Massage Gun: Brushless Motor VS Brushed Motor

Brushless Motor VS Brushed Motor

Since I am in the massage gun business, many friends around me would like to ask me some related questions before they buy. One of the most mentioned question is why the fascia gun price is so different in the market, from 60rmb to 1000srmb. Actually there are many factors, such as brand effect, package quality, purity of  ABS material, and the motor, etc.

Here I am going to talk about the motor of massage guns.

In the massage guns market, there are two kinds of motor, brushless D.C motor and brushed D.C motor.

The operating principle of brushed motor and brushless motor.

        The brushed motor uses mechanical commutation, the magnetic pole does not move, and the coil rotates. When the motor is working, the coil and the commutator rotate, while the magnetic steel and the carbon brush do not rotate. The alternating change of the coil current direction is accomplished with the commutator and the brush as the motor rotates.

        With the rotation of the motor, different coils or different poles of the same coil are energized at different times, so that the N-S pole of the magnetic field generated by the coil has a suitable angle difference with the N-S pole of the permanent magnet stator nearest to it. The magnetic field attracts opposites and repulses the same, generating forces to push the motor to rotate. The carbon electrode slides on the coil head just as a brush brushes on a surface, That is why we call it brush.

         Sliding each other will friction the carbon brush, causing loss, need to replace the carbon brush regularly; Between the carbon brush and the coil wiring head on and off alternately, electric spark will occur, produce electromagnetic break, interference electronic equipment.

         The brushless motor takes electronic commutation, the coil does not move, and the magnetic pole rotates. Brushless motor uses a set of electronic equipment to sense the position of the magnetic pole of permanent magnet through hall components. According to this perception, the electronic circuit is used to timely change the direction of the current in the coil to ensure that the magnetic force in the right direction is generated to drive the motor, thus eliminating the disadvantages of brushed motor.

This doesn’t mean that the brushless motor is all good than brushed motor. Let’s see what advantages each of them has.

What are the Advantages of Brushed and Brushless DC Motors?

Brushed Motor:

1.  Brushed motor has simple structure, long development time and mature technology;

2. D.C brushed motor has fast response and high starting torque;

3. The D.C brush motor runs smoothly and has good starting and braking effect;

4. D.C brushed motor control precision is high;

5. D.C brush motor is with low cost and easy maintenance;

Brusless Motor:

1. Brushless motors do not have a brush, which greatly reduces electrical spark interference to remote control radio equipment;

2. Low noise and smooth operation;

3. Long service life and low maintenance cost;

4. Compact size, light weight;

5. High efficiency, the motor itself has no excitation loss and carbon brush loss, eliminate the multi-stage deceleration consumption, comprehensive power saving rate can reach 20%~60%;

        So according to their features,not brushless motor is better than brushed motor. They belong to two different technologies, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, so the application scenarios are different.

Let's take a look at their application scenarios.

What Applications are Brushed and Brushless DC Motors Used In?

        Today, the brushless motor is far more common than the brushed motor. However, both can be found in a wide range of applications.

Brushless Motor:

1. Cars and electric vehicles

Brushless DC motor is the most ideal power source, first used in electric motorcycles or electric mopeds, has gradually entered mass production, electric vehicles are estimated in 3-5 years will also be widely used.

2. household appliances

Such as the washing machine, air conditioner, refrigerator and other home appliances, so that these home appliances products to achieve energy-saving, multi-function, automatic control, such as timing, temperature, natural adjustment, according to the software program work.

3. Industrial automation equipment

Because speed, torque and positioning control are required for this application, brushless motors are preferred.

Brushed Motor:

Despite the dramatic shift from brushless to brushless motors, brushless motors are still a good choice as long as they provide the necessary performance, low cost, and sufficient reliability. Such as toys and some simple applications, such as power seats in cars.

       There is no doubt that D.C powered brushed motors have been largely replaced by electronically controlled brushless motors for a number of reliable technical reasons. However, in less demanding, cost sensitive applications or where requirements are limited, brushless motors are still an effective solution. By combining the brush motor with the basic motor driver IC, the brush motor and the end product can achieve many additional operations and have better protection. Clearly, it is shortsighted to think that a brushless motor is the right choice without looking at the design goals and attributes of the BDC motor.

What does this concern to massage gun?

         Most of the massage guns are using brushless motor, but there are also massage guns with brushed motor. In most cases, brushed motor massage gun is cheaper than brushless motor massage gun, but this is not absolute. And different customers have different needs. It is all your choice.