Air conditioning systems meant for automotive applications vary with the type of vehicle, and have been extensively researched upon to meet the fuel economy demands and safety aspects. The cooling system alone can contribute to sizable percentage of the total waste heat—as much as 30% according to some studies. As a result, various components of the cooling system have undergone continuous improvisations as well as some attractive performance advancements. The size and the design of the automotive HVAC have shaped the product advancements, enriching avenues for R&D in the automotive cooling fan market, especially for passenger vehicles.
A vehicle’s cooling system comprising water pump, radiator, along with the heating core and the connecting hoses, and thermostat need to work in sync with cooling fans to meet the functionality. Of note, firms in the automotive cooling fan market have been able to meet the customer requirements on account of introduction of new electronic and electrical heat management systems for electric radiator fans. Furthermore, vehicle manufacturers who fit their automotive with mechanical radiator fans have gained from design advancements. Relentless focus on improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles has shaped and will continue to shape the future dynamics of the automotive cooling fan market. Hybrid electric vehicles have emerged to the forefront for OEMs and aftermarket players.
A few industry-wide practices are being looked with great optimism to arrive at new product designs in the automotive cooling fan market. Of note, six sigma techniques have been researched upon to unveil new cooling fan designs that can not just increase the product performance but also that consumes less power. At the outset, being able to achieve these two parameters at the same time seems increasingly attractive, and are researchers are testing the water. This certainly is expected to open up new frontiers for product developments in the automotive colling fan market.
Electric drive motors are an interesting piece in all of these, and the need for compact and high-performance motors are creating lucrative avenues for motor manufacturers for Jonhson Electric to come out with innovative technologies. The Hong Kong-headquartered motor manufacturers catering to various verticals has expanding the array of custom-engineered cooling fan modules to vehicle manufacturers. This has extended the canvas for etching out new sources of revenues in the automotive cooling fan market. The company has worked in collaboration with OEM engineering companies to develop such products. With focus on launching state-of-the-art technology in powertrain, the company is expected to consolidate its presence in the automotive colling fan market in the next few years.
Automotive fan cooling meant for thermal management and HVAC components for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) present an enormous avenue for R&D in the automotive cooling fan market. The need for integrated cooling system controller for HEVs is a key driver for advancements in the electrical control unit. The adoption of advanced hardware and software for such a cooling system control is expected to lead to a reduction of power consumption by automotive fan—by as much as 15% if recent estimations by engineers and researchers are to believe.
Radiator fans form a key aspect, and surprisingly, they are more vulnerable to failure. Failure rates have resulted due to the choice of material for fan blades. This is expanding rooms for new product development in the automotive colling fan market, and composite manufacturers are taking note. The use of the metal for the fan is significant for another reason—in meeting the sustainability requirements of the mining sector where metal ores need to be unearthed more thoughtfully. Composites rather than alloys have emerged as more attractive option to make the fan fail-safe. In this regard, fiberglass is one the materials that has expanded the avenue for fan manufacturers in the automotive cooling fan market.
Source: Transparency Market Research