Market trends

Miniaturization
Motorization
Lower cost
Traditional technology not up to par
New micro motor technologies needed

The need for small electric motors is growing rapidly and the general trend of motorization and miniaturization apply to many markets. The list is virtually endless.

There is a major focus on the micro motor market with an increased awareness and demand for new piezo motors. During recent years this trend has been pushed by the development of zoom and auto focus camera units for cellular phones. Market experts predict a market of 1 billion motors world wide within just a few years for cellular phones alone.

But the market will not be satisfied with just small size, it also demands increased precision, lower cost (mass manufacturability), light-weight designs and low power consumption.

PiezoMotor AB offers products that meet these requirements. PiezoWave® and Piezo LEGS® enhance your existing motorized products but also make it possible to motorize products that today cannot be motorized with conventional motors or other technologies.

Today, miniaturization is a trend that is not just applicable for electronic products. The demand for reduced size and complexity is evident everywhere, from
medical and laboratory equipment to the aviation and automotive industry and in telecommunication just to mention a few examples.

It is true that conventional electric motors have become smaller, but what is holding back the development in the area of small electric motors is the cost. The format of conventional motors might be shrinking, but not the cost. Many companies have already discovered that the cost of small motors does not decrease with size. On the contrary, it increases when the motor is reduced below a certain size (diameter).

In addition to this, the loss of performance is greater in small electromagnetic motors and motion systems. This must be compensated for by other measures costing additional money. And, as if that were not enough, really small electric motors require a much higher degree of precision in surrounding parts and systems, adding even more to the total cost. So, the equation; small size = low cost, has beaten many product designers.

To put it in short: Piezo LEGS® and PiezoWave® deliver what the market wants; Smart, miniaturized motion at a low cost!

Practically all designs where conventional small electric motors are used as power source have now been given an opportunity for improvements. They can now be made smaller, more precise, easier to control and adjust, lighter and more reliable. The time is right for the next step in the evolution of small motors.