MANUFACTURING ASPECTS OF SMALL BRUSHLESS DC MOTORS

J.C.M. van Hoek and B. Ackermann

.-

In the recent years brushless DC motors have penetrated into several new
application areas. The number of pieces being produced has increased considerably. Quite a few
publications deal with various aspects of these drive systems (cf. [l] and [2] and references cited
therein).
Classifying brushless DC motors as large or small is primarily based on their output power and
dimensions. Large motors are mainly used for industrial applications whereas consumer applications
dominate for the small ones. The average number of pieces of a specific design being produced for a
small motor is considerably larger than that for a large motor. Due to this difference in number of pieces
and typical dimensions different technologies are used at some stages of the manufacturing process.
For the smallest motor sizes W O topologies dominate: the slotted radial field motor with outer rotor and
nonoverlapping windings (Fig. l(a)) and the slotless axial field motor with nonoverlapping windings
(Fig.l(b)). The manufacturing of small brushless DC motors of the slotted radial fEld type is
considered in the following.

Drive s y s t a ~ A
. brushless DC motor is always part of a drive system and must be equipped with links
to the electrical and mechanical side. Depending on the application, parts that do not belong to the motor
itself are integrated in its manufacturing. Fig.2 shows the basic structure of the manufacturing process.

1*
I

printedcircuitboard a

1
I

finalassembly

=$

Fig.2

Ir. J.C.M. van Hoek, Philips Mechatronics, Philips Consumer Electronics B.V., Kerkeplaat 12,
3313 LC Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Dr. B. Ackermann. Philips Research Labs, P.O. Box 1980, W-5100 Aachen, Germany
4/7

The manufacturing process for the stator, rotor, and printed circuit board are shown in the following
in more detail. The bearing is a most important part of the motor that strongly influences the motor
performance. It is not discussed here since its design is part of mechanical engineering. Nevertheless
it is important to consider the link between motor and bearing behaviour already at the design stage.
The other mechanical parts will not be discussed since their design is part of the application engineering
and very application specific. They provide the link to the mechanical side of the drive system.

Manufacturine. The= are

several technologies that must be available for the

manufacturing of small brushless DC motors (cf. also [3]). These are shown in the following in the order
in that they normally occur in the manufacturing process for the stator (Fig.3). rotor (Figd), and printed
circuit board (Fig.5). Not all technologies need be implemented in a single factory.

[lamination stack insulation

I
1

stackinglaminations

I
punchinglaminations

\
I

I
1
I

I
winding coils
I
I
I connecting wire endings I
1
I soldering/welding wires 1
I

Y
Fig.3 Stator manufacturing
\
I

pressing in tape magnet

Ideep drawindtuming yoke

I
I

glueing magnet

magnetizing

Fig.4 Rotor manufacturing

I

placing axial devices

placing SMD devices

I
I

placing stator

soldering

I
I

Fig.5 Printed circuit board manufacturing

4/2

Manufacturing is a complex process that is influenced by many factors, like e.g. the availability of
components and manufacturing technologies, and quality aspects [4,5]. Providing appropriate designs
for the devices to be produced is of major importance [6,7]. The following discussion concentrates on
this aspect. The ultimate goal is to produce devices meeting the application requirements and
simultaneously minimizing the costs. Normally it will not be possible to find a general optimum
solution, but only a solution that is the best one for a given manufacturing environment.

. .
Drive.
Some basic decisions have to be taken as to the construction of a brushless DC motor
and its drive circuit. As an example Fig.6(a) [8] and Fig.B(b) [9] show markedly different cross sections
of the stator laminations, resulting from different methods of reducing the cogging toque.

Another example is, how the number of electronic components required is reduced and how connecting
them to each other is simplified when a back EMF sensing scheme is introduced [lo]. The advantage
obtained from omitting the hall sensors and their wiring is obvious.
Most significant cost savings can be achieved at this stage by properly applying already known drive
principles or finding new ones.

.-

. . .

As soon as the basic structure of the whole drive system has been laid down, the
design must be optimized. As to the motor this means that the most suitable distribution of iron, copper,
and magnet within the volume available must be found. Nowadays using a CAD tool is the most
appropriate way to achieve this goal [6,7]. Achievements obtained will be mainly incremental.
However, this step can be decisive, since it is quite well possible that some specifications are not met
by an improper design, whereas they would be met by a proper design.

Tolerances. In the first instance discussing a motor design focuses on its performance. As to
manufacturing, tolerances are another aspect of major importance. The drive specifications will include
allowable tolerances for some characteristic key parameters, like e.g. the phase resistance or the phase
back EMF. These tolerances are introduced within the manufacturing process, and they are a
consequence of the tolerances already present with the parts obtained from suppliers.
The tolerances laid down in the specifications result from the combination of several tolerances within
the motor design. Since tighter tolerances are more costly to achieve, it is important to distribute the
available margins in the most effective way. This can also mean that the design must be changed in order
to make some design parameter less dependable on some others.
4/3

r - -

As an example the back EMF is influenced by the material properties of the permanent magnet, its iron
yoke, and the stator laminations, but also by the dimensions shown in Fig.7.

Fig.7
References
Kenjo, T., and Nagamori, S.:Pemanent magnet and brushless DC motors (Clarendon Press,
1985)
Bolton, H.R., Liu, Y.D., and Mallinson, N.M.:Investigation into a class of brushless DC motor
with quasisquare voltages and currents, IEE Proc. B, Electr. Power Appl., 1986,133, (2). pp.
103-1 11
Kawamura, N., Okada,T., and Nakajima. S.:3.5 spindle motor for hard disk drive, Fuji
Electrical Review, 1988.34. (1). pp. 34-38
anonymous:Qualittit im Kopf, modeme fertigung, Mai 1988, pp. 78-82
Klaus, H.. and Wolter. T.:Total Quality at Siemens Wunburg electric motor factory,
Intemational Joumal of Technology Management, 1990,5, (l), pp. 114-121
Bolte. E., Ackermann, B., Halfmann. J., Howe, D., Zhu, Z.Q..Jenkins, M.J., Evison, P.R., and
Mitchell, J.K.:Computer-aided design and analysis of permanent magnet brushless drive
systems, Proceedings of 6th Intemational Forum on CAD, UK, September 1991. pp. 54-73
Hartkom, H.W.:CAD/CAE-Praxis im Kleinmotorenbau, CAD-CAMXIM, Sonderteil in
Hanser Fachzeitschriften, Mai 1988. pp. CAMA13
Ackermann, B., Janssen, J.H.H., Sottek. R., and van Steen, R.I.:New technique for reducing
cogging toque in a class of brushless DC motors, IEE Proc. B, Electr. Power Appl., 1992,139,
(4), pp. 315-320
Kobayashi. K., and Goto, M.:A brushless DC motor of a new structure with reduced toque
fluctuations, Elm. Eng. in Japan, 1985,105, (3). pp. 104-112
[ 101 Bahlmann, J.P.M.:A full-wave motor drive IC b&d on the back-emf sensing principle, IEEE
Trans. on Cons. Electr., 1989,35, (3). pp. 415-420

4/4