december 2011

Feature Article

Rare Earth Future - What are the challenges, choices and solutions for the development and production of rare earth permanent magnets?

Rare earths have garnered much attention recently as the public becomes aware of the supply-chain issues stemming from China’s dominance of the production these 17 elements. Despite their name, the rare earths are not rare and have abundance in the earth’s crust comparable to tin and antimony. More than 300 deposits around the world are being discussed for potential commercialization. Just because a shovel full of dirt in many parts of the world indicates rare earths are present, however, does not necessarily mean that economic exploitation and commercial production can occur.

Read full article here

Magnetics 2012 will be Co-Located with the Motor, Drive & Automation Systems 2012

March 13-14, Orlando

Magnetics 2012 will focus on the latest advancements in magnetic applications, technology and materials. Serving OEM developers of products that utilize magnets and magnet systems, design engineers, OEM developers involved in EMC technology and magnetic effects, magnetics manufacturers and integrators, and material suppliers in the magnetics industry.

Motor, Drive & Automation Systems 2012 is an international, industry-leading conference focused on the latest economic trends and technical advancements impacting motor, drive and automation systems. Join hundreds of peers and potential business partners and discover how new technologies are improving performance, energy efficiency and providing cost savings in a variety of applications.

MEDER electronic, Inc. – New Ultra Mini Single-In-Line Relay Has 50 Percent Smaller Footprint

New ultra miniature reed relay UMS series are specifically designed for automated test equipment applications with limited space requirements. The single-in-line packaging of the UMS relays used by nearly all other manufactures allows for drop-in SIL replacement, while requiring nearly 50% less PCB space.

At nearly half the size of the standard MS series, the new UMS Relay Series from MEDER measures only L6.85 x W3.6 x H9.5mm. Though nearly 50% smaller, the UMS relays offer the same electrical characteristics as its larger SIL relay equivalent.

Specifically designed with a slim molded body and internal magnetic shield, these UMS relays can be used in very closely stacked matrices often required in test and measurement applications.

In addition to the internal magnetic shield, the UMS relays also contain an internal diode used to protect the integrated Reed Switch. The UMS Series reach a contact rating of up to 10W with a maximum switching voltage of 170V and carry current of 1A maximum. 

About MEDER electronic Inc.: MEDER electronic is a private company offering a complete line of Magnetic Reed Switches, Reed Sensors and Magnets, Reed Relays and Opto-couplers worldwide.  MEDER leads the way in designing and manufacturing customer specific switching and sensing solutions for products driven by all major market segments including, but not limited to,  Test & Measurement, Medical, Security, Household, Automotive, Industrial, Marine, Navigation, Farm/Lawn Equipment and Telecommunications.

New 4-20 mA Output Hall Effect Precision Sensors Now Available from the Spectrum Sensors Product Line of API Technologies
API Technologies Corp. (API) has released a new output option for its Spectrum Sensors line of H009 Hall Effect Position Sensors. The 4-20 mA output option joins the existing H009 series with Analog, PWR and Serial output options. Hall Effect Position Sensors convert relative changes in a magnetic field into an electrical signal to provide position change information.

"The addition of this new 4-20 mA version to our popular Hall Effect Sensor family gives our customers an additional option when the accurate measurement of position change in an angular direction is critical to the application," said Larry Howanitz, vice president, Spectrum Sensors Business Group of API Technologies. "These sensors are competitively priced, extremely accurate, and have a long life position sensing in a wide range of applications." Hall Effect Position Sensors are used in a variety of applications in the medical, wind measurement, green energy, robotics, and military and aerospace markets.

The API Spectrum Sensors H009 Hall Effect series are 0.875 inch in diameter with a 0.750 maximum length. They have a 12-bit resolution with a rotational life of over 100 million revolutions and feature an absolute linearity of ± 0.1 percent at room ambient and ± 0.3 percent at -40° to 125°C. They are available with several options including: lead wires, lead lengths and terminations; HR370 High TG printed circuit boards; and JST and Molex terminals. Special shaft, flange mounting, and gear mounting frame configurations are also available.

