Motors and power · Rolling Shutter Guide
What are the crown, drive, adapter and bracket on a tubular shutter motor?
A tubular shutter motor slides inside the axle. The crown fits over the motor head end and locates it in the tube; the drive turns the tube; an adapter lets a smaller motor fit a larger tube; and the end-cap bracket holds the motor head. Crown and drive must match both the motor and the tube.
Key facts
- Crowns and drives are matched to both the axle size and profile and the motor family, so a 60 mm octagonal tube and a 70 mm octagonal tube take different sets, and so do different motor series of the same brand. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield motorized shutters use 60 mm or 70 mm octagonal axles; strap and crank shutters mostly use 40 mm. Roll-A-Shield data
- On Roll-A-Shield shutters, Somfy 500-series and Gaposa motors share a 4-hole motor bracket, and Somfy 600-series and large Gaposa motors share a 600-series bracket. Roll-A-Shield data
- Gaposa's 80-120 Nm motors need a tube of at least 63 mm; its 10-50 Nm motors have a 45 mm body.
- On a 70 mm tube, Roll-A-Shield fits each Gaposa motor with Gaposa's 70 mm crown-and-drive set plus a separate Gaposa crown-reduction adapter. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Tubular motors (Gaposa, Somfy, OZRoll) in rolling shutters with octagonal aluminum axles, including Roll-A-Shield shutters on 60 mm and 70 mm axles.
What is a tubular motor?
A tubular motor is a motor built into a slim tube that slides inside the shutter's axle, inside the shutter box.
The wired motors in Roll-A-Shield's install manuals are bi-directional asynchronous motors with an electromagnetic disk brake, which stops the shutter without slipping and holds it if the power fails, and a built-in limit switch that sets how far it travels up and down. They run on 120 V AC. Each motor also has thermal protection: run it continuously and it shuts itself off for about 15 minutes, then resets.
Starting from the box end cap and working inward, the parts are:
| Part | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Motor bracket | Fixed to the end cap on the motor side | Holds the motor head on the end cap |
| Retainer clip | Through the bracket | Locks the motor head into the bracket |
| Motor head | Outside the tube | Carries the cord and, on some motors, the limit adjusters or override gear |
| Crown | Over the motor collar, just inside the tube | Locates the motor in the tube profile |
| Motor body | Inside the tube | The motor, brake and limit switch |
| Drive | On the inner end of the motor, inside the tube | Couples the motor to the axle so the axle turns |
| Axle insert and bearing | The opposite (idle) end | Lets the axle turn on a pin in the far end cap |
What does the crown do, and what does the drive do?
The crown locates the motor in the tube; the drive turns the tube.
The crown slides onto the motor at the head end. On the motor in Roll-A-Shield's swap tutorial, a small key on the motor collar fits a notch in the crown, so the crown seats only one way. The drive sits further in and clips onto the motor; on that motor it comes off by pushing two white tabs inward and lifting. Both are shaped to the inside of the axle, which is why they are specific to the tube.
Why do the crown and drive have to match?
Because they are matched to two things at once: the axle (its size and profile) and the motor family.
- The tube. A 60 mm octagonal axle and a 70 mm octagonal axle take different crowns and drives.
- The motor family. Somfy's 500-series and 600-series motors take different sets, and on Roll-A-Shield shutters a Gaposa radio motor uses a different 60 mm crown and drive from a Gaposa wired motor.
Crowns and drives are made and sold as sets. On a 70 mm tube, Roll-A-Shield adds a separate Gaposa crown-reduction adapter (part AXRRF, listed as a reduction from Gaposa's XQ60 size to its XQ50 size) to each Gaposa motor's 70 mm crown and drive. OZRoll battery motors come with their set.
Which axle tube does my shutter have?
