Transformer Lamination Stacks Manufacturer

As Sino, a leading Chinese maker of transformer laminations, we are focused on helping our global partners by providing the best quality magnetic core parts. Our focus on new ideas, careful building, and deep knowledge of materials makes sure your transformers have unmatched efficiency, are very reliable, and work great in many different uses.

Sino’s Commitment to Premium Materials

The material choice is absolutely paramount for achieving optimal performance, and at Sino, we’re uncompromising on quality. We don’t just grab any sheet metal off the shelf. Our transformer laminations are predominantly crafted from high-grade silicon steel. Why silicon steel? It’s the industry standard for very good reasons:

Boosted Electrical Resistivity: Adding a small percentage of silicon (typically 1-4%) to the steel significantly increases its natural resistance to electrical flow. This gives those eddy currents another hurdle to overcome, further minimizing losses.
Tackling Hysteresis Losses: Hysteresis loss is the energy consumed as the core material is repeatedly magnetized and demagnetized with each alternating current cycle. Silicon steel, especially the grain-oriented varieties we process at Sino, possesses magnetic properties that dramatically reduce this wasteful energy expenditure.
Superior Magnetic Permeability: You want a core material that’s a fantastic conductor of magnetic flux – easy to magnetize and demagnetize with minimal fuss. High-quality silicon steel offers just that, ensuring the magnetic field can do its work efficiently.

Our Transformer Lamination Products

Designing Laminated Cores for Different Uses

The best choice and design of transformer laminations really depend on the specific use. At Sino, we know that a single solution doesn’t work for everything. We customize our lamination parts to fit the special needs for performance, cost, size, and the environment of different kinds of transformers and industries.

Power and Distribution Transformers

For large power and distribution transformers, efficiency and long-lasting reliability are most important.

Material Choice: Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) is the top material choice because of its very low core losses and high permeability in the rolling direction. We offer top-quality types of GOES (like HiB, Super Core) with thicknesses usually between 0.23 mm and 0.35 mm.
Core Shape: E-I and U-I laminations are standard. They often use modern step-lap or mitered joint designs to improve how the magnetic field is spread out and to lower noise.
Efficiency Rules: Because of worldwide Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and environmental rules (like the EU Ecodesign Directive and DOE 2027 standards), there’s a growing need for GOES with ultra-low loss.
Amorphous Metal Cores: For distribution transformers, amorphous metal cores are becoming much more popular, especially in places like China and India. This is because their no-load losses are 60–75% lower than silicon steel. While they cost more at first and have a lower saturation flux density, their better energy saving offers big cost savings over their lifetime and is better for the environment. Sino provides special amorphous core designs that work with the material’s brittleness and lower Bs.

High-Frequency Transformers (e.g., Resonant Converters, SMPS)

Uses like switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), resonant converters, and EV onboard chargers run at very high frequencies, so they need special lamination parts.

Lamination Thickness: Using very thin laminations is key. We offer thicknesses down to 0.1 mm or even 0.05 mm (50 µm) to greatly lower eddy current losses, which get worse with thicker materials and higher frequencies.
Material Selection: Regular silicon steel is not the best choice above ~10 kHz. We suggest amorphous alloys (like Metglas 2605SA1) and nanocrystalline materials (like Hitachi Finemet). These have much lower core losses at high frequencies because of their high electrical resistivity and fine internal structure. These materials can lower core losses by 70–80% compared to regular silicon steel at 20–100 kHz.
Core Shape: E-cores and C-cores are often replaced by toroidal and planar shapes to lower leakage inductance and make the magnetic paths better. Planar transformers, especially, let you use very short winding paths, which lowers both AC resistance and parasitic capacitance.
Hybrid Core Designs: We look into mixed cores, like laminated silicon steel with ferrite gaps or mixed structures (like ferrite + nanocrystalline). This is to mix the high saturation flux density of metallic cores with the low loss of ferrites.
Heat Management: Our laminations are designed to make it easier to use them with modern cooling methods (like direct liquid cooling or heat pipes) to handle the higher core and copper losses that happen at high frequencies.

Audio Transformers

For high-quality sound systems, the main goal is linearity, low distortion, and a wide range of sound frequencies.

