Specializing in the Development of Faster, Higher-Torque Stepping Motors: Toyo Corporation Launches 'TSB STEP' Series All-in-One Stepping Motor Torque Test Bench

Toyo Corporation (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshiya Kohno) will launch all three models of the 'TSB STEP' series ('TSBS022/P', 'TSBS340/P', and 'TSBS070/H') on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. This series is a new model of the 'TSB (Toyo Smart Bench) Series,' an all-in-one motor torque test bench manufactured by Toyo Corporation, specifically designed for evaluating stepping motors.

By adopting our proprietary 'Low-Inertia Load Unit' and realizing a highly manageable electromagnetic brake system, it supports pull-in/pull-out tests ranging from 100 mN·m (millinewton-meters) to several N·m, as well as high-speed pull-out tests exceeding 10,000 rpm. These tests were difficult to perform with the conventional thread-and-weight method. We aim to support the advancement of stepping motor evaluation technology and product development in the motion control field.

[Background / Overview] Stepping motors have a simple structure and allow for highly accurate positioning control, leading to their expanding adoption in a wide range of fields, including 3D printers, medical and analytical equipment, and robot peripheral mechanisms such as robot arms.

In recent years, against the backdrop of market expansion for products adopting these stepping motors, there is a growing demand for performance improvements such as higher speeds, higher torque density, and lower vibration. Furthermore, compared to servo motors, it has become increasingly important to quantitatively understand the performance limits of stepping motors within their output bandwidth right from the design stage.

Conventionally, the 'pull-in/pull-out characteristics' evaluation, conducted as part of stepping motor performance testing, has widely utilized thread-based devices that apply load using a thread and weights. However, users have pointed out several issues: the measurement accuracy depends on the operator's skill in handling the thread, the thread sometimes breaks during measurements for high-torque motors exceeding 100 mN·m, and pull-out evaluation in the high-speed rotation range exceeding 10,000 rpm is difficult. Because of this, these methods were sometimes inadequate for evaluating the recently increasing high-speed, high-torque stepping motors.

The 'TSB STEP' series recently developed by Toyo Corporation is a motor torque test bench specialized for stepping motor evaluation that resolves the issues of the conventional thread-based method. One of its features is the ability to automatically measure pull-in/pull-out characteristics by adopting an 'electromagnetic brake system.' Generally, evaluation equipment using an electromagnetic brake system has the issue of easily accumulating high inertia. However, the 'TSB STEP' series features a newly developed 'Low-Inertia Load Unit' specifically designed for stepping motor evaluation. Compared to conventional electromagnetic brake systems, it suppresses the effect of inertia on torque, enabling more accurate evaluation. It eliminates measurement variations caused by manual thread handling and thread breakage issues, while realizing stable load control even in the torque range of 100 mN·m or more.

It also supports high-speed rotation ranges, enabling evaluations at 10,000 rpm or higher. Furthermore, it can comprehensively measure T-N (torque-speed) characteristics, efficiency, loss, and heat generation under actual load conditions. By linking with a pulse generator, it can reproduce driving conditions equivalent to the actual equipment, allowing performance evaluations under conditions close to the actual operating environment.

Additionally, when comparing and competing with servo motors, the 'TSB STEP' series enables quantitative evaluation of the application area for stepping motors...