Demonstrate
Ford Motor Company – E-BEAMING
Electron BEAM welding for Next Generation e-motors.
The E-BEAMING project is an innovative initiative aimed at transforming the manufacturing of stators, a critical component of electric machines. E-BEAMING brings together industry leaders Ford Motor Company, Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE), and the world-class RTO Warwick Manufacturing Group to develop right-first-time technology for joining hairpin windings in the next generation of e-motors.
The project focuses on demonstrating the effectiveness of Electron Beam Welding (EBW) for hairpin windings, extending the lifespan of EBW systems using LaB6 cathodes, and integrating an in-situ, non-destructive, X-Ray-based quality monitoring system.
Project highlights:
- Aiming to expedite the path to commercialisation of EBW technology for the next generation of cost-efficient e-motors with aluminium hairpin windings.
- Delivering an advanced EBW machine, capable of 200 hours of operation with a single LaB6 cathode and an integrated non-destructive X-Ray-based quality monitoring system to assess weld porosity.
- The E-BEAMING process capability will be validated by producing 30 Ford prototype e-motors with aluminium hairpins in CVE’s prototype facility, helping the team achieve MRL 4 by the end of the project.
Project Consortium:
- Ford Motor Company
- University of Warwick
- Aquasium Technology