Q: Why did you decide to join ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES?
AG: I have been at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES for more than one-and-a-half years now. I left my previous role to join the company because I hugely admired the innovation that is associated with Advanced Electric Machines’ aspirations. The engineering team at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES is renowned for its innovation and ingenuity, and this was something that I wanted to be a part of.
Q: Tell us a bit about your role at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES.
AG: My role is to lead the design of our electric machines, and to deliver bespoke solutions for our customers. I am also responsible for improving the existing methodologies that are put into practice when we design our electric motors.
Q: What excites you about working here at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES?
AG: ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES is a hugely innovative company – it really supports creativity, which is an essential part of my job. This means that I can express myself and put forward my thoughts safe in the knowledge that I am being listened to and appreciated. For me, this is excellent, as I am a very creative person when it comes to engineering, so it’s excellent to work for a company that supports my creativity. It is a wonderful match between me the culture here at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES.
Q: What has been your proudest professional achievement since you joined the company?
AG: My proudest achievement since I began at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES would have to be the development of new methodologies that massively accelerated our electric motor design processes. We were able to go from a clean sheet to being able to apply our designs to customer orders in days as opposed to weeks and months. This means that we can compare competitor motors very quickly, and when the results show that we are outperforming our competitors, it really does fill you with pride. Being a part of the company’s progress in this way was really fulfilling, and it has been my proudest achievement in my career so far without a doubt.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge facing PEMD as part of the industry?
AG: The industry is growing very quickly, but it’s quite challenging to find the right people to work within the sector. It is proving to be very difficult to close the gap between the needs of the companies within the industry, and the recruitment needed to excel and develop.
The needs of the electric vehicle industry are pretty obvious; we need to continue to improve the technology that we are implementing to achieve a greener future. This is a goal that the team at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES feels very passionately about.
Q: Why should PhD students choose to work for ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES?
AG: PhDs are about research, and people who undertake PhDs are passionate about research. At ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES, we support research projects, which enables PhD students to continue their research while part of the company, and include real world and customer applications to their findings. With our craving for innovation, we support these students to implement their outputs from their studies into our motor technologies. I truly believe that, for a PhD student that really wants to evolve, ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES is a great place to work.
Q: What is it like working at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES?
AG: It’s really exciting! Every day, we have a brainstorm about what we should do next and how we can improve our current products. The culture that has been developed at the company is excellent; everybody is very helpful in these brainstorming conversations because everybody has been given a license to be creative. We all share our ideas, and everyone is open to listening to others’ thoughts on how we can evolve.
Q: Can you tell us about your work on SSRD?
AG: For SSRD, we created a complete design procedure from scratch. We have a clear understanding of what our customers are looking for, and we have access to new materials that heat very quickly and precisely. I believe that our SSRD technology is very competitive against permanent magnet motors, which we are trying to move on from, having made no secret of the negative implications of using these motors. We had a strong vision from the outset to try and match the performance of the permanent magnet machines, and we are thrilled that the product delivers exceptional performance.
Q: Could you give us an insight into the cutting-edge research that you have been personally undertaking?
AG: We are trying to develop a very compact machine, and this has, naturally, come from real research. Our approach to product design has come from following the most recent research from university laboratories, particularly from those in the UK. Implementing recent research into our motor technology is essential in order to develop the most up-to-date and innovative product. We combine our findings from this research with the fundamental principles of engineering to ensure that our customers get their hands on the right product to fit their needs.
Q: What do you like the most about working for ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES?
AG: The best part of working at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES is our passion to strive towards sustainability. Sustainability has become a bit of a buzz word of late, but I believe that, here, it is a real and tangible thing. What we are doing is serving the concept of sustainability. I want to see a greener future, and it is a privilege to be a part of it.
Q: How is working at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES different from working at other companies?
AG: Here at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES, we have cultivated a family environment, but it is also very professional. This balance is really great – everybody is more than happy to help each other, and it is clear that everyone is working towards creating something significant. This difference sets us apart from anywhere else that I have worked, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.
Q: What’s the coffee like at ADVANCED ELECTRIC MACHINES?
AG: It’s very nice! I personally like my coffee quite strong, which doesn’t always go down too well with the rest of the team, so when it’s my turn to make the coffee, I make sure that I’m gentle, and don’t give anyone more than they can handle! Sometimes, I’ll bring in a Turkish coffee for the team, which everyone seems to enjoy, and, having come from Turkey, I love that I can bring in something that reminds me of home to share with the group.