The electrification wave is reshaping outdoor power equipment, from backyard tools to professional landscaping and compact construction machinery,. Yet as machines get bigger and workloads heavier, engineering challenges also multiply — especially when it comes to the motor.
In this evolving landscape, soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are becoming the material of choice for designers who are looking to break free from the limitations of traditional laminated cores. SMC-based solutions unlock new motor possibilities with solutions that are smarter, more compact, and designed for the rugged, high demand environments of outdoor power equipment.
Historically, traditional radial flux motors have used stacked laminations as the go-to in this arena. They're proven, they’re relatively easy to manufacture, and they work—until they don’t. As soon as packaging constraints tighten or power density becomes a top priority, these older designs start to show their limits.
Stamped laminations just aren’t well suited for complex magnetic paths or space-saving geometries. What’s more, they tend to struggle with efficiency when switching frequencies increase or thermal management is restricted. SMCs offer a clean break from these limitations. Because they allow magnetic flux to flow in three dimensions, they open the door to topologies that simply aren't feasible or cost-effective with lamination stacks.
So, what does this actually look like in practice? Let’s examine at a few motor architectures that are increasingly gaining traction thanks to the unique capabilities of SMCs.
Axial flux motors have long been prized for their compact, high torque density design. However, manufacturing these with laminations is often difficult and expensive, particularly when high speed operation or compact packaging is needed. SMC enable designers to integrate axial flux stators, reducing part count and improving heat dissipation while allowing the motor to fit neatly into space-constrained platforms like robotic or low profile ride-on mowers.
The yokeless axial flux motor takes this a step further by removing the traditional stator yoke altogether. This design eliminates unnecessary magnetic pathways and reduces weight, making it possible to achieve even greater efficiency. It's especially useful in equipment where weight reduction directly translates to longer battery runtime or better maneuverability - think battery-powered trenchers or prosumer-grade leaf blowers.
The trapezoidal radial flux motor design is gaining attention for its ability to provide directional control of magnetic fields within asymmetric motor housings. This topology, enabled by the 3D magnetic shaping of SMCs, is well suited for off-axis drives or systems with unique torque-speed profiles, which are common in small skid-steers or articulated utility equipment.
A hybrid approach is emerging: combining traditional laminations with SMC components to balance performance and cost. These SMC-lamination hybrid designs offer an optimized performance solution for applications that need the magnetic efficiency of laminations in the main stator core as well as the design freedom and loss reduction of SMCs in complex auxiliary components.
The beauty of these new topologies is that they aren’t just theoretical; they’re already showing up in the field. For example,
In each of these cases, SMCs aren’t just substituting a material; they’re enabling a blank-slate approach to the entire motor architecture. These are exactly the kind of novel solutions this market is seeking as it transitions from combustion engines to more efficient designs.
How Horizon Technology Helps You Get There
At Horizon Technology, we work side by side with your team to help turn promising motor concepts into scalable, manufacturable solutions. From early prototyping through production, our team provides deep expertise in powder metallurgy and magnetic materials as well as the in-house tools to test, iterate, and validate performance every step of the way.
The Future Is Lighter, Quieter, and More Capable
There’s no question – the market for prosumer outdoor equipment is going electric. The question is whether your motor designs are keeping up. SMCs are helping make this future not only possible but practical. By enabling topologies that were once too complex to produce or too inefficient to scale, SMCs give engineers the freedom to design around performance, not manufacturing constraints.
And that’s what we’re here for.
Ready to reimagine your next motor? Let’s talk.