NEMA 23 stepper (23HS45)
The step up for routers and heavier gantries. Roughly 7x the holding torque of a NEMA 17 at 8x the current draw.
The role it plays
An actuator turns electrical power into motion. The useful unit is never the motor alone — it is motor + reduction + encoder + driver loop, and most of the engineering is in the last three. The number that decides a design is continuous torque at the joint, not the peak figure on the datasheet. Peaks last milliseconds; gravity lasts all day.
Typical use: CNC routers, large gantries, heavy linear stages.
What the numbers actually mean
The headline figure is 3.0 N·m (holding torque), with 1.8° as the next most load-bearing number (step angle). At $30 in the actuators tier it sits in the mid range: enough money that you should plan the mounting and wiring before ordering, but not so much that one mistake ends the project.
How it compares
Same subsystem, closest alternatives. The primary spec column is usually the one that decides it.
| Part | Price | Primary spec | Second spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEMA 23 stepper (23HS45)Open-loop stepper | $30 | 3.0 N·m | 1.8° |
| Feetech STS3215Serial-bus servo | $17 | 30 kg·cm (2.94 N·m) @ 7.4 V | ~0.222 s / 60° |
| Feetech SCS0009Micro serial servo | $8 | 9 kg·cm (0.88 N·m) @ 6 V | ~0.1 s / 60° |
| Dynamixel XL430-W250-TSmart servo | $50 | 1.5 N·m @ 12 V | 59 rpm @ 12 V |
| Dynamixel XM430-W350-TSmart servo | $260 | 4.1 N·m @ 12 V | 46 rpm @ 12 V |
Where it shows up
It is a component-level choice rather than a defining part of a named platform — pick it for the subsystem it serves, not to match a reference build.