[Company Visit] Atom Ready to Target the Global Electric Vehicle Transformer Market

Vietnam Factory Equipped with Fully Automated EV Production Lines
Entering the 100 Billion Won Domestic Market... Targeting the Global Stage

Global transmission production line for complete vehicle parts manufacturers established at Aetum Vietnam factory. Photo by Jang Hyowon

Atom, a company specializing in the manufacture of high-performance transformers, has completed its preparations to enter the global electric vehicle market. After three years and eight months of effort, Atom was officially registered last month as a primary partner of a global complete vehicle parts manufacturer. In anticipation of incoming orders, Atom has expanded its production facilities in Vietnam. The company also plans to establish a proactive strategy to respond to the expected increase in demand for domestic parts from U.S. electric vehicle manufacturers, due to the ongoing U.S.-China trade conflict.

Atom's Vietnamese production base, ATUM VINA, is located in the Hoa Phu Industrial Complex in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. In its factory, which spans approximately 6,600 square meters, the company operates two automated production lines for electric vehicles (EVs), three automated lines for TVs, and six manual lines. Its main products include 80 types of transformers for TA/TV applications and 7 types for automotive electronics.

Currently, the annual production capacity is about 35 billion won. To prepare for additional orders, the company has reserved space for five more EV automated production lines. If these lines are installed, Atom will be able to produce an additional 30 billion won worth of products annually.

After relocating and expanding its factory to the Hoa Phu Industrial Complex in September of last year, Atom invested 4.5 billion won to establish full-scale automated facilities. This strategy aims to offset rising labor costs caused by the influx of Chinese companies into Vietnam and to further improve product quality. By adopting process automation, Atom can reduce its production workforce from 35 to just 5 people, while increasing output by 40%. The company expects the defect rate to be reduced to within 0.5%.

The automated facilities built by Atom played a significant role in its selection as a primary partner of a global complete vehicle parts manufacturer. The automation process begins with winding copper wire onto bobbins, followed by soldering, curing, core assembly, attachment of securing tape, inspection, and packaging. Among these, core assembly and tape attachment are known to be particularly challenging to automate.

Atom succeeded in fully automating all these processes using an inline system. In contrast, competitors have only automated the winding, soldering, and final inspection processes using a cell-based approach. The automation rate among competitors is only about 27%.

The main automotive electronics products that Atom will produce include large transformers for On Board Chargers (OBCs) and medium-sized transformers for Low-Voltage DC-DC Converters (LDCs), both essential modules for charging electric vehicle batteries. OBC transformers convert the high alternating current (AC) voltage used in commercial applications to a voltage suitable for battery capacity. LDCs convert the high direct current (DC) voltage from the battery to lower voltages appropriate for various vehicle functions.

The domestic market for transformers used in electric vehicles is estimated to be worth about 100 billion won annually. Atom plans to increase its sales and improve its profit margin by starting with the supply of seven types of products for a single vehicle model, and then expanding to supply all types of transformers used in ICCU modules.

Transformers are being produced at the automated facilities of Atom's Vietnam factory. Photo by Jang Hyowon

Atom's next growth engine is its independently developed planar-type transformer for electric vehicles. Unlike conventional wire-wound transformers, the planar type uses a flat plate insulated by molding copper sheets.

This product is optimized for high-frequency power supplies, resulting in minimal variation and an extremely thin profile. It also offers excellent heat dissipation, making it well-suited for next-generation electric vehicles and data centers. In fact, Tesla applied a planar-type transformer with a matrix circuit design in its Cybertruck.

Atom is the only transformer company in Korea capable of producing planar-type transformers. The company has developed technology that addresses the shortcomings of stacked circuit boards, improving heat dissipation, efficiency, and size, and has filed four patents. Atom also holds the world's only patent for applying planar types to both the primary and secondary coils of a transformer.

Han Taeksoo, CEO of Atom, stated, "If Tesla decides to completely exclude Chinese-made parts from its U.S.-produced electric vehicles, Atom, with its planar transformer technology, could have a significant opportunity. By accumulating references through registration as a partner of global complete vehicle parts manufacturers, Atom will seek entry into the U.S. electric vehicle market."

Meanwhile, on November 20, Atom announced that it had made an equity investment in U.S. electric vehicle platform company Harbinger Motors. The investment aims to create synergy between Harbinger's next-generation platform and Atom's high-efficiency electric vehicle components.