New Automotive, Sensorless BLDC Controller with Extensive Diagnostics and Protection Features
Allegro has released a new three-phase, sensorless, brushless DC (BLDC) motor controller for use with external N-channel power MOSFETs that is designed for various pump, blower and cooling fan automotive applications.  The motor is driven using block commutation (trapezoidal drive) where phase commutation is determined, without the need for independent position sensors, by monitoring the motor back-emf.  A programmable mo­tor start-up scheme allows the Allegro A4960 to be adjusted for a wide range of motor and load combinations.

External bootstrap capacitors are used to provide the above battery supply voltage required to drive the N-channel MOSFETs. An automatic internal bootstrap charge management scheme ensures that the bootstrap capacitor is always sufficiently charged for safe operation of the power MOSFETs. The power MOSFETs are protected from shoot-through by integrated crossover control and adjustable dead time.

Integrated diagnostics provide indication of undervoltage, overtemperature and power bridge faults and can be configured to protect the power FETs under most short circuit conditions. Detailed diagnostics are available as a serial data word or through a programmable diagnostic output. The A4960 is supplied in a 32 lead eLQFP (suffix JP).  This package is available in lead (Pb) free versions, with 100 percent matte-tin lead frame plating (-T). The A4960KJPTR-T is priced at $3.78 in quantities of 1,000.

Infolytica Corporation Releases MotorSolve v2.6
Infolytica Corp. has announced the latest release of MotorSolve, the company’s electric machine design software, is now available.  MotorSolve v2.6 includes several new features, including synchronous reluctance motor templates and improved loss predictions. The stator winding modeling has been enhanced to allow 3D viewing and more accurate end effect calculations.

Motor efficiency can be determined with greater accuracy in MotorSolve v2.6 due to improved loss predictions. Mechanical factors such as friction, windage and stray losses can now be accounted for.

Companies looking to design motors without permanent magnets, due to their rising cost, can use the new synchronous reluctance templates which have been added to the package.

MotorSolve v2.6 is now available for PC's running Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Multiphysics Simulation Tool Accelerates Electromagnetic Design Projects
A new version of the Opera electromagnetics simulator for design engineers has been released by Cobham Technical Services. The latest software adds three-dimensional mechanical stress analysis, extending the tool's multiphysics capability to provide a single-step solution to complex design problems. By capturing mechanical deformation in conjunction with electromagnetic and thermal modeling, the integrated software can reduce design complexity and timescales.

Opera version 15, from the Vector Fields Software business unit of Cobham Technical Services, provides a complete design-simulate-analyze-optimize toolchain for electromagnetic applications. The software is renowned for its accuracy of simulation and speed of execution - allowing demanding simulations to be solved on standard office-grade PCs. It is available in a number of variants that include finite element analysis (FEA) for static and time-varying electromagnetic fields, and application-specific solvers for rotating electrical machines, superconducting magnets, charged particle beam devices, and magnetization/demagnetization processes. Advanced material models, such as lossy dielectric insulation and magnetic hysteresis, put Opera at the cutting edge of simulation capability. Opera’s electromagnetic models may also be coupled with third-party system simulation tools available within Simulink.

The new three dimensional stress analysis module solves for deformations within the elastic limit of the materials, and may be coupled with the electromagnetic solvers to provide a single-step solution to virtual prototyping. In addition to stress and strain produced by the application of mechanical loads and by electromagnetically induced forces, Opera's thermal analysis module may be used to co-simulate thermal expansion. The effects of gravity or rotationally induced forces can also be incorporated in design simulations.

The latest version 15 of the software extends the fundamental performance advantage of Opera for many common design engineering applications. For instance, mechanical deformation is a vital consideration in the design of large and superconducting magnets, and electrical equipment and coils in transformers, motors, generators and actuators. The ability of a superconducting magnet's coils to withstand the mechanical forces generated during a quench, or the mechanical integrity of the stator end windings of a generator subject to a short-circuit condition, are critical design requirements.

