Where to buy "Lamination Steel" ?

[BLDCdreamer]

Hi,
I live in Belgium and am trying to develop my own BLDC motor. I have access to water, laser, plasma etc cutting. But where can I buy a small quantity of Silicon Steel or Lamination Steel, to cut my stator out ? The companies I found are selling by the ton. Has anybody here bought like 10 kg of SS before ? 0.5 mm thickness should be ideal I think, because to thin is not so easy to cut and it is usually stamped. This procedure needs a very expensive stamping die. So this is not the way to go for one of prototypes.
Your experience with purchasing small quantities of this lamination sheet steel 0.5 mm should be highly appreciated.

 

[Miles]

Hi,
I live in Belgium and am trying to develop my own BLDC motor. I have access to water, laser, plasma etc cutting. But where can I buy a small quantity of Silicon Steel or Lamination Steel, to cut my stator out ? The companies I found are selling by the ton. Has anybody here bought like 10 kg of SS before ? 0.5 mm thickness should be ideal I think, because to thin is not so easy to cut and it is usually stamped. This procedure needs a very expensive stamping die. So this is not the way to go for one of prototypes.
Your experience with purchasing small quantities of this lamination sheet steel 0.5 mm should be highly appreciated.

Hi BLDCd,

Maybe your best chance is to ask for "samples"?

Might be worth asking companies that do laser cut laminations?

Regarding the lamination thickness. What will be the nominal fundamental frequency of your motor?

 

[BLDCdreamer]

Hi Miles,
I ask all the time for samples or minimum order quantities but got no replies so far.

The what ? ... "the nominal fundamental frequency of your motor?"
The motor should go till 4000RPM and has 8 poles ...
Is the NFF than 4000/8/3 ? That should be 166 Hz

You seam to know more about this. Can you pls learn me how to calculate the max lamination thickness ?

 

[Miles]

Hz is cycles per second so:

Divide 4000 rpm by 60 to get 66.666..... revolutions per second.

Now multiply by the number of pole pairs.

66.66 * 4 = 266 Hz

This is the frequency that the flux is changing at.

Flux frequency is important to assess the likely eddy current losses.

Eddy current losses go up as the square of the fundamental frequency.
They also go up as the square of the lamination thickness.

I think 0.35mm will be preferable at 266 Hz.

400Hz is the point where you need to think about using lamination stock thinner than 0.35mm.

 

[Miles]

Useful reference: http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/download/file.php?id=75121

 

[Microbatman]

I have noticed that some of the people on RC groups have mentioned this for a source.

http://www.protolam.com/

 

[BLDCdreamer]

Thanks Microbatman, I have send them an info request right away.

 

[BLDCdreamer]

The steel could be supplied by ThyssenKrupp. They responded fast and detailed. This is the good news ...
The man that would do the water jet cutting however has send me a quote of ......... 1750 Euro to cut the lamination of a small motor of only 190 mm OD. Stuck again !
Has anybody an idea how to do that cheaper ? I search for a 24 slot stator for an in-runner BLDC with 190 mm OD.

 

[Miles]

If you are not doing the cutting yourself, I'm not sure why you are trying to source the steel and the machining separately?

There are lots of companies that can provide laminations laser cut to your spec. (and stacked and bonded, if needed).

eg. http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=611170#p611170

http://www.laserlaminations.com/

 

[iamsofunny]

What if you forged it to the correct thickness via red hot through a couple rollers?

 

[BLDCdreamer]

If you are not doing the cutting yourself, I'm not sure why you are trying to source the steel and the machining separately?

There are lots of companies that can provide laminations laser cut to your spec. (and stacked and bonded, if needed).

eg. http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=611170#p611170

http://www.laserlaminations.com/

Thanks Miles. LaserLaminations gave us a good price !

 

[nunika]

Hi,

How much is good price ?

P.S. I'm interested too, but for stepper motor.

 

[BLDCdreamer]

Hi,

How much is good price ?

P.S. I'm interested too, but for stepper motor.

He quoted 690$ for all in steel 0,5mm inclusive. FOB. Motor of about 200 mm OD x 190 mm stack length.
or
860$ for the same, in 0,35 mm steel