makes the motor turn.
The speed at which the motor turns, and/or the force exerted as it turns, varies according to the strength of the magnet(s) and the arrangement of the wires - as well as the amount of current flowing through the wires.
Almost any combination is possible - limited only by physical size and desired performance.

A 5040 motor is defined as follows: -

A single strand of wire is wound (turned) around each armature segment at least 27 times
The brushes lay flat on the end-bell
Bearings are solid bronze bushes (not ball-race bearings)
The end-bell is in a fixed position relative to the rest of the motor - and cannot be removed
The armature shaft has a 'pointed' end where it emerges from the bell-end

This combination is intended to restrict the current flow, and the speed of turn.
The 5040 is a '27 turn single, fixed timing' motor, but uses less sophisticated components than the commercially available 'standard' motors. Accordingly, it uses less electrical power and is generally less powerful than a 'standard' motor.

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