A method includes forming elongated magnetic flux carrier portions in magnetically conductive sheets by cutting elongated magnetic flux barriers including one or more relief features into the magnetically conductive sheets, such that the magnetic flux barriers are separated from each other in radial directions of the magnetically conductive sheets. The method includes inserting or forming non-magnetic posts into the magnetic flux barriers such that each of the non-magnetic posts is elongated in a different radial direction of the radial directions from a first magnetic flux carrier portion to a second magnetic flux carrier portion of the magnetic flux carrier portions on opposite sides of at least one magnetic flux barrier; and forming at least part of a rotor for an electric machine assembly using the magnetically conductive sheets having the magnetic flux carrier portions, the non-magnetic posts, and the magnetic flux barriers.

A stepping motor includes a stator, and a rotor disposed in opposed relation to the stator and movable in a predetermined movement direction. The stator has a plurality of main poles, windings for the respective main poles, a plurality of stator teeth disposed on each of the main poles and spaced circumferentially from each other, and stator slots provided between respective adjacent pairs of the stator teeth. The rotor has a plurality of rotor teeth spaced from each other in the movement direction, and rotor slots provided between respective adjacent pairs of the rotor teeth. Slot magnets of hard magnetic inserts each magnetized in a slot depth direction are respectively provided in the stator slots and/or the rotor slots. The slot magnets each have a width that is 60% to 80% of the width of each of the slots as measured in the movement direction.

A robotic fiber switching system switching between two sets of patch cords is disclosed. The connectors for inner patch cords are placed on multiple layers of stackable rotors which moves into the targeted port by utilizing the interaction of magnetically activated coils and nearby magnets. Multiple layers of stackable stator base are placed outside of the stackable rotors, around which the outer patch cords are placed. To establish a connection, a robot sliding on a rail surrounding the stackable stator is configured to move to the targeted port on the rail, using a robotic arm to pull the corresponding outer patch cord connector from a parking stand and latch it into the adaptor of the inner patch cord at the targeted port.

A robotic fiber switching system switching between two sets of patch cords is disclosed. The connectors for inner patch cords are placed on multiple layers of stackable rotors which moves into the targeted port by utilizing the interaction of magnetically activated coils and nearby magnets. Multiple layers of stackable stator base are placed outside of the stackable rotors, around which the outer patch cords are placed. To establish a connection, a robot sliding on a rail surrounding the stackable stator is configured to move to the targeted port on the rail, using a robotic arm to pull the corresponding outer patch cord connector from a parking stand and latch it into the adaptor of the inner patch cord at the targeted port.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly with an axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor affixed to a cam screw to drive rotation of the screw, which drives translation of an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly with an axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor affixed to a cam screw to drive rotation of the screw, which drives translation of an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack.

A method includes forming elongated magnetic flux carrier portions in magnetically conductive sheets by cutting elongated magnetic flux barriers including one or more relief features into the magnetically conductive sheets, such that the magnetic flux barriers are separated from each other in radial directions of the magnetically conductive sheets. The method includes inserting or forming non-magnetic posts into the magnetic flux barriers such that each of the non-magnetic posts is elongated in a different radial direction of the radial directions from a first magnetic flux carrier portion to a second magnetic flux carrier portion of the magnetic flux carrier portions on opposite sides of at least one magnetic flux barrier; and forming at least part of a rotor for an electric machine assembly using the magnetically conductive sheets having the magnetic flux carrier portions, the non-magnetic posts, and the magnetic flux barriers.

An electric machine assembly includes a rotor formed from one or more magnetically conductive sheets having elongated magnetic flux barriers separated from each other in radial directions that radially extend away from an axis of rotation of the rotor. The magnetic flux barriers are separated from each other by magnetic flux carrier portions of the one or more magnetically conductive sheets. The assembly also includes a non-magnetic post coupled with the magnetic flux carrier portions of the one or more magnetically conductive sheets on opposite sides of at least one of the magnetic flux barriers. The non-magnetic post is elongated in the radial directions from a first magnetic flux carrier portion to a second magnetic flux carrier portion of the magnetic flux carrier portions on the opposite sides of the at least one magnetic flux barrier.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly with an axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor affixed to a cam screw to drive rotation of the screw, which drives translation of an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly with an axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor affixed to a cam screw to drive rotation of the screw, which drives translation of an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack.