A technology has been developed that enables the inexpensive, multi-variety, small-quantity production of high-performance motors by implementing complex motor structures without molds, and is expected to be widely used in various fields in the future.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Ryu Seok-hyun) under the Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 3rd that the research team of Senior Researcher Ha Tae-ho of the 3D Printing Equipment Laboratory of the Autonomous Manufacturing Research Institute, in collaboration with the research team of Senior Researcher Kim Tae-hoon of the Korea Institute of Materials Science and the research team of Professor Kim Won-ho of Gachon University, developed a full-cycle technology for specialized 3D printing of magnetic substances encompassing design, materials, processes, and equipment.

The core of this technology is the development of 3D printing equipment that maximizes the properties of magnetic materials, eliminating the need for mold production and overcoming two-dimensional shape constraints.

It has been applied to the development of axial flux motors suitable for fields such as robots, electric vehicles, and mobility that require high torque and output in limited spaces.

As a result, a 500W-class 3D printing motor with a power density of 2.0kW/L or higher was implemented.

Existing motors were manufactured using electrical steel sheet lamination or powder molding methods, so they required the use of molds and had shape restrictions, which limited performance implementation.

On the other hand, this magnetic 3D printing technology is expected to overcome these limitations and be widely used in various fields that require high-performance motors. I'm looking forward to it.

In particular, it is expected to contribute to the paradigm shift to small-quantity, multi-variety production by reducing costs through simplification of molds, processes, and equipment.

“This technology is an innovative technology that goes beyond existing manufacturing methods and has opened up new possibilities for the production of next-generation high-performance motors,” said Head Researcher Ha Tae-ho. “We plan to continue expanding into cutting-edge industries by combining it with 3D printing technology for high-functional materials as well as magnetic substances.”

This research was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.