Growth in core Leantec-drive, five companies and three research institutions from Saxony and Thuringia engage with the aim of bringing a new type of electric drive on the market, closing the technological gap between direct drives and classic motor-gearbox combinations. Material, resource and energy efficiency contribute to the sustainability of the drive. One of the companies involved in the development of lightweight drive is Samag.

The drive platform is characterized by compactness and light weight. Thus, the rotor weighs through the use of composite materials instead of the usual 100 kg only 800 g Accordingly is the motto of the Alliance "So light is driving." The innovation is, according to Dr. Michael Schmidt, CEO of Bitsz Engineering and spokesman of the growth core, in interdisciplinarity. One of the challenges of this project is the large-scale production of components made of sintered or composite materials. Performance at low mass and minimized installation space is a fundamental step in the direction of energy, materials and resource efficiency.

Role of raw materials in the design of new drive concepts

Resources and how to obtain and prices currently play a crucial role in designing new propulsion concepts. The waiver of rare earths, for example, not only conserves scarce finite resources, their current mining methods also cause massive environmental damage, it also means independence from a difficult to assess at the present time monopoly suppliers. Also distinguishes itself an upward trend in prices, particularly from neodymium. Independence of this rare thus contributes to a significantly more stable pricing.

The possibilities of using modern electronics and inverter control architectures provide the basis to implement the mechanical principles of high pin Transversalflussmotoren in production-ready drives. The Zwickau Bitsz company develops and manufactures in the field of embedded systems and drive technology. Here the Leantec drive are designed to develop the associated motor controller including electronics, software, and tested the entire electronic system.

stepper motor | Precise low cost positioning

The Samag Saalfelder Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH is even potential users of Leantec drives in rotary tables and has decades of experience in the precision manufacturing of parts for the automotive industry on a large scale. The expertise in high-volume production of engine parts is also given as in the processing of lightweight materials. With the use of the drives in your own machine tools, the company creates the new machining operations additional customer benefits.

Sandwich construction permits scalable execution

The sandwich design of the drive enables the scalable design for different application sectors. Exemplarily demonstrators are built for four target applications and tested: A direct drive should come in rotary tables for machine tools used, another in a direct-drive chuck for grinding of knives. In the stationary machines one Leantec drive as the main drive of an extruder is provided in injection molding machines, and as an example of a drive system, a wheel hub motor for wheel loaders Leantec developed.

Future prospects for Central Germany

The growth center spans the period up 2014 and contributes to the strengthening of the role of central Germany as the central region of mechanical engineering. In addition to securing jobs at the participating industrial partners as part of the realignment of drive technology in the automotive sector are mainly to 2019 caused by the growth center in the region of Saxony / Thuringia 200 about new jobs.