Gibbons jargon buster #6: What are electric motor laminations?

The latest in our series of blogs explaining some of the more confusing terminology used in our business looks at electric motor laminations.

Here’s the latest in our series of blogs explaining some of the more confusing terminology used in our business. Today we’re talking electric motor laminations.

What are laminations?

An electric motor is made up of two main members – the stator (stationary part) and rotor (rotating part). At first glance it seems the stator core is composed of one solid piece of steel, but look closely and you’ll notice that it is in fact made up of many thin metal sheets pressed together.

These are the laminations which are stacked and fastened together by cleats, rivets or welds.

Why are laminations used?

The magnetic field produced by the stator induces eddy currents which can cause energy to be lost as it is converted into heat. Laminations are used in order to create a magnetic core equivalent to many individual circuits, preventing most of the eddy currents from flowing.

Laminations are coated to create a barrier to adjacent laminations. They tend to be 1-2mm wide as the thinner the laminations, the lower the eddy currents.

We hope that’s cleared things up, but if you have any other motor-related questions then we’d love to help you answer them. So call 01621 868138 or email info@gibbonsgroup.co.uk and speak to one of our friendly team today.