HarveyMushman What are the benefits/reasons for the induction motors? If other grinders can generate sufficient torque using a DC, why would an induction motor be used instead?
They are relatively cheap and require no rectification circuitry, brushes, or rectification and brushless control circuitry. Just a slip ring commutator and start run cap. So there are lots of upsides. Plus no need for a gearbox, they will just run at 1350 or 1650 rpm.
The downsides are size, which affects formfactor, quite low starting torque, the need for a start/run capacitor which eventually fails (which I suppose balances out brushes in a DC motor (that isn’t brushless). The very low starting torque is an issue, hence why they have to be larger. Speed control is not really possible. Your motor speed is going to be directly rated to mains frequency and number of poles e.g. an American Philos is going to spin faster.
As a result, the Philos is very large for its burr size and as you can imagine would be ridiculous for an 83mm burr. IMO Mazzer could have used a Brushed or brushless DC motor and given the grinder a better form factor (even with a planetary gearbox). If it was in commercial use Brushed which is easy and cheap wouldn’t have been a problem. I changed the brushes in my mums 14 year old washing machine once and as you can imagine they had had a MUCH harder life than any grinder.
So manufacturers often make decision and not always the best ones…take the Kafatec Flat Max 2…I personally think it should not have been variable speed, just fixed 400 RPM (with an appropriate motor). Would have made it much simpler and cheaper.