A rotor assembly mounted to a rotor shaft, said rotor assembly comprising: a plurality of lamination discs, each of said plurality of lamination discs comprising a plurality of slots, said plurality of lamination discs assembled into a stack, and said plurality of slots of said plurality of lamination discs co-aligned within said stack; a plurality of conductive rotor bars extending through said stack and through said plurality of slots, wherein a first end region of each of said plurality of conductive rotor bars extends out of a first end surface of said stack, wherein a second end region of each of said plurality of conductive rotor bars extends out of a second end surface of said stack; a first end cap disposed on said rotor shaft, said first end cap comprising a first plurality of receptacles corresponding to said plurality of conductive rotor bars; a second end cap disposed on said rotor shaft, said second end cap comprising a second plurality of receptacles corresponding to said plurality of conductive rotor bars; characterized by a first locking member disposed on said rotor shaft, said first locking member configured to maintain a first axial compressive force on said first end cap to maintain said first end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars within each corresponding receptacle of said first plurality of receptacles; and a second locking member disposed on said rotor shaft, said second locking member configured to maintain a second axial compressive force on said second end cap to maintain said second end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars within each corresponding receptacle of said second plurality of receptacles; wherein said first end region and said second end region of each of said plurality of conductive rotor bars is tapered; wherein said first axial compressive force applied to said first end cap during assembly mechanically deforms said first end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars, and wherein each receptacle of said first plurality of receptacles is mechanically and electrically coupled to said first end region of each corresponding conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars via said deformed first end region; and wherein said second axial compressive force applied to said second end cap during assembly mechanically deforms said second end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars within each corresponding receptacle of said second plurality of receptacles, and wherein each receptacle of said second plurality of receptacles is mechanically and electrically coupled to said second end region of each corresponding conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars via said deformed second end region. a plurality of lamination discs, each of said plurality of lamination discs comprising a plurality of slots, said plurality of lamination discs assembled into a stack, and said plurality of slots of said plurality of lamination discs co-aligned within said stack; a plurality of conductive rotor bars extending through said stack and through said plurality of slots, wherein a first end region of each of said plurality of conductive rotor bars extends out of a first end surface of said stack, wherein a second end region of each of said plurality of conductive rotor bars extends out of a second end surface of said stack; a first end cap disposed on said rotor shaft, said first end cap comprising a first plurality of receptacles corresponding to said plurality of conductive rotor bars; a second end cap disposed on said rotor shaft, said second end cap comprising a second plurality of receptacles corresponding to said plurality of conductive rotor bars; characterized by a first locking member disposed on said rotor shaft, said first locking member configured to maintain a first axial compressive force on said first end cap to maintain said first end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars within each corresponding receptacle of said first plurality of receptacles; and a second locking member disposed on said rotor shaft, said second locking member configured to maintain a second axial compressive force on said second end cap to maintain said second end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars within each corresponding receptacle of said second plurality of receptacles; wherein said first end region and said second end region of each of said plurality of conductive rotor bars is tapered; wherein said first axial compressive force applied to said first end cap during assembly mechanically deforms said first end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars, and wherein each receptacle of said first plurality of receptacles is mechanically and electrically coupled to said first end region of each corresponding conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars via said deformed first end region; and wherein said second axial compressive force applied to said second end cap during assembly mechanically deforms said second end region of each conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars within each corresponding receptacle of said second plurality of receptacles, and wherein each receptacle of said second plurality of receptacles is mechanically and electrically coupled to said second end region of each corresponding conductive rotor bar of said plurality of conductive rotor bars via said deformed second end region.