Low cost SMC brushless DC motors for high volume applications in the automotive sector

This paper is concerned with the development of low cost, brushless DC, high volume of production electrical machines, exploiting the special properties of compacted, insulated iron powder (or soft magnetic composite, SMC). The specific market for the application of this technology is the various electrical drives used in the automotive sector, but the technology is generic to any high volume application. Methods of construction of the SMC magnetic core are examined closely with the aim to reduce costs to make SMC competitive with well established electrical machines, which use lamination steel for the magnetic core. A base design has been developed and prototyped, costs established and a new and lower cost alternative designed.