Material Choice: High-permeability, low-loss nickel-iron alloys (Permalloy) or special high-grade silicon steels are often chosen. These materials have very low hysteresis and great linearity at low magnetic levels.
Lamination Thickness: Thinner laminations (like 0.14 mm or 0.18 mm) are used to reduce eddy currents across all sound frequencies.
Annealing: Careful stress-relief annealing is very important to get the best magnetic properties and reduce magnetostriction, which can cause a humming sound you can hear.

Industrial Machinery and Rotating Machines

For motors, generators, and other industrial gear, magnetic properties that are the same in all directions are often more important than properties that are strong in just one direction.

Material Choice: Non-Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (NGOES) is the standard choice because its properties are the same in all directions and it offers good value. We offer different types of NGOES with the right amount of silicon for different frequency and power needs.
Thickness: Common thicknesses are between 0.35 mm and 0.65 mm.

Strength: Laminations for rotating machines must handle major mechanical forces and shaking.

Aerospace and Defense

These fields need things to be extremely reliable, very light, and powerful for their size, often in tough conditions.

Material Choice: Top-quality ultra-thin GOES, amorphous, or nanocrystalline materials are chosen for their better power density and efficiency.
Saving Weight: Every bit of weight matters, so better core designs and advanced materials are key.
Temperature Stability: Laminations must keep working well across a wide range of temperatures.
Vibration Resistance: Strong parts and good building methods are necessary.

Because we deeply understand these different needs, we can work with you to give you not just laminations, but solutions made just for you. This will improve your transformer designs for what they are meant to do, making sure they work their best and give you an edge over competitors.

Sino’s Range: The Perfect Lamination for Every Scenario

Sino offers and expertly processes a range of lamination materials, ensuring you get the optimal fit for your specific needs:

Feature	Cold-Rolled Grain-Oriented Silicon Steel (CRGO)	Non-Oriented Silicon Steel (NGOES)	Amorphous Metals (When Sourced for Special Projects)
Sino’s Argument For Use	For scenarios demanding the absolute lowest core loss and highest efficiency, where flux travels in a predictable direction. Sino ensures optimal grain alignment during processing.	For cost-effective solutions where magnetic properties need to be consistent in multiple directions within the sheet. Sino provides high-quality NGOES for diverse machinery.	For cutting-edge, high-frequency applications where minimizing losses is critical and justifies a premium material. Sino has the capability to process these delicate materials precisely.
Typical Sino Client Scenarios	Large power transformers for utility grids, high-efficiency distribution transformers. A recent project involved supplying CRGO laminations for a regional substation upgrade, resulting in a documented 2% improvement in overall grid efficiency.	Electric motors, generators, smaller industrial transformers, lighting ballasts, and appliance transformers. We regularly supply NGOES laminations to motor manufacturers, helping them achieve better energy ratings.	Switched-Mode Power Supplies (SMPS), specialized medical equipment transformers, renewable energy inverters. We partnered with a medical device company to develop a compact, ultra-efficient power unit using amorphous cores.
Key Characteristics	Anisotropic – magnetic properties are optimized along the grain (rolling) direction. This requires precise cutting and stacking, a Sino specialty.	More uniform (isotropic) magnetic properties. Offers good performance with more design flexibility.	Non-crystalline (glassy) structure, typically supplied as very thin ribbons (e.g., 0.025 mm). Requires specialized handling and stacking, which Sino has mastered.
Considerations/Trade-offs	Higher material cost than NGOES; performance is sensitive to mechanical stress and ensuring flux aligns with the grain. Sino’s careful handling minimizes these sensitivities.	Higher core losses compared to CRGO. However, its versatility and cost-effectiveness make it ideal for many scenarios.	More brittle, generally higher cost than silicon steels, and can have a lower saturation flux density. Best for specific high-frequency, low-loss demands.

Sino also gives information on these comparisons, looking at how well they work, how hard they are to make, and how much they cost.

