Tolerance rings

The number of electric motors used in car applications is growing at an astounding rate, with industry analysts predicting this figure will continue rise. Chris Needes of Rencol Tolerance Rings looks at the common applications of these motors and explains some of the ways in which tolerance rings are being used.

With the number of electric motors in automotive applications set to increase more dramatically, car manufacturers are now pushing technology boundaries to simplify each of the designs in order to reduce size and weight of the overall assembly and making it more cost-effective.

Electric motors are found in anything that has an electrical movement or solenoid function; familiar examples include window lifts, fuel pumps, mirror and headlamp adjusters, clutches, transmissions, windscreen wipers and seat adjusters. While there is steady growth for electric motors in powered interior applications, such as seat adjusters, window lifts and wing mirror adjusters, rapid growth is being driven by new technologies, primarily electric power steering (EPS) systems and active suspension and brake systems.