Sumitomo Electric launches ultra-thin insulated powder magnetic cores for high-performance axial flux motors

Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI), Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has started mass production of new, high-performance magnetic core components. The new powder magnetic core technology is said to increase the number of turns of the copper wire wound around the stator by approximately 14%, allowing efficient heat dissipation of the coil heat and enabling increased output for axial flux motors.

The powder magnetic cores have an ultra-thin, high-voltage insulation coating of 40 μm thickness and 5 kV insulation resistance.

Motor performance can be enhanced by increasing the number of copper wire turns on the stator or efficiently dissipating heat generated in the coil during operation, explains SEI. The insulation-coated magnetic powder core combines these methods through its unique properties, and eliminates the need for conventional stator insulation materials such as insulating paper and resin bobbins, reducing the capital investment required for the process.

In recent years, the increasing demand for light and high-performance motors has attracted attention to the axial flux motor, a modification of the basic structure of conventional motors (radial flux motors) that increases output density while achieving a light and thin motor.

The powder magnetic cores (FMCM series) are made from iron powder covered with a nano-order insulation film. They are formed and heat-treated to exhibit good soft magnetic properties and a high degree of three-dimensional shape freedom. The heat generated by the copper wire (coil) is quickly dissipated to the magnetic powder core through the thin insulation coating, significantly reducing the coilʼs temperature rise.

sumitomoelectric.com

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