Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE) and Ford have demonstrated that electron beam welding can enhance both the quality and repeatability of electric motor stator production for EVs. The project, supported by the Innovate UK Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge, could accelerate the industrial adoption of electron beam welding for EV motor applications.
CVE says that its proprietary electron beam welding technology enables the joining of copper hairpin stators without the need for hairpin preparation, such as trimming, addressing a key limitation of infrared laser methods related to reflectivity. The company says welds produced with this process have an average tensile strength six times higher than the minimum required and benefit from pore-free results in oxygen-free copper, enabled by welding under vacuum, which supports outgassing.
The project specifically targets the increasing demand for cost-effective and high-performance electric motor stators, a critical factor in EV manufacturing. The partners note that the reliability and mechanical performance of electron beam welding make it well-suited for meeting the precise engineering demands of EV motor stator assembly.
“The Ford Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering team are continuously engaged in work to deliver improvements in the quality and efficiency of motor stator hairpin weld processes,” said Lee Turner, Director of EU Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering at Ford. “Our developments of laser parameters set-up and repair processes have been industry leading but we now see clear opportunity to make significant further progress through the potential adoption of Electron Beam welding. We are grateful to have collaboration partners like CVE to work with as we investigate routes to full-scale industrialisation of this technology. Their unparalleled knowledge, experience and expertise are invaluable in the delivery of the project.”
While the announcement centers on electric vehicle stator assembly, CVE also notes broader applicability for electron beam welding in industries such as wind turbine and nuclear pressure vessel manufacturing.
Source: Cambridge Vacuum Engineering