Replacement Stepper Motor for Gaming Machine

In the early 1980s, the gaming machine industry was revolutionized with the introduction of stepper motors into gaming machines, replacing mechanical reels. Unlike the older machines that used mechanical reels that could be inconsistent with the timing show of the reel strips, the stepper motor for gaming machines with handles uses a random number generator to run the reel strips of the machine. The stepper motor spins the reels to consistent stops during a game, stops that are determined by the machine’s computer. The short steps that the stepper motor produces occur with the number of electric digital pulses or force applied, turning the stepper motor in short but stable angular movements. The stepper motor allows gaming machines to deliver faster, smaller payouts, making a gaming machine with a stepper motor installed a popular choice. From then on, stepper motors were adopted across gaming machines and became an industry standard. While digital machines are becoming more popular today, gaming machines with stepper motors remain in successful operation.

Replacing Gaming Machine Stepper Motors

Of course, stepper motors in gaming machines can wear out in time. Prompt replacement of a stepper motor protects the longevity of the machine as a whole and ensures that the chances of costly malfunctions are minimal.

Selecting the right replacement stepper motor for your gaming machine is important in order to get optimal performance out of the motor and machine. Here are a few of the factors to consider as you are choosing the right replacement stepper motor for an existing, worn stepper motor in a gaming machine:

• The type of stepper motor
• Torque requirements
• Machine usage and environment
• The size and other physical characteristics of the stepper motor being replaced

Types of Stepper Motors

There are different types of stepper motors used in a gaming machine. These include permanent magnet motors (which have simple, relatively large step angles), variable reluctance motors (have a good torque to inertia ratio), and hybrid motors (which operate on both permanent magnet and variable reluctance motors to provide higher torque).

Retrofit an older gaming machine with NMB’s industry-leading stepper motor components and choose the right replacement stepper motor by following some of the following suggestions:

• Select a replacement motor by checking the number of steps per revolution.
• Check the peak and continuous torque of the stepper motor. The peak torque should be equal to or higher than the existing stepper motor.
• Make sure that the replacement motors are of the same size and weight as the worn out stepper motor.
• Once you have replaced the old stepper motor, run the gaming machine a few times to ensure that it works properly.

NMB stepper motors offer great reliability, high quality, and superior accuracy. For customized solutions or to know which replacement stepper motor is right for your gaming machine, get in touch with NMB today.