Crimped rotor for an electric brushless direct current motor

A brushless direct current electric motor having a high torque to size ratio, the motor including a rotor having a central longitudinal axis of rotation, a stator defining a centrally located longitudinal opening and a bearing for supporting the rotor in the stator and for allowing the rotor to rotate about the central longitudinal axis of rotation, the electric motor comprising:

• a central rotor shaft having first through sixth receiving surfaces;
• a first phase of magnets configured to provide an electromagnetic flux with the stator with the first phase of magnets including at least six magnets disposed around each of the first through sixth receiving surfaces of the central rotor shaft at a first location;
• a second phase of magnets configured to provide an electromagnetic flux with the stator with the second phase of magnets including at least six magnets disposed around each of the first through sixth receiving surfaces of the central rotor shaft at a second location that is spaced from the first location;
• a third phase of magnets configured to provide an electromagnetic flux with the stator with the third phase of magnets including at least six magnets disposed around each of the first through sixth receiving surfaces of the central rotor shaft at a third location being spaced from the second first location with the second location being between the first and the third locations;
• and
• a plurality of sheaths configured to retain each of the first through third phases of magnets on the central rotor shaft, the sheaths providing a minimum gap distance measured between the first through third phases of magnets and the stator for the electromagnetic flux between stator windings and the first through third phases and to provide rotation of the central rotor shaft.