DAC102021

n NEWS October 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 IT HAS EMERGED that before Yasa, the British developer of axial-flux electric motors, was bought by Mercedes-Benz earlier this year, it spun off a new company dedicated to developing and manufacturing electric motors and power electronics for aerospace applications. The new privately-owned business, called Evolito, will commercialise Yasa’s electric motor technology and IP for the aerospace market. It says that the axial-flux motor technology already proven in series production for automotive applications, has “even greater advantages”in aerospace and that the new business is“uniquely positioned”to propel the commercialisation and adoption of electric flight. Evolito claims that its high-performance, low-weight motors and power electronics are smaller, lighter and more robust than any competing technology, opening up new opportunities for eVtol (electric vertical take- off and landing), fixed wing and distributed electric propulsion applications. The Evolito motors’ segmented topology is said to be more robust than other designs, making them ideal for aerospace applications where safety is paramount. Efficiencies are claimed to be above 98%. The axial-flux technology also needs up to 75% less iron, less copper and fewer permanent magnets than competing radial motor designs, making it lighter and more environmentally-friendly. Evolito’s initial product portfolio includes direct-drive motors with ratings from 100kW continuous (500Nm peak, 2,000 rpm) to 500kW (3kN, 2,000 rpm), and indirect drive motors from 100kW continuous (300Nm minimum, above 4,000 rpm) to 250kW peak (6kNm peak, above 4,000 rpm). There are also 800V, 300A rms inverters suitable for all of the motors, based on a silicon carbide technology. “Electrification in aerospace is some ten years behind that of the automotive industry, but the market potential is huge,” says Evolito’s managing director, Gareth Morris.“Electric vertical take-off and landing, electric helicopter, fixed-wing and urban air mobility aircraft need high-power-density, low-weight electric powertrains with inherently high safety factors – a combination of attributes that are unique to our axial-flux electric motor and power electronics. By leveraging Yasa’s unique IP in the aerospace market, Evolito will fast-track the commercialisation of electric flight and transformmobility as we know it.” Yasa supplied Rolls-Royce with the three axial-flux electric motors that power its Spirit of Innovation aircraft that took off recently for the first time and aims to break the world speed record for electric aircraft by flying faster than 480km/h. Each of the three 98mm-long motors provide 790Nm of peak torque and 200kW of peak power. They allow the plane’s propellers to deliver more than 373kW (500hp) of continuous power and the blades to spin slow enough for a stable and almost silent ride, with an efficiency of more than 97% and zero emissions. www.evolito.co.uk Yasa spins off axial motor company to target aerospace NOVANTA, THE US-BASED industrial conglomerate whose businesses include Celera Motion and ATI Industrial Automation, has bought US-headquartered Schneider Electric Motion for $115m in cash and renamed it as Novanta IMS. The operation specialises in brushless motors, integrated motor drives and electronic controls. Founded 35 years ago as Intelligent Motion Systems (IMS), the business was acquired by Schneider Electric in 2008 with the stated aim then of strengthening its presence in general motion control market. It has about 60 employees and is based in Marlborough, Connecticut. Novanta describes the acquisition is “an ideal fit” and predicts that it will create new synergies and opportunities. Novanta IMS will work closely with Celera, which supplies motion control components and subsystems to OEMs in a wide range of medical and industrial markets. The IMS deal is the latest a string of acquisitions by Novanta. In 2018, it bought the British encoder manufacturer Zettlex, and the following year it added Ingenia Motion Control, the Spanish developer of servodrives and control software. “Novanta IMS is an excellent strategic acquisition because it helps us expand into automatic and robotic applications through advanced motion control solutions,” says Novanta’s CEO and chair, Matthijs Glastra. “It’s also increasing opportunities for us in life sciences and medical end-markets, and broadening our access to sophisticated automation integrators. “Novanta IMS enhances our capabilities in these rapidly-evolving markets, providing even more ways for us to serve our customers with unique, innovative, high- performance solutions,” he adds. Novanta IMS’ general manager, Eric Klein says: “We have been committed to developing innovative motion control solutions since we were founded in 1986 as Intelligent Motion Systems, so our new name Novanta IMS is a nod to our roots. We are looking forward to maintaining the same level of consistent support and high-quality products under our new ownership as we have for nearly 40 years.” www.novantaims.com Novanta buys Schneider Electric Motion for $115m and gives it a new name The Schneider Electric Motion portfolio acquired by Novanta includes the LexiumMDrive integrated drives