Micro motors, also known as micro motors, are referred to as "micro motors" in full. They are defined as motors with a diameter less than 160mm or a rated power less than 750mW. Micro motors play a key role in control systems or mechanical load transmission, involving multiple aspects such as detection, analysis, amplification, execution, and conversion of electromechanical signals or energy.
According to the latest "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)", micro motors can be divided into three categories: micro drive motors, control micro motors, and power micro motors. Among them, micro drive motors include micro asynchronous motors, micro synchronous motors, micro AC commutator motors, and micro DC motors; control micro motors include synchros, rotary transformers, AC and DC tachogenerators, AC and DC servo motors, stepper motors, and torque motors; while power micro motors mainly refer to micro motor-generator sets and single-arm AC machines.
Micro drive motors, as fundamental electronic components, play an indispensable role in various electromechanical devices. Although they are not directly consumer-facing, their primary demand side—the production situation of electromechanical equipment manufacturers—is closely linked to economic development levels. Statistics show that Western developed countries are the largest consumers of micro drive motors, with an average of 80-130 units per household. In contrast, developing countries such as China have an average of only 30-60 units per urban household, indicating significant growth potential for the micro drive motor industry.
The history of China's micro drive motor industry dates back to the late 1950s, initially meeting the needs of national defense equipment. It has undergone a long journey from imitation to independent design and research, accumulating over 40 years of profound experience. Today, China has established a complete system for product development and large-scale production, equipped with key components, materials, manufacturing equipment, and testing instruments, making it an indispensable part of the national economy and modern national defense.
Since 2011, the market size of China's micro drive motor industry has maintained medium-to-high-speed growth. With the continuous enhancement of domestic electromechanical, electronic, and industrial control product capabilities, as well as the steady increase in product localization rates, industry demand has experienced explosive growth. Particularly in 2021, the market size of China's micro drive motor industry reached a staggering 149.698 billion yuan, fully demonstrating the industry's vigorous development momentum.
Source: In-depth Research Report on the Development of China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)
Supply Situation
With the booming development of industries such as electronic equipment, the demand for micro drive motors continues to rise, bringing unprecedented growth opportunities to the industry. As industrial investment continues to increase, the production of micro drive motors has also grown. China has now become a major global supplier of micro motors, establishing a comprehensive industrial system covering design and development, key materials, component manufacturing, specialized equipment, and testing equipment, leading to a significant increase in supply. Relevant data shows that China's micro drive motor production reached 7.955 billion units in 2020, and further increased to 8.353 billion units in 2021, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.81% from 2017 to 2021.
Source: "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)"
Demand Situation
Micro drive motors play an important role in various fields such as motion machinery, audio-visual equipment, and automation equipment. As industries such as office, agriculture, and industrial sectors gradually achieve automation, the demand for micro drive motors has shown a significant upward trend. Additionally, technological advancements and updates to control systems have imposed more stringent requirements on micro motors while also driving continuous innovation in their technology. The emergence of new technologies, the application of new materials, and improvements in new processes have injected new momentum into the development of the micro drive motor industry.
From a market demand perspective, from 2019 to 2021, the consumption of micro drive motors continued to grow, reaching 7.387 billion units, 7.728 billion units, and 8.111 billion units, respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 4.2%, 4.6%, and 5%.
Source: "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)"
Market Analysis from a Supply-Demand Balance Perspective
Micro drive motors have penetrated various fields such as industry, agriculture, office automation, and household modernization, with their application scope continuously expanding. With the sustained growth in demand for micro motors in China, the micro motor industry has experienced rapid development, and the micro drive motor industry has shown a positive growth trend, with the industry's production-sales ratio consistently maintained at a high level of over 97%.
Source: "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)"
Household Appliances
In the household appliance sector, micro drive motors play a crucial role, with their performance directly affecting the technical characteristics of appliances, such as energy efficiency ratio, cost-performance ratio, and noise and vibration control. Various types of motors are widely used in household appliances, primarily for driving purposes while also serving control functions. Currently, single-phase capacitor motors, single-phase shaded-pole motors, DC brushless motors, and series-wound motors are widely used in various household appliances.
