Ｍａｙ　27，2002

Bond Magnets with High Magnetic Force
and Heat Resistance Developed for Automobiles

　～ Maximum Energy Product: 25MGOe, Heat Resistant Temperature: 150℃ ～

　In 2001, Aichi Steel started a magnetic powder furnace of which annual production is 100 tons based on the aichi-aniso-magnet (AAM) process, a new manufacturing method for bond magnets. By refining the process, Aichi Steel has succeeded in developing these bond magnets, which are applicable to the auto industry.

　The Mag Fine 25 has the strongest magnetic force in the world. Its maximum energy product is 25MGOe, and its heat resistance temperature is 130℃. As for Mag Fine 21H, its maximum energy product is 21MGOe, and its heat resistance temperature is 150℃. The two bond magnets have epoch-making performance. This high performance means an improvement of more than 50% in motor weight and energy reduction.

　The development of these bond magnets for automobiles has encouraged Aichi Steel to construct a full-scale volume production furnace of which annual production is 200 tons in March 2002. Continually investing in plant and equipment, Aichi Steel will enhance capacity to 700 tons by the end of the year. In 2003, the production system's annual production will have improved by more than 3,000 tons.

　In conventional bond magnet manufacturing technology, magnetization is implemented by cooling the NdFeB alloy rapidly for fining of the crystal structure. This approach only results in producing a bond magnet of at most 10MGOe, which is compounded of plastic and magnetic powder of around 15MGOe. In the AAM process, which Aichi Steel developed, the crystal structure is fined by using a hydrogen reaction for magnetization of the NdFeB alloy. This world's first technology enables the manufacture of magnetic particles of 40MGOe and bond magnets of 25MGOe.
　
　Outline of these products is as follows: