Miniaturizing Spectroscopic Instruments Without Sacrificing Precision
Spectroscopic instruments that measure light wavelength and intensity are becoming increasingly critical across diverse fields. Applications range from precision manufacturing and quality inspection lines to environmental monitoring and even emerging applications in medical diagnostics. The ongoing trend? Miniaturization, without compromising performance.
One of our clients specializing in embedded measurement systems faced a major design hurdle while updating a spectrometer for integration into a compact production line. Their engineering team needed to reduce the unit’s physical footprint while preserving its optical precision. The primary bottleneck: a 20mm square stepping motor used to control the diffraction grating mechanism.
“We needed to shrink the motor footprint while keeping angular resolution tight enough to maintain spectral purity through narrow slits. But time was not on our side—we had to meet tight development milestones.” – Customer Engineer
Engineering-Driven Solution: Compact, High-Precision Motion
After surveying multiple vendors, the client found limited motor options under 20mm that could offer the required stability and step accuracy. Eventually, they found SANYO DENKI AMERICA’s 14mm square 2-phase hybrid stepping motor that met both their size and performance targets.
Delivered within just two business days with expedited shipping, the motor was evaluated immediately upon arrival. This short delivery time proved crucial in keeping the prototyping and validation timeline on track.
“The accuracy was exactly what we needed. Being able to test so quickly helped us hit our development target without cutting corners.”
The Outcome
- Miniaturization achieved with a 14mm square stepping motor
- Precision maintained through high-resolution stepping
- Time saved thanks to short-lead delivery and easy integration
- Scalable potential with a broad motor lineup for future design iterations
Conclusion
By integrating a 14mm square 2-phase hybrid stepping motor, the engineering team successfully delivered a miniaturized spectrometer that met both dimensional constraints and precision requirements—without compromising on performance or delaying the timeline. The compact motor solution proved to be a critical enabler, allowing the team to maintain the optical resolution necessary for clean wavelength separation while also streamlining the system for modern manufacturing environments. The project stands as a strong example of how targeted component selection, fast prototyping cycles, and engineering-led decision-making can directly impact product viability in space-constrained applications.