With the increasing global influence of China's household appliance industry and enterprises, the structural upgrade trend of traditional large household appliances has become increasingly evident. Meanwhile, small household appliances and emerging household appliance products are becoming new growth drivers for the industry, expected to lead the rapid expansion of the household appliance market. Currently, China's small and emerging household appliance products are still in the market introduction stage, with penetration rates significantly lower than those of large household appliances, indicating substantial growth potential. The prosperity of the household appliance industry will drive the synchronous development of the supporting motor market. According to statistics, China's household appliance micro drive motor market size reached 32.6 billion yuan in 2021, an increase of 6.52% over the previous year.
Source: "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)"
Information Processing Equipment
The information processing equipment industry, as a research and production base for electronic equipment and various electronic components, devices, and instruments, covers the entire process of information processing, including input, storage, processing, output, and transmission. Products in this field are diverse, such as computers, communication equipment, and various components. Micro drive motors play a vital role in these information processing devices, responsible for precision control and driving, such as computer hard disk drives and mobile phone vibration motors.
In recent years, with the acceleration of global informatization, the demand for micro drive motors in the electronic information manufacturing sector has experienced explosive growth. In 2021, China's information processing equipment micro drive motor market size reached an astonishing 49.8 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 9.18%, indicating broad market prospects.
Source: "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)"
Automotive Industry
In the automotive application field, micro drive motors play an indispensable role as essential components of vehicles. Economy cars are typically equipped with over 30 small motors, while premium and luxury cars are equipped with at least 60 and nearly 100 small motors, respectively. These micro drive motors are widely distributed in the three core parts of automobiles—engine, chassis, and body—as well as their accessories. Additionally, they are important components of electric vehicle power systems. Given the rapid development of the electric vehicle market, major global automakers have placed great emphasis on it, with several electric vehicles already mass-produced. According to statistics, China's automotive micro drive motor market size reached 39.3 billion yuan in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 6.81%.
Source: "In-depth Analysis and Development Trend Research Report on China's Micro Drive Motor Industry (2023-2029)"
In this research report on China's micro drive motor industry, we have explored the current status, development trends, and future challenges of the field in depth. As an important component of the automotive industry, the market demand for micro drive motors continues to grow, especially driven by the electric vehicle market, showing vigorous development momentum. However, with increasingly fierce market competition, companies are also facing new challenges such as technological innovation and cost control. The report aims to provide valuable industry insights and decision-making support for relevant enterprises to help them stand out in the competitive market.
Audio-Visual Equipment
In the audio-visual equipment field, micro drive motors play a crucial role. They are widely used in numerous products such as tape recorders, video recorders, cameras, digital cameras, DVDs, digital camcorders, and home theaters. The demand for micro drive motors from these audio-visual products accounts for about 14% of the total demand. Currently, brushed permanent magnet DC motors are mainly used in this field, but with the trend toward thinner and faster audio-visual products, the use of brushless motors in this field is gradually increasing. Notably, audio and video equipment have become emerging growth points in consumer electronics, driving the rapid development of micro drive motor products and technologies. In 2021, China's audio-visual equipment micro drive motor market size reached 21 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.17%, indicating broad market prospects.
As a key player in China's micro drive motor industry, Lihua Motor has established itself as a specialist in sub-36V brushed DC motors, serving global clients with customized solutions for medical, automotive, and industrial applications.
Financial Growth:
2023 Revenue: ¥120 million
2024 Revenue: ¥150 million (25% YoY growth)
Workforce: 300+ employees, including 50+ R&D engineers
Technical Capabilities:
R&D Strength: Full in-house design and prototyping of micro motors (5.4mm–45mm diameter)
Production Capacity: 200,000 units daily (6 million/month)
Core Products:
Ultra-compact motors (e.g., 8mm FF-K10 for medical devices)
High-torque motors (e.g., RK-775 for automotive massage seats)
Low-noise variants (≤45dB for consumer electronics)
Key Differentiators:
Flexible Customization: Supports 3V–36V DC, PWM control, and IP67-rated options
Rapid Prototyping: 72-hour sample delivery for urgent projects
Quality Assurance: 99.2% production pass rate with 18-month warranty
Global Reach:
Supplies motors for European medical devices, North American automotive systems, and Asian consumer electronics
Certifications: CE, RoHS, REACH, and IATF 16949 compliance
