Additive Manufacturing of Electrical Machines—Towards the Industrial Use of a Novel Technology

Abstract

For several decades, the design and manufacture of electrical machines has been considered a technically mature area and, as a result, research and development in the area has been extremely limited, even though this is a crucial technology in the application of electrical energy. Electrical machines are used in over 80% of the world’s energy conversion processes—first to create electrical energy, which can be easily transmitted, and second to convert that energy into mechanical form for applications ranging from dishwashers to transportation, and from medical devices to those used for industrial processes. Today, two technologies are changing this. The first is the development of power electronic drives and the second is the introduction of additive manufacturing technology. The latter technology has opened up new areas for innovation and research, and many conventional processes are likely to become obsolete. Considering the overall consumption of electricity by electrical machines, the design freedom granted by the novel production technology gives the opportunity for even more efficient, object-oriented machines to be built, with a lower environmental impact and less raw material consumption. If this technology can be developed to maturity, it would have a significant positive impact on the desired green transition that is being pursued all over the world.