What happens when two Finnish specialists in high-speed machinery bring their expertise together? A cooperation that turns complementary technologies into new possibilities for industrial applications.
The Switch and SpinDrive work on different parts of the same engineering challenge.
The Switch brings decades of experience in high-speed electric machines, permanent magnet technology and power electronics. SpinDrive specializes in active magnetic bearings (AMBs) and high-speed bearing control – technology that enables higher rotational speeds, oil-free operation, minimized bearing wear and continuous condition data straight from the bearings themselves.
Individually, each technology can well support demanding rotating machinery. Together, they enable a fully integrated high-speed drivetrain where the electric machine and bearing system are designed to work as one.
“Jointly, we can make highly competitive AMB-based machines that achieve higher efficiency, reliability and performance than either technology could deliver alone,” says Mikko Löyttynen, Key Account Manager at The Switch.
A cooperation built on shared roots
The relationship between the companies goes back further than The Switch or SpinDrive themselves. Both have deep roots in the high-speed machinery research at LUT University in Finland, dating back to 1981. Both eventually spun off from this research, but took different paths, addressing different challenges in high-speed machinery.
“Ironically, people who later became part of The Switch were involved in the AMB development back at LUT. That’s when our relationship with the core SpinDrive team was built,” says Panu Kurronen, CTO at The Switch.
Decades later, that thread reconnected. The cooperation became commercial through a joint project with Runtech Systems. Runtech was looking for a 1 MW high-speed motor for its turbo blower, but conventional bearing solutions could not provide the performance the application required.
That created an opportunity to combine the companies’ technologies.
Proof in the field
The Switch developed the high-speed electric motor, while SpinDrive provided the active magnetic bearing system and Magma X800 controller. Working together from the early stages allowed the teams to optimize the motor, rotor and bearing system as a single machine rather than integrating separate solutions at the end.
The result was the RunEco EP1000 turbo blower, which has been running at a paper mill in Turkey since February 2024. By August 2026, the machine had accumulated approximately 16,600 running hours while delivering exceptional performance. It contributed to increased productivity and reduced energy consumption in the dewatering process.
“It has been a close and transparent partnership,” says Janne Heikkinen, CEO of SpinDrive. “We shared technical knowledge and market insights to find the best solution for the customer.”
For both companies, this became an important milestone. It showed that together, they could not only provide an effective solution to a complex engineering challenge, but also change the way that solution is delivered.
The value of working together
In essence, a high-speed electric machine places significant demands on its bearing system.
“Often, our solid-rotor induction machines run at speeds where even the finest rolling element bearings will not survive – or their lifetime is very limited. Here, active magnetic bearings come into play,” says Markus Silventoinen, Manager, Mechanical Engineering at The Switch.
At the same time, the performance of an AMB system depends on the rotor and machine it’s paired with.
“A high-speed machine is only as good as its bearing system, and an AMB system is only as good as the rotor and machine around it,” says Alexander Smirnov, CTO at SpinDrive.
Bringing these two areas of expertise together from the beginning creates practical benefits for machine manufacturers.
Instead of integrating a motor and an AMB system from two separate suppliers, customers can receive a reliable drivetrain in which the machine, converter and bearing system are already matched. The mechanical and electrical interfaces are defined and documented, reducing the integration work considerably.
The cooperation also enables a level of insight into machine health that neither company could offer on its own. “Combining drivetrain data with AMB telemetry gives a far better picture of machine performance and condition. And that is the foundation for genuinely predictive service across the installed fleet,” Smirnov explains.
From one-off projects to repeatable solutions
The companies are now taking this approach further by developing more standardized combinations of electric machines and AMB systems. Rather than treating every AMB integration as a new engineering exercise, the aim is to move toward repeatable, pre-engineered drivetrain platforms that OEMs can select from a defined range of options.
In other words, the cooperation is not only about making high-speed machines work. It is about making these machines easier for OEMs to specify, integrate and scale.
“For SpinDrive, this supports the move from project-based deliveries toward series manufacturing. For The Switch, it opens new opportunities to apply high-speed electric machines in demanding industrial applications,” says Ole Martola, Director of Business Development at SpinDrive.
New applications, same approach
The success of the Runtech machine is only one example of how the cooperation can make a difference.
Today, both companies see growing opportunities in applications such as industrial compressors, heat pumps and waste-heat recovery. These can benefit from compact, efficient and oil-free rotating machinery, particularly as industries look for new ways to improve energy efficiency and electrify processes.
Two halves, one ambition
Ultimately, The Switch and SpinDrive bring different technologies, capabilities and perspectives to the table. But they share the same engineering heritage and the same ambition: to make high-speed machinery more efficient, reliable and accessible for industrial applications.
“We have the same obsession with high-speed rotating machinery,” Smirnov adds. “But we are essentially working on opposite halves of the same problem – and that makes a perfect match.”
It’s fitting that both companies still have facilities in the same town where it all began – Lappeenranta, Finland. That proximity makes it easy to arrange a joint visit for customers who want to see their technologies firsthand.
Get in touch with either team to learn more.
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SpinDrive
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