Save to myST

Vacuum and blowers

Both vacuum cleaners and blowers use a fan to create a pressure difference that results in air flow, generating suction in vacuum cleaners or blowing in driers, according to the mechanical construction of the propeller fan. Wet-dry vacuum cleaners are most commonly used in construction sites and commercial stores for sweeping debris, dust, or liquid off surfaces. Vacuums use a two-bucket system instead of a vacuum bag to separately store solid and liquid waste. Some wet-dry vacuum models have a built-in blower function. In this case, they are equipped with a relatively powerful motor of around 2kW, which is a universal AC-type motor that spins at very high Revolutions-Per-Minutes (RPM) rates, requiring sturdy mechanical designs with cast iron canisters. Vacuum cleaners are usually supplied from the AC main, even though cordless equipment with Brushless DC motors (BLDC) are becoming more and more popular. Blowers are used on construction sites and carpentry to collect debris as well as outdoors in leaf blowers and other garden tools. Blowers can reach extremely high Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM), which accounts for the amount of air that are moved every minute. Motors are therefore designed to work at extremely high speed and relatively low torque. Even if engine-powered blowers are still widespread, modern cordless blowers equipped with BLDC motors offer lower weight and a higher blowing capability.

Our products and solutions

ST offers a wide range of motor control solutions to fit the large variety of motor types and power ratings found in vacuum cleaners and blowers. Our offering includes an extensive range of 32-bit microcontrollers equipped with a set of hardware peripherals and software development tools, including System-in-Package (SiP) solutions featuring an STM32 microcontroller and a monolithic 3-phases driver (STSPIN32 family), which are ideal for space-constrained tools such as hand-held drills. Our range of power discrete solutions, such as IGBTs, thyristors, and power MOSFETs available in several types of packages, including power modules and intelligent power modules, can contribute to making power tools lighter and more energy-efficient. In addition, our broad range of inertial and environmental MEMS sensors can also make power tools smarter and more connected.