Coil to Core: Supply Chain for Net Zero CO2 - COCO

The project aims to develop a UK PEMD supply chain that will combine cost effective material supply and cold rolling of a new high strength non-magnetic steel with mass production process innovations that can deliver patented lamination designs. These laminations can then be stacked into novel rotor and stator sub-assemblies to support mass production of more efficient and more sustainable electric machines with wide-ranging application across transport, energy and industrial sectors.

The project will focus on the development of material supply and cold rolling processes for cost effective supply of the new high strength non-magnetic steel. Blank forming and joining processes to combine non-magnetic steel with electrical steel will be developed using latest joining technologies. Coating of the patented laminations will use novel insulation/adhesive coating materials, to enable automation of lamination stacking for novel rotor and stator sub-assembly designs supporting mass production of more efficient and more sustainable electric machine designs.

In the project the materials and process developments will be applied to the core of a unique AEM electric machine design that will be free of rare earth magnets and copper, validated with prototype motor high speed dynamometer testing. This electric machine design is currently being evaluated by leading global automakers and Tier 1's as a more sustainable electrification solution for mass produced passenger cars. Thereafter the core technologies of the project can be applied to other transport, energy and industrial sectors, providing automotive economies of scale.

The partners in the project provide the basis of a 'production ready' UK supply chain with a clear 'end to end' route to market for cost effective materials supply and cold rolling processing, lamination manufacture and rotor/stator sub-assembly, and electric machine production. This project will include production costing and value chain analysis to ensure that this UK supply chain is both market attractive and sustainably profitable.