Additive Magnet Manufacturing via Slurry Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high material loss during manufacturing and machining of rare earth element magnets leads to increased costs, exacerbated by rising raw material prices, making it challenging to produce cost-effective magnets.
Innovation Solution
A method of printing magnetic powder material into a desired shape using a slurry with a magnetic field to orient the material, reducing the need for subsequent machining and minimizing material loss, by creating layers that are cured layer by layer under a magnetic field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional cutting and machining processes are used to create final magnet shapes, then the desired shape precision is achieved, but material loss increases significantly (yield is typically about 55 to 75 percent)
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet blocks are pre-formed into near-final shapes during the sintering process itself, rather than starting from simple cubic blocks and machining them later. This preliminary shaping action during sintering allows the magnets to be close to their final dimensions before any machining occurs, significantly reducing the amount of material that needs to be removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct stages: sintering to form near-net shapes, followed by selective machining only for final dimensional adjustments. This segmentation allows the bulk of the material to be preserved during sintering while minimal machining is performed afterward, reducing overall material loss compared to traditional continuous machining from raw blocks.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive cutting and machining operations are performed to achieve final magnet shapes, then the desired dimensional accuracy is obtained, but production time increases due to multiple machining steps
Solution Approach 1:
Near-final shapes are created during the sintering process itself through controlled feeding and compaction, eliminating the need for multiple roughing and finishing machining passes. This preliminary shaping action reduces the total number of machining operations required, thereby decreasing overall production time while maintaining dimensional accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaping function is merged into the sintering process itself, rather than being a separate post-processing step. By combining shape formation with the sintering operation, the need for extensive subsequent machining is eliminated, reducing total production time while achieving the required dimensional accuracy.
3Productivity
If traditional block sintering methods are used, then production capacity is maintained, but material loss and machining requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering process is modified to include preliminary shaping actions that create near-net shapes directly during sintering, rather than forming simple blocks and machining them later. This allows production capacity to be maintained through continuous sintering operations while significantly reducing material loss by minimizing the volume of material that requires subsequent removal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces material loss and allows for the production of anisotropic magnets with improved magnetic properties, enhancing efficiency and reducing production costs by eliminating the need for extensive machining.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic field may be applied to the slurry to orient the magnetic material in a desired direction prior to and during curing
Implementation Method 2
The slurry can then be cured by any suitable means, such as a laser, to harden layers of the magnet layer by layer
Data Source
AI summary
A magnet and a method of forming the magnet are provided. The method includes forming a slurry comprising magnetic powder material and binder material and creating raw layers from the slurry. A magnetic field is applied to the raw layers to orient the magnetic powder material in a desired direction, and each layer is cured to form another layer on the most recent cured layer. The layers are attached together.