Metallic Glass Motor Components 3D Printed in Breakthrough for Energy-Efficient Electric Motors

• Electric motors are among the most widespread energy-converting devices on the planet, and among the least efficient at small scales. A measurable share of the electricity they consume is lost as heat, a consequence of how conventional metal alloys respond to alternating magnetic fields.  Researchers at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany, have spent four years […]

Electric motors are among the most widespread energy-converting devices on the planet, and among the least efficient at small scales. A measurable share of the electricity they consume is lost as heat, a consequence of how conventional metal alloys respond to alternating magnetic fields. Researchers at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany, have spent four years and €3.5 million in EU funding trying to eliminate that loss at the material level and have 3D printed fully amorphous metallic motor components. What this demonstrates is that laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) can now control cooling rates precisely enough to produce complex metal parts with no crystal structure, representing a significant step toward a class of high-performance materials. The work was carried out under the A