New design improves performance of military winches

Tasked with addressing this issue, Printed Motor Works has developed a new motor which, paired with a suitable electronic controller, will be able to deliver improved performance. The brushless motor has a greater efficiency and so produces less heat, enabling a much better duty cycle.

The motor and controller will be smaller and about half the weight of traditional winch motors, which can be a crucial factor in heavily equipped vehicles.

“The winch market is currently supplied by manufacturers using very basic brushed motor technology that is not fit for purpose,” said Ian Matthews Golledge, Project Engineer at Printed Motor Works. “That is why our use of the latest technology makes such a big improvement.”

The motor is also suitable for larger winch systems, as it has lower installation costs and lower overall power consumption than hydraulic systems, as well as taking up much less space.

Winch motors for military vehicles require an immense torque for short durations in the smallest and lightest possible package, and the PMW design meets precisely these requirements. A further advantage is that the motor produces dramatically less electromagnetic interference, greatly reducing its EMI signature and making it less likely to interfere with neighbouring systems.

As well as in light tactical vehicles, the motor and controller package has great advantages for use in commercial recovery vehicles and for shipborne winches on fishing vessels for example.