Rare Earth Magnet Assembly With UV-Cured Insulating Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for joining Nd—Fe—B sintered magnets in electric motors face challenges such as high cost, laborious working, low dimensional accuracy, and insufficient insulation and corrosion resistance due to eddy current issues, especially when using adhesives and insulating tapes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the abutment of magnet pieces with a UV-curable resin coating that extends across the abutment interface, applied using an inkjet system to form a continuous bond, providing insulation and corrosion resistance while ensuring high dimensional accuracy and bonding strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a coating is formed using spray coating or electrodeposition with thermosetting resins, then insulation and corrosion resistance are improved, but heating time and energy consumption increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the curing mechanism parameter from thermal curing (thermosetting resins requiring heating furnace) to UV light curing (UV-curable resins). This parameter change eliminates the need for high-temperature heating while achieving complete curing, thereby resolving the contradiction between improving insulation/corrosion resistance and reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal field system (heating furnace) with an optical field system (UV irradiation device). This substitution eliminates the need for substantial heating energy while achieving effective curing of the coating, thus resolving the energy consumption issue while maintaining insulation and corrosion resistance.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a plurality of magnet segments are divided and bonded with adhesive or insulating tape, then eddy current is suppressed, but dimensional accuracy and workability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of bonding and insulation into a single integrated coating layer applied to the magnet surface. This eliminates the need for separate adhesive bonding and insulating tape processes, thereby maintaining dimensional accuracy while achieving both mechanical bonding and electrical insulation for eddy current suppression.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the insulating function from separate insulating tapes and integrates it directly into the coating layer that also provides bonding. This extraction and integration eliminates the need for additional insulating components, improving dimensional accuracy and simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining eddy current suppression.
3Strength
If magnet pieces are joined with adhesive, then bonding is achieved, but insulation and corrosion resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional coating layer that simultaneously provides bonding strength, electrical insulation, and corrosion resistance. This single coating system replaces multiple separate functions previously requiring different materials and processes, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving strong bonding and maintaining insulation/corrosion resistance.
4Stability of the object's composition
If surface treatment is performed with heating furnace, then coating curing is achieved, but time and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the curing activation parameter from thermal energy (heating furnace requiring substantial time) to UV light energy (rapid photopolymerization). This parameter change enables coating curing to be completed in seconds or minutes rather than hours, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving complete curing and reducing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic UV irradiation to cure the coating, where brief intervals of UV exposure are sufficient to complete the curing process. This periodic optical action replaces continuous thermal heating, dramatically reducing the time required for coating curing while ensuring complete polymