About the project

Additive Manufacturing for Electrical Machines (AM4EM) aims at integrating additively manufactured (AM) parts in the electromagnetic path of a machine: windings or elements of the stator/rotor core. To do so, there is a need for AM processes that are able to print multi-materials (MM). It involves combining the following materials in complex geometries: 

• electrically conductive materials for guiding the current, 
• magnetically conductive materials for guiding the magnetic flux and 
• electrically isolating materials.

AM4EM will especially focus on combining two material sets during printing: electrically conductive combined with an insulator, and magnetically conductive combined with an insulator. Two similar AM processes – filament-based printing and robocasting – will be investigated, from the feedstock over the actual printing process to the post-processing (debinding & sintering). 

At first, basic structures will be produced and tested in order to gradually improve the quality of the printed materials (e.g. related to electric conductivity, magnetic properties, density, … ). Consequently, new concepts for electrical machine parts that require more complex geometries will be evaluated. 

The new EM concepts will on the one hand include the possibilities and limitations of the MM-AM process in terms of (e.g.) geometry and material properties. On the other hand, the MM-AM will be developed in view of realising structures for EM that cannot be produced using traditional manufacturing techniques. 

AM4EM will deliver innovative MM-AM processes that can be applied for sensors, radars, actuators, electrical machines, etc. For the latter, AM4EM targets an increase in energy efficiency by 5%-point (compared to small induction machines) and an increase in power density by 40%.

Objectives & Goals