Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in the Electrical Industry

Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers unparalleled geometric freedom in the design of electrical machine windings, enabling new approaches to AC loss reduction, thermal management, and electrical insulation options that can unlock step changes in power-density and efficiency.

In this presentation, the state of the art in AM of coils and conductors will be presented, including design tool developments, challenges in manufacturing and post-processing, and the wide array of opportunities brought by AM. The benefits will be showcased through a recent Innovate UK supported case-study where AM delivered significant reduction in AC loss and minimised packaging volume of a high-speed automotive compressor applications, in collaboration with Technelec, UK. During this session we will deep dive on the following:

• Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers new design freedoms in coil and winding production
• AC loss reduction improved thermal management, and opportunity for alternative electrical insulation systems will be discussed.
• The benefits of AM will be showcased through a high-speed automotive compressor application, developed with Technelec, UK.

Explore how the EU project PASSENGER is developing alternative technologies to reduce reliance on rare earths critical raw materials in the e-mobility sector.  And learn how the EIT Strategic Impact Group Network (SIGN REE) is shaping Europe's rare earth and magnet supply strategies. This session highlights cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and sustainability, providing key insights on:  

• EU initiatives promoting sustainable alternative motor technologies.  
• The role of SIGN REE in diversifying rare earth and magnet supply chains.  
• Strategies to reduce dependency on critical raw materials in e-mobility.  
• Cross-industry collaborations advancing sustainable innovation in transport. 

Discover the latest updates on DuPont™ Nomex® aramid insulation, including its evolving properties and expanding application range in transformers. This session highlights new data on thermal and fire performance, explores its role in UL-certified insulation systems, and showcases benefits in both dry-type and liquid-filled transformer designs. Learn how Nomex® supports safety and reliability in critical industries.

• Overview of new Nomex® paper and pressboard grades for diversified insulation needs
• Insights into UL-certified electrical insulation systems for LV and MV applications (up to 1 kV and up to 34.5 kV) 
• Application of Nomex® in both dry-type and liquid-filled transformers
• Benefits of Nomex® for high-reliability, safety-critical environments

Aperam introduces a novel processing route for Iron-Cobalt alloys, enabling scalable production of stators and rotors while maintaining their unique performance. This innovation provides a cost-effective solution for a variety of applications such as automotive, EVTOLs, and regional aircraft.  

• Iron-Cobalt Alloy Innovation: Aperam introduces a novel processing route for FeCo alloy motor and generator components
• Scalable & Cost-Effective Production: Adapted for the FeCo's slightly brittle nature, it enables scalable and sustainable manufacturing of motor and generator components without compromising performance.
• Competitive Advantage: The new approach allows for diverse motor geometries, highly improving cost efficiency and productivity while maintaining performance parity with traditional manufacturing methods. 

This presentation introduces an innovative direct-drive needle winding system characterized by a fully motorized drive and advanced carbon-fiber frame. Designed specifically for thin wires (0.2–1.0 mm), it achieves unprecedented speeds up to 2,000 rpm. The machine’s software-driven flexibility allows rapid adjustments between various stator geometries—including inner/outer slot arrangements, straight or skewed windings, and terminal routing—without mechanical cam or tool changes, resulting in high-quality, consistent winding outcomes with superior filling factors. This system has been specifically designed to replace and exceed the performance of traditional rigid three-needle cam-driven winding machines.

• Direct-Drive Technology: Fully motorized system with rigid carbon‑fiber structure, eliminating cams and belts for reduced complexity and maintenance.
• Enhanced Structural Dynamics: Composite carbon‑fiber design balances lightweight build with robustness, offering low inertia for precise, high‑speed movements.
• Ultra High‑Speed, Fine‑Wire Capability: Handles 0.2–1.0 mm wires at up to 2,000 rpm, boosting productivity while maintaining exceptional accuracy.
• Software‑Driven Versatility: Software-configurable routines enable rapid reconfiguration for different stator types and winding patterns—no mechanical changes needed.

Several hundred thousand of medium power transformers and millions of motors reach their end-of-life annually in Europe. A proper recovery and recycling of their raw materials is key to implement a truly circular economy.

On this session we will be covering the following:

• Liquid-filled medium-power transformers have a high degree of circularity at end-of-life, with about three quarters of the material compatible with an entirely circular process. This potential is fully exploited thanks to the fact that only certified companies are allowed to handle liquid-filled transformer recycling, which is a positive legacy of the PCB crisis.
• Dry type transformers follow a totally different recycling route and demonstrate how a lack of separability in the conception of a device can lead to a problematic end-of-life process. Their coils are overmoulded with an epoxy or quartz resin that is hard to separate from the metal conductors. That said, new technology developments open promising routes to improve the circularity of dry transformers.
• All metals from motors can be recovered almost 100%, with some impurities. Smaller motors <150kg are usually not further dismantled. They go directly as entire unit as “electrical scrap” outside of the EU. For larger motors at least housing is cracked and stator vs rotor separated. Copper in the rotor is usually always taken out and sold separately to metal brokers or to recyclers.

The next decade promises significant growth for the power electronics sector, driven by key global trends in electrification, sustainability and digitalization. This session will highlight cutting-edge innovations that are reshaping the sector and will delve deeper into the technological evolution of key sub-components that form the backbone of power electronics systems.

• Expected market of power electronics for the decade ahead
• Latest technological advancements in power electronics.
• Supply chain analysis across various value chain layers.
• Technological evolution of sub-components of power electronics