A hollow cup motor is a type of DC motor with a coreless rotor structure. Compared to traditional DC motors, the hollow cup motor eliminates the iron core as a supporting structure, relying instead on a hollow cup-shaped coil winding along with connecting plates, the main shaft, and other components to form the rotor or stator.
**1. Definition and Classification of Hollow Cup Motors**
Hollow cup motors are a type of micro-special motor, belonging to the category of DC permanent magnet servo control motors. They structurally break away from the traditional stator and rotor configuration by adopting a coreless stator/rotor design. This innovative structure completely eliminates energy losses caused by eddy currents formed by iron cores.
Hollow cup motors can be divided into brushed and brushless types. Brushed motors primarily consist of a stator, rotor, and brushes, where the permanent magnet is the stator, and the brushes and commutator continuously contact and friction, causing sparks during rotation. Brushless motors mainly comprise a stator and rotor, where the permanent magnet is the rotor, and commutation is achieved through Hall effect sensors, encoders, or resolvers.
**2. Development Policies for the Hollow Cup Motor Industry**
Hollow cup motors have advantages such as high power density, high efficiency, fast speed, and quick response, leading to excellent energy-saving effects, power performance, and control capabilities. In recent years, the government has been vigorously promoting the development of industrial motors. For example, in August 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments issued the "Machinery Industry Growth Stabilization Work Plan (2023-2024)," which aims to enhance industrial foundation capabilities and overcome key core technologies and components in system control and hydraulics, addressing industry development shortcomings.
**3. Current Status of the Hollow Cup Motor Industry**
**1. Global Market Size of Hollow Cup Motors**
With the rapid development of industrial technology and the increasing downstream demand, the global market size of the hollow cup motor industry continues to expand. According to the "Special Report on China's Hollow Cup Motor Industry Chain Panorama and Opportunities Insights" by the China Business Industry Research Institute, the global hollow cup motor market reached $810 million in 2023. Analysts predict that the global market size will reach $870 million in 2024 and $1.19 billion by 2028.
**2. China’s Global Market Share of Hollow Cup Motors**
Hollow cup motors are key components in robotic dexterous hands. In recent years, the hollow cup motor industry has been flourishing, with the market size continuously expanding. The same report indicates that the Chinese hollow cup motor market reached $290 million in 2023. Analysts predict that China’s market size will reach $320 million in 2024 and $470 million by 2028.
**3. Regional Market Structure of Global Hollow Cup Motors**
China has a significant share of the global hollow cup motor market, accounting for 34.8%. The European market accounts for 25.85%.
**4. Competitive Landscape of Hollow Cup Motors**
Leading overseas companies have a long history and strong technical accumulation, holding a high industry status. In 2022, the top five companies (CR5) in the global hollow cup motor market held a 67% market share, including Faulhaber, Portescap, Allied Motion Technologies, Maxon Motor, and Nidec Copal Corporation. The market concentration is high, dominated by the top three overseas companies.
**5. Downstream Applications of Hollow Cup Motors**
Hollow cup motor products are already playing important roles in medical fields such as bionic prosthetics and surgical robots. They are also used in scenarios requiring high weight, long life, and low-speed performance, such as electric tools, and in areas with high precision, reliability, and control requirements, such as aerospace and industrial automation.
**4. Key Enterprises in the Hollow Cup Motor Industry**
**SDM Magnetics Co., Ltd.**
Since 2004, SDM Magnetics Co., Ltd. has been manufacturing a variety of high-quality permanent magnets and magnetic assemblies, focusing on motor stators and rotors, sensor resolvers, neodymium magnets, hard and soft magnets, magnetic assemblies, and other special magnet materials. SDM Magnetics' main business is control motors and their drive systems, with a comprehensive product line including stepper motors, hollow cup motors, servo drives, and motors. Its most technically advantageous products related to humanoid robots are hollow cup motors, including both brushed and brushless versions, available in various rated voltages.
**5. Development Prospects of the Hollow Cup Motor Industry**
**1. Expansion of the Hollow Cup Motor Market Driven by Humanoid Robots**
According to data from the IFR and the Chinese Institute of Electronics, although humanoid robots are in the initial stages, they are expected to grow explosively once the penetration rate exceeds 20%, similar to other electronic products. With an estimated annual compound growth rate of 30% from 2023 to 2030, the market size of humanoid robots in China is expected to reach approximately 870 billion yuan by 2030. Hollow cup motors have broad application prospects and market demand in the field of humanoid robots. Benefiting from the rise of humanoid robots, the hollow cup motor market is expected to expand.
**2. New Opportunities for Domestic Substitution**
Hollow cup motors originated in Germany and Japan, with companies from Germany, Sweden, Japan, and other European countries having early starts, complete and mature processes, and excellent equipment performance. Currently, foreign manufacturers occupy a major market share, accounting for 85%. Domestic manufacturers like Mige Electric and Dingzhi Technology are gradually opening up the market through localized sales strategies, with a 15% market share.
Most domestic manufacturers' products are concentrated in the mid-to-low-end sectors, but domestic companies are continuously catching up, increasing their R&D efforts. On the market side, the cost reduction needs of humanoid robots will provide domestic manufacturers with opportunities for overtaking in curves. On the policy side, the government encourages domestic substitution, issuing policies like the "Action Plan for the Development of Basic Electronic Components Industry (2021-2023)." It is foreseeable that domestic manufacturers will achieve technical catch-up and eventually realize domestic substitution of hollow cup motors.
