What Are Inductors

What Are Inductors?

An inductor is a passive electrical component that helps buffer sudden fluctuations in current. When a current is applied to the inductor, a time-varying magnetic field induces a force with polarity that opposes the change in the applied current. In the process, the inductor stores energy in the induced magnetic field to slow or smooth sudden spikes in current and then transfers this energy to the circuit.

Applications

Custom Coils provides reliable custom inductors for numerous applications, including:

  • Impedance matching
  • Creating LC circuits
  • Storing and transferring power converter energy, including DC-DC and AC-DC
  • Choking, blocking, filtering/smoothing, or attenuating high-frequency electrical circuit noise
  • Developing tuned oscillators

Types of Inductors

Depending on the application, we offer four main types of inductors:

  • Iron Core Inductor: These inductor cores consist of iron, and they allow for high inductance values and high power. Iron core inductors require less space and are ideal for audio equipment and other low-frequency electronics.
  • Iron Powder Inductor: This inductor gets its name from the insulative powdered iron oxide contents of its core. The air gaps in these cores result in low permeability and the storage of high magnetic flux.
  • Air Core Inductor: Air core inductors are ideal for low-inductance applications. Since the core is hollow, these inductors require more turns but do not have core losses. The rate of current rise is fast, so air core inductors can handle RF circuits and other high-frequency applications.
  • Ferrite Core Inductor: Ferrite makes up the core of this inductor and can be further classified as soft or hard ferrites. Soft ferrites can reverse their polarity without any requirement for outside energy. Meanwhile, hard ferrites have a static polarity that permanently magnetizes the inductor.

Custom Design Options for Custom Inductors & Chokes

At Custom Coils, we can design custom inductors that meet the unique needs of each customer’s application. We base every product on the customer’s design, customizing them according to the desired core, conductor, bobbin, fixed pitch, and more. We have over 40 years of experience backing our services and solutions, working to maximize the quality of every inductor design.

Simply indicate your needs to our experts, and we’ll develop a custom inductor or choke to your specifications.

Materials for Custom Inductors

We use various materials for each customer-specific inductor design, including:

  • Aluminum alloy
  • Copper-coated aluminum
  • Copper-beryllium
  • Copper magnet wire
  • Copper tubing
  • Hollow-core conductor
  • Litz wire

Inductors from Custom Coils

At Custom Coils, we manufacture inductors and chokes to suit a range of applications. We specialize in coils for high-power and thermal applications and deliver prototypes and production runs in small to large volumes.

As an experienced inductor manufacturer, we design and fabricate several coil products, including air cores, bobbin wound cores, chokes, and inductors of various types and materials. Our products use 100% trackable parts and meet ISO, NEMA, and UL standards. We can also test for factors like surge and mechanical capabilities, and we offer a range of secondary manufacturing services.

Contact us to learn more about our custom inductor manufacturing capabilities, or request a quote today.

What is an inductor and how is it different from a choke?

An inductor is a passive electrical component that stores energy in a magnetic field to buffer sudden fluctuations in current, smoothing spikes before they affect a circuit. A choke is a specific type of inductor designed to pass DC and low-frequency AC while blocking high-frequency AC, essentially filtering unwanted electrical noise from a circuit.

What are the main types of inductors Custom Coils manufactures?

Custom Coils produces four inductor types: iron core (high inductance, ideal for low-frequency audio applications), iron powder (low permeability, stores high magnetic flux), air core (hollow core, fast current rise, best for RF and high-frequency circuits), and ferrite core (available in soft ferrite with reversible polarity or hard ferrite with permanent polarity).

What applications are custom inductors and chokes used for?

Common applications include impedance matching, creating LC circuits, storing and transferring energy in DC-DC and AC-DC power converters, filtering and smoothing high-frequency electrical noise, and developing tuned oscillators across medical, semiconductor, aerospace, and industrial systems.

What materials does Custom Coils use for inductor manufacturing?

Depending on the application requirements, Custom Coils works with aluminum alloy, copper magnet wire, copper-coated aluminum, copper-beryllium, copper tubing, hollow-core conductor, and Litz wire, selecting materials to optimize conductivity, thermal performance, and manufacturability.

How customizable are your inductors and chokes?

Fully customizable. Every inductor is built to the customer’s specific design, with options for core type, conductor material, bobbin configuration, fixed pitch, and finishing. Custom Coils has over 40 years of experience designing inductors for high-power and demanding thermal applications.

What standards do Custom Coils inductors comply with?

All inductors and chokes use 100% traceable parts and are manufactured to meet ISO, NEMA, and UL standards. Custom Coils also offers surge and mechanical capability testing as part of their quality assurance process.

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