ExOne, Maxxwell Motors Successfully Binder Jet 3D Print Copper Winding for Electric Drive

The ExOne Co., a global provider of industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, is collaborating with Tennessee-based startup Maxxwell Motors on development of a unique copper e-winding design for its axial flux electric motors, which can be used in electric cars as well as a range of other heavy-duty vehicles and industrial devices.

Founded in 2018 based on a vision of improving how electric motors are designed and manufactured without using rare earth magnets, Maxxwell holds nine U.S and global patents. It has also launched two products — a 10 kW air-cooled motor generator and a 150 kW liquid-cooled motor.

The company is led by the team of Chairman Gary Wells, a former CEO and current board member of Wells Dairy (maker of Blue Bunny and other ice cream brands), and CEO Michael Paritee, a former General Motors executive who managed several advanced vehicle programs and has guided technology firms for more than a decade.

Optimized copper windings and rotors in electric motors are among the factors enabling the automotive industry’s transition to hybrid and pure electric power vehicles. However, current methods of manufacturing the windings are costly, inefficient and limit designs in a way that also limits their performance, the company says.

ExOne and Maxxwell have successfully proved out a new concept for binder jet 3D printing a high-efficiency design in copper that eliminates many of the challenges that come with traditional manufacturing. Additional development and testing are now underway.

“When we 3D print it, a lot of the challenges just go away, and we can actually improve the performance of the motor itself,” Paritee says. “At Maxxwell, we’re taking the most sustainable and additive manufacturing point of view as possible to truly improve efficiency, reduce waste and optimize performance.”

Ultimately, Maxxwell’s goal is to binder jet 3D print winding assemblies as a monolithic piece, eliminating the need for coil wrapping, bending, tooling and welding of individual parts together.