Hardware Podcasts

Material Science in Motion: How 3M is Powering EV and Grid Advancements

Moore's Lobby · 22 Jul 2025 · 50m · Episode 7

What this episode covers

Mike Stroman, 3M's global R&D director for the electrical markets division, explains how the company's material science innovations are addressing critical challenges in electric vehicle (EV) motors and battery packs. He details specific technologies such as high-temperature adhesives for thermal runaway safety, expandable slot liners for motor cooling, and adhesively bonded laminates to reduce eddy currents. Stroman also discusses 3M's use of digital twins to accelerate R&D cycles and the company's '15% time' philosophy that fosters breakthrough products like ACCR cables and passive radiative cooling films.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
3M, Nike
Products
ACCR, VHB, F150 Lightning
Also
University of North Carolina, American Chemical Society, Starlink, Con Academy, Etsy

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 36m

    3D electrodes for Next Generation Batteries with Moshiel Biton, CEO and Co-founder of Addionics

    Moshiel Biton, CEO and Co-founder of Addionics, explains how his company creates 3D metal scaffold electrodes to improve battery performance regardless of chemistry. He details how this structure reduces internal resistance by 50% and theoretically increases capacity by 20%, effectively solving the trade-off between energy density and power. Biton discusses the company's use of AI-enabled structure optimization to design these electrodes for mass production integration with major automotive and energy storage players. The conversation covers the technical challenges of scaling this technology and the commercial hurdles of introducing new processes to a conservative battery industry.

    Batteries & low-power designMaterials & manufacturing processes
    9 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 45m

    Ep 156: 3D-Printing Rainbows, Split-Flap Clocks, Swapping EV Car Batteries, and Floppy Time

    Hackaday Editor-in-Chief Elliot Williams and Assignments Editor Christina Potos discuss a variety of hardware hacks, including Alfredo Cordellini’s automated split-flap clock, Carl Bajiga’s flexible PCB heaters, and Sasha’s IoT-controlled filament dry box. They also cover Action Lab’s 3D-printed diffraction gratings, Zarland University’s conductive ink sketching device, and Yon Derogi’s floppy disk clock. The episode concludes with a deep dive into Lewin Day’s article on battery-swapping EVs in China and Dan Maloney’s review of trinocular microscopes.

    Prototyping & iterationMechanical engineering
    10 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 16m

    3. AI for Mechanical Design, the Key to Thwarting Quantum Hackers, Making Better Batteries

    Daniel Scott Mitchell and Farbod Moghaddam discuss three recent engineering breakthroughs, starting with Dr. Barati Farimani’s team at Carnegie Mellon University, who developed an AI algorithm to select materials for mechanical design by combining experimental data with molecular physics simulations. They then cover research from Eindhoven University of Technology on quantum key distribution, a method to create unhackable communication channels by detecting intrusion attempts in real-time. Finally, they examine Dr. Lauren Marbella’s work at Columbia University, which adds potassium to lithium-ion batteries to prevent microstructure growth, thereby improving safety and extending battery life for devices like phones and electric vehicles.

    AI & machine learningBatteries & low-power design
    7 chapters

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 40m

    At the Threshold of Greener and Cheaper Electric Motors for EVs with Robert Sansone, Young Innovator and Winner of the Regeneron ISEF Award

    Robert Sansone, a high school student and Regeneron ISEF award winner, explains his novel synchronous reluctance motor design for electric vehicles that eliminates rare earth magnets. He details the iterative prototyping process, which involved 15 failed versions due to thermal management issues with 3D printed plastic components, before achieving a 40% torque increase in version 15. Sansone discusses his transition from hand calculations to using electromagnetic simulation software for version 16, aiming to optimize torque ripple and manufacturing via concentrated windings. He outlines his plan to license the patented technology to companies like Turntide Technology rather than manufacturing it himself.

    Mechanical engineeringPrototyping & iteration
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive

    Advancing Battery Innovation for a Power Grid Under Pressure w/ Arwed Niestroj

    Arwed Niestroj, President and COO of Sakuu, explains why battery manufacturing is a complex material science problem where tiny defects cause failures, contrasting it with standard physical manufacturing. He details Sakuu's dry electrode coating technology, which eliminates toxic solvents and reduces facility footprint by 55%, enabling cost-effective Western production. Niestroj discusses how AI accelerates scaling and process control for these complex chemical reactions, and argues that this innovation allows for reshoring battery production to the US by lowering capital and operational costs.

    Materials & manufacturing processesScaling production
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Moore's Lobby. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.