It is used for the brand’s ID.3 electric vehicle, among the first vehicles to be designed purely as an electric car. We are talking about new measuring solution for hairpin stators developed by Zeiss and VW.
The hairpins in the stator of the new electric drive, made from coated copper, replace the traditional copper wire coil.
«This approach – explains Philip Kurz, responsible for engine planning and testing at VW – enables high-volume series production, and it also means the engine has more power, while being significantly lighter. However, there remains the challenge of quality assurance because the physical properties of the hairpins push the boundaries of the measuring methods traditionally used in engine construction».
This is why over the past year Zeiss has been working with VW to develop a measuring solution that enables the automaker to manufacture electric cars in large-scale series production.
«Copper is easily deformed, that is why we cannot use tactile methods. Also, it is shiny and semi-transparent, which makes it difficult for optical sensors to detect” – are the words of Pascal Schmidt, part of the quality assurance team.