Unlocking electric drive potential with SMCs

Electric powertrain design sits at the forefront of modern automotive engineering. With carmakers across the world now committed to electrification, the race is on to deliver increased range at an affordable cost. No stone is being left unturned when it comes to motor design, and the past few years have seen growing interest in the use of soft-magnetic composite (SMC) materials.

Engineering consultancy Drive System Design (DSD) has struck up a partnership with electric drive unit specialist Alvier Mechatronics and powder metallurgy giant Höganäs to develop this technology for use in high performance motors.

In the right applications, SMC components are said to increase the power density and efficiency of the motor, as well as potentially reducing cost and environmental impact. There are other benefits too – a recent shortage of electrical steel has pushed more manufacturers to consider SMCs as an alternative, while it’s also been claimed that the composite materials have superior NVH properties to conventional steel laminates.