Material process variety in motor parts manufacturing

With such a broad market, this product category reached $64.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow further to $66.88 billion in 2021, according to The Business Research Company. By 2025, it will be in the scale of $72.18 billion. In terms of volume, Expert Market Research puts it at about 731.7 million units in 2020 and 1.3073 billion units by 2026 at a CAGR of 10.2 percent.

Regardless of type, whether AC, DC, synchronous, asynchronous, brushed or brushless, all motors have rotors, stators, stator windings and bearings, which collectively account for more than 50 percent of motor production costs.

To take advantage of this sizeable market and match its diverse requirements, manufacturers of parts in the Chinese mainland emphasize capability to process any material that guarantees high efficiency and reliability.

In stators and rotors, for instance, non-oriented silicon steel is favored for its high performance and long life, increasingly replacing ordinary steel. Ming Pu, a car motor component supplier from the Taiwan region, can produce these parts from stamped or pressed silicon steel, with overall thickness controlled for made-to-order shapes and sizes.

Manufacturers interviewed by Global Sources Electronic Components highlight their facilities equipped to provide custom parts. Dalian Ruici Industry Co. Ltd, which specializes in cast and machined parts used in valves, pumps and speed reducers, runs an 8,000sqm factory with CNC lathes, machining centers and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). Dongguan Foxron Precision Metal Parts Co. Ltd's 15,000sqm facility, with 200 advanced CNC machines, can produce up to a million parts every month for the telecom, consumer electronics, computer and electromechanical industries. It uses a CMM and a 2.5D measuring projector for critical dimensions.

Taizhou Zhihuan Power Machinery Co. Ltd has 65 sets of CNC machines and an equal number of CNC personnel in its 3,500sqm plant. Xi'an Huan-Tai Technology & Development Corp. Ltd operates a 30,000sqm facility furnished with bending, metal stamping, casting and forging equipment. It can produce about 4,000 tons per year for the automotive, railway, oil exploration, mining, construction and aluminum smelting industries.

Chinese companies typically ensure their products are in compliance with DIN, JIS and SAE standards. Some also follow AISI, ASTM, UNS, GOST, BS and EN requirements as further quality guarantees.

There are hundreds of suppliers of electric motor parts in the Chinese mainland, a number also involved in motor manufacturing. While the domestically owned majority are small-scale compared to their counterparts from Hong Kong SAR and the Taiwan region, they compensate through price-performance ratio and willingness to accommodate small orders and requests for a short lead time.

Most export between 20 and 60 percent of their output, mainly to the Asia-Pacific region, the US and Europe.

In general, manufacturers increased their production by over 10 percent in the past 12 months despite the ongoing pandemic. They expect to maintain this momentum in 2022 on the back of increasing demand, according to companies interviewed.

The key production sites are in the cities of Dongguan, Zhongshan, Ningbo, Suzhou and Qingdao. Several suppliers are based in Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces.

Electric motor parts

In addition to stators and rotors, Chinese suppliers of parts for electric motors also offer stator windings, bearings, covers and cases. The materials used include carbon, stainless and alloy steel, brass and aluminum.

Companies have the facilities for heat treatment processes, including quenching and tempering, carburizing, nitriding, induction hardening and normalizing. For finishing, they can perform polishing, powder coating, painting, nickel and chrome plating, hot galvanizing, galvanizing, electrophoresis and anodizing.

The main materials used in the production of motor parts, aside from steel, brass and aluminum, include ferrite cores, coils, copper and plastic. These are usually obtained from domestic providers, with foreign sources an option only when specified by buyers.

The cost of these manufacturing inputs has fluctuated many times in the past 11 months. This forced most companies to raise their prices by 5 to 10 percent, while others struggled to keep them flat to attract more orders.

Suppliers interviewed are hopeful costs and quotes will stabilize in 2022.

Cast or machined motor part

Made of steel, copper, brass, aluminum or stainless, carbon or alloy steel, this RC320 cast or machined motor part from Dalian Ruici Industry Co. Ltd has zinc-plated, anodized, chemical, powdered, passivated, sandblasted, brushed or polished surface treatment.

An order of 100 pieces is delivered within seven days.

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RoHS-compliant motor part

This RoHS-compliant motor part from Dongguan Foxron Precision Metal Parts Co. Ltd, the F2050, can be made using 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, stainless or carbon steel or copper. Surface treatment options are anodizing, clear or yellow chromating, chemical conversion coating, plating, painting and powder coating. Finished product is free from oil, scratches and dents.

The supplier requires an order of 1,000 pieces. Lead time is 15 days.

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CNC-machined motor part

Taizhou Zhihuan Power Machinery Co. Ltd's HF31 is a CNC-machined motor part made of carbon steel.

The 5,000-set minimum order requirement has a lead time of 35 days.

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Cast or forged motor part

This HT-PT-176 motor part from Xi'an Huan-Tai Technology & Development Corp. Ltd may be cast or forged from steel or custom materials and finished in buyer-specified colors. It meets ASTM, JIS, DIN, BS, GB and EN standards.

The minimum order is 100 pieces for delivery within 25 days.

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