The Engine of the Refrigerator: Samsung’s Refrigerator Compressor Production Exceeds 200 Million

A selection of Samsung’s digital inverter compressors.

Samsung Electronics has produced a total of over 200 million compressors, which are the heart of any refrigerator.

The compressor is the most important component of a refrigerator, as it regulates the compression and circulation of refrigerant to generate cold air. This is the combination of various advanced technologies, including a motor, refrigerant compression and super-precision processing.

Having produced its first compressor in 1976, Samsung has exceeded the 200 million mark after just 40 years of production. This amounts to the highest production capacity in the global market, effectively producing one compressor every three seconds.

Over the years, Samsung has significantly reduced the size of its compressors while maintaining efficiency and reliability. Such progression allowed Samsung to develop ‘dual compressor’ technology, which places two compressors in one refrigerator. This in turn allowed Samsung to create, in 1995, a cooling system that cools the refrigerator and freezer compartments independently.

Samsung has also taken a 52-percent share of the market for digital inverter compressors, which are key components in the latest inverter refrigerators. In essence, half of inverter refrigerators around the globe feature Samsung’s compressors. Digital inverter compressors precisely control the amount of electricity consumed according to the frequency of refrigerator use. This makes digital inverter compressors capable of providing up to 35 percent greater efficiency compared to other compressors.

Samsung is now implementing digital inverter compressors in its entire lineup of premium refrigerators, which includes the Chef Collection and T9000. These digital inverter compressors’ outstanding functionalities have provided the foundation for Samsung’s rise to the number-one refrigerator manufacturer in major markets around the world.

“A compressor runs for 24 hours, and it determines the electricity use, noise and vibration of a refrigerator. That is why it is a core element of a refrigerator that we must develop carefully,“ said Seongwoo Park, a Leader of Compressor & Motor Quality Group of Digital Appliance Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to devote our utmost efforts to making sure that compressor technology develops to sustain the innovation of Samsung’s refrigerators. This will allow customers to experience better smart life.”

Skilled workers carefully assemble Samsung’s digital inverter compressors on production lines like this.