Disassembly is essential for repair, remanufacture, or recycling of electrical machines, requiring controlled separation of sub-assemblies without damage or degradation. In many machines that fail in service, the most common issues are bearing and stator winding failures, which do not usually affect the permanent magnet rotor beyond bearing removal. Consequently, intact rotor extraction for reuse or remanufacture is often the preferred approach. Many disassembly tasks mirror established practices in other rotating automotive and industrial components, such as turbochargers, compressors, and geared pumps, involving the removal of bolts, covers, structural end plates, and bearings. However, in permanent magnet machines, strong magnetic forces exist between the magnets and ferromagnetic elements such as the stator core. When extracting a rotor for repair or remanufacture, the extraction method must be stiff enough to resist these forces and avoid damage to the rotor or stator. This is particularly challenging in high-variety operations where geometry-specific jigs are impractical. While robots offer adaptability and dexterity, the forces in many medium and large machines may exceed their payload capacity. In such cases, novel, reconfigurable end-effectors are needed to brace or guide the robot during rotor extraction.

Electrical machines use varnishes and resins for insulation, mechanical support, and heat transfer, typically applied via wet processes with vacuum pressure impregnation and oven curing. While producing robust windings, these materials make removing damaged or end of life windings challenging, as cores can be damaged or residues left behind. Research in this area focuses on developing mechanical, chemical, and hybrid automated methods to extract stator windings efficiently and safely.