Magnet gripper and rotor assembly methods and systems

A method of assembling a rotor, comprising:

• positioning a magnet gripper system adjacent a magnet;
• moving the magnet gripper system such that the magnet is magnetically cooperated with a gripper base of the magnet gripper system;
• and
• sliding at least two rigid slide plates, slidably secured with the gripper base of the magnet gripper system, along opposite lateral sides of the magnet such that the slide plates in cooperation with the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the gripper base maintains a position of the magnet relative to the gripper base.

A rotor assembly system comprising:

• a magnet gripper system comprising:
• a gripper base comprising a magnetically attractive face;
• two or more slide plates configured to move between a retracted position with the slide plates retracted relative to the face of the gripper base and an extended position with the slide plates extended relative to the face of the gripper base with an end of each of the slide plates being positioned further from the face of the gripper base when in the extended position than when the slide plates are in the retracted position;
• and
• an axial clamp system comprising:
• an axial restraint ring comprising two or more ring restraint segments that physically secure together forming a hollow ring and configured to be positioned about a first series of magnets positioned on an exterior surface of a rotor core;
• wherein each ring restraint segment comprises one or more flanges comprising an interior surface facing toward an interior of the hollow ring when the two or more ring restraint segments are cooperated, and configured to contact a lateral side of one or more of the first series of magnets.

An apparatus maintaining magnet positioning during rotor assembly, comprising:

• an axial restraint ring comprising:
• two or more ring restraint segments that physically secure together forming a hollow ring and configured to be positioned about a first series of magnets positioned on an exterior surface of a rotor core;
• each ring restraint segment comprises a body, one or more shoulders extending from the body, and one or more flanges extending at an angle from an end of each of the one or more shoulders, wherein each of the one or more flanges comprise an interior surface, facing toward an interior of the hollow ring when the two or more ring restraint segments are cooperated, and configured to contact an end of one or more of the magnets of the first series of magnets;
• and
• a plurality of axial drivers, wherein each of the plurality of axial drivers cooperates with the body of one of the two or more ring restraint segments and extend away from the corresponding ring restraint segment to cooperate with one or more anchors.

A method of assembling a rotor, comprising:

• temporarily positioning an axial restraint ring on and about a first series of magnets positioned on an exterior surface of a rotor core, wherein the axial restraint ring comprises two or more ring restraint segments each comprising a body, one or more shoulders extending from each of the bodies, and one or more flanges extending at an angle from an end of each of the one or more shoulders, wherein each of the one or more flanges comprise an interior surface facing toward an interior of the hollow ring, wherein the temporarily positioning of the axial restraint ring comprises positioning the axial restraint ring such that the interior surface of each of the one or more flanges is in contact with an end of one or more magnets of the first series of magnets;
• cooperating a plurality of axial drivers with the axial restraint ring;
• and
• activating the plurality of axial drivers and inducing an axial force on the ring restraint segments parallel with the central axis of the hollow ring and a longitudinal axis of the rotor core, such that the axial force applied by the interior surfaces of the one or more flanges onto the ends of each of the magnets of the first series of magnets in at least temporarily maintaining an axial position of each of the magnets of the first series of magnets.