Methods and systems for manufacturing an impeller wheel assembly

A method for manufacturing an impeller wheel assembly, comprising:

• casting an impeller wheel without a hub in a mold, the impeller wheel comprising a plurality of blades and having a back face opposite an exducer side of the impeller wheel;
• pressing the impeller wheel on a holding plate after casting, wherein pressing the impeller wheel on the holding plate comprises either:
• fastening or clamping portions of the back face of the impeller wheel to a first face of the holding plate via a plurality of complementary fasteners or clamps of the holding plate, the plurality of fasteners or clamps arranged complementary to geometry on the back face where portions of the back face are fastened or clamped to the holding plate thereby holding the impeller wheel in a fixed position via the fastened or clamped portions;
• or
• interlocking portions of the back face of the impeller wheel to the first face of the holding plate via a plurality of complementary bosses of the holding plate, the plurality of bosses arranged complementary to recesses formed between each of the plurality of blades comprising the back face of the impeller wheel, where the recesses interlock with the plurality of bosses thereby holding the impeller wheel in a fixed position via the interlocked recesses;
• and
• attaching a shaft to the impeller wheel positioned on the holding plate.