Hybrid additive manufacturing assisted prototyping for making electro-mechanical components

A method for creating a connection support for a stator assembly, comprising:

• creating a plurality of substrates using an additive manufacturing process, wherein:
• each of the plurality of substrates includes a polymeric material;
• the plurality of substrates includes a first substrate and a second substrate;
• the first substrate includes a first main body and defines a protrusion extending from the first main body;
• and
• the second substrate includes a second main body and defines a recess defined in the second main body;
• coupling the first substrate to the second substrate by inserting the protrusion into the recess such that the protrusion elastically deforms within the recess to an elastically averaged configuration to facilitate alignment and coupling of the first substrate to the second substrate, wherein the protrusion and the recess together form an elastic averaging coupling;
• and
• coupling a plurality of electrically conductive components to at least one of the plurality of substrates;
• wherein:
• the additive manufacturing process is a first additive manufacturing process, and the method further includes creating the plurality of electrically conductive components using a second additive manufacturing process;
• the first additive manufacturing process is different from the second additive manufacturing process;
• the second additive manufacturing process is electron-beam melting;
• the first additive manufacturing process is material jetting 3D printing;
• the electrically conductive components are leads and at least one neutral bus bar of the stator assembly;
• the substrates collectively form the connection support for the stator assembly;
• and
• the connection support is wholly made of the polymeric material and is configured to support the electrically conductive components;
• welding at least two of the electrically conductive components to a stator core of the stator assembly after coupling the plurality of electrically conductive components to the at least one of the plurality of substrates.