AEM

Interior Permanent Magnet Motors â Presenting the concept to OEM leaders

Jim Winchester — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 11:44:00 +0000

The 16^th International VDI Drivetrain Conference

Ashwoods Electric Motors and Oerlikon Fairfield were invited to present a paper entitled ‘Compact, High Efficiency Electric Drive System’ to some of the top OEM market leaders, Tier 1 suppliers, Researchers and Scientists in the world at the 16^th International VDI Conference Drivetrain for Vehicles 2016. The conference took place on 21^st and 22^nd June 2016 at the Graf-Zeppelin-Haus in Friedrichshafen a beautiful location on the banks of Lake Constance, Germany.

VDI is a world leading training institute for Engineers and since it was first held in 1986 the Drivetrain Conference has grown in popularity across the industry. It has become a valuable networking hub and platform for experts from around the world to share and discuss new ideas and potential collaborations.

Interior permanent electric motors – a new approach

The paper submitted presents the project conducted by Ashwoods Electric Motors & Oerlikon Fairfield that uses a planetary drive with an integrated permanent magnet electric motor. The current solutions used in production off-highway vehicles today utilise large, heavy and inefficient brushed DC or induction motors coupled to a planetary gearbox. This presents a number of challenges to the vehicle designers such as: limited vehicle range, limited space around the motor/drivetrain and motor durability.

The integrated system proposed in the paper utilises an Oerlikon Fairfield Torque Hub widely used in off-highway vehicles and the Ashwoods first to market Interior Permanent Magnet motor. The way in which these products are integrated incorporating a brake solution offer a market changing product.

70% lighter, 70% smaller and 20% more efficient

Using Interior Permanent Magnet technology in the motor design means the motor can be up to 70% lighter, 70% smaller and 20% more efficient than the traditional motors used in off-highway traction applications. These features make the integrated system proposed in this paper a truly market changing solution.

Whilst exploring the existing solutions available, the paper outlines the performance the system can provide and draws comparisons whilst analysing applications it can be used within.

The half hour presentation was the ideal opportunity to showcase Ashwoods Interior Permanent Magnet Motor (IPM) and the benefits it offers. Interior permanent magnet motor technology and its integration into complimentary products is helping to put Ashwoods Electric Motors at the forefront of electric motor design and development.

More space for design flexibility

The International VDI conference provided the perfect platform to demonstrate the innovative design and durability of the IPM and how easily it could be integrated into automotive transmission systems, its potential to make some existing components redundant thus creating more space within a vehicle which offers more flexibility on its design and a more lightweight, highly efficient and low cost drive system as a whole.

See more in this press release from Oerlikon: Latest off-highway electric drive transmission technology co-presented by Oerlikon Fairfield at 2016 VDI International Congress

Watch this space for more innovative solutions from Ashwoods Electric Motors or call us on 01392 340 184 for more information!

Come and see our permanent magnet electric motors this week at CeMAT 2016

Jim Winchester — Tue, 31 May 2016 08:20:00 +0000

Permanent Magnet Electric Motors - smaller, lighter and more efficient

We're up and running and ready to show our very latest permanent magnet electric motors to delegates at the CeMAT show that opens its doors this morning (Tuesday) and runs until Friday this week in Hannover.

On show we have examples of interior permanent magnet motors, permanent magnet axial flux motors, permanent magnet traction motor solutions and permanent magnet pump motor solutions.

All our motors are smaller in size, weigh less and offer greater efficiency than traditional alternatives and are ideal for materials handling solutions including fork lift trucks, access wheel platforms, automated guided vehicle systems and aerial work platforms amongst many others.

The Ashwoods Electric Motors team is on hand to discuss individual engineering solutions in areas including motor design and simulation, complete electrical system design and prototyping, CAD design and duty cycle simulation.

Although only just open, the show has got off to a busy start with lots of interest. As well as greater visitors to our own stand, we look forward to spending time looking around at all the other interesting technology on show too.

Do come and say hello in Hall 26, Stand G29/1.

Ashwoods design and manufacture lighter, smaller and more efficient permanent magnet electric motors for the automotive, materials handling and off highway vehicle markets.

Our product range includes:

Interior Permanent Magnet Motors

Ashwoods interior permanent magnet motors can be up to a third of the size and weight and up to 15% more efficient than traditional motor technoligies. this frees up numerous areas of application design while extending vehicle range.

Surface Mount Permanent Magnet Motors

Ashwoods axial flux electric motors incorporate surface mount permanent magnet technology making them lightweight, highly efficient and small in size. They are capable of producing large amounts of torque for a narrow frame size.

