As shown in FIG. 4, the manufacturing system 400 may also include an inner support 420 or other tooling that facilitates manufacture of the stator assembly 108. The inner support 420 may be annular and may include an inner ring 422 and a plurality of retainer projections 424. The retainer projections 424 may be integrally connected to the inner ring 422 and may project radially away therefrom. Also, the retainer projections 424 may be spaced substantially evenly in the circumferential direction about the inner ring 422. In the illustrated embodiment, there are six retainer projections 424; however, there may be any suitable number of retainer projections 424 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the retainer projections 424 may include a head 430 and a neck 428 that attaches the head 430 to the inner ring 422 at a radial distance. The head 430 may also include a first flange 432 and a second flange 434 that extend in opposite tangential directions from the respective neck 428. Neighboring pairs of the retainer projections 424 may define a first undercut 433 and a second undercut 435 that oppose each other. In some embodiments, the inner support 420 may be a unitary, one-piece member. Also, the inner support 420 may be formed from a material with a relatively high stiffness, such as steel.