e-NVH in Electric Machines: Why Noise Gets Decided at the Design Stage

Electric machines and drives can generate significant noise and vibration purely from electromagnetic excitation, with sound levels reaching up to 125 dBA at 1 meter depending on the machine topology. This electromagnetic noise and vibration, often called e-NVH, is not a minor side effect: it can affect product comfort, health compliance, environmental noise limits, and even mechanical fatigue over time. The difficult part is that early electrical, magnetic, and mechanical design choices can shift noise and vibration levels by as much as ±20 dB, meaning the outcome is largely decided long before a prototype ever gets built or tested.

Webinar Scope

In this webinar, 12Simulate will show how e-NVH risk can be identified and reduced early in the design of electric machines and drives, without relying on lengthy physical testing or slow general-purpose simulation. Participants will see how root cause analysis pinpoints exactly which structural modes and magnetic forces are driving noise, how design changes can be evaluated quickly across the full torque speed range, and how this approach has delivered real noise reductions across automotive, industrial, energy, consumer goods, naval, and railway applications.

Topics Covered

• Why e-NVH is decided early: the ±20 dB impact of early design choices

• Root cause analysis: identifying which modes and magnetic forces drive noise

• Evaluating noise and vibration across the full torque speed plane, not just single operating points

• Comparing and optimizing magnetic, control, and mechanical noise mitigation techniques

• Including manufacturing tolerances and faults for a robust noise assessment

• Working across engineering disciplines: electrical, mechanical, and NVH teams in one workflow

• Real examples: traction motor skew optimization, industrial pump noise complaints, wind turbine tonal noise, consumer product tolerances, naval Silent Class compliance, and railway noise limits

What This Approach Delivers

• Noise reductions of 5 to 20 dB after redesign, based on real project outcomes

• Full run up noise calculations in under 2 minutes, instead of days

• Clear guidance on which design choices drive noise, and by how much

• A way to set noise reduction targets and verify designs meet them before physical testing

• Applicable across a wide range of machine sizes and speeds, from small consumer motors to large industrial and energy applications

Who Should Attend?

• Electrical, mechanical, and NVH engineers working on electric machines or drives

• Teams facing noise complaints or failed acoustic requirements on existing products

• Anyone needing to meet noise standards such as IEC 60034 or naval Silent Class requirements

• Engineers looking to reduce noise related rework and physical testing late in development