Page 297 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

Chapter 24

Mounting Motors

and Wheels

ou’ve got two motors. You’ve got a robot body. What comes next isn’t always simple:
Yyou have to somehow mount the two motors onto the robot body, hopefully without
making the thing look like a junkyard reject! Then there’s the problem of attaching the
wheels.
DC motors and R/C servos each have their own means of mounting to a robot platform
or frame. Some are easier than others. In this chapter you’ll learn ways to mount both com-
mon and not- so- common motors to robot frames and platforms. And you’ll learn about
attaching wheels to those motors.
To round out the chapter, you’ll find helpful information about using standard drivetrain
components— things like gears, chain, belts, and couplers.

Mounting DC Motors

There are no hard standards in the design of a DC motor. Depending on how the motor was
meant to be used, it may be a snap to mount, or it could be cumbersome, requiring a hodge-
podge of hardware.

• Generally speaking, motors meant for use in a variety of applications tend to have holes,
brackets, or flanges that make mounting easier.
• Those motors engineered to work with just a specific product rely on the design of that
product for secure mounting. There are no holes, no brackets, no flanges.

Motors meant for robotics (or at least home- shop tinkering) are made with mounting in
mind. These include the various Tamiya motor kits, all of which have flanges or other means
for secure mounts. Solarbotics, Pololu, and several other robotics- centric online retailers
import motors that have been especially selected because they offer mounting ease. Or else
they provide their own mounting solutions, especially crafted for the motors they offer.
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