Many other enhancements are incorporated in the new release of Opera, to simplify and speed the design process. One of these supports the rapid creation of models of coils, by providing a dynamic pictorial representation of the model under construction, to guide the user as design data is entered. This extends Opera's existing user-friendly approach to creating models of coils (and other common structures), which allows a user to select common forms of construction from a library, and then enter the design data using dialog boxes.

To aid the final optimization of a design, Cobham's Opera software package can be supplied with an advanced auto-optimization tool that has been designed specifically to work with its finite element methods. This tool is able to work out the best solution for one or multiple goals — even when they compete with each other.

New 50 Percent Lighter 400 Hz Power Transformers Available Up to 10 KVA Single Phase or 30 KVA Three-Phase for Air, Seaborne and Marine Applications
Bridgeport Magnetics has introduced its new LW series of custom designed power and isolation transformers for 400 Hz frequency operation up to 600 VAC onboard aircraft, shipyards, seaborne and other marine applications. Compared to conventional C-core  transformer designs, the LW series typically offers a 50 percent weight reduction by optimizing the design with Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) wire windings and low profile toroidal cores utilizing  4 mil thick grain oriented silicon steel.

The custom designed power and isolation transformers are available up to 10 KVA power rating for single phase or 30 KVA for three-phase systems. As is the case with all toroidal core transformers, lower no-load losses, quiet operation and no hot spots are other benefits. With in-house core production dimensions of OD and height are flexible to suit the customer’s requirements. For three-phase systems, each phase is served by a separate transformer allowing better weight distribution inside low profile cabinets as an alternative to stacking the transformers on top of each other or vertically side by side.

Weight examples of single phase transformers range from 4.5 lbs for 1,000 VA to 28 lbs for 10 KVA and for three phase systems from 13.5 lbs for 3 KVA to 84 lbs for 30 KVA.

Molycorp, Daido Steel and Mitsubishi Corp. to Manufacture Sintered NdFeB Rare Earth Magnets
Molycorp, Inc., Daido Steel Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Corp. have announced the formation of a joint venture to manufacture and sell next-generation neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent rare earth magnets.
 
The joint venture will manufacture sintered NdFeB permanent rare earth magnets with technology licensed from Intermetallics, Inc., a partnership between Mitsubishi, Daido, and Dr. Masato Sagawa, co-inventor of the NdFeB magnet.  The capital contribution ratio of the newly formed company will be 30.0 percent by Molycorp, 35.5 percent by Daido, and 34.5 percent by Mitsubishi.  The joint venture will be financed by the three shareholders and by a government subsidy sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI).
 
The joint venture plans to construct an initial 500 metric-ton-per-year magnet manufacturing facility in Nakatsugawa, Japan (Gifu Prefecture), with operations expected to commence by January 2013.  The companies expect to begin work on the new facility next month and eventually expand operations in the US and elsewhere.
 
The technology to be used by the joint venture is a new and novel approach that does not depend on the use of patents held by other magnet companies.  The technology allows for the manufacture of permanent rare earth magnets that deliver greater performance with less reliance on dysprosium, a relatively scarce rare earth.  The process also results in higher production yields.
 
Made with the rare earths neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium (or terbium), NdFeB magnets are the world’s most powerful permanent magnet and are key components in many advanced technologies, including high-performance motors used in the power trains of electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and wind power generators, as well as in motors in home appliance and industrial applications.  Electric motors are estimated to use approximately 45 percent of global power consumption, according to the International Energy Agency.  Using NdFeB magnets in motors can help reduce electric power consumption by 20 percent and would contribute to reducing global CO2 emissions by an estimated 1.2 billion tons.
 
Target markets for the joint venture are the automotive and home appliance markets.  These markets, as well as other markets for environmentally friendly technologies, are forecast to be significant drivers of demand growth for permanent rare earth magnets.  The joint venture has been provisionally awarded a supply agreement for a next-generation electric vehicle with a major automotive manufacturer.
 
