Plettenberg

High Performance Electric Motors, ESCs, Generators & Starters for Unmanned Systems

Germany
Plettenberg
High Performance Electric Motors, ESCs, Generators & Starters for Unmanned Systems
Rostocker Str. 30, 34225 Baunatal, Germany Germany Regional offices
+49 5601 97960

Plettenberg is a leading developer and manufacturer of tailored electric drive solutions for the unmanned systems market. We are the global leader in high-performance inrunner BLDC drone motors.

brushless motors for dronesOur product range also includes outrunner BLDC motors, brushed DC motors, ESCs, generators and starters as well as related accessories. Our drive systems are unrivalled in their robustness, power-to-weight ratio, efficiency and compactness, making them suitable for heavy-duty professional and defense applications in harsh environments.Electric Drone MotorsAll our drive solutions are made-to-order and tailored to the specific requirements of our customers, such as adjustments to housing, shaft, number of poles, winding, cooling, IP rating, etc. These customizations allow us to build the most efficient solutions for your specific load profile. Our engineering team works hand-in-hand with you, to provide the required technical support and system integration advice.

Plettenberg manufactures all products in Germany and has a strict quality system which is ISO 9001 certified.

Electric Motors

Inrunner & Outrunner BLDC drone motors

Plettenberg Brushed and brushless motors

Plettenberg provides a wide range of tailored high-performance motors, with more than 5,000 possible configurations. The product range includes BLDC in- and outrunners as well as brushed DC motors. Most of our motors can also be used as generators/starters in combustion engine powered systems.

  • #1 global leader in inrunner BLDC motors
  • 100% Made in Germany
  • +5,000 possible configurations
  • 26 kW/kg power-to-weight ratio
  • ISO 9001 certified quality system
  • 67 IP protection class

Inrunner BLDC Motors for Drones & UAV

Our inrunner BLDC motor series consist of the NOVA and the ADVANCE families. The NOVA family has a robust closed case design and is available in the power range from 1 kW to 50 kW. The ADVANCE family has a light-weight open case design and is available in the power range from 1 kW to 5 kW.

Our inrunners are very robust in design and available with protection class of up to IP67. This makes them ideally suited for application in harsh environments, such as snow, desert or sea operation.

For our inrunner motors, we achieve a high torque density by using high pole numbers (up to 70) and special design of the magnetic system. For most applications, the use of gear boxes can be mitigated, which reduces system cost and weight significantly.

More information: Inrunner BLDC Motors

Outrunner BLDC Motors

Our ORBIT series of outrunner motors is available in the power range from 1 kW to 15 kW. The heritage of our outrunners is in the model aircraft market, which required powerful high torque motors, at very low weight.

Over the years, we have advanced the design of our outrunners to make them suitable for application in the commercial and defense UAV sector. Our outrunner motors are extremely compact in design and have leading power-to-weight ratios.

More information: Outrunner BLDC Motors

Maritime Propulsion Solutions

Rugged Inrunner BLDC Motors for UUVs & USVs

Our NOVA Maritime series of inrunner BLDC motors has been specially designed to excel under the harsh conditions of maritime and marine environments. With an ultra-rugged IP67-rated and corrosion-resistant enclosure, these motors are ideal for USVs (uncrewed surface vessels), UUVs (unmanned underwater vehicles) and AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles), and are available with peak power capabilities from less than 1kW up to 30kW.

Maritime Propulsion Solutions

Each motor is tailored to ideally match the load profile of the customer application, and for many requirements can also be delivered as a complete propulsion unit with an integrated Plettenberg ESC. Oil-filled housings are available for deep-sea applications.

More information: Maritime Propulsion Solutions

Redundant Motor Solutions

Custom BLDC drone motors with redundant capabilities

Redundant Motor SolutionsBased on our proven NOVA inrunner motors, the Nova X series has been developed to address drone OEM requirements for safe and certifiable propulsion solutions. Featuring up to three redundant windings powered by independent ESCs, these high-reliability motors enable UAVs to perform safe emergency landings even if one ESC fails and a winding segment of the motor is destroyed.

All NOVA X-Series motors can be tailored to specific user requirements, with a wide variety of options for thermal design, ingress protection up to IP67, winding, number of poles, and more.

More information: Redundant Motor Solutions

Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs)

High performance ESCs for unmanned systems

Plettenberg develops and manufactures a wide range of rugged high-performance ESCs, with the top models being able to handle voltage of up to 400 V and current of up to 250 A. All our drone ESCs are developed and manufactured at our HQ in Germany and built by hand according to highest quality standards. We can tailor the hardware and software of our ESCs to the specific use case and application requirements.

Drone Motor ESC

We highly recommend using our motors and ESCs as a combined system solution for optimal performance; the use of competing products can compromise the efficiency, weight and size advantages. Our engineering team will help you in designing the right ESC solution and support you in system integration, including ESC configuration, ideal power supply and thermal management.

More information: Drone & UAV ESCs

Generators & Starter Systems

Engine starter systems for drones & UAV

Plettenberg designs and manufactures generators and starters as well as related electronics for combustion engines in unmanned system applications. We offer generators in the power range from 500 W to 15 kW.

Drone engine starter systems

Our systems are available as external generator (separate to combustion engine), attachment kits (to be attached to combustion engine) or as integration kits (to be integrated in combustion engine housing). Our generators can be used for boxer engines, inline engines and single-cylinder engines from 100-650 cm³.

More information: Generators & Starters

Accessories

Plettenberg provides a wide range of high-quality, low-weight accessories. Our accessories are built according to the same quality and performance standards as our electric drone motors and ESCs. The product range includes the Gold Plug Series, programming sets, data loggers, cabling, capacitors and fuse boxes.

Drone engine components

The Plettenberg Gold Plug series was specifically developed for UAV applications. While competing products are made from steel, we produce the Gold Plug from aluminum with a gold cover, which saves 50% of weight and easily accumulates to more than 120 g in a single UAV application. The Gold Plug features a special design which prevents loosening from shocks or vibration, making it ideal for use in harsh environments. The Gold Plug also allows frequent plugging and soldering without affecting the clamping force.

More information: Accessories

Engineering Services

Throughout the design and development phase of your project, our engineering team works hand-in-hand with you to develop a drive solution tailored to your application. You will benefit from our extensive expertise around motor-ESC configuration as well as drive system integration, including ideal power supply and thermal management. Our team also programs the firmware according to your specific requirements.

Plettenberg Electric Drone Motors

Plettenberg engineering services

More information: Engineering Services

Case Study: Aviation Design & Plettenberg – UAV Propulsion System
Plettenberg provides the electric propulsion motor for the Spy Ranger UAV of Aviation Design.
View Case Study >

Case Study: Suter Industries & Plettenberg – Starter-Generator System
Suter Industries selects Plettenberg as supplier of the starter-generator system for its TOA-288 engine.
View Case Study >

White Paper: Why Inrunners Are Growing In Popularity For UAV Applications
In this white paper we provide a comparison of in- vs. outrunners, elaborate on recent innovation and trends, as well as explain the growing popularity of inrunners for UAV applications.
Read White Paper > 

Applications

electric drive solutions for UAV and drones

Unmanned Systems

Electric drive solutions for unmanned system applications, such as UAVs, UUVs, UGVs and ROVs

electric drive solutions for Robotics Automation

Robotics & Automation

Electric drive solutions for battery-powered robots and robotic automation equipment

Regional Offices & Locations
Plettenberg Germany Rostocker Str. 30, 34225 Baunatal, Germany +49 5601 97960 Contact Website