Traction Drive Solutions

The high efficiency of permement magnet electric motors enables a vehicle to travel further on a single charge. Working closely with transmissions manufacturers, Ashwoods is able to offer complete solutions.

Pump Drive Solutions

Working closely with hydraulic pump manufacturers, Ashwoods is able to provide permanent magnet motors with a range of pump interfaces. These offer cost-effective, lightweight and highly efficient solutions.

Permanent Magnet Electric Motors - come and see what all the buzz is about!

Jim Winchester — Wed, 11 May 2016 14:25:00 +0000

All the buzz at the moment is about Permanent Magnet Electric Motors and Ashwoods is delighted to announce that the team we will be showing off our latest range of IPM motors for the materials handing and off-highway markets at the CeMAT show in Hannover, Germany, at the end of this month.

Why Permanent Magnet Electric Motors are such a big deal

Our permanent magnet electric motors are smaller, lighter and more efficient than traditional alternatives which translates into the following benefits:

Increased vehicle range
Increased vehicle real estate
Fewer vehicle design limitations

About the CeMAT show

CeMAT is the industry leading trade show for materials handling, logistics and off-highway vehicles with all the latest developments for fork lift trucks, access wheel platforms, AGVs (automated guided vehicle systems) and aerial work platforms. This year’s show theme is “Smart Supply Chain Solutions”. You can learn more about CeMAT at their website.

Come and say hello: Hall 26, Stand G29/1

The show runs from Tuesday 31st May until Friday 3rd June inclusive and Ashwoods Electric Motors will be in Hall 26, Stand G29/1.

If you are going to CeMAT, please do come along to say hello and learn more about our latest developments.

Learn how permanent magnet electric motors can help you

Whilst working closely with suppliers already well established in the off-highway & materials handling markets we are able to offer solutions for most applications including hydraulic, traction and regeneration systems.

As well as our standard range of products our engineering team are working closely with a number of OEM’s to provide bespoke solutions to meet their requirements.

If you are not going to be at CeMAT, but you would like to know more about how our permanent magnet electric motors could help improve your vehicles, please contact us on +44 1392 341 153.

Morgan 3 wheeler goes electric - with an Ashwoods Electric Motor

Jim Winchester — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 15:57:00 +0000

Ashwoods is delighted to reveal that we are responsible for developing and supplying the revolutionary electric motor used in the stunning new all-electric Morgan EV3.

Morgan are well-known for producing cars that stand out from the crowd, and the EV3 is certainly no exception.

Compact, lightweight electric motors

Our innovative technology created an electric motor that is cost-effective, compact in size and very light - features that were crucial for Morgan to get the performance they wanted. Size of the electric motor was key due to space constraints brought about by both the compact nature of the car and the way in which Morgan needed the motor to integrate into the rear axle assembly.

Specifically, the EV3 uses a 46kW Ashwoods Electric Motor which is powered by a front-mounted 20kWh lithium-ion battery. According to Morgan, “early indications suggest a minimum of 0-62mph time of less than 9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 90mph". The vehicle has a range of 150 miles between charges.

In describing the challenges involved in the project, Dan Regan , Senior Applications Manager at Ashwoods Electric Motors, said

"The compromise between performance and range is always a challenge for sports vehicles. This is an area in which we have worked extensively with Morgan and their development partners to produce an electric drivetrain solution that gives the ultimate balance; giving an exhilarating, adrenaline-fuelled drive combined with an unusually high range for an electric vehicle."

Jim Winchester, Product Manager at Ashwoods Electric Motors, said

"Everyone I have spoken to within the Automotive/ EV industry has had nothing but positive things to say about the Morgan EV3. Ashwoods are very proud and excited to be a part of this project and hope to continue this partnership for years to come."

The EV3 is due to go into full production in the fourth quarter of 2016 and Ashwoods will be working alongside Morgan all the way.

You can see more about the amazing EV3 from the Morgan Motor Company website.

To learn more about Ashwoods Electric Motors see our website or call on +44 (0) 1392 341153.

Iain Gillam leaves international triathlon to help develop electric motors for more efficient forklift trucks

Jim Winchester — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:26:00 +0000

Ashwoods Electric Motors, as previously announced, is part of a grant-winning consortium to develop more energy efficient forklift vehicles.

As part of the project, we are delighted to welcome Iain Gillam onto the Ashwoods Electric Motors team.

Iain will be looking at the challenge of reducing energy cost and CO₂ emissions of forklifts by replacing heavy, inefficient induction electric motors and bulky hydraulic unit integration with a seamlessly integrated Ashwoods Electric Motor (which is smaller, lighter and more efficient than existing motors).

