It was a pleasure to host our colleagues from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) recently. Our visitors travelled to the Wayland Additive facilities here in Huddersfield from both the North East (Sheffield) and the North West (Samlesbury) to join us for a pivotal technical meeting. This visit marked a significant milestone as our first face to face gathering for a project that aims to redefine the efficiency of electric vehicle (EV) components.
We are officially collaborating as primary UK partners in the Innovate UK project ESAM (Eureka Smart Additive Manufacturing - Sustainable electrical vehicle motor windings via electron beam additive manufacturing of copper*) but also working in coordination with a robust Swedish consortium of partners.
The core mission of this three-year initiative, which was initiated in H2 last year, is to develop advanced additive manufacturing (AM) routes for copper electric motor windings. As the automotive industry pushes toward total electrification, the demand for more efficient and sustainable motor components has never been higher. Our specific focus is the application of our proprietary NeuBeam® technology, an electron beam (eBeam) Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process, for the project, while the talented team at the AMRC is spearheading the development of Laser PBF techniques.
Copper is notoriously difficult to process with traditional laser systems because the material is highly reflective, which often leads to inconsistent results. By utilising our eBeam technology alongside the AMRC’s laser expertise, we are exploring the full spectrum of manufacturing possibilities. Together, we are also investigating the post-processing required to achieve the best electrical conductivity and conditions for insulation.
Beyond the technical hurdles of 3D printing copper, a core driver of this project is sustainability. We are not just looking at how to make these parts, but how to make them responsibly. A significant portion of our work involves calculating the carbon footprint of each manufacturing process. The goal here is to ensure that the future of vehicle electrification is as environmentally friendly as the cars themselves by reducing waste and optimising energy use.
During their visit, the AMRC team were taken on a full tour of our site and expressed great enthusiasm for the Calibur3® platform and the progress we have made. While the specific details of the project will remain confidential, we are looking forward to sharing more detailed comparisons and results further into the project.
This collaboration represents the very best of advanced manufacturing, combining academic excellence with industrial innovation to solve real world engineering challenges and we aim to release a more comprehensive case study as the project matures, so stay tuned.
*S0734 – ESAM-UKSE project has received funding from INNOVATE UK through Eureka and the Clusters programme and SMART Cluster.
