Abstract: We describe a method of manufacturing a housing for the stator of an axial flux permanent magnet machine, in particular a Yokeless and Segmented Armature motor, the machine having a stator comprising a set of coils wound on respective stator bars and disposed circumferentially at intervals about an axis of the machine, and a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets and mounted for rotation about said axis, and wherein said rotor and stator are spaced apart along said axis to define a gap therebetween in which magnetic flux in the machine is generally in an axial direction.

Abstract: We describe a method of manufacturing a housing for the stator of an axial flux permanent magnet machine, the machine having a stator comprising a set of coils wound on respective stator bars and disposed circumferentially at intervals about an axis of the machine, and a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets and mounted for rotation about said axis, and wherein said rotor and stator are spaced apart along said axis to define a gap therebetween in which magnetic flux in the machine is generally in an axial direction, the method comprising: fabricating a radial wall for said stator housing to be located in said gap between said rotor and said stator by: placing a resin membrane into a mold of an injection molding machine; injection molding a set of reinforcing features onto said membrane using a thermoplastic polymer bondable when molten with said resin; and manufacturing said housing using said radial wall.

Abstract: There is provided an axial flux motor comprising one or more rotating disks (10) and a stator (20) comprising a cavity (30) formed between walls (40a, 40b) and containing therein more than one electro-magnetic coil assembly (50). Each electro-magnetic coil assembly (50) comprises more than one pole piece (60), each having an axially extending shank portion (70a) and first and second radially extending end shoes (72a, 72b) and one or more associated coils (55), each of the one or more associated coils (55) being wound around a shank portion (70a), wherein said outer surface (75) of said end shoes are preferably joined to one or other of said walls (40a, 40b).

Abstract: We describe a method of manufacturing a housing for the stator of an axial flux permanent magnet machine, the machine having a stator comprising a set of coils wound on respective stator bars and disposed circumferentially at intervals about an axis of the machine, and a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets and mounted for rotation about said axis, and wherein said rotor and stator are spaced apart along said axis to define a gap therebetween in which magnetic flux in the machine is generally in an axial direction, the method comprising: fabricating a radial wall for said stator housing to be located in said gap between said rotor and said stator by: placing a resin membrane into a mould of an injection moulding machine; injection moulding a set of reinforcing features onto said membrane using a thermoplastic polymer bondable when molten with said resin; and manufacturing said housing using said radial wall.

Abstract: We describe a method of manufacturing a housing for the stator of an axial flux permanent magnet machine, in particular a Yokeless and Segmented Armature motor, the machine having a stator comprising a set of coils wound on respective stator bars and disposed circumferentially at intervals about an axis of the machine, and a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets and mounted for rotation about said axis, and wherein said rotor and stator are spaced apart along said axis to define a gap therebetween in which magnetic flux in the machine is generally in an axial direction.

Abstract: There is provided an axial flux motor comprising one or more rotating disks (10) and a stator (20) comprising a cavity (30) formed between walls (40a, 40b) and containing therein more than one electro-magnetic coil assembly (50). Each electro-magnetic coil assembly (50) comprises more than one pole piece (60), each having an axially extending shank portion (70a) and first and second radially extending end shoes (72a, 72b) and one or more associated coils (55), each of the one or more associated coils (55) being wound around a shank portion (70a), wherein said outer surface (75) of said end shoes are preferably joined to one or other of said walls (40a, 40b).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for plasma processing an article (12), the apparatus comprising: a chamber (14) for receiving an article to be processed; electrode means (16) for generating an electric field in said chamber for establishing a plasma in said chamber so that said article can be processed; generation means (24) for generating alternating electrical energy for transmission to said electrode means (18); connection means for connecting said generation means to said electrode means (20); and control means for varying the location of nodes and anti-nodes of standing waves generated in said chamber during processing, so that a plurality of standing waves are generated over time which are not coincident with one another.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a polymer friction surface subject to sliding contact with footware worn by a user wherein said friction surface is embossed and said footware having hard, gloss interface with said friction surface.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing indium tin oxide (ITO) sputtering targets as described. The process includes the precipitation of indium and tin hydroxides, sintering in the absence of chloride ions, using the resultant oxide powders to prepare an aqueous slip with dispersing agent, binder, special high density promoting agents and compacting the slip in a specially surface coated porous mold using the method of slip casting followed by sintering the resultant compacted target body to yield high density ITO target.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for vacuum processing articles (12). The apparatus comprises a processing region (14) in which articles can be vacuum processed at a processing pressure and a loading region (18) into which articles can be loaded into the apparatus at ambient pressure. A plurality of article carriers (20) are provided for carrying articles from the loading region to the processing region along an enclosed passage (24) so that articles can be vacuum processed. The carriers (20) comprise respective sealing means (26) for sealing against an inner surface of the passage when carrying articles along the passage. The sealing means (26) resist the flow of gas or vapour past the sealing means along the passage from the loading region to the processing region so that articles loaded at ambient pressure in the loading region and carried to the processing region can be vacuum processed at processing pressure.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing indium tin oxide (ITO) sputtering targets as described. The process includes the precipitation of indium and tin hydroxides, sintering in the absence of chloride ions, using the resultant oxide powders to prepare an aqueous slip with dispersing agent, binder, special high density promoting agents and compacting the slip in a specially surface coated porous mold using the method of slip casting followed by sintering the resultant compacted target body to yield high density ITO target.

Abstract: Semiconductor gas sensors with improved selectivity to target gases are provided by having a semiconductor gas-sensing layer and a layer thereon of microporous ceramic oxide having catalytic activity.