Iain is a mechanical engineer with a background in automotive engineering. He grew up in Dorset, not too far away from our Exeter base, before moving to London to study at Imperial College and afterwards the Midlands for work.

In work, Iain’s background has been based within Formula One, working in particular on the power unit. He has held a long-term interest in electric propulsion, starting from working on an electric vehicle project during university and fostered latterly on the Formula One energy recovery system.

Outside of work Iain is an accomplished triathlete who has come to this project after finishing a year break in which he trained and raced full time. During this period he qualified to race in the British Elite Triathlon Championships, which fulfilled a childhood dream.

Speaking on his new role, Iain said:

“At Ashwoods I will be the lead project engineer for our involvement in the Advanced Propulsion Centre project. I’m looking forward to a varied and interesting role working in conjunction with the rest of the consortium and getting stuck into the challenge the project presents. I’m hoping my wide range of skills and slightly less usual background will be a real asset when tackling what is a complex and interesting project.”

Welcoming Iain onto the team, Mark Roberts, Ashwoods’ MD, commented:

“We are delighted to have Iain onboard and are really looking forward to working with him on this exciting project. Iain has shown amazing drive and determination in order to represent his Country at triathlon – qualities he now brings to his work with our consortium partners”.

Ashwoods Electric Motors part of grant-winning consortium to develop more energy efficient forklift vehicles

Jim Winchester — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 09:52:00 +0000

Ashwoods Electric Motors is pleased to announce its involvement in one of the projects recently selected for a grant from Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC).

In total, five projects have been selected for £74M in joint Government and Industry funding in order to develop and manufacture low carbon propulsion technology in the UK.

The project Ashwoods Electric Motors is involved in aims to improve the energy efficiency performance of an electric forklift vehicle thereby significantly reducing the vehicle’s emissions compared with current best-in-class technology.

The technology demonstration unit will be simulated, as part of the project, on an OEM vehicle’s drivetrain to identify the appropriate vehicle configurations and power requirements, prior to physical integration, evaluation and validation.

The project consortium is led by Parker Hannifin (Hydraulics, Tier 1 Supplier) and includes Ashwoods Electric Motors (IPM Motor, SME), the University of Bath (Academic), and two market-leading OEMs.

In addition to reducing the carbon footprint of electric forklift vehicles, project outputs have the potential to provide a significant improvement in productivity and ownership costs for the end user with a new integrated solution providing a step-change in cost, performance, efficiency, size and weight, thus replacing traditional less efficient motor drives within the commercial market.

See more from APC at: APC Announces £74 Million of New Projects

Interior Permanent Magnet Motor technology â lighter, smaller and more efficient

Jim Winchester — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 15:04:00 +0000

What makes Ashwoods Electric Motors so special for the off-highway and materials handling markets?

We are often asked what is so special about Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motors and why they make Ashwoods Electric Motors better than traditional alternatives. The answer to this can often be very complex but in this post we’ve tried to simplify the key points to give a more straightforward explanation.

Lighter, smaller and more efficient electric motors

The bottom line is that our Interior Permanent Magnet motor technology means Ashwoods Electric Motors are smaller (by 70%), lighter (by 70%) and more efficient (by 20%) than conventional motors. That makes them a much better option for a whole range of on- and, especially, off-highway applications.

Amazingly - no price premium!

Interior Permanent Magnet motors have been utilised in automotive applications for many years. This has led many people to believe - wrongly - that Interior Permanent Magnet motors come with a price premium and cost considerably more than the traditional brushed DC and induction motors we are used to seeing.

High torque, less material and lower costs!

An interior permanent magnet motor combines both reluctance motor and permanent magnet motor technology. Permanent magnet motor technology is well known for producing large amounts of torque for a small package, this is largely due to the magnet content and construction in the motor. A reluctance motor is able to produce its torque without the use of magnets this means that combining the two technologies will enable an interior permanent magnet motor to produce the same torque as a similarly sized permanent magnet motor but with up to 70% less magnet material. This can have a dramatic effect on the motor’s cost.

One third the size and weight but more efficient

The results produced by the characteristics mentioned above means an interior permanent magnet motor can be a 1/3 of the size and weight of an induction motor whilst staying cost neutral or cheaper for a given power rating. It will also have the performance benefits such as a high continuous power and a high efficiency that accompanies permanent magnet motors.

Ashwoods Electric Motors for off-highway applications

Of course many interior permanent magnet motor manufacturers still charge a large premium for their products however these motors are usually highly optimized with staggeringly good performance results. Ashwoods have scaled their interior permanent magnet motors from the high performance ones used in many automotive applications and targeted them at the cost competitive off highway and materials handling markets.

