Simu Motors Compared by Tube Size, Torque and Radio

Short answer: Simu motors are tubular motors from Simu, a Somfy Group brand, named by size class. The T3.5 runs small 12V or 24V DC shades, the T5 covers 10 to 50 Nm on 2 in class tubes, the T6 covers 60 to 100 Nm, and the T8 lifts 200 to 280 Nm. Hz in the name adds a built-in radio, and DMI adds a manual override.

Simu motors drive awnings, exterior screens and rolling shutters across North America, and the part numbers look cryptic until you know the code. A T5Hz 35Nm 18rpm and a DMI5 35Nm 18rpm share a torque and a speed. One answers a radio transmitter. The other wires to a switch and carries a crank override for power cuts. This guide decodes the names, compares the families we stock and points to the parts each one needs.

Simu and Somfy: one group behind the motor

Somfy acquired Simu in 1990, and the Somfy Group lists Simu among its professional brands today, with a focus on outdoor equipment and the manufacturers who build it. The group credits Simu with inventing the tubular motor in 1952. Somfy Systems sells the Simu range in the US under Somfy part numbers, and the somfysystems.com product pages publish the specs and the accessory lists for each reference.

The warranty matches the rest of the Somfy catalog. Somfy publishes a 5-year warranty on the Simu T5, DMI5, T6Hz and T8 pages we checked, and each Simu motor we sell is the genuine US 120V/60Hz or low voltage DC version.

Awning and shutter builders fit Simu motors at the factory, so many owners first see the name on the label of a motor that needs replacing. The buying decision runs the same way for both: size class first, control second.

Reading a Simu motor name

A Simu reference packs four facts into a few characters, and the code reads the same on the motor label and on the Somfy product page.

A T5 with no letters after it is the standard wired motor: four wires, mechanical limits and a switch to run it. The Somfy Simu T5 25Nm 18rpm 120V (2000647) is a typical example, with a 30-turn mechanical limit capacity, a round head with pins and an 8.2 ft white 4-wire cable, per Somfy.

Simu motor families compared

The table groups the Simu motors we carry by family, with the torque steps in stock and the lowest store price in each family on November 10, 2026.

The T3.5 is the compact class. The Somfy Simu T3.5 10Nm 12rpm 12V DC Motor (2006977) tops the range, and Somfy pairs the family with the T3.5 38mm Round (Tube 40x1), ref 9001495, for 40 x 1 mm tube. The Somfy Simu T3.5 ESP Hz 6Nm 18rpm 12V DC AutoSun Radio Motor (2009597) brings the same body to windows with no power nearby.

Browse the full range, from T3.5 to T8S, in our Somfy Simu motors and parts collection.

Tube size and torque pick the family

Start at the tube. Somfy publishes a 1.97 in motor diameter and a 1.85 in minimum tube inside diameter for the T5 25Nm (2000647), which puts the T5 and DMI5 in the 2 in tube class. The T6Hz 100Nm (2006062) steps up to a 2.36 in body and a 2.37 in minimum tube inside diameter. The T8 family drives 94 mm and 99 to 108 mm tube through its drive wheel, with an 80 mm motor body inside.

Torque comes next. Match the old motor's label, or work out the load from the weight and drop of the awning, screen or shutter curtain. Our guide to sizing a Somfy shade motor covers the tube and torque math. Short version:

• Up to 10 Nm on a small exterior blind: T3.5.
• 10 to 50 Nm on awnings, screens and residential shutters: T5 family.
• 60 to 100 Nm on large shutters and heavy awnings: T6 family.
• 200 Nm and above on commercial shutters: T8 family.

Speed falls as torque rises. The T5 runs at 12 or 18 rpm across most of the range, the T6 at 14 rpm and the T8 at 10 rpm. Somfy lists awnings, exterior solar screens, interior shades and rolling shutters as applications for the T5 25Nm, and awnings and rolling shutters for the DMI5 and T6Hz.

Wired, Hz radio or manual override

Control is the second fork. A standard T5, T6 or T8 wires to an up and down switch, a key switch or a control relay. Somfy publishes mechanical limits for the T5 25Nm, set at the motor head.

