Tattoo Machine

Tattoo artists have embraced rotary tattoo machines in their parlors due to the ease of set up, quiet operation, and lower maintenance requirements as compared to traditional coil machines. The rotary machine uses a DC motor to both drive the needles and to lighten the device’s weight; this minimizes the artist’s strain and facilitates longer tattoo application times for intricate designs.

A tattoo device manufacturer approached Portescap to provide a customized DC motor with zero axial play, a critical factor in extending the bearing life due to the high frequency operation of the needles. The motor also required mechanical changes to accommodate its mount within the rotary tool. Portescap’s prototype team quickly developed a custom prototype motor for proof of concept and subsequently modified the design to optimize machine performance using an Athlonix™ 16DCT brush DC motor. The customized motor was an ideal fit for the device, as it both met the customer’s specific requirements and maintained the artist’s comfortability with low motor temperature.

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