Highly flexible and efficient shaft manufacture for customized electric machines

Due to the ongoing success of electric motors for highly energy efficient direct drive applications, the adaptability of electric machines becomes more and more important. Beside the adjustment of the performance data according to the markets' demands, the ability to comply with different mechanical interfaces turns out to be an important demand. In order to meet customer specific requirements, today's manufacturing systems for electric machines have to provide a high flexibility regarding varying designs of both, flanges and shafts. In order to keep efficiency high and costs low, different approaches for the machining of mechanic parts for electric machines are necessary. Using the example of shaft production this paper shows how these goals can be achieved by both, organizational and technological actions.