This study investigates the compaction behavior of anisotropic, plate-like powders used in axial flux motor cores through a combined FEM–DEM approach. A porous continuum FEM model captures stress and density evolution during die pressing, revealing strong gradients along the compaction direction, with higher stress and densification near the upper punch and reduced compaction in the lower region. Guided by these results, DEM simulations examine particle packing, orientation, and contact pressure in representative zones. The DEM analysis shows that higher local pressure promotes denser packing and in-plane particle alignment near the upper punch, while the lower region exhibits more random orientations and lower contact forces. As a result, the multi-scale FEM–DEM framework clarifies how anisotropic particle behavior governs local densification and offers practical guidance for die design and process optimization to achieve more uniform density and controlled magnetic-property-relevant particle alignment in axial flux motor cores.

1. Introduction 
2.1 Modeling and Numerical Methods 
    2.1.1 Continuum model for porous material 
    2.1.2 Numerical simulation of motor core compression by FEM 
    2.1.3 Numerical simulation of motor core compression by DEM 
2.2 Experimental procedure 
3. Results and Discussion 
4. Conclusion 
Funding
Conflict of Interest 
Data Availability Statement 
Author Information and Contribution 
Acknowledgments
References

• Ki Hyuk Kwon(Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea)
• Eon Byeong Park(Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea)
• Taeyoung Kim(Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea)
• Jeong Ah Lee(Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea)
• Do Won Lee(Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea)
• Hyojeong Ha(Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea)
• Hyoung Seop Kim(Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea, Graduate Institute of Ferrous & Eco Materials Technology (GIFT), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea, Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan) Corresponding author