Method for producing a rotor

A method for producing a rotor including a rotor core provided with a central hole and a magnet hole formed in an outer circumferential portion, a permanent magnet mounted in the magnet hole, and a rotor shaft press-fit in the central hole,

• wherein the rotor includes:
• a magnetic flux leakage prevention hole formed in the rotor core to prevent leakage of magnetic flux from the permanent magnet;
• an outer-circumferential-side dovetail groove formed in an outer-circumferential-side inner wall defining the magnetic flux leakage prevention hole on an outer circumferential side and an inner-circumferential-side dovetail groove formed, opposite the outer-circumferential-side dovetail groove, in an inner-circumferential-side inner wall defining the magnetic flux leakage prevention hole on an inner circumferential side;
• and
• a non-magnetic bridge having both end portions being wide-width portions individually engageable with the outer-circumferential-side dovetail groove and the inner-circumferential-side dovetail groove, and
• wherein the method includes:
• applying an external force to the rotor core to cause elastic deformation of the rotor core so that the outer-circumferential-side inner wall of the magnetic flux leakage prevention hole comes close to the inner-circumferential-side inner wall;
• inserting the both end portions of the non-magnetic bridge one in each of the outer-circumferential-side dovetail groove and the inner-circumferential-side dovetail groove while keeping the rotor core in an elastically deformed state;
• and
• releasing the external force after inserting the non-magnetic bridge.