Apparatus and method for manufacturing a stator

A method for manufacturing a stator with a plurality of hairpin conductors arranged in slots of a stator core, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a stator core template having a number of radially and axially extending slots corresponding to the number of slots of the stator core, said slots of the stator core template having at least one of a circumferential width larger than the circumferential width of the slots of the stator core and a radial length larger than the radial length of the slots of the stator core
• b. inserting at least one hairpin conductor into at least one of said slots of the stator core template such that said hairpin conductor is arranged at a first position within said slot, wherein in said first position the hairpin conductor is arranged differently than in the intended position in the stator core
• c. moving said hairpin conductor within said slot of said a stator core template from said first position to a second position
• d. Repeating step a.) and step b.) for at least one additional hairpin conductor such as to form a first layer of a partial nest or a nest of hairpin conductors
• e. removing the partial nest or the nest of hairpin conductors from the stator core template
• f. inserting the nest or the partial nest into the slots of the stator core.