The Top Motors of 2022

The motor plays a vital role in any application where rotational or linear motion is involved. In earlier times, some mechanisms involved the use of pulley systems to meet such requirements but due to advancements in technology and the industrial revolution, motors were introduced for such purposes. There are many famed companies and industries which are thriving to be on the top in terms of motor manufacture and design and motor-based industrial, domestic, and automobile solutions. Every year, these companies introduce more efficient, economical, and robust designs.

Motor Mechanisms

The motors can be AC or DC depending upon the use. All have their drives through which they are operated autonomously. The motors can be further classified as:

• Synchronous Motors
• Asynchronous Motors
• BLDC or Brushless DC motor
• AC induction motor
• Hydraulic based motor
• Stepper motor
• Servo motor

Motors are widely used for automobiles and for domestic and industrial purposes that may include:

• Vehicles
• EV’s
• Drones
• Conveyer belts
• Planes
• Appliances
• Robots for movements and motion with defined degree of freedoms
• Cooler fans in industries
• Marines
• Mining industry
• Agriculture industry

Market Analysis for Different Motors and Manufacturers

As discussed earlier, there are different types of motors and specific applications based on which the international market is divided. The major companies include:

• Siemens
• Rockwell automation
• ABB
• Mitsubishi
• Yaskawa
• Schneider Electric
• Toshiba Corps
• Johnson Electric Holdings
• Poclain Hydraulics

The section below gives a detailed analysis of different motors and drives, as well as their manufacturers.

Servo Motors and Drives Market Analysis

Servo motor applications have increased due to automation. These are widely used in motion control, quick reversing, CNC machinery, automated manufacturing, and precise positioning in industries. The servo motor market division is based on the type of motor (AC servo motor or DC servo motor) and end-user industry (Petrochemical, HVAC, Food & beverages, Oil & Gas, Power generation, Metal & Mining). Due to increased automation use in industries, demand for servo motors and servo motor drivers is increasing and the biggest multinational companies that manufacture industrial control devices and systems are manufacturing servo motors. The top servo motors and servo motor driver companies globally include:

• Siemens AG
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Rockwell Automation
• Schneider Electric

In 2022, SANYO DENKI Corporation introduced the SANMOTION G servo motor series and Kollmorgen introduced the TBM2G servo motor series which were lighter, energy-efficient, and compact.

Hydraulic Motors Market Analysis

The hydraulic motor market division is based on type (Hydraulic Gear motor, Vane motor, Piston motor) and application (Mining equipment, off-road equipment, automotive). These motors are widely used in construction machinery. The construction and agriculture sector demands are increasing and due to this, the top manufacturers are getting more demand for the supply of hydraulic motors, and this is the driving factor for more production and revolution in hydraulic motor design.

The major and top companies of hydraulic motors include:

• Eaton
• Kawasaki
• Parker
• KYB
• Bosch Rexroth
• Poclain Hydraulics

AC Induction Motor Market Analysis

The AC induction motor market is divided based on the type (single-phase AC induction motor and three-phase AC induction motor) and application (domestic, commercial, or industrial). AC induction motors are used in mining, cement, health care, and automotive industries. It is cost-effective, cheap, maintenance-free, and has a low emission rate which makes it environmentally friendly, and it can also work in variable atmospheric conditions. These factors and properties of AC induction motors are driving factors behind their increased demand. Due to increased demands for energy resources, the trend is shifting towards EVs which use induction motors. For example, Tesla has used squirrel cage induction motors in the Model S 60s and the Model Xs. After the pandemic, demand for AC motors soared and consequently the production rate also increased. According to the statistics shared by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, (UNIDO), global manufacturing production registered output growth of about 4.2% in the first quarter of 2022. This is shown in the figure below:

The major and top companies of induction motors include:

• ABB Ltd
• Siemens
• WEG Electric Corp
• Rockwell Automation
• Nidec Motor Corporation

Top Motor Manufacturers for the Industry

This section covers a brief overview of top motors:

Allen-Bradley:

Allen-Bradley has introduced a variety of new motors that are compatible with many user-defined and industrial applications. Due to such variants, Allen-Bradley holds a key position in technology with its motors as one of the best. Some of these motors with their catalog numbers are as follows:

