Magnax gets…wheels

January 24, 2019 | Luc De Smet | Magnax, the Ghent-based start-up that developed an axial flux motor, is now resolutely shifting from a focus on wind energy, in which the motor becomes a generator, towards mobility applications.

ENGINEERINGNET.BE – “As a startup, the major challenge is finding a market fit for your product,” says co-founder Daan Moreels. Founder and CTO Peter Leijnen designed his motor/generator for installation in a new design of a foldable wind turbine. Consequently, the generator had to be exceptionally lightweight. Initial calculations showed that only a new machine topology (axial flux) could meet those expectations.

“The wind sector considered our motor topology to be highly disruptive.” Major market players are quite ‘incredulous’ about the surprising results. After all, an axial flux generator weighs more than four times less than a traditional generator.

“That requires a major evangelization effort,” says Moreels. “During the market exploration, we noticed that there was interest in both the large version of our motor technology (wind turbines) and the small version that can be used in electric cars.”

The low-hanging fruit.
The low-hanging fruit lies very clearly in e-mobility. Hundreds of companies worldwide are working on new developments of electric motorcycles, cars, boats, even airplanes, etc. They all require a motor with high power density. But the supply is ‘small’. Magnax has only two competitors: one in the UK and one in Slovenia. “Their delivery times are six months or longer. The market is ‘eager to buy’. We therefore need to start production as soon as possible.”

The company derives the specifications for motor developments from incoming leads. Currently, the product roadmap features four performance types between 100 and 480 kWp (140 to 600 hp). “We are also receiving requests for larger motors and generators. For industrial applications and wind turbines, for example. These require longer sales cycles. We expect those to remain in the R&D stage a little longer.”

Magnax secured funding from VLAIO for a large generator. While its original generator had a diameter of 1.6 m, the next logical step is a generator with a diameter of 2.5 m (300 kW). “However, we are setting up a separate team for that. Magnax itself is now focusing on smaller high-speed motors with its axial flux technology.”

Exceptional performance.
Moreels calculates that the motor in the BMW i3 has a power output of 125 kWp and weighs 41 kg. A ratio of 3.04 kWp per kg. “Our AXF225 delivers 170 kWp with 14 kg of weight, or 12.14 kWp per kg.”

More than four times the power-to-weight ratio. Applications for the four motors currently under development: cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles, both in-wheel (where the motors are built into the wheels) and motors integrated into the vehicle’s axle via the control unit (eAxle). “The smaller the volume of the motor, the better,” says Moreels. Moreover, Magnax motors could become even lighter in the future. That is what they are looking into.

Professionalization
In the meantime, inquiries are coming in from major automotive brands (OEMs) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers active in gearboxes and powertrains, who until now have been sourcing their engines or producing internal combustion engine components.

“They see an opportunity to open up a new activity with our engine, or at least limit revenue losses as the world switches to electric cars.” The challenge is to set up a factory in Kortrijk for pilot production and an R&D facility. Series production will take place via partner production plants.

“Currently, we are mainly selling prototypes and accepting reservations for the first series production model that will roll off the assembly line in Q1 2019.” The AXF275 engine delivers 400 hp at a weight of 29 kg. At the moment, they are still waiting for benchmarks provided by Flanders Make. “These will definitely be available in December,” states Moreels, who expects production to start in February/March.

Magnax currently has nine employees and is growing rapidly. They are looking for people with operational experience (production, quality, etc.). Moreels does not complain about ‘not being able to find people’. “As a start-up, we are quite ‘sexy’ to a lot of young people.”

By Luc De Smet