You might think you know a lot about engines, motors, rotors and the like. But have you ever been on the ground floor to see how these products are produced?
Most people simply use tools and have no idea of the intricate moving parts that all make driving a car or operating a motorized tool possible. But much more goes into the process of building motors than what many people actually realize.
One part of this process is known as impregnation. And, just to mitigate any confusion, this process does not produce a child. Instead, it produces a tightly sealed and insulated electrical drive that motors need to function properly.
Without electric motors impregnation technology, a motor would lose thermal conductivity and vibrate heavily. And this is no fun for a driver or operator to experience.
Here, we’ll explore the impregnation process and its many benefits.
What is Impregnation?
In an electric drive motor, you have numerous wires that are all woven tightly together. The only problem is that there is still space or “voids” between each wire in the cavity of the drive motor.
Without properly closing and sealing the cavity, a drive motor is subject to overheating, losing rotation power, and dust or debris can settle between the wires. Any one of these problems can cause serious vibration and can result in heat damage as well, or it can result in the overall damage of the drive motor itself, rendering it useless.
The impregnation process closes and seals the spaces between wires in an electrical component with a resin-like material. This process not only protects the component from dust and foreign matter getting caught between the wires, it seals the component as a whole which will ultimately reduce noise and vibration.
Impregnation Methods
Depending on the nature of the electrical component, whether this is a drive motor, stator, or anything else, a specific impregnation might be used in order to produce a more efficient product. At the end of the day, this is essential technology that any business involved in industrial production should use.
The following are the most often used impregnation methods, and each can be used on differing components, usually based on size and function.
Trickling
Trickling is largely considered one of the most effective methods for impregnating electrical drive motors and sators.
In the trickling process, the component is held stationary and heated. Machines used for trickling calculate the dead weight of the component, then resin is applied or “trickled” both internally and externally. This is evenly distributed throughout the coil system as the component is rotated constantly around its own axis.
Once complete, the component is then heated again in an oven. This process turns the resin into a gel-like material, which is also why some refer to the trickling process as”gelling.”
Roll Dipping
The roll dipping process is largely used for stators and rotors, and is effective for a few reasons.
In this process, the component is rolled into the resin and only immersed halfway. The component is then rotated continuously until it reaches a specified depth. After completion, the component is then heated and cooled after polymerization.
Some benefits of roll dipping are as follows:
- Shorter process
- Resins can be used without monomers
- Effective resin distribution
- Maximizes groove fillings
In addition to roll dipping, other impregnation methods can be used and these are known as hot dipping, vertical dipping, and stator full potting. And the nature, size, and use of the component are what will dictate the type of impregnation method used.
Electrical components hold a mystery that not many people are able to unlock. Though we all might need these components in our lives to make our work more efficient and our lives easier, understanding how these intricately designed components work gives us a greater understanding of how they operate, and how we can use them more effectively.