• General Purpose
  • CM 103 (Totally enclosed)
  • CM 107 (Open enclosure)
  • CM 220 (Totally enclosed)
• Severe Duty
  • CM 111
  • CM 211
• Vector Glass
  • CM 201, CM 221 (Small Hp)
  • CM 202, CM 222 (Small to medium Hp)
  • CM 203 (Wide Hp range)
  • CM 204 (Interior permanent magnet for PowerFlex 755 drives only)
  • CM 227 (Brake motor)
  • CM 224 (Explosion proof)
• Harsh Duty
  • CM 112
  • CM 212
• Washdown
  • CM 115 (Totally enclosed)
  • CM 118 (Stainless steel)

Servo Motor Series

Allen-Bradley also provides us with many servo motor series that enable controlled motion in industries.  Notable among these are:

• Brushless servo motor series
• Iron core linear servo motor series
• Iron-less linear servo motor series

Siemens:

Siemens provides a wide range of low-voltage asynchronous and AC induction motors that are according to German (DIN/VDE) and international (IEC/EN) standards. These are reliable and efficient and are compatible with and suitable for industrial and other applications. The following are the major Siemens motors categories based on the working environment and application type.

SIMOTICS GP

This motor series is an efficient choice for a wide range of drive tasks in an industrial environment. Major applications include fans, pumps, and compressors. This series has an aluminum housing and IP66 protection. This series has a power range of 0.09 – 45 kW. These have the catalog numbers 1LE1001-0Axx, 1LE1001-0Bxx, 1LE1001-0Cxx, 1LE1001-0Dxx, 1LE1001-0Exx and x = A, B, C, D and 0, 2, 3, 4, 6.

SIMOTICS SD

This motor series is used for severe duty purposes and is heavily rugged. It can operate under harsh environmental conditions with tough atmospheres. This series has a power range of 2.2 – 1000 kW and has an efficiency class of IE4. This series has catalog numbers including 1LE1-0Axx, 1LE1-0Bxx, 1LE1-0Cxx, and 1LE1-0Dxx where x = A, B, C, D, E and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

SIMOTICS XP

This motor series can be used in hazardous zones 1, 2, 21, and 22. This motor series has a power range of 0.25 to 1000 kW. This series also has an output power range of 0.25 – 1000 kW. This series includes catalog numbers 1MB1011-0DA and 1MB1011-0DB. This series is explosion protected and is designed for the following industries:

• Chemical
• Oil and gas
• Petrochemical
• HVAC
• Foods and beverages industry

These are also available with increased safety “t” (Ex dt IIIB, IIIC), flameproof enclosure “d” (Ex de IIC), and a non-sparking design “n” (Ex de IIC).

SIMOTICS FL

This motor series has IE1 – IE4 efficiency classes. This series has aluminum motors that have catalog numbers 1LE0323-0Axx, 1LE0323-0Bxx, 1LE0323-0Cxx, and 1LE0323-0Dxx, where x = A, B, C, D, E and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. This series has a power range of 0.55 – 18 kW and 0.55 – 5 kW. This series also has cast iron motors with catalog numbers 1LE0023-0Axx, 1LE0023-0Bxx, 1LE0023-0Cxx, and 1LE0023-0Dxx, where x = A, B, C, D, E and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. This series has a power range of 15 – 45 kW.

Schneider Electric:

Schneider Electric provides a unique set of stepper and servo motors. These are specifically designed for automation and motor control for industrial and other purposes. As stated earlier, Schneider Electric provides stepper motors, drives, and servo motors with a variety of parameters that allow them to be used for different applications. An overview of both is as follows:

Servo Motor and its Drives

The servo motor series has a power range of up to 24 kW and can be used for either synchronized or independent motion control. These are high-power and high-efficiency motors. The models include:

• Lexium 32 drive & servo motor:
  • This series has servo drives with catalog numbers LXM32ADxxxx, LXM32CDxxxx, LXM32SDxxxx, and LXM32MDxxxx, and are integrated with either BMH or BSH servo motors. The output power is between 0.15 and 11 kW.
• Lexium 28 drive & servo motor:
  • This series has servo drives with catalog numbers LXM28AU, LXM28EU, and LXM28SU and are integrated with BCH2 servo motors. The output power is between 0.05 and 4.5 kW.
• Lexium 52 drive & servo motor:
  • This series has servo drives with catalog numbers LXM52DU and  LXM52DD and are integrated with SH3, MH3, and SHS series servo motors. The output power is between 0.4 and 7 kW.
• Lexium 62 drive & servo moto
  • This series has servo drives with catalog numbers LXM62DDnnx, LXM62DCnnx, and LXM62DUnnx wheren = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and x = C, D, E, F, G. These are integrated with SH3, MH3, and SHS series servo motors. The output power is between 0.95 and 24 kW.

