maxon turns the tables... literally.

The multi-millionaire president of one of the world’s leading online poker companies can now eat dinner, hold meetings and play poker at the same, state-of-the-art penthouse table… thanks to some clever engineering and a concealed maxon motor.

The £38,000 table rotates gyroscopically to convert from a tempered glass dining and conference surface to a luxurious gaming baize. It was commissioned from art engineer Lee J. Rowland by PKR.com president Jez San, for his personal North London penthouse suite.

The flawless, four-second conversion is powered by a 45mm, brushless flat motor from maxon, combined with a maxon 300:1 gearhead. The resulting high torque density enables the entire mechanism to be concealed entirely within the table’s skeletal frame, without compromising the highly aesthetic design. “maxon’s EC45 flat motor is tiny, which enabled me to get the thickness of the frame right down,” says Lee J. Rowland. “You look at it and think: ‘how on earth is anything technical happening in there?’ “The gear ratio is amazing, too. Such power in such a small space – and incredibly quiet, as well.”

However, the ingenious conversion mechanism is by no means the table’s only innovation. The use of vitreous enamel to finish the elegant, curved frame is believed to be an industry first; as are the techniques allowing margins and seams to be cut after firing – bringing marquetry precision to an enamelled steel construction for the first time. The look is completed by a flush-fitted LED light diffusion strip, capable of producing any combination of 27 RGB colours.

maxon motor sales engineer Greg Dutfield says: “Lee works right at the point where engineering meets art. He has created a table that is as groundbreaking as it is beautiful. “Of course, it’s a big ask to specify technology that can deliver the required performance without sacrificing the design – and that’s just the sort of challenge maxon loves.”

Flat brushless motors like the one concealed in the PKR.com table can be found online in the maxon catalogue. Customised motors and systems can be designed specifically to fit your application.

© 2011 by maxon motor uk