Electromagnetics

Hitachi Energy Acquires COET; Extends Transient Voltage Protection to Liquid Transformers 

In two recent developments, power equipment manufacturer Hitachi Energy has acquired COET, an Italian specialist in high-voltage switching products, and has also extended its transient voltage protection technology into liquid-filled distribution transformers. It combats the […]

e-Power Technology

Nidec Expands with Broadened Products from Acquisitions & New Motor Plants in India, Serbia 

Motor manufacturer Nidec has made significant expansions to its capabilities recently through two corporate acquisitions plus adding new manufacturing plants in India and Serbia. All involve various degrees of magnetic technology and add new dimensions to Nidec’s market presence. It has:

acquired Houma Armature, a motor and generator service company in the USA;

acquired Midori Precisions, a producer of potentiometers and encoders in Japan;

opened two new factories in Serbia to meet growing demand for automotive motors and inverters in Europe while establishing a center for a cluster of future manufacturing operations;

added a new manufacturing plant in India for producing e-bike motors.

In December, it held an opening ceremony for the new, second building of its existing factory in Neemrana, India where it will now manufacture drive motors for electric bikes with an output of 30kW or less. The existing factory produces automotive, appliance, commercial, and industrial motors. Global sales of electric two-wheel vehicles are expected to grow from 2.6 million units in 2020 to 13 million units in 2030. Nidec plans to tap into the demand by manufacturing 90,000 e-bike motors per month at the factory. […]

e-Power Technology

Collins Aerospace Pushes e-Aviation Technology to New Heights with Family of Powerful PM Motors & Generators 

Powered by its breakthrough 1MW permanent-magnet motor, bolstered by a new lab for advanced electric systems and developing a 1MW generator for the military, Collins Aerospace is lifting electric propulsion and electrified power for aviation to new heights. Engineers at the company are developing a family of motors and integrated power systems for broad application in future hybrid and fully electric aircraft as they participate in a range of R&D projects spanning North America and Europe. […]

e-Power Technology

Nidec-Embraer JV to Develop Electric Propulsion for Aviation Market 

Japan’s Nidec Corporation, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electric motors, and Brazil’s Embraer aircraft company are moving ahead with plans to establish a new joint venture called Nidec Aerospace to develop electric propulsion systems for the aerospace sector. They announced in October receiving all regulatory approvals necessary to proceed. […]

Materials/Manufacturing

Proterial Builds Ferrite-Magnet Motor Prototype, Adds AI to Its Toolkit for Developing New Materials 

For design engineers, simulations can be important tools in the product development process but actual performance by a prototype is a welcomed step better. That’s the status at materials company Proterial where a prototype motor built with its innovative new ferrite magnets confirmed the promising results from an earlier simulation model – challenging the performance of neodymium magnets in EV motors. Separately, the company announced that it is embracing artificial intelligence techniques in its efforts to develop more new advanced materials serving a variety of markets. […]

e-Power Technology

Nippon Drops Electrical Steel Lawsuit Against Toyota, as Automaker Embraces e-Mobility 

Embracing a vision of finding your future in e-mobility, Toyota’s future will no longer be in court battling Nippon Steel in three patent infringement cases over the giant automaker’s use of electrical steel for its motors. After two years of litigation, the cases were closed about the same time that Toyota proclaimed its “Find Your Future” theme at Japan Mobility Show 2023, formerly the Tokyo Motor Show, envisioning the adoption of multiple forms of electric vehicles. […]