Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2021 - 47

Sustainable 3D-Printed Magnets
An alternative, environmentally friendly production method creates permanent magnets.
Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
rom wind turbines and electric mo -
tors to sensors, permanent magnets
are used in many electrical applications.
The production of these magnets usually
involves sintering or injection
molding. But due to the increasing
miniaturization of electronics and
more exacting requirements placed on
magnetic components in terms of
geometry, conventional manufacturing
methods are frequently coming up
short. Additive manufacturing technologies,
however, offer the required
flexibility of shape, enabling production
of magnets tailored to the
demands of the application in question.
Researchers have manufactured su -
per magnets with the help of laser-based
3D printing technology. The method uses
a powdered form of the magnetic material,
which is applied in layers and melted to
bind the particles, resulting in components
made purely of metal. The process
has been evolved to a stage where magnets
F
5 mm
Miniaturized supermagnets were produced for the first
time using laser-based 3D printing. (© IMAT - TU Graz)
can be printed with a high relative density
while controlling their micro structures.
The initial focus of the research was the
production of neodymium (NdFeB) magnets.
Because of its chemical properties,
neodymium is used as the basis for many
strong permanent magnets that are crucial
components for computers and smartphones.
In other applications such as
electric brakes, magnetic switches, and
certain electric motor systems, the
strong force of NdFeB magnets is
unnecessary and also undesirable.
Iron and cobalt (Fe-Co) magnets
represent a promising alternative to
NdFeB magnets in two respects: mining
rare earth metals is resourceintensive
and not sustainable and the
recycling of such metals is still in its
infancy. But Fe-Co magnets are less
harmful to the environment. Rare
earth metals also lose their magnetic
properties at higher temperatures,
while special Fe-Co alloys maintain
their magnetic performance at temperatures
of 200 to 400 °C and dem onstrate
good temperature stability.
For more information, contact Mateusz
Skalon, Institute of Materials Science,
Join ing and Forming, at mateusz.skalon@
tugraz.at; +43 316 873 4305.
Ruggedize micro-miniature
  
  
LAND
 
 
  
WATER
  
 
 
AIR
 
 
 
SPACE
 
SATCOM
 
ISR
COMMAND
  
  
  
     
    
  
MICRO - D
NANO - D
NANO STRIP
HIGH SPEED
  
Tech Briefs, September 2021
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/79417-760
Cov
ToC
47
http://info.hotims.com/79417-760 http://www.abpi.net/ntbpdfclicks/l.php?202109TBNAV
Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2021