Stepper motor and its Drives:

Schneider Electric stepper drives and motors can be used in both simple and complex applications. These drives can generate output torque of up to 19.7 Nm. These can generate high torques even at low rotational speeds. There are two series of stepper motors introduced by Schneider Electric:

• Lexium SD2 & Motors:
  • This series has servo drives with catalog numbers SD218PU20C, SD218AU20C, SD215DU20C, SD218PU50C, SD218AU50C, and SD215DU50C. These are integrated with BRS2 series servo motors. The output torque is 9.2 Nm.
• Lexium SD3  & Motors:
  • This series has servo drives with catalog numbers SD315DN and SD315ON. These are integrated with BRS3 series servo motors. The output torque is 19.7 Nm.

ABB:

The ABB provides a wide variety of motors that operate under different conditions. This variety and different motor characteristics make these motors the top competitor. These are categorized as:

Process Performance Motors

These motors have efficiency classes from IE2 to IE5. These are mainly designed for custom purposes. These are further categorized:

• Process performance induction motors
• Synchronous reluctance motors (SynRM)
• ABB permanent magnet motors
• ABB water-cooled motors

ABB Explosion-proof Motors

ABB provides both high and low-voltage motors that can operate in hazardous conditions and are explosion-proof. These include:

• Dust ignition proof motors, Ex t
• Flameproof motors, Ex d, Ex dc
• Increased safety motors, Ex ec
• Motors for the mining industry

Industry and Other Applications

ABB also has a variety of motors that can be used for industrial and other heavy-duty applications. These motor models include:

• Brake motors
• High-dynamic performance (HDP) motors
• Roller table motors
• Smoke extraction motors
• Traction motors
• Drives and motors for extruders in food processing.

Motors in e-bikes

Like EVs, the trend and demand for e-bikes are also rising. There are many companies, national or multinational, that are introducing new motor designs for e-bikes. This trend is increasing in developing countries. Below are the top e-bike companies along with their motors:

• Shimano, EP8
• BOSCH, Performance Line CX
• Brose, Drive S Mag
• Yamaha, PW-X3 / SyncDrive Pro

Motors in EVs

Nowadays, EVs are becoming more common due to new trends in automobiles. The top manufacturers are more inclined towards improving the motor or in other words, engine design with a good set of technical parameters that provide more efficient output and save energy. Following are the companies that are manufacturing EVs with improved motor designs that meet the top rankings:

• Tesla: Tesla’s EVs, Model Y, and Model 3 vehicles are considered efficient according to the 2022 statistics. The motor being used in a Model Y is a permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor or PM-SynRM. It has a torque rating of 475 lb/ft. The motor used in a Model 3 is an internal permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor, which is also known as PMa-SynRM. It has a torque rating of 310 lb/ft.
• Ford: The top Ford EV models include the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Mustang Mach-Es use a permanent magnet synchronous motor. These vehicles have a torque rating of 317 lb/ft. The F-150 Lightning uses a double permanent magnet motor. It has a torque rating of 775 lb/ft.
• Chevrolet: The top Chevrolet EV model is the Chevrolet Bolt EUV. It has a permanent magnetic drive motor. It has a torque rating of 266 lb/ft.
• KIA: The EV model for KIA is the EV6 GT. It has a torque rating of 258 lb/ft.
• Rivian: Rivian has two models, the Rivian R1T and the Rivian R1S. Both use permanent magnet motors. The torque rating of both models is 600 lb/ft.
• BMW: The BMW EV model is the i4 M50. It uses one or two motors depending on the design. These motors are also known as eDrive units. It has a torque rating of 317 lb/ft.
• Volkswagen: The Volkswagen EV model is the ID.4. The drive unit is a brushless permanent magnet motor. It has a torque rating of 229 lb/ft.