Feature	Laminated Silicon Steel (GOES/NGOES)	Amorphous Metal	Nanocrystalline	Ferrite
Saturation Flux Density (Bs)	High (up to 2.0 T)	Medium (1.56 T)	Medium (1.2-1.5 T)	Low (0.3-0.5 T)
Core Losses (50/60 Hz)	Medium	Very Low	Very Low	High
Core Losses (High Freq)	High (unless ultra-thin)	Low	Very Low	Very Low
Electrical Resistivity	Medium	High	High	Very High
Strength	Good	Brittle	Very Brittle	Very Brittle
Material Cost	Low to Medium	High	Very High	Medium
How Hard to Make	Low to Medium	High	Very High	Medium
Common Uses	Power, Distribution, Motors	Distribution	High-Freq Power	Very High-Freq

Our material choices and processing techniques are always guided by industry best practices and standards, such as those defined by IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and ASTM International. We source our raw materials from reputable mills known for their consistent quality, ensuring that the foundation of your transformer laminated core is solid.

Beyond the Sheets: Sino as Your Collaborative Partner

At Sino, we don’t just see ourselves as suppliers of transformer laminations. We aim to be your trusted partner in achieving optimal transformer performance. We know that sometimes an off-the-shelf solution isn’t quite right.

Customization is Key

Do you have a unique footprint, a specific loss target, or a challenging operating environment? Talk to us! Our engineering team thrives on such challenges. We can work with you to design and manufacture custom transformer laminated core solutions tailored precisely to your requirements.

Technical Expertise on Tap

Got questions about material selection? Unsure about the best lamination thickness for your frequency? Our experienced team is here to provide guidance and support, helping you navigate the technical complexities and make informed decisions.

Understanding Your World

We take the time to understand your broader project goals. By knowing what you’re trying to achieve, we can often suggest subtle improvements or alternative approaches for your transformer laminations that you might not have considered, potentially saving you cost, improving performance, or accelerating your time to market.

Craftsmanship Counts: Sino’s Dedication to Manufacturing Excellence

Having the best materials is only half the battle. How those materials are transformed into the final transformer laminations and assembled into a core is where Sino’s manufacturing prowess truly shines. The little details make a world of difference:

Banishing Burrs

At Sino, we employ precision tooling, regular maintenance, and, where necessary, de-burring processes to ensure our laminations are smooth and clean. This was critical for a client manufacturing sensitive audio transformers, where even minute core imperfections could introduce audible hum. Our burr-free laminations helped them achieve pristine sound quality.

Maximizing the Stacking Factor

A higher stacking factor means more magnetic material is doing the work, leading to a more powerful and efficient core for its size. Sino’s precise cutting and automated stacking processes aim to maximize this factor, ensuring you get the most magnetic punch for your volume.

Annealing

To counteract mechanical stresses which are introduced by the processes of stamping, cutting, and handling, many of our transformer laminations undergo a critical heat treatment process called annealing. By carefully heating and cooling the laminations in a controlled atmosphere, we relieve these internal stresses, restoring the material’s optimal magnetic performance and ensuring your laminated core of transformer performs exactly as designed.

Sino’s Promise: Powering Your Success, One Lamination at a Time

When you choose Sino for your transformer laminations, you’re choosing more than just a component. You’re investing in:

Unwavering Efficiency

Our precision-engineered laminations are designed to slash energy losses, reducing operational costs and contributing to a greener footprint.

Robust Reliability

Quality materials and meticulous manufacturing mean cores that stand the test of time, ensuring the longevity and dependability of your transformers.

Optimized Performance

Whether it's minimizing noise, maximizing power density, or hitting stringent efficiency targets, Sino laminations help your transformers perform at their peak.

A Partnership for Progress

We're here to support you from concept to completion, offering expertise, customization, and a commitment to your success.

Contact Us Today!

The world runs on electricity, and transformers are the unsung enablers of that power. At Sino, we’re proud to craft the critical transformer laminated core components that make it all possible, efficiently and reliably.

Ready to see how Sino’s transformer laminations can elevate your next project? Reach out to our team today! Let’s discuss your specific needs and discover how we can help you build better, more efficient, and more reliable transformers. We’re excited to put our expertise to work for you.

Note: To speed up your project, you can label Lamination Stacks with details such as tolerance, material, surface finish, whether or not oxidized insulation is required, quantity, and more.

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