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Hackaday reported that maker Levi Janssen’s axial-flux brushless DC motor reached a peak 12,500 rpm using a home-built drive circuit. The project uses 3D-printed components, but it is not a motor printed entirely in one piece: its design also includes six stator coils and a rotor carrying eight neodymium magnets.
What is the 3D-printed motor?
It is an axial-flux brushless DC motor designed by Janssen in Onshape. In this layout, the rotor’s magnets sit above the stator coils. Hackaday’s June 28, 2023 account says the arrangement makes the motor straightforward to build using 3D-printed components. It does not say that the coils, magnets, or complete working motor are printed.
The article identifies six coils in the stator and eight neodymium magnets on the rotor. It does not provide enough readable design detail to specify dimensions, print material, magnet grade, winding wire, or winding count. The Onshape CAD document is the project’s design reference, but the details needed to reproduce the build are not established in the accessible account.
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How did it reach 12,500 rpm?
Hackaday reported a peak speed of 12,500 rpm when the motor was operated with Janssen’s home-built drive circuit. The article describes development of both the motor and its electronics, so the circuit is part of the project—not an incidental accessory. The figure is a reported peak, not an independently verified measurement or a stated continuous-duty rating.
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The linked creator video, which the article says covers the motor and drive-circuit development, was not independently reviewable here. Hackaday’s report is therefore the basis for the configuration and speed claim; it should not be treated as a confirmed loaded-speed test.
What does the speed figure tell you—and what doesn’t it?
RPM tells you how fast the shaft or rotor turns. By itself, it does not establish how much torque or useful power the motor produces, whether it can maintain speed under load, how efficiently it uses electrical input, or how long it can run. Hackaday’s accessible account does not report those measurements.
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It also does not state the power input, bearing type, rotor-balancing method, measurement instrument, or a safety procedure. Without those details, the 12,500 rpm figure is not enough to judge performance for a particular application or to conclude that a build is safe to operate.
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The reported component count is a useful starting point, not a complete build specification. Before ordering parts or powering a replica, a builder would need to resolve the following from the CAD and any available build documentation:
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- Geometry and fit: rotor and stator dimensions, clearances, and the fit of printed parts.
- Magnets: dimensions and grade for the eight neodymium magnets; match these to the design rather than choosing by count alone.
- Windings: wire type, winding count, and coil arrangement for the six stator coils.
- Drive electronics: circuit schematic, electrical input requirements, and how the controller is configured.
- Testing: how speed is measured, whether the rotor is balanced, and what precautions are used for high-speed operation.
The accessible Hackaday account does not supply these specifications, and its linked video could not be reviewed here. Do not assume that matching the headline’s coil and magnet counts is sufficient to reproduce the result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret this maker project
This is an example of a motor design that uses printed structural components alongside conventional electrical and magnetic parts, with custom drive electronics. Hackaday’s report makes the 12,500 rpm peak an eye-catching project result, but provides no load, torque, efficiency, endurance, or safety qualification data. Those unknowns matter more than the headline speed if the goal is to assess useful output or plan a safe build.
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