Lin Engineering

Manufacturer information and published contact details

Lin Engineering contact details

Head office

Morgan Hill, California
United States

Website linengineering.com

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Contact details as published by Lin Engineering, checked 2026-10-30. Specify Motion is not affiliated with Lin Engineering.

Lin Engineering product lines

Who Lin Engineering is

Lin Engineering is a US motor manufacturer best known for hybrid stepper motors. Its catalogue has grown to include integrated steppers, stepper linear actuators, brushless and frameless BLDC motors, coreless brushed motors and planetary gearboxes. It positions itself as a motor specialist that will modify standard designs for an OEM, with engineering and prototyping in the US and high-volume production in Asia.

History and ownership

Lin’s About page says it has more than 30 years in business and started in Morgan Hill, California, which remains home to its engineering, quality, applications, sales and customer-service teams. A Northern California facility handles prototyping and low-to-mid volume production. The company describes a global footprint of eight facilities with about 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space, including sites in Europe and Asia used for higher volumes.

The official pages we read do not give a founding year, founder, owner or parent company, so we have not stated them.

Product portfolio

Lin publishes holding torque in oz-in; we convert to Nm below (1 oz-in ≈ 0.00706 Nm).

Hybrid stepper motors

Lin’s hybrid range runs from NEMA 05 to NEMA 42, with 1.8°, 0.9° and 0.45° step angles. The most specified series include:

• The 4118 series (NEMA 17): 0.30 to 0.88 Nm holding torque at 1.8°.
• The 5718 series (NEMA 23): 0.71 to 2.08 Nm in three lengths, 1.4 to 4.2 A and Class B insulation. The E5718 version raises holding torque to about 4.2 Nm.
• The X8718 series (NEMA 34): 4.8 to 15.0 Nm. The 11018 (NEMA 42) extends the range to about 32 Nm.

Integrated steppers

The Silverpak 23C / 23CE combines a NEMA 23 motor with driver and controller for 12 to 40 V DC, RS-485 and step/direction inputs, and an optional encoder with up to 5,000 counts per revolution for position correction. NEMA 17 versions (17C, 17D) are also offered.

Frameless BLDC motors

• The PCT frameless motors come in 50 to 115 mm frames for 48 V, from 0.24 to 6.88 Nm rated torque at rated speeds up to 7,800 rpm.
• The XCT frameless motors cover 60, 85 and 160 mm frames, up to 12.4 Nm rated, with the XCT160 wound for 48 to 325 V.

Lin also lists FCP and FC frameless motors, direct-drive and geared BLDC motors, servo motors, slotless motors and drive wheels.

Technologies

• Step angle choice. Offering 0.9° and 0.45° motors alongside 1.8° gives smoother low-speed motion and finer native resolution without relying solely on microstepping.
• Integration. Silverpak motors put drive and control in the motor, which shortens cabling and suits distributed axes in lab and semiconductor equipment.
• Frameless kits. Rotor and stator supplied separately let a machine builder put the motor directly in a robot joint or rotary stage.

For sizing help, see how to select a stepper motor, closed-loop stepper motors explained and how to select a frameless torque motor.

Industries served

Lin’s website has industry pages, including one for robotics. In practice, its small steppers, integrated motors and linear actuators are typical of laboratory automation, liquid handling and positioning stages, while its frameless and drive-wheel BLDC motors suit robot joints and mobile robots.

Worked example: NEMA 23 or NEMA 34?

A lead-screw axis needs 1.2 Nm at the motor at 600 rpm. Stepper torque falls with speed, so as a rule of thumb you should choose a motor with roughly twice the required torque at standstill, then check the pull-out curve at your drive voltage. That points to the top of the 5718 range (2.08 Nm) or an E5718. If the curve still falls short at 600 rpm, step up to the NEMA 34 X8718 or consider a closed-loop or servo solution.

Things that catch engineers out

• Torque at speed. Holding torque is a standstill figure. Stepper torque drops as speed rises, faster at lower drive voltages, so always check the pull-out curve.
• Resonance. Hybrid steppers can resonate at low and mid speeds; microstepping drives, damping or a 0.9° motor usually help.
• Heat. Steppers draw full current at standstill, so case temperature matters in enclosed equipment; the 5718 is rated to Class B insulation.

Global and UK presence

Lin lists no UK office. Its website routes enquiries through forms and live chat. UK engineers buying in production volumes should ask about lead times from the Asian plants and about local stock.

What to send when specifying a stepper motor

Send the torque you need at your working speed, the drive voltage and current, frame size limits, shaft and connector requirements, whether an encoder or brake is needed, and the duty cycle and ambient temperature.

Specify Motion is independent of Lin Engineering and is not a distributor for the company. Our engineers can help source Lin motors or propose equivalents from our supply network on published figures; see find a replacement, the servo and stepper motors hub or the frameless torque motors hub.

Lin Engineering stepper motors

Hybrid stepper motor

4118 series (NEMA 17)

NEMA 17 1.8° hybrid stepper with 0.30 to 0.88 Nm (42.5 to 124.6 oz-in) holding torque; a V4118 variant is also offered.

Hybrid stepper motor

5718 series (NEMA 23)

NEMA 23 1.8° hybrid stepper in three lengths with 0.71 to 2.08 Nm (100.5 to 294.6 oz-in) holding torque, 1.4 to 4.2 A, Class B insulation; E5718 and X5718 versions raise torque to 4.24 Nm.

Hybrid stepper motor

X8718 series (NEMA 34)

High-torque NEMA 34 1.8° hybrid stepper with 4.8 to 15.0 Nm (679.7 to 2,124.2 oz-in) holding torque; the 11018 NEMA 42 range extends to 32 Nm.

Integrated stepper motor

Silverpak 23C / 23CE integrated stepper

NEMA 23 stepper with built-in driver and controller for 12 to 40 V DC, 0.3 to 3.0 A peak per phase, RS-485 and step/direction inputs, and an optional encoder up to 5,000 counts per revolution with position correction.

Lin Engineering direct-drive and torque motors

Frameless torque motor

PCT frameless BLDC motors

Frameless brushless motor kits in 50 to 115 mm frames for 48 V, with rated torque from 0.24 to 6.88 Nm (series maximum) and rated speeds up to 7,800 rpm.

Frameless torque motor

XCT frameless BLDC motors

Frameless brushless motors in 60, 85 and 160 mm frames, from 0.53 Nm to 12.4 Nm rated torque (series maximum), with 48 V windings and up to 325 V on the XCT160.