Since 1994, the Small Machines Group has held an annual Small Machines Colloquium in spring on current topics relating to the calculation, production and metrological investigation of small electrical machines. The focus is on developments in the field of series commutator motors, permanent magnet commutator motors and electronically commutated motors.
These motor types are used in many applications, such as household appliances, hand tools or in motor vehicles. The majority of the participants in the colloquium are manufacturers of equipment in these sectors and their suppliers. The aim of the colloquium is to provide a forum in which physical and technological development problems are raised and discussed in order to support the further development of low-power electrical machines. So far, the main topics have included increasing reliability, power density and more effective design of the manufacturing of the motors and their better adaptation to the application.
The main problem of the commutator machine is the brush-commutator contact system. Through interesting presentations by brush, commutator and press compound manufacturers and the resulting fruitful discussions with the equipment manufacturers, the participants received valuable suggestions for their development work.
Another trend is the development of electronically commutated motors and their problems with regard to application, production and power electronic control. In particular, the interaction of power electronic control and the design of the electrical machine matched to it offers a field of work that should not be underestimated.
The program of the current colloquium is the result of the questions of the last colloquium and the problems which were brought to the attention of the Small Machines Department in the course of the past year. This guarantees topics that are oriented towards the current state of practical development and thus make the Small Machinery Colloquium interesting for producers as well as for students and employees of the TU Ilmenau.