The new company will engage in the manufacturing and sale of next-generation NdFeB magnets and will take full advantage of Daido’s commercial-scale magnet manufacturing technologies, Mitsubishi’s domestic and international marketing and sales network, and Molycorp’s rare earth oxide, metal, and alloy manufacturing resources and capabilities.
 
According to the independent market analysts at Roskill, China currently supplies approximately 94 percent of world’s demand for rare earths.  Export restrictions and other controls by China have made procurement of stable supplies difficult, which underscores the importance of Molycorp’s ability to provide the joint venture with stable supplies of rare earth materials for magnet manufacturing.
 
“I am happy and very honored that Molycorp is able to partner with these extraordinary companies, who are global leaders and innovators in so many areas,” said Mark A. Smith, president and CEO of Molycorp.  “Molycorp also is pleased that the joint venture can break ground almost immediately and will be able to produce some of world’s most powerful rare earth magnets in as little as 14 months.”
 
Smith added,  “The next-generation magnet manufacturing technologies being utilized by the joint venture are a perfect compliment to the advanced technologies Molycorp is deploying across our own rare earth manufacturing supply chain.  This initiative is a major milestone in Molycorp’s mine-to-magnets strategy and continues our strong focus on technology innovation, efficiency, and operational excellence.”

Iowa State U Offers Online Rare Earth Science Training to Industry
The Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association (REITA) has announced that one of the association’s leading academic members, Iowa State University (ISU), is now accepting online registration for a course of study in rare earth science. The course is being offered both to the public via Distance Learning and on campus.

Stakeholders from around the world have expressed concern about the lack of workers trained in rare earth science as the industry gears up to create globally competitive and diverse supply chains for rare earth products. “The training of chemists and engineers who are already working in the rare earth space is the primary driver to offer this graduate level course by Distance Learning,” said Keith Delaney REITA’s executive director.  The potential number of students may not be large; but candidates will be spread out geographically. Distance Learning allows academia to meet the industry’s need for training.

“ISU’s is the first in a series of rare earth science and applications courses that will be offered with industry worker training in mind. We expect to be announcing the availability of other Distance Learning courses shortly including ‘rare metals extraction & refining’ and ‘rare earth chemistry and spectroscopy’,” said Delaney.

For information on ISU’s “Chemical and Physical Metallurgy of Rare Earth Metals”   course click the link and scroll down to MSE 557X (graduate level).  The course can also be taken for undergraduate credit under MSE 457X.  Actual registration for the Distance Learning class can be done via online right up to the start of classes on January 9th.

For more information on REITA’s Expanding Rare Earth Curricula in Universities (ERESCU) initiative contact Keith Delaney at REITA.

New Magnetics Selection Guide & Short Form Catalog
Design engineers looking for a way to specify and select high-reliability transformers and inductors for electronic equipment applications will find the new Magnetics Selection Guide & Short Form Catalog from Datatronic Distribution, Inc., and Datatronics Romoland, Inc.

The new Selection Guide & Short Form Catalog provides specification information on dozens of transformers and inductors. For the designers of commercial, industrial and mission-critical electronics, the new guide includes descriptions of standard magnetic components available off-the-shelf as well as information that will assist them in designing special or custom devices.

Event Listings

New Sessions Just Announced

MAGNETICS 2012 will be held March 13-14, 2012 in Orlando and will be another year of important, compelling sessions by global leaders in magnetics technology that deal with critical developments. Register by January 26th & Save!

These new sessions join leading global, market and technical leaders at the forefront of today’s magnetic technologies as they discuss how recent developments in magnetic materials and related technologies are impacting product and system performance for a variety of industries and applications.

Efficient Use of Rare-Earth Materials - A New Challenge for Designers
James Bell, Consultant • MagnetoDynamics LLC

Superconducting Rotating Machines – Opportunities & Challenges

Dr. Rainer Meinke, Chief Scientist and Vernon Prince, GM AML Energy • Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc.

Monte-Carlo Method for Calculating Complex Magnetic Systems

Sasha Ishmael, Research Scholar, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering • North Carolina State University

View the preliminary program here

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