An Hz motor carries its receiver inside. Somfy publishes 433.420 MHz, rolling code with 16 million possibilities, a 492.15 ft open field range and electronic limits with a 42-turn capacity for the Somfy Simu T6Hz 100Nm 14rpm 120V (2006062). The electrician runs power only. On the T5 class, the Somfy Simu T5Hz 35Nm 18rpm 120V (2005135) covers a mid-size awning or shutter on the same principle.

Hz motors pair with Simu Hz transmitters. The Somfy Simu Hz Mobile Transmitter, 5 channel (2008806) runs five motors or groups, and Somfy publishes a 656.2 ft open field range, a CR2032 battery and awning and rolling shutter applications for it. Follow the programming steps in the motor's Somfy instructions, kept in our Somfy spec library, since the sequence differs by motor generation.

DMI motors add a manual override in the head. A crank on a 7 mm hex extension shaft turns the tube during a power cut, which matters on a shutter that doubles as a storm or security closure. The Somfy Simu DMI5 35Nm 18rpm 120V (2000771) is the wired T5-class version. Somfy lists 7 mm hex extension shafts in 220 mm and 330 mm lengths and a family of DMI brackets as accessories. Our guide to manual override awning motors explains the override on Somfy's LT50 CMO motors, which solve the same problem.

Drives, crowns and brackets for Simu motors

A Simu motor needs a drive and crown sized to the tube and a bracket sized to the head. Somfy's T5 and DMI5 accessory lists run from 47 mm soft clip drives up to 85 mm round and octagonal sets, including the T5/T6 85mm round drive for Simbac tube (9420300). The head mounts on a T5 operator bracket, such as the 80 mm x 80 mm square bracket (9520049), or on a DMI bracket for override motors. The T6 class uses the T6 operator bracket 100 mm x 100 mm square (9530018).

The T8 family has its own hardware. The Somfy Simu T8S 200Nm Diameter 94mm 120V Slim Head (2008288) mounts on the T8-S / T8-S DMI operator bracket (9018069). Somfy also lists safety brakes such as the 404 Nm unit (2005627) against the T8 refs.

Check the drive against the tube maker and profile before ordering. Two tubes with the same nominal size can take different sets. Our Somfy crowns, drives and brackets guide covers how to measure a tube.

Simu motors FAQ

Is Simu made by Somfy?

Simu belongs to the Somfy Group. Somfy acquired Simu in 1990, and the group lists Simu among its brands for outdoor equipment makers. Somfy Systems sells the Simu range in the US under Somfy part numbers, publishes the specs on somfysystems.com and backs the motors with a 5-year warranty. ShadeMotorsDirect sells the genuine US versions.

What does Hz mean on a Simu motor?

Hz marks a Simu motor with a radio receiver in the head. Somfy publishes 433.420 MHz with rolling code for the T6Hz 100Nm, along with a 492.15 ft open field range and electronic limits. An Hz motor needs power only, with no control wire, and pairs with a Simu Hz transmitter such as the 5-channel 2008806.

What is a DMI motor?

DMI marks a Simu motor with a manual override built into the head. A crank on a 7 mm hex extension shaft turns the tube when the power is out, so a shutter or awning can still open or close. DMI versions exist in the T5, T6 and T8S classes, wired or with the Hz radio.

Which Simu motor fits a 2 inch tube?

The T5 family. Somfy publishes a 1.85 in minimum tube inside diameter and a 1.97 in diameter for the T5 25Nm 18rpm (2000647), and the DMI5 and T5Hz share the T5 drives and crowns. Measure the inside of the tube, then pick the torque from the old label or the load.

Sources: Somfy Group, Our Brand Ecosystem; Somfy Facts and Figures 2018 (1990 timeline); somfysystems.com product pages for 2000647, 2000773 and 2008806; Somfy Pro e-catalog pages for 2000647 and 2006062; Somfy Pro and somfysystems.com accessory pages for 9001297, 9520049, 9530018 and 2005627.

Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.