Electric motor stator end-turn windings coating defect detection

A system for detecting coating defects on windings of a stator assembly for an electric motor, the system comprising:

• an automated assembly line configured to provide the stator assembly, wherein the stator assembly includes a plurality of stator windings with exposed end-turns arranged around a stator axis;
• a heating arrangement configured to heat the exposed end-turns of the stator windings;
• an arrangement for coating the exposed heated end-turns of the stator windings with an insulating medium;
• a rotating arrangement configured to turn the stator assembly with the coated heated end-turns relative to the stator axis;
• an imaging device configured to apply thermal imaging to the coated heated end-turns of the turning stator assembly;
• and
• an electronic controller in operative communication with the imaging device and configured to:
• identify a flaw in coverage of the insulating medium on the corresponding coated end-turns using the applied thermal imaging;
• and
• command a rejection of the stator assembly having the identified flaw in coverage of the insulating medium on the coated end-turns.

A method of detecting coating defects on windings of a stator assembly for an electric motor, the method comprising:

• providing, via an automated assembly line, the stator assembly having a plurality of stator windings with exposed end-turns arranged around a stator axis;
• heating the exposed end-turns of the stator windings via a heating arrangement;
• coating the exposed heated end-turns with an insulating medium;
• turning the stator assembly with the coated heated end-turns relative to the stator axis via a rotating arrangement;
• applying thermal imaging, via an imaging device in operative communication with an electronic controller, to the coated heated end-turns of the turning stator assembly;
• identifying, via the electronic controller, a flaw in coverage of the insulating medium on the coated end-turns using the applied thermal imaging;
• and
• commanding, via the electronic controller, a rejection of the stator assembly having the identified flaw in coverage of the insulating medium on the corresponding coated end-turns;
• wherein:
• the electronic controller is programmed with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm configured to identify the flaw in coverage of the insulating medium on the end-turns;
• and
• the AI algorithm is configured to use image processing to recognize flaws in coverage of the insulating medium on the end-turns and is trained to recognize flaws in coverage of the insulating medium on the end-turns using supervised machine learning with images of previously recognized flaws in coverage of the insulating medium.