November/December 2020

TECHNOLOGY n A BELGIAN START-UP, Mirmex Motor, has developed a new method for manufacturing high-power- density windings for micromotors that, it claims, will revolutionise winding design and manufacturing methods. The technology, which is the result of seven years of r&d, uses windings formed from flexible printed circuits and is claimed to result in motors that are 50% smaller, 70% more dynamic, with a third of the heat losses of motors that use conventional copper windings. They can also be assembled ten times faster. Work on the new technology started in 2013 at the UCLouvain university in Belgium. In 2017, the team founded Mirmex to continue the work and raised several million euros in funding from local investors and the European Commission. Production has now started with a capacity to make 100,000 windings per year. The technology is aimed mainly at slotless permanent magnet motors, either in the form of synchronous or slotless brushless DC (SBLDC) machines. While these motors have been around for 40 years, Mirmex says that they have not seen any significant innovation since their inception, and their coils are complex to design and manufacture. “The production machines used historically are designed for a particular type of coil or for a single application,” explains the company’s chief technology officer, Dr François Baudart. “This complex process slows down prototyping and manufacturing, making it expensive and inflexible. Since micromotors are mainly intended for areas where innovation and progress are essential, we had to find a better solution.” Instead of winding copper wires, Mirmex creates and prints windings on strips of flexible PCB (printed circuit board) material, resulting in “never- seen-before winding topologies”. The proprietary patterns are designed using AI (artificial intelligence) algorithms and, once wound, the overlapping layers form motor windings said to be capable of far superior performance than the competition. Mirmex has developed an automated process for creating winding patterns that would be impossible to achieve using traditional methods. The PCB coils simplify and speed up motor production, as well as cutting tooling costs. The new patterns offer possibilities that go beyond the shape of the windings. By varying the size, patterns, thickness and interconnections of the conductors, new capabilities are possible for the micromotors. “This represents a huge leap forward for the micromotor industry,” claims Mirmex Motor’s CEO, Cedric Van Rossum. “We have great ambitions for our micromotors and for our innovative game- changing technology.” “These days, micromotors are everywhere, from drones to surgical devices and robots,” points out the company’s chief scientific advisor, Professor Bruno Dehez. “The demand for micromotors continues to grow. “The performance of such motors depends entirely on their copper coils,”he adds.“Their windings are particularly long and tedious to wind in order to obtain the best possible result. Many coils are still assembled by hand in the prototyping phase.” Mirmex expects its motors and windings to be used in high-performance applications such as robots, surgical tools, prostheses, power tools and aerospace equipment. It plans to licence its technology to other motor manufacturers as well as producing motors itself. https://mirmex-motor.odoo.com ‘Revolutionary’ PCB windings can halve the size of micromotors Mirmex's PCB-based technology allows its to produce windings in a variety of configurations that can be tailored to an application Ă, ĚŽĐŶ y ϲϯϰϲϮϭͿϬ;ϰϰн͗ůĞƚ | ŬƵ ͘ŽĐ͘ŶŽƟĂŵŽƚƵĂĞƐůƵƉŵŝ͘ǁǁ P66 / IP67 iota ibr 30g v 04) : he anc tsise sion r rExt ion ta ificter CEx c X and IE E • AT for Gas, Dust andMining • eme corro igh grade stainless steel housing (1.44 • 300N axial / radial load • 200g shock resistance / n resistance • High protection class up to I • Easy field installation • Interfaces: SSI and CANopen ǁ ϲϱ ďƐŽůƵƚĞ ZŽƚĂƌLJ Ğƌ ĨŽƌ njĂƌĚŽƵƐ ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚƐ ƐŝŐĞƌϭϬϬϵK^/ | ϰϵϭϰ h< K LJŶĂƉŵŽĐĚĞƌĞƚ ĸĐŝĂů ŝƐƚƌŝďƵƚŽƌ ŽĨ ,ĞŶŐƐƚůĞƌ p In a £3mproject, UK researchers will explore ways tomanage trust in autonomous systems, such as cobots and self-driving cars, that interact with humans. The work, involving experts in robotics, cognitive science and psychology from Heriot-Watt University , the University of Manchester and Imperial College London , will help to design autonomous systems of the future, ensuring they are widely used and accepted. The projects is being funded by UKRI . p NSK has developed an ultra-high- speed ball bearing for electric vehicle traction motors that allows them to run at higher speeds, and boosts EV ranges. The bearing is filled with a proprietary grease that reduces heat generation at high speeds, prolonging grease and bearing lives, and reducing the risk of seizures. A new cage design has thinner and lighter retainer tabs, and is less susceptible to deformation or breakage. A 35mm bore diameter version can operate at 30,000 rpm. www.nskeurope.com p Sick has launched a suite of deep learning apps and services to simplify machine vision quality inspection for challenging components, assemblies, surfaces or food, especially those that have previously needed human inspection. The apps cut set-up times and costs by using AI image classification running on board Sick smart devices. The devices take decisions automatically using neural networks and run accurate, reliable inspections that would have previously been challenging or impossible in high- speed automated processes. www.sick.co.uk p The German power supply specialist Bicker Elektronik has produced a DC UPS module with a lithium-ion backup battery to bridge power failures, brownouts and flicker for 24V DC loads of up to 100W. The DIN-rail-mounting UPS is aimed at applications including automation, robotics, image processing and safety systems. The Li-Ion batteries can achieve space and weight savings of up to 75% compared to lead-acid batteries. www.bicker.de/en/UPSI-2406DP1