Introduction — The Project Brief
This case study covers the adaptation of an existing Zikodrive brushless DC (BLDC) motor controller — drawn from the same proven platform family behind our earlier pump controller work — for use in a cooling application by a global OEM. For commercial reasons the customer cannot be named here, but they are a well-established manufacturer supplying into a demanding, high-volume market.
Rather than a clean-sheet design, this project was a targeted redevelopment: taking a controller platform that was already field-proven and reworking it to meet the specific connector, performance, and environmental requirements of the customer's cooling system. It's a good illustration of how a mature, well-understood controller platform can be tailored quickly and cost-effectively to unlock a new application — without the time, risk, or expense of starting from scratch. If this sounds like something you're interested in please do have a look at our custom design motor controller page for more information.
Project Background and Objectives
The customer had an existing system architecture they needed the controller to slot into directly, along with a specific performance profile for the cooling application and an environmental protection requirement the original controller didn't meet. The objectives were:
- Connector redesign, to make the controller immediately compatible with the customer's existing harnessing and system architecture
- Removing manual screw-terminal connections, simplifying and speeding up the customer's own manufacturing and assembly process
- Firmware retuning, so the controller would operate at the exact performance level the cooling application demanded
- Conformal coating, an essential requirement to protect the electronics in the application's operating environment
- Regulatory and compliance support, helping the customer work through the UL certification and related regulatory requirements needed to bring the product to market
Why an Adaptation, Not a New Design
As with our earlier work for a global pump market leader, this project started from a position of strength: the underlying controller platform was already proven in the field. The customer didn't need — and didn't want — a new controller developed from the ground up. What they needed was that existing capability made to fit their system and their application's specific demands.
This is one of the clearest demonstrations of the value in custom motor controller design built on a proven base: the underlying technology already exists and already works, so the initial investment required to adapt it for a new customer or application is comparatively low — while the performance and interface can still be tailored precisely to what that customer needs.
Connector Redesign and Manufacturing Efficiency
The controller's connectors were respecified to match the customer's existing system architecture directly, allowing it to be integrated with minimal disruption to their own product design. As part of this change, the original manual screw-terminal connections were replaced, which had a direct and welcome side effect for the customer: a faster, simpler assembly process on their own production line, with less manual labour per unit. This required some changes to the board layout but these changes were relatively simple and hence we were able to keep the NRE time very low, getting into prototyping rapidly.
Firmware Tuned to the Application
Alongside the physical changes, the controller's firmware was reworked so the unit would deliver exactly the performance level required for the cooling application — rather than the more general-purpose behaviour of the original platform. This kind of targeted firmware tuning is often where the real value in an adaptation project lies: the hardware platform stays largely the same, but the control behaviour is refined until it matches the application precisely. This firmware is then logged in the BOM for the product with EOL testing and production operations built around this firmware. This adds real value for the end customer as it means the controllers arrive at their site fully operational and pre setup.
Conformal Coating for Environmental Protection
Conformal coating was an essential requirement for this application, protecting the controller's electronics from the operating environment it would be installed into. Adding this at the redevelopment stage meant the customer could be confident the controller would hold up reliably in service, without needing to design their own separate protection or enclosure strategy around it. As standard, we use an MG Chemicals 419D acrylic coating as it is both cost effective, excellent in operation and meets all key compliance criteria normally requested by customers.
Supporting UL Compliance and Regulatory Work
Beyond the engineering changes, Zikodrive also supported the customer through a significant amount of UL compliance and regulatory work — an essential and often underestimated part of getting a redesigned product into production for a global market. Having that support alongside the technical redevelopment meant the customer had a single partner handling both the engineering and the certification path to market.
Outcome
The customer was very happy with the result, and the adapted controller went into full production in 2024/2025. The project is a strong example of how simple, targeted customisation of an existing, proven platform can deliver outsized value for a customer: a comparatively low initial investment, built on technology that already exists and already works, but with performance, interface, and environmental protection all tailored quickly and precisely to the application at hand.