High-power lasers have become the industry standard for electric drive manufacturing as has the common design of such motors, called ‘hairpin motors’. The term refers to the structure of the windings using rectangular-shaped copper wires and has been adopted by all relevant automotive OEMs and suppliers. TRUMPF is by far the technology leader in this specific manufacturing area and a vital part of all new developments. Highly integrated laser systems are utilized in this application, including high power CW lasers with beam shaping and high beam qualities, scanning optics, and artificial intelligence-supported camera-based- as well as directly measuring sensors for weld joint position and seam tracking. The system itself has become the core technology within the production chain for the superior automation capacity and processing speed offered especially in hairpin contacting before the background of a typically high number of connections that need to be realized at a single part. Additionally, high demands regarding reproducibility and process safety are fulfilled in a relatively late production step where high added value is present in the product.

Through this session, you will gain:

• Understanding laser technology as the enabler for the electric transition
• Market overview and insights for e-motor types, present and future developments
• Insights into the latest status of technologies for stator production