On current Roll-A-Shield shutters, the axle is a 40 mm, 60 mm or 70 mm octagonal tube.
| Shutter | Axle |
|---|---|
| Strap, crank or wand operated | 40 mm, except 63 mm single-wall, which gets 60 mm |
| Motorized, 38 mm insulated slat | 60 mm |
| Motorized, 55 mm insulated slat | 60 mm up to 140 lb and 144 in wide, otherwise 70 mm |
| Motorized, 63 mm single-wall | 60 mm under 100 lb, 70 mm at 100 lb and over |
| OZRoll battery motor | 60 mm |
The tube also limits which motors fit. Gaposa's 10-50 Nm motors have a 45 mm body; its 80-120 Nm motors have a 58 mm body and need a tube of at least 63 mm. Somfy's LT50 motors have a 47 mm body. Which torque you need is a separate question, answered on what size motor a shutter needs.
What holds the motor in the box?
A bracket on the end cap holds the motor head, and a retainer clip locks it there. The bracket depends on the motor series, and the wrong one will not fit:
| Bracket | Used with on Roll-A-Shield shutters |
|---|---|
| 4-hole mount | Somfy 500-series and Gaposa motors |
| 600-series mount | Somfy 600-series and large Gaposa motors |
At the other end, the axle insert and bearing sit on a pin in the far end cap. The curtain hangs from T-straps riveted to the axle; when a motor is changed those rivets are drilled out only as deep as the rivet head, because the motor is inside the tube.
What is on the motor head?
The head carries the power cord and, depending on the model, the controls for its travel limits.
- The cord. A wall-switch motor has four conductors and a radio motor three. See motor types compared.
- Limit adjusters. Mechanical-limit motors have two adjusting screws or push-buttons on the head. On a Somfy override motor they are white and yellow push-buttons, or two prongs marked Y and W when the buttons face the back wall. Radio motors without an override set their limits from the remote instead.
- Override gear. A manual-override motor has a gear in the head that a hand wand can turn when the power is out. See manual override.
Can a new motor go into my old shutter?
Usually yes, if it is the same make, it fits the tube, and it can lift the curtain. A like-for-like replacement takes the old crown and drive, which is how the motor replacement guide does it. Before quoting a retrofit, Roll-A-Shield asks for the box height, width and depth, the guide-rail thickness, the current motor's details and the tube type.
Changing brand takes more than a crown and drive. Motor brands are not interchangeable in Roll-A-Shield's parts system, remotes do not work across brands, and Somfy and Gaposa switch motors use different wire colors for each direction. For a shutter made by someone else, see fitting a Somfy or Gaposa motor to another company's shutter.
Stop: Never run a motor while the curtain is disconnected from the axle; a jam can burn out the motor.
Safety: Follow the motor maker's instructions: terminate in a listed junction box; do not run the motor cable through the wall. Mains wiring by a licensed electrician. Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
What next
Gaposa motors and crown-and-drive sets are in the parts store. If you are not sure which tube or motor you have, send photos of the motor label and the tube end and call (480) 921-0200. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield services rolling shutters of any brand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse my old crown and drive on a new motor?
Yes, when the new motor is the same make and series and goes back into the same tube; the Roll-A-Shield motor-swap tutorial moves the crown and drive from the old motor to the new one. A different make, series or tube size needs its own matching set.
Why won't my replacement motor fit the axle?
Usually because the crown and drive do not match the tube or the motor family, or because the motor is from a larger series than the tube can take: Gaposa's 80-120 Nm motors need a tube of at least 63 mm. Send a photo of the tube end and the motor label and call (480) 921-0200.
My shutter is decades old and has a round axle. Can it take a new motor?
Very old Roll-A-Shield shutters can be recognized by a round axle, and Roll-A-Shield no longer carries adapters for round axles, so a new motor there usually means a new axle as well. The box can often be reused.
Can I put a Gaposa motor where a Somfy motor was?
Not as a straight swap. On Roll-A-Shield shutters the bracket can stay, but the new brand needs its own crown and drive and its own remotes, and a switch motor is rewired to the new brand's color chart. Roll-A-Shield replaces a motor with the same brand.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Replacement motors, remotes, straps, slats and hardware ship from our Tempe, Arizona factory. Phoenix-area owners can book a service visit; everywhere else, our technicians help by phone. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.