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Custom Inductors & Chokes
At Bridgeport Magnetics Group, we help power electronics engineers, motor drive manufacturers, and renewable energy system designers ensure smooth current control, effective noise and harmonic suppression, and reliable protection for sensitive equipment in demanding applications. Our custom inductors and chokes deliver superior current smoothing, noise suppression, and harmonic filtering tailored to your exact specifications - empowering you to meet the rigorous demands of modern power electronics systems.
Inductors and chokes are the most important components of power electronics. Inductors and chokes are responsible for smoothing currents, suppressing noise, filtering harmonics, and protecting sensitive equipment from electrical disturbances that can degrade performance and shorten component life. When off-the-shelf components cannot meet your voltage, current, or frequency needs, Bridgeport Magnetics can design and build to your exact specifications.
We design and manufacture custom inductors, filter chokes, and power inductors. From amorphous core power inductors for high-efficiency filtering to air core foil inductors for applications requiring zero core saturation, our engineering team builds inductive components for power electronics, motor drives, renewable energy systems, and industrial controls.
Our Inductor & Choke Product Line
Amorphous Core Power Inductors
Amorphous metal alloy cores cut core losses 60–80% versus silicon steel — ideal for high-efficiency power conversion, PFC, and SMPS filtering.
Standard De-Buzzing Chokes
Smooth the chopped current from phase-control dimmers, triacs, and SCR controllers to eliminate audible buzz in lighting and motor circuits.
Custom AC & DC Filter Chokes
AC line reactors and DC link chokes engineered to suppress harmonics and smooth current waveforms in your power-conversion system.
Air Core Foil Inductors
Core-free foil-wound inductors with perfectly linear inductance and zero core saturation for RF, audio, and precision power applications.
Custom Design Capabilities
Off-the-shelf inductors work for prototyping and standard applications. For production systems with specific performance, packaging, or environmental requirements, Bridgeport Magnetics offers custom designs. We provide full custom inductor and choke design services, from initial specification review through prototype delivery and volume production.
Inductance Range and Current Ratings
Our team designs and manufactures custom inductors across a wide range of inductance values and current ratings. Our engineering team uses electromagnetic simulation and analytical design methods to optimize core geometry, air gap, winding configuration, and conductor sizing for your specific inductance, current, and loss requirements.
- Inductance range: From microhenry-range inductors for high-frequency power conversion to millihenry-range chokes for low-frequency filtering and energy storage
- Current ratings: From fractional-ampere signal inductors to high-current power inductors rated at hundreds of amperes
- DC bias performance: Inductance vs. DC bias current curves engineered to maintain target inductance at your operating point
Core Material Options
Core material selection has the biggest impact on inductor engineering. The core determines the inductor’s saturation behavior, core loss, permeability stability with temperature and DC bias, and frequency range.
Our engineers select the optimal core material based on your operating frequency, peak and RMS current, target inductance, allowable losses, and thermal constraints. When the application does not fit neatly into a single core type, we design hybrid solutions using gapped cores, stacked materials, or composite assemblies.
Our core materials include the choice of:
- Amorphous metal alloys — High permeability, very low core losses at medium and high frequencies. Ideal for power conversion and PFC applications.
- Grain-oriented silicon steel — High saturation flux density, cost-effective for line-frequency (50/60 Hz) applications with moderate core loss requirements.
- Powdered iron — Distributed air gap provides soft saturation characteristics and stable inductance with DC bias. Well suited for DC output chokes and energy storage inductors.
- Air core (no magnetic material) — Perfectly linear inductance, zero saturation, no core losses. Required for applications where linearity is paramount.
- Toroidal cores — Available in all the above materials via our cores and transformer components product line. The toroidal geometry minimizes flux leakage and EMI radiation.
