Most HVAC systems, whether in commercial buildings or residential applications, still rely on motors that cycle on and off throughout the day. This start-stop behavior, inherited from older control logic and motor technology, creates more than just noise. It’s a major source of inefficiency, mechanical wear, and acoustic vibration.
Each startup draws a surge of current, generates heat, and stresses key components like bearings, insulation, and windings. Multiply that across thousands of cycles per year, and you have a clear picture of why many systems operate below their potential lifespan—and below optimal efficiency.
In fact, most HVAC motors spend the majority of their operational life at part-load conditions, where traditional laminated steel designs perform least efficiently. The result is a system that wastes energy precisely when it should be running most economically.
To address this, the industry has been moving steadily toward variable-speed HVAC systems. Rather than cycling on and off, these systems adjust speed to match real-time demand.
This approach delivers several measurable benefits:
But here’s the challenge: while variable-speed drives can control motor speed, the motor core itself, which is typically made from laminated steel, often limits how much efficiency can actually be realized. That’s where design innovation becomes essential.
Traditional laminated steel motor cores were never optimized for continuous, variable-speed operation. The 2D magnetic path inherent in stacked laminations leads to increased eddy current losses and thermal buildup when frequency and speed fluctuate.
These losses don’t just waste energy; they directly reduce torque stability and increase unwanted vibration and acoustic noise. It’s an engineering bottleneck that control systems alone can’t fix. To truly improve variable-speed performance, we need to address the issue at its source: the magnetic architecture of the motor itself.
Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are a modern engineering material made from iron powder particles coated with an insulating layer and compacted into precise 3D shapes.
This structure allows magnetic flux to flow in three dimensions (not just along a plane) and dramatically reduces eddy current losses—especially at higher frequencies. In other words, SMCs make it possible to design motors that are inherently suited for variable-speed operation.
When applied to advanced motor topologies such as axial flux, yokeless axial flux, or trapezoidal radial flux designs, SMCs enable several key advantages:
Recent studies show that well optimized SMC-based motors can deliver 2–4% higher system efficiency compared to conventional small-frame HVAC motors, particularly under variable-speed operation. That gain may sound modest, but in systems running thousands of hours per year—and in facilities where cooling can account for 40% of total energy use— it translates into meaningful, measurable savings. The combination of continuous operation, smoother performance, and quieter function offers both energy and experiential improvements that make a tangible difference in the market.
The next leap in HVAC innovation won’t come from smarter control boards or incremental software updates; it will come from rethinking the motor itself. At Horizon Technology, our focus is on engineering manufacturable, high performance solutions that transform how HVAC systems operate. By combining design freedom with practical manufacturability, we help our partners create systems that don’t just meet efficiency targets; they set new standards for how efficiency feels, sounds, and performs.
The future of HVAC efficiency isn’t about turning off and on; it’s about moving forward continuously. At Horizon, we’re engineering that momentum.