Linear vibration motors with smallest-class diameters

A number of commercially available smartphones and smartwatches equipped with a vibration motor nowadays. Though, in the past, its primary purpose was to vibrate in a certain pattern to notify users of an incoming message, the motor is equipped with a function in recent years to control vibrations to make users feel as if they were pressing a button. Vibration motors are now expected to be installed in portable devices such as stylus pens, and VR units such as Smart Goggles/Gloves, among others. To accommodate such needs, Nidec has developed a “CA series,” a group of ultra-small cylindrical vibration motors developed based on larger conventional vibration motors.

The “CA series” comprises three vibration motors, “CA3,” “CA7-VH5,” and “CA7-VH9,” all of which are mainly intended to be built into stylus pens. By replicating the way a pen tip vibrates when writing words, the motors recreate a tactile sense to make users feel as if they were actually writing on paper. Additionally, with the motors’ sizes and vibration strength designed to differ by type, we are able to propose motors that satisfy our customers’ needs.

The “CA series” vibration motors were developed based on Nidec’s magnetic circuit design technology, which was cultivated in the Company’s design of HDD spindle motors – the products of which we account for the largest global market share. The “CA series” motors consume only 1.3mW to 6mW of electricity, which is approximately one-fiftieth of the power consumed by the vibration motors installed in general smartphones (data based on a comparison with Nidec’s standard vibration motors). This high-level energy efficiency reduces the required capacity of the battery to be installed in the smartphones, and helps us to trim their weights.

As of the end of March 2020, Nidec had shipped a total of more than 300 million vibration motors for smartphones. These motors, manufactured based on our technologies to make light, thin, short, and compact products, to improve efficiency, and to keep everything in control, are highly evaluated by our customers. As the world’s leading comprehensive motor manufacturer, Nidec will stay committed to providing innovative solutions to help shape a comfortable society.

*The information on the products in this press release is available in the technological contents of the Company’s website as well.