For more than a century, SMP® Engineered Solutions has developed innovative, high-performance products for vehicle control applications. As part of our extensive offerings supporting both on- and off-highway vehicles, SMP carries a range of ignition coils for reliable engine ignition. Learn more about these coils, the many types available on the market, and how high-quality products from SMP can help support efficiency and functionality in your ignition system.

 

Ignition Coils Explained

As a specific type of induction coil, ignition coils are applicable for spark-ignition engines to use in their ignition systems. These coils increase a system’s battery voltage to significantly higher levels, providing sufficient power to set off the spark plugs, ignite an engine’s air-fuel mixture, and start the engine.

Ignition coils comprise three main elements: an iron core with a primary and secondary copper winding wrapped around it. While the primary winding, or coil, consists of heavier wire with minimal turns, the smaller wire of the secondary winding has turns numbering in the thousands. The secondary coil also employs layers of enamel coating, oiled paper, or cured epoxy to insulate it from the high-voltage power.

In these coils, electrical current flows through the primary winding when the electrical circuit closes between the primary winding and the vehicle battery or power source. These circuits use transistors or contact breakers to achieve a closed circuit, and this forms a magnetic field. If a switch cuts off the current flow from the power source, the magnetic field then dissipates along the secondary coil, enabling the flow of high-voltage currents through the secondary winding to the spark plug, igniting the engine.

 

Types of Ignition Coils

Ignition coil manufacturers offer multiple types of these coils, making it important to understand the differences between them and determine the optimal choice for an application. At SMP, we offer an array of ignition coils to fulfill our clients’ varied needs. Options include: