3D Printing
News Contact us Seen on social
Home / Automotive / 3D Printed Motors Coming Soon

3D Printed Motors Coming Soon

September 7, 2021

Electric motors are becoming very popular in the automotive world, with companies all around the globe vying for a slice of the EV pie.

And with such demand, comes innovation. Motors themselves haven’t changed much in design, fundamentally, since they were first invented, but advances in manufacturing of late have spurred motor designers to apply new methods in pursuit of performance gains and weight reduction.

We have seen a few examples of researchers and companies applying AM to electric motor production. One of the more visible examples is the 3D printed copper motor coil from German company Additive Drives.

Researchers from the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, UK, have recently been working on development of a motor with even more 3D printed components, in particular with 3D printed cooling systems.

Much of the project has been focused on developing workflows and assessing both the technical readiness level (TRL) as well as the manufacturing readiness level (MRL) of the project.

You can see one of the 3D printed motors in the image below. Note the fluid inlet/outlet and criss-crossed cooling channels in the casing.

Cooling channels
Cooling channels (Image credit: MTC)

By implementing liquid cooling channels into the motor casing, the motor was shown to produce more power without overheating, and benefit from a weight saving of 10%, and size reduction of 30%.

“The development of electric motors has not seen this level of focus for nearly 100 years despite being high on the priority list for many industry sectors that are seeking significant improvements in cost, quality, reliability and performance, in both gravimetric and volumetric terms,” said Steve Nesbitt, Chief Technologist at MTC.

“Systems engineering and integration – doing more with key components and materials – are key to achieving this and so additive manufacturing is a key enabler for developing complex features and forms, essential to improving the functionality and performance of electric motors, with singular and multi-materials solutions.”

Manual or autonomous
Manual or autonomous assembly is better? We shall see… (Image credit: MTC)

The process of manufacturing electric motors has a number of challenges to overcome; complex or manual assembly, materials that are difficult to process and can be rare and/or expensive, thermal management and lightweighting.

The printed motor casing project has demonstrated a number of benefits including, increased motor power density, reduced part count, increased manufacturing efficiency and reduced lead times, lower running costs and waste reduction. Whew!

In short, the results so far have enabled MTC and their colleagues to develop a roadmap and examine the DfM/DfA for the development of 3D printed motors and have identified areas of research that should be focused on.

You can read more about what the MTC are doing over at this link.

Related Story
3D Printed Working Model of an F1 Gearbox
Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
About the author | Phillip Keane
Phillip is an aerospace engineer from UK. He is a graduate of Coventry University (UK), International Space University (France) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), where he studied Advanced Manufacturing at the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing.
Latest posts

3D Printed Switchable Explosives Offer Safer Solutions for Mining and Military Applications

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed "switchable" high explosives that require an inert fluid, like water, to be activated, minimizing... read more »

Military
Experimental setup and detonation time lapse

Engineer Wins Prize for 3D-Admix Concrete Printing Additive

Fort Bragg resident and civil engineer, Michael Butler, has won the Most Innovative Product Award at the 2023 World of Concrete International Exhibition.... read more »

Construction
concrete and 3D-Admix

Patent Granted for 3D Printing Embossing Technology

Northann Corp has obtained a European patent for its innovative "DSE Embossing Technology." This new method combines positive and negative embossing techniques in... read more »

News
DSE embossed example

USAF Global Strike Command Embraces 3D Printing for Future Weapon Sustainment

The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is turning to 3D printing to address its weapon sustainment needs. As the field of additive... read more »

Military
USAF mechanical engineer

Particle Accelerator Sheds New Light on Solidification of Metals During 3D Printing

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and other institutions have made a... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Shooting X-rays

CyBe to 3D Print Florida’s First Villa

Dutch construction printing company CyBe Construction is set to print their first 3D concrete villa in Florida, utilizing mobile printing technology to construct... read more »

Construction
CyBe Render

Custom 3D Printed Gaming Mouse Now on Kickstarter

Canadian start-up Formify has launched a Kickstarter campaign for their custom 3D printed gaming mouse, designed to enhance player performance in Esports. Already... read more »

News
custom 3d printed gaming mouse

3D Printed Titanium Cranks Now Available for Electric Mountain Bikes

Cane Creek is taking electric mountain bikes to the next level with the introduction of their 3D printed titanium Electric Wings crankset. Designed... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Swanky and robust

New Technique Produces Ultra-Lightweight, Waste-Free Concrete Structures

Researchers at the University of Michigan's Taubman College have developed an innovative 3D printing method that creates ultra-lightweight, waste-free concrete structures. The "Shell... read more »

Construction
Tubular

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
  • Twitter Twitter 3D Printing
  • Geeetech A30T Geeetech A30T
    320 x 320 x 420 mm
    $449
    Buy Now
  • Fusion3 F410 Fusion3 F410
    355 x 355 x 315 mm
    $4,599
    Buy Now
  • Modix BIG-60 Modix BIG-60
    600 x 600 x 660 mm
    $4,900
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech ALKAID Geeetech ALKAID
    82 x 130 x 190 mm
    $99
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech Mizar S Geeetech Mizar S
    255 x 255 x 260 mm
    $279
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech Mizar M Geeetech Mizar M
    255 x 255 x 260 mm
    $399
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech THUNDER Geeetech THUNDER
    250 x 250 x 260 mm
    $489
    Buy Now
  • Hands-On Review: Creality Ender 5 S1
    Hands-On Review: Creality Ender 5 S1 Learn More
  • Hands-On Review: The Mole 3D Scanner
    Hands-On Review: The Mole 3D Scanner Learn More

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Industry MAGNUM Industry MAGNUM
    1500 x 1200 x 1200 mm
    €159.000
    Request a Quote
  • Modix BIG Meter Modix BIG Meter
    1010 x 1010 x 1010 mm
    from $13,500
    Request a Quote
  • Modix BIG-120Z Modix BIG-120Z
    600 x 600 x 1200 mm
    from $7,500
    Request a Quote
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Companies

  • Modix
  • Industry
  • Geeetech

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2023 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing
We serve cookies on this site to analyze traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize your experience.
Details
Close