The ever-growing demand for electric motors can be attributed to several factors including the growing interest in eco-friendly and fuel-efficient motors and improved living standards in a number of densely-populated countries around the world. Plus, new innovations in home appliances are not only driving the demand for electric motors, it’s changing the way they are shaped, sized and put together.

So, how exactly do electric motors work?

An electric motor is in pretty much every electronic appliance. The motor is what turns electricity into mechanical movement. When an electric motor is charged with electricity, the axle, or metal rod turns and creates movement. The motor itself is powered by two opposing magnets – the permanent magnet and the electromagnet. When electric current is applied to the electromagnet, it pushes against the permanent magnet creating rotary or linear movement.

The inside of an electric motor. (Source: Stiavelli)

Many parts of electric motors are made of electrical steel, including the motor core. Electrical steel is an alloy of iron and silicon and can generate various magnetic properties. High-quality electric steel such as POSCO’s Hyper NO will have a small hysteresis curve that minimizes energy loss. POSCO’s technology also reduces core loss by 5 percent as well as motor noise by 5dB.

Electric Motors in Home Appliances

Home appliances currently account for about a third of total energy consumption and attribute to 45 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in an average household. Energy-efficient home appliances are in high demand due to increasingly stricter environmental regulations, consumers’ desire to save on utility bills as well as their desire to lower noise output from appliances such as dishwashers and dryers.

In order to maximize energy efficiency, engineers and manufacturers turn to high quality non-oriented electrical steel such as POSCO’s Hyper NO to meet consumer needs.

SEE ALSO: Why Electrical Steel Can Make All The Difference In EV Motors

Next Generation of Home Appliances

Aside from traditional home appliances, there is a growing number of innovative, next-generation home appliances that rely on high-quality electric motors for maximum efficiency, cost effectiveness and also range of movement.

These days, robots are part of the average household in the form of vacuums, personal home assistants, alarm clocks and more. Unlike traditional home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines that are stationary, innovative robot appliances move in different directions. This is where actuators come in. Actuators are electric motors in a gearbox, and the gearbox essentially gives electric motors added torque, or rotational force, that allows the robot to move in a variety of directions, including twisting and turning.

Actuators are what propels a variety of movement in robots. (Source: Motion Control Tips)

Moreover, engineers are now working with modular actuators to build robotic structures for a greater range of movement, speed and positions through segmented parts. Highly efficient, relatively low-cost and diverse actuators are coming together with AI sensors, voice recognition and smart controllers to breed a new generations of home appliances.

There are 3 different types of actuators based on how they are powered, and electrical actuators are most commonly found in home applications. Compared to the other types of actuators, electric actuators have lower speed and power, but are easy to install and control. Because they are often modular and can be applied for customized purposes, the resulting robots have a great range of motion to fit the new roles home robots are taking on.

Examples of Applications in the home

Here are some of the latest robots for the home that require advanced electric actuators and are changing the way people think of home appliances.

Aeolus Bot

The prototype for the Aeolus Bot was introduced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The robot can move around the nooks and crannies of the home learning different objects and places with its smart software. It can also retrieve different objects and clean the house using other home appliances.

The Aeolus Bot responds to voice commands. (Source: Unbox Holics)

Not only that, Aeolus also has Amazon’s Alexa software, recognize its owner’s face and can alert family members of any disturbances.

Sony Aibo

Sony’s Aibo looks and moves like a dog. With its voice recognition software it can respond to commands, recognize faces and perform tricks. Although the furless bot may not be able to swim or jump the fence, it can pick up a objects, sit, roll over and move much more dynamically than other home robots.

The Sony Aibo can do simple tricks on command. (Source: The Verge)

The changing face (and shape) of home appliances is putting actuators to full use with their wide range of movement, speed and positions. Highly-efficient electric motors and actuators will continue to be in high demand as new innovations in home appliances and robots keep rolling out.

Cover photo courtesy of GE Reports.

CEO Kwon explores CES 2018

As such, CEO Kwon made his first official visit to the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month to stay on top of the latest trends in connectivity and smart solutions that can be applied to the manufacturing process in smart factories.

SEE ALSO: POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon Visits CES 2018

Ultimately, a smart factory for POSCO would entail using smart sensors to pick up data, smart analysis through AI and automated production processes. Moreover, the smart factory would store and analyze its big data and apply it to make future improvements and prevent malfunctions. Aligned with many of POSCO’s business growth engines, major topics and themes at CES 2018 included smart homes, smart cities, autonomous cars and AI, and more than 3,900 companies put forth their best innovations.

Smart Connectivity

As more and more cities undergo smart transformations, the next big trend will be data collection and analysis through 5G connectivity. It was no surprise to see numerous innovations in smart transportation, smart grid, public safety, healthcare, data analytics and more at CES 2018. Moreover, city officials from early-adapting cities such as Kansas City, Miami and Las Vegas took to the stage to discuss their cities’ smartization plans. Some of the topics discussed included using GIS mapping software, smart construction, inclusive technology and autonomous transportation to enhance citizens’ productivity, efficiency, safety and well-being.

CES 2018 was a platform for smart city discussion. (Source: Bosch)

CEO Kwon visited related booths to learn about new technologies POSCO could apply to its businesses. Currently, POSCO’s smart factories are run by POSCO ICT’s smart platform called PosFrame, which allows the factory to apply a digital genome map to operations via data collection, instantly convert smart factory initiatives in domains, act as a common platform for new technologies and apply the same, standardize smart factory model to other facilities through reusable software.

Also at this year’s CES, POSCO ICT signed an MOU with DPR Construction, a leading smart construction company to apply PosFrame to construction sites for more efficient, cost-effective and smarter construction processes.

Smart Transportation

Another major theme at this year’s CES was mobility. Namely, autonomous and electric mobility. Companies from all across the board from traditional car manufacturers and software companies to gaming companies lined up to showcase their new innovations.

Even as the market for sustainable EVs and autonomous EVs look to expand in 2018 and beyond, EVs only make up about 1 percent of the global fleet of cars and there’s still a ways to go before EVs become the norm. Drivers need to feel safe in their EVs or autonomous EVs, want greater range on a single charge and need to see more charging infrastructure in their communities before making the switch.

SEE ALSO: Ask an Expert: Electric Vehicles and the Future of the Automotive Market

What’s more is that just because a vehicle runs on electric batteries, it doesn’t automatically mean the vehicle is eco-friendly or transmits less harmful emissions. Manufacturers and consumers alike have to take a lifecycle approach to assess the car’s impact on the environment from production to end of life recycling.

POSCO works with numerous partners to develop leading solutions for electric vehicles.

That’s why POSCO is working with automakers to come up with vital solutions in the auto industry for a greener future. It supplies partners with an advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) called POSCO GIGA STEEL that is both lightweight and super strong, allowing cars to travel with less energy without compromising passenger safety.

POSCO is also a lithium provider and has developed an innovative technology to speed up the extraction process, saving time, costs and damage to the environment. It also works with car makers to apply premium electric steel to partners’ electric motors to increase efficiency and cut costs.

With so many exciting new innovations and technologies surrounding EVs, POSCO will undoubtedly play a significant role in ensuring automakers have the tools they need to realize a green future.  POSCO will work to stay ahead of newly emerging technologies to enhance the efficiency, sustainability and performance of all of its solutions.