2016/10/11 Soft magnetic composites

Minimal Component Count Axial Field SMC Machine

Axial field machines often have unusual three dimensional flux paths and as a result soft magnetic composites can be a key material in their production. Producing such machines using laminations is possible but in many cases is prohibitively difficult or expensive.

This paper investigates a single sided axial flux machine utilising a single stator iron component made from soft magnetic composite material. This stator can be combined with the use of preformed, bobbin wound coils and a surface mounted ferrite rotor to create a very simple to manufacture machine with very few components. A machine designed for a pump application is presented along with simulated data, this will then be verified by results from a constructed prototype. The results show that a machine constructed in such a way offers the possibility of a low cost manufacturing alternative to the more widespread radial flux machines.