{"id":36678,"date":"2023-10-31T07:59:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T07:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=36678"},"modified":"2023-12-19T08:23:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T08:23:45","slug":"reinventing-the-magnet-supply-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/reinventing-the-magnet-supply-chain\/36678\/","title":{"rendered":"Reinventing the magnet supply chain"},"content":{"rendered":"

With its new approach to magnets, The Advanced Magnet Lab is enabling the use of lower-cost materials, novel design and manufacturing, revolutionising motors and generators to reinvent the magnet supply chain.<\/h2>\n

Magnets are at the heart of products like motors and generators, which are in turn used in virtually every sector of society \u2013 electrical, manufacturing, consumer products, and transportation<\/a>. Magnets are a critical component in areas like defence, used for instrumentation, weapons, and vehicles (land, air and sea). In July 2019, the United States signed into law a Presidential Determination to address the nation\u2019s security risk of dependency on foreign adversaries for magnets. This single-source model presents an obvious opportunity for companies able to tap into the source, but also a very clear and present danger to disruption of a magnet supply chain where materials for a product can only be sourced from one, occasionally economically hostile place.<\/p>\n

With its innovative approach to magnet technology, the Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc. (AML) located in Melbourne, Florida, is poised to do just that.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s stronghold on the magnet supply chain<\/h3>\n

China dominates the Rare Earth Magnet Industry (REMI), producing greater than 85% of the world\u2019s supply. China\u2019s vertical integration of cheap labour, raw materials, and unsafe environmental standards have resulted in a \u2018high-barrier to market-entry\u2019 for competitors worldwide. Magnets are a commodity, sold by the kilogram and metric ton. Historically, companies who have entered the magnet supply chain could not compete, due to China\u2019s ability to control the market.<\/p>\n

The conventional approach is the wrong approach<\/h3>\n

While scale has increased and materials have developed and improved, the materials used to make magnets<\/a>, magnet technology and the methods for manufacturing magnets have been the same for decades. Conventional magnets and assemblies are expensive and limit design engineers to configurations which are not optimised for performance and cost of the end-use products, such as motors and generators. Magnets are produced in blocks, then cut into small pieces and sold as commodity. They are also restricted in shape, size and mostly single-direction magnetisation, meaning the largest market motors require dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of magnets in an assembly. With very strong magnetic fields, assembly into a motor is complex and costly. Furthermore, the trend is towards higher-grade and better performance, requiring more expensive raw materials and manufacturing and an unclear intellectual property landscape.<\/p>\n

Breaking China\u2019s stronghold requires innovation to enable a sustainable REMI supply chain that reinvents technology and transforms the REMI. AML is reinventing the REMI supply chain and addressing every element of the supply chain \u2013 materials, manufacturing, performance and assembly.<\/p>\n

The AML approach<\/h3>\n

AML\u2019s approach is not to cut small-piece parts of magnet blocks and selling commoditised magnets. AML magnets are designed and manufactured for optimum size, shape and magnetisation, resulting
\nin greater performance and lower cost for the end-use product.<\/p>\n

AML focuses on several key aspects to achieve
\nthis, including:<\/p>\n