Disrupting the global e-mobility sector by production of application-specific rotors for the automotive industry with an innovative and unique vertical laminar squeeze-casting process

Project Information

HPC-rotors

Grant agreement ID: 806095

DOI

10.3030/806095

Project closed

EC signature date 19 March 2018

Start date 1 April 2018

End date 31 March 2020

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 3 160 170,00

EU contribution

€ 2 212 119,00

Coordinated by

METALLGIESSEREI BREUCKMANN GMBH & CO KG
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HPC-rotors (Disrupting the global e-mobility sector by production of application-specific rotors for the automotive industry with an innovative and unique vertical laminar squeeze-casting process)

Reporting period: 2019-04-01 to 2020-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Breuckmann is a traditional die casting company, which was founded in 1966. The company is worldwide known as specialist for casting in metallic moulds at temperatures >1000°C and developed to one of the most innovative casting companies in Europe.
In recent years, Breuckmann developed an innovative vertical laminar squeeze casting process (LSC). By the developed vertical LSC process, an even laminar form filling without the formation of melt fronts is realised. This enables the production of high-performance cast rotors for automotive industry with minimal porosity, high conductivity and excellent properties for use in high speed concepts. In the final development status, achieved within the 806095 project duration in 2019, rotors having 0% porosity were produced as a wordwide innovation. This ZeroPorosityRotor - ZPR® will be established as the New Industry Standard for automotive rotor of electric vehicles. In accordance to the requirements and the specific scopes of application in automotive sector, the ZPR® rotors can be produced with pure copper for efficiency optimised drives, pure aluminium for weight and cost optimised drives as well as copper/or aluminium alloys for high speed motor concepts. By the innovative casting technology, an innovative tool concept and a ceramic coating system, a high level of automation can be achieved and the quality requirements in automotive industry can be met. Due to this the, expansion of electric vehicles with asynchronous motors receives a decisive boost. This means the substitution of permanently excited synchronous motors and the avoidance of rare earths.
The global market for electric vehicles is a very strongly emerging market, estimated to grow rapidly at a CAGR of 35% with over 60 million expected car sales in 2040 and expecting to boom in the 2020s. The distribution of the future players in the e-mobility market will be now and will have taken place in the next 3 to 5 years. Due to this, Breuckmann is willing to join forces to establish a strong market position in the e-mobility sector now. During the next 4 years of commercialisation, Breuckmann expects to generate cumulative revenues of 40 million € and establish at least 50 new jobs.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

"All processes and parameters to prevent porosity in the rotor were elaborated. In the final development state, we suceeded in having rotor A-and B-side with zero % porosity measured in computer tomography investigations. It turned out that porosity prevention in the endrings is the most important unique selling point we can achieve. There is no other company on the market that can offer such a product. Now, our work is foccussed on showing the market/the OEMs that it is possible to buy rotors with 0% porosity on the market which was re jected sofar from the estabilshed rotor manufacturers. As planned, within the 806095 project duration, Breuckmann eMobility GmbH was founded to promote the ZPR® as the new benchmark in international supply chains of electric motor vehicles. This brings Europe in a technical leadership position in terms of rare earth free electric drives.
As a proof of the outstanding achievments , the ZPR® won two international Awards shortly after announcing this breaktrough to the market: ""CWIEME international - product of the year"" and ""CEE automotive forum - innovation of the year""."

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

There is an ongoing competiton of two different motor concepts for EVs. The asynchronous motor technology is rare earth free. Copper or Aluminium is used for the rotor of these electric motors. In contrast, for the synchronous motor technology, rare earth elements are needed for the permament magnet rotors. With our breakthrough casting technolgy, we achieve to improve the quality of casted copper and aluminim rotors insofar, that a usage in high efficieny motors is possible to replace permanent magnet rotors.
With the ZPR® a New Industry Standard is introduced to make the asynchronous motor technology, which does not need rare earth metals from China, even more reliable and efficient to compete with the rare earth dependend synchronous motor technology.
Breuckmann team stand strong together to challenge the existing supplier structure of Germany and Europe in the automotive sector to be prepared for disruptive innovations, which are necessary within global transformation towards electrification of mobility and carbon dioxide reduction. To do so, Breuckmann introduces the highly innovative product ZPR® to the market. Common belief at Breuckmann team is, that they thereby influence Europe towards innovation and speed of implementation in a very positive way to be prepared for the coming global market transformation.

high performance cast rotors made from Al and Cu

porosity prevention by laminar squeeze casting