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Best way to mount NEMA 17 motor on 2 mm aluminum base?

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I’m working on a compact test rig where I need to mount a NEMA 17 stepper motor onto a 2 mm thick aluminum sheet (EN AW-5754). The base has to stay as light as possible, so I’d rather avoid thickening it, but I’m concerned about vibration and flex during operation (max 1500 RPM, light axial load, belt-driven). Right now I’m using M3 screws and standoffs, but I’m getting slight resonance. Would switching to rivet nuts or reinforcing the area with a local bracket help more than simply increasing the thickness? I’m open to fabrication-friendly solutions since this needs to be repeatable for a small batch.
Thanks

    • T

      I’m working on a compact test rig where I need to mount a NEMA 17 stepper motor onto a 2 mm thick aluminum sheet (EN AW-5754). The base has to stay as light as possible, so I’d rather avoid thickening it, but I’m concerned about vibration and flex during operation (max 1500 RPM, light axial load, belt-driven). Right now I’m using M3 screws and standoffs, but I’m getting slight resonance. Would switching to rivet nuts or reinforcing the area with a local bracket help more than simply increasing the thickness? I’m open to fabrication-friendly solutions since this needs to be repeatable for a small batch.
      Thanks

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    • r

      Yeah, I ran into a similar issue before. What worked for me was adding a 4 mm thick backing plate behind the motor mount — it gave it some extra stiffness without adding much weight. Personally, I’d steer clear of rivet nuts, especially in setups with a lot of vibration. They can come loose over time unless they’re installed just right. If you can line up the holes accurately, bolting through a second plate is a pretty solid and easy fix.

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        rcarter

        Thanks! I had thought about a backing plate, but I was worried it might complicate assembly or make production slower. Would you say it’s still feasible for a small batch without needing special jigs?

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      • r
        Thomas Fischer

        Absolutely. You could laser cut or CNC the plates with the hole patterns pre-aligned. No need for jigs — just line them up manually during assembly. If you want extra security, you could bond the plate to the sheet with structural adhesive and then bolt through both layers.

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    • G

      Another thing you could try is adding a small L-bracket or gusset under the mount. I’ve used 1.5 mm aluminum for this — super easy to bend and you can just rivet or bolt it to the base. It’s super lightweight but does a great job at stopping flex. I’ve done this in some small automation setups where keeping things light and easy to put together was a big deal.

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Best way to mount NEMA 17 motor on 2 mm aluminum base?
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