Making a case for brushless wheels

A new brushless wheel motor - only 36mm wide – is set to give a welcome extra lift to the wheels on a suitcase. Able to help get a 30 kg case up a kerb, the motor comes with an ingenious controller, built into the wheel hub, that can be used to deliver torque, rather than speed. It is also low cost and the makers see it as ideal not only for suitcases, but also golf trolleys, folding wheelchairs, toys and industrial applications. PML Flightlink in Alton, Hampshire, already has a solid reputation for its very thin pancake motors, with printed circuit armatures. Owner Martin Boughtwood purchased the company with the specific intention of expanding it into the manufacture of brushless wheel motors for electric vehicles. This has now led on to the ‘Hi-Pa Drive’ motors, which sales engineer Simon Peaty believes “will cause a revolution in the electric vehicle market”. A longer article will appear in the next issue of Eureka.