With two decades of unparalleled expertise in the field of electronic and mechatronic design, EMA Global Engineering stands as a beacon of innovation in the realm of embedded systems. The company excels in the design, development, and production of cutting-edge electronic systems, driven by the relentless pursuit of technological advancements fostered by their dedicated Research & Development team.
Interview with Mirko Zanotel, Technical Business Manager at EMA Global Engineering.
Easy Engineering: A brief description of the company and its activities.
Mirko Zanotel: Our approach is rooted in leveraging extensive product development experience and an unbridled passion for technology. This commitment manifests in our delivery of innovative solutions tailored to our customers’ needs. At EMA Global Engineering, we pride ourselves on the capabilities of our highly qualified team, the creation of bespoke solutions, and a flexible, agile system that adapts seamlessly to various project demands. Our mission is to enhance or develop new products by collaborating closely with our clients, from the initial concept through to final production.
E.E: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
M.Z: EMA Global Engineering’s influence spans across multiple industries, including automotive, railways, aerospace, industrial and consumer. Our diverse portfolio includes:
- Electronic and Mechatronic Engineering Services: Offering end-to-end support for customer projects, from feasibility studies to production, all while adhering to a meticulously crafted quality plan.
- Reverse Engineering: Addressing obsolescence and maintenance challenges for legacy products, as well as conducting specific investigative projects.
- Inverter Design: Specializing in BLDC/PMSM applications and other e-motor design services.
- Embedded Cybersecurity: Ensuring security by design in compliance with UNECE R155-156 and ISO/SAE 21434 standards.
- Model-Based Design: Utilizing system and software modeling to facilitate rapid prototyping.
- Validation Services: Conducting thorough functional and product validation to ensure the highest quality standards.
E.E: What’s the news about new products/services?
M.Z: EMA Global Engineering is investing both in proprietary electronic solutions and modern offers of engineering services.
As our products, we are introducing a series of advanced inverter solutions designed for optimal e-motor control to help the customer in the electrification transition of their applications. Our state-of-the-art technology ensures precise motor control, enhancing performance and energy savings.
In addition to our cutting-edge products, we provide comprehensive agile engineering services tailored to meet the needs of our customers: extreme flexibility in project management for new product development to revise objective and plans based on the progresses and results achieved without additional negotiations.
E.E: What are the ranges of products/services?
M.Z: Two types of inverters have been produced with a selection of different electronic components to accomplish the requirements of the Automotive and Industrial/Domestic markets.
They accept different DC supply voltages (12V, 24V or 48V) and they are suitable for different types of electric motor application up to 2kW.
These inverters can be used as-is and serve as the design basis for product customization.
EMA Global Engineering provides its engineering services in different ways based on the customer needs and the project characteristics:
- Turnkey Projects: Ideal for projects with well-defined specifications, scope, and plans that are unlikely to change. We offer a comprehensive project proposal, from initial development through to production, executed at our EMA Global premises.
- Agile Engineering Services: Our NEW offer, suitable for projects that require ongoing investigation and plan adjustments. We offer time and material contracts, providing flexibility in project execution and location.
- Staff Augmentation: Perfect for clients seeking complete control and visible resource presence at their premises. We supply skilled professionals with the required competencies for the duration of the project.
E.E: What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
M.Z: We are currently active in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) market, including design, engineering, and manufacturing of electronic components, which is growing pushed by the new technologies and the requests of new products, innovation, digitalization together with other topics like sustainability and electrification.
Electrification is the trend that influences several sectors. The electric motor market is more interesting for us for the range of possibility that can offer.
Digitalization is another important trend that requires more secure systems. For this reason, we are working to provide cyber security design in all those products that can be subjected to any cyber-attack.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
M.Z: The demand for electronic products in markets has been on a strong upward trend. The grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in different sectors is over 6.5% from 2023 to 2032.
In this general trend, the electric motor industry is primarily driven by various factors such as a rise in the demand for new vehicles, electric vehicles, home appliances, industrial machinery and all other products that make significant use of electric motors.
In electric vehicles (EVs), DC motors, particularly brushless DC (BLDC) motors, are preferred for their superior speed control and higher efficiency. EVs operate on DC power from batteries, making DC motors a natural fit.
Similarly, in renewable energy systems, DC motors are increasingly used in solar power applications because solar panels generate DC electricity, eliminating the need for DC-to-AC conversion and improving overall system efficiency.
In industrial automation, DC motors are widely used in robotics and automation due to their precise positioning and control capabilities. They are also more energy-efficient compared to their AC counterparts, particularly the brushless variants.
Furthermore, technological improvements in power electronics and control systems have enhanced the performance and reliability of DC motors, making them more attractive for a wide range of applications.
E.E: What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
M.Z: By sure our inverters are a good solution for customers that need to rapidly build-up an e-motor application. In addition, the control logic can be developed using the rapid prototyping method, modelling the algorithm and auto-generate the software and install it on the board. We have a specific process to help our customers to gather all the information and simulate the final behavior of the motor waiting for the readiness of physical prototypes.
For our engineering services, we apply an agile method, typically used in software project management, to benefit projects across various sectors. We define a contract with a fixed engagement period and specified working hours for our engineering department. This approach provides customers with our full capabilities and the flexibility to plan and adjust activities based on ongoing results.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2025?
M.Z: We are working to gain new customers worldwide that need electrification solutions and support in the design and production of inverters for e-motor control.
We are going to have a series of electronic solutions for Automotive and Industrial Inverter. We are developing also Electronic Control Units for other Automotive applications specifically designed to integrate cyber-security contents.
Our proprietary solutions with the higher engineering capabilities, methodology and collaborative approach are key factors for the growing of our future business. We could increase our revenue and incomes by a combination of cross-selling of products and services, specifically tailored for our customers.