This approach has given us a motor that is cost competitive with traditional motor technology but offering all of the benefits of permanent magnet technology.

To find out more about Ashwoods interior permanent magnet motors and the benefits they offer in the off-highway sector click here.

Ashwoods are recruiting

Jim Winchester — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 11:11:01 +0000

After accepting our £1.2 million RGF grant to build a new manufacturing facility in 2016 we are committed to employing a further 55 employees by 2018. We will be recruiting staff for production, engineering, marketing, support, admin and sales.

We are gaining considerable traction in the European and North American off highway and materials handling markets. This is why we are now looking to recruit sales managers for each territory to take advantage of this traction and grow these markets.

If you are interested in finding out more about these opportunities then contact us or visit our recruitment page.

Ashwoods at the LCV show 2015

Jim Winchester — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 15:58:46 +0000

The Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV) show 2015 was a great success for us and another chance to see what is happening in the Automotive Electric & Hybrid world.

We displayed our Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) that has been developed with TATA motors and Bath University as part of an Innovate UK project. The 25kW APU utilises the Ashwoods Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motor technology and is a scaled version of the smaller 9kW unit we also had on display. We had a lot of interest in our APU and IPM motor technology which is great for us as a business.

It was great to see the Ashwoods powered Morgan Electric 3 Wheeler taking visitors around the Millbrook test track and I know that its passengers were very impressed with its performance. Another vehicle making a good impression at the show was the Lutz autonomous pod that is also powered by an Ashwoods electric motor.

Ashwoods Electric Motors are back from the Engine Expo 2013 Show in Stuttgart

Mark Roberts — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:08:38 +0000

We had a successful time at the Engine Expo show in Stuttgart and were proud to introduce one of the most advanced ranges of Permanent Magnet electric motors available on the market.

The motor is now in full production in the Southwest of the UK. The range is more than 94% efficient, and can operate from 24V to 400V and produce 2kW to 60kW of continuous power. It includes a new cooling system, developed in-house, designed for advanced heat dissipation.

Weighing 19kg, the E-marked motor can be integrated into a variety of applications and operate with or without feedback devices, depending on the level of control required. Our motor design has created the ideal balance of Price, Performance and Durability and is being adopted across Automotive, Off-Highway and Industrial markets.

Ashwoods Electric Motors and Kingston University team up to build an all-electric racecar

Mark Roberts — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:06:00 +0000

Kingston University’s e-racing team is one of only two UK teams selected to build and race an electric car at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Formula Student event at Silverstone, 3-7 July.

With 141 university teams from 34 countries competing, Formula Student is the largest annual student motorsport event in the world.

Dan Regan, Ashwoods Electic Motor’s Senior Application Manager said:

Ashwoods teamed up with Kingston University on their quest to design and build an all-electric racecar to compete at Silverstone in the 2013 UK Formula Student competition. The project, from our end, was managed by Charlie and has had input from the entire development team. Ashwoods scope covered the entire drivetrain system including provision of 4 BoB modules, two bespoke Ashwoods electric motors, motor controller and the interface electronics. Ashwoods innovative streak prevailed again as we mounted the motors in a configuration never previously seen in the competition.

After a LOT of hard work and late shifts from the both the Kingston University students on the chassis and the Ashwoods team on our electric drivetrain, the Formula Student car was ready for scrutineering at Silverstone over the weekend. When it came down to it on Saturday, our drivetrain would have passed with just an updated schematic from us, which we were ready and willing to provide. Unfortunately, after over an hour in scrutineering, the car was missing a cross-brace in the rear of their chassis and they needed a double-sheer mounting point for their track rod ends in the steering system. The team decided, and Charlie and I agreed, it was too much work to get it modified overnight on Saturday night in time for the morning, plus everybody was absolutely shattered, so they declined to continue with scrutineering.

For those of you that don’t know, it was their first ever year in the competition and nobody, competitors and judges alike, could believe that they got so incredibly close to the car passing. All the other teams had spent years designing and building their cars. Kingston designed and built theirs in 4 months, including giving the car to us for two weeks to install and configure the drivetrain.

To put it all into perspective, they were the ONLY electric UK team to get their car as far as having it scrutineered, so it really was a massive success! I have no doubt that in 2014 their car is going to be a shocking new entry onto the track and will be receiving even more attention than it did this time around. A real feather in our caps, for both Kingston University and for Ashwoods.

Here are some pictures of the event and the racecar itself:

AEM

Interior Permanent Magnet Motors â Presenting the concept to OEM leaders