We recently introduced our automated winding operation for series motors. For medium quantities and up, automation is key for ensuring identical parameters and consistent quality. However, manual winding certainly hasn’t become obsolete. After all, we specialise in unique and oversized motors – manufacturing small series and one-offs is an everyday occurrence for us, so our winding specialists are constantly in demand. Some of our colleagues from the winding department take you step by step through the hand-winding process.
Every special motor has unique demands – size, output, speed – that require custom winding and stator insulation.
We begin by pre-winding copper wire with machines, then the insulation of the windings inside the stator is completed by hand. To prevent phase-to-phase shorts, the different layers must be separated or insulated from each other. The process starts with preparing and bundling the individual coil groups, which are then inserted into the stator with insulation to create the required winding.
Once the coils for a 4-pole single-layer motor are machine-wound, we place the copper wires in the slot boxes, insulating the coils from the stator’s core.
To avoid short circuits, the pre-wound coils are separated by layers of slot-base insulation paper placed between them in the slot box.
To complete the winding, the bandage is applied (the white band in the image). To prevent ground faults, it is vital that the windings never touch the motor housing. To prevent this, the tape is hammered tightly so that nothing can move in the windings afterward. Having the windings and stator precisely match the required dimensions is essential.
After the insulation work, we attach a standstill heater (the blue cable). For fully enclosed motors, a standstill heater is highly recommended for certain safety ratings, as it avoids condensation.