Enclosure and Mounting Configurations
Custom inductors are available in a range of mechanical configurations to match your system packaging:
- Open-frame construction for chassis-mounted installation with forced or natural air cooling
- Potted or encapsulated designs for harsh environments requiring moisture, vibration, and contamination protection
- PCB-mount configurations with pin or through-hole terminations for board-level integration
- DIN rail or panel-mount enclosures for industrial control panel installation
- Custom brackets and mounting hardware designed to your mechanical interface requirements
Environmental and Thermal Ratings
Bridgeport Magnetics designs inductors for their operating environment, not just a spec sheet temperature range. Custom thermal and environmental design considerations include:
- Operating temperature range from -40C to +155C depending on insulation class and core material
- Insulation class ratings (Class B through Class H) matched to your thermal environment
- Humidity and altitude derating for installations in tropical, high-humidity, or high-altitude environments
- Vibration and shock resistance for mobile, shipboard, or industrial installations subject to mechanical stress
Inductor vs Choke: Understanding the Difference
Engineers and procurement managers often encounter the terms "inductor" and "choke" used interchangeably. In many contexts, inductors vs chokes may be interchangeable. But there is a practical distinction when specifying components.
An Inductor
is a broad category: any passive component that stores energy in a magnetic field when current flows through it. Inductors are defined by their inductance value (in henries), current rating, and frequency response. Inductors appear in virtually every power electronic circuit as energy storage elements, filter components, and impedance-matching devices.
A Choke
is a specific application of an inductor. The term "choke" refers to an inductor used specifically to block (or "choke") high-frequency AC signals while passing DC or low-frequency signals. Filter chokes in power supplies, line reactors on motor drives, and de-buzzing chokes on lighting circuits are all inductors performing a choking function.
The Difference:
When you specify a "choke," you are communicating the application intent (filtering, blocking, smoothing) in addition to the electrical parameters. When you specify an "inductor," you are describing the component by its fundamental electrical behavior.
At Bridgeport Magnetics, we design both inductors and chokes. Whether it is an inductor, a choke, a reactor, or a filter coil, our engineering process starts with your electrical and mechanical requirements and delivers a component optimized for your application.
The Applications of Inductors & Chokes
Request a Quote for Custom Inductors
What to include in your request
- Inductance
- Current rating
- Operating frequency
- Operating environment (temperature, enclosure)
- Quantity
Bridgeport Magnetics manufactures amorphous core power inductors, air core foil inductors, custom AC & DC filter chokes, and de-buzzing chokes — engineered, wound, and tested in-house in Shelton, CT. Most quotes are returned within 24–48 hours.
Custom inductors & chokes. Built in the USA.
Inductors, filter chokes, and power inductors engineered, wound, and tested in Shelton, Connecticut — for power electronics, motor drives, renewable energy, and industrial controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an inductor and a choke?
An inductor is the broader category of passive components that store energy in a magnetic field. A choke is a specific type of inductor designed to block or “choke” high-frequency AC signals while allowing DC or low-frequency signals to pass through. The terms are often used interchangeably in the industry, but “choke” communicates the filtering intent of the component. Bridgeport Magnetics designs and manufactures both standard and custom inductors and chokes for any power quality application.
What core materials are available for custom inductors?
Bridgeport Magnetics offers custom inductors built on multiple core materials, each optimized for different operating conditions. Amorphous metal alloys provide very low core losses at medium and high frequencies — ideal for switch-mode power supply filtering and power factor correction. Grain-oriented silicon steel delivers high saturation flux density for cost-effective line-frequency applications. Powdered iron provides soft saturation and stable inductance with DC bias, making it well suited for DC output chokes. Air core designs eliminate the core entirely for perfectly linear inductance with zero saturation — required for RF filtering and precision audio applications. Additionally, all of these materials are available in toroidal core configurations for minimal flux leakage and EMI. Our engineers select the optimal core material based on your frequency, current, efficiency, and thermal requirements.
What inductance range can Bridgeport Magnetics manufacture?
Bridgeport Magnetics designs and manufactures custom inductors across a wide inductance range, from microhenry values for high-frequency power conversion stages to millihenry values for low-frequency power filtering and energy storage applications. Current ratings span from fractional amperes in signal-level inductors to hundreds of amperes in high-power industrial chokes. Rather than publishing a fixed catalog range, we engineer each inductor to your specific requirements — inductance value, DC bias current, AC ripple current, operating frequency, and allowable losses. Contact our engineering team with your specifications for a detailed quotation and design review.
