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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-09-04 Origin: Site
An micro stepper motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Since Faraday invented the world's first micro stepper motor, our lives have been inseparable from it everywhere.
Nowadays, automobiles are rapidly transitioning from mechanical structures to electric driven devices, and the application of motors in automobiles is becoming increasingly widespread. Many people may not even guess how many electric motors are installed in their cars - the following introduction will take you back to the world of micro stepper motors in cars.
Electric seats may be the easiest starting point to discover. In economy cars, the motor is usually responsible for seat forward and backward movement and backrest tilt adjustment. In high-end models, the electric motor can also control height adjustment, seat elevation angle, lumbar support, headrest adjustment, and even seat cushion softness and hardness. Other functions that rely on motors include electrically folding and one click folding of the rear seats.
Windshield wipers are one of the most common motor applications in modern automobiles. Usually, every car has at least one front wiper motor. Rear window wipers are becoming increasingly common in SUVs and hatchback models, which means that most cars are equipped with rear wipers and corresponding motors. In addition, there is a motor responsible for spraying cleaning solution onto the windshield, and some models even equip dedicated cleaning motors and light rain brushes for the front headlights.
Almost every car is equipped with a blower that circulates air through a heating and cooling system, and many vehicles even have two or more fans in the cabin. Higher end models will also install fans inside the seats for seat cushion ventilation and heat distribution.
In the past, car windows often needed to be manually rolled up and down, but now electric windows have become standard. Each car window, including the sunroof and rear window, has a hidden motor inside. The actuators used for these windows may be as simple as relays, but due to safety requirements such as anti pinch or obstacle detection, more and more car models are adopting intelligent motors with motion monitoring and driving force limiting functions.
Similarly, with the transition from manual to electric, door locks have become increasingly convenient. Motor control not only brings convenient functions such as remote operation, but also enhances safety and intelligence, such as automatic unlocking after collision. Unlike electric windows, electric door locks must retain manual operation options, which also affects the engineering design of the motor and door lock structure.
The indicators on the dashboard may have evolved into light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or other types of displays, but each instrument is still driven by a micro motor behind it. Other comfort features include common folding and position adjustment of rearview mirrors, as well as more stylish applications such as convertible roofs, extendable pedals, and glass screens between the driver's seat and passengers.
Under the hood, electric motors are becoming increasingly common. In many cases, they are replacing traditional belt driven mechanical components such as cooling fans, fuel pumps, water pumps, and compressors. Changing from belt drive to electric drive has multiple advantages: on the one hand, electric motor drive is more energy-efficient than belt and pulley drive, which helps improve fuel economy, reduce vehicle weight, and lower emissions; On the other hand, the motor is no longer limited by the belt layout, bringing greater freedom to mechanical design, and the installation positions of pumps and fans no longer need to be arranged around the serpentine belt of the engine.
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Electric motors are indispensable in the above-mentioned scenarios. With the continuous improvement of automotive electronics and the advancement of autonomous driving and intelligence, the application scope of motors is further expanding, and the types of driving motors are also changing.
In the past, most in car motors were based on 12V automotive electrical systems, but now 12V/48V dual voltage systems are gradually becoming mainstream. The dual voltage system can transfer some high current loads from the 12V battery. The advantage of using 48V power supply is that the current can be reduced to 1/4 of the original at the same power, and the weight of the wiring harness and motor winding can be correspondingly reduced. High load applications that may be upgraded to 48V power supply include starters, turbochargers, fuel pumps, water pumps, and cooling fans. Deploying a 48V electrical system for these components can reduce fuel consumption by approximately 10%.
Different types of motors need to be selected for different application scenarios, and their classification methods are diverse:
According to the type of working power supply, it can be divided into DC motors and AC motors, with AC motors further divided into single-phase and three-phase.
1、 According to structure and working principle :
including DC motor, asynchronous motor, and synchronous motor. Synchronous motors can be further divided into permanent magnet synchronous, reluctance synchronous, and hysteresis motors; Asynchronous motors can be divided into induction motors and AC commutator motors.
2、 According to the starting and operating modes :
such as capacitor starting, capacitor operation, capacitor starting operation, and phase separated single-phase asynchronous motor.
can be divided into drive motors and control motors. Drive motors are widely used in electric tools, household appliances, and general small mechanical equipment; The control motors mainly include stepper motors and servo motors.
such as cage induction motor (formerly known as squirrel cage asynchronous motor) and wound rotor induction motor (formerly known as wound asynchronous motor).
including high-speed, low-speed, constant speed, and variable speed motors.
Currently, most vehicle applications still use brushed DC motors. This traditional solution is simple to drive, and with the commutation function provided by the electric brush, the cost is relatively low. But in some application scenarios, brushless DC (BLDC) motors exhibit significant advantages: higher power density helps reduce weight, thereby improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. Therefore, more and more manufacturers are choosing to use BLDC motors in windshield wipers, cabin HVAC blowers, and pump applications. In these scenarios where the motor needs to run continuously for a long time (rather than intermittently like power windows or seats), brushless motors are more suitable; However, brushed motors still occupy a place in many transient operation applications due to their simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
As cars transition from fuel efficiency to pure electric, the electric motor drive system is becoming the core of the vehicle.
As the "heart" of electric vehicles, the motor drive system usually includes a motor, power converter, various sensors, and power supply system. The motors suitable for electric vehicles mainly include DC motors, brushless DC motors, asynchronous motors, permanent magnet synchronous motors, and switched reluctance motors.
It can convert DC electrical energy into mechanical energy and is widely used in the field of electric drive due to its good speed regulation performance. It has the characteristics of high starting torque and relatively simple control, and is suitable for heavy-duty starting or equipment that requires uniform speed regulation.
It is very suitable for the load characteristics of electric vehicles, with the characteristics of low speed and high torque, and can provide strong starting torque to meet acceleration requirements, while also running efficiently in a wide speed range. The disadvantage is that the motor structure and control system are more complex than AC motors or brushed DC motors.
With a simple structure, easy manufacturing and maintenance, and load characteristics close to constant speed, it can meet the driving requirements of most industrial production machinery. But its speed regulation performance is poor, not as economical and flexible as DC motors, and not as reasonable as synchronous motors in high-power, low-speed applications.
It generates a synchronous rotating magnetic field through permanent magnet excitation, and has the advantages of small size, light weight, and high power density. It is very suitable for electric vehicles with limited space. In addition, it also has the characteristics of high torque inertia ratio and strong overload capacity, especially capable of outputting large torque at low speeds, suitable for vehicle starting acceleration. Therefore, permanent magnet motors are highly recognized by the domestic and international electric vehicle industry and have been adopted by multiple models. For example, most electric vehicles in Japan (including Toyota Prius hybrid) are driven by permanent magnet motors.
From wipers and seats to drive cores, from 12V to 48V, from brushed to brushless - motors are driving cars towards the future of electrification and automatic drive in a more efficient and intelligent way. Nowadays, the number of motors in an ordinary car may have reached dozens or even hundreds, and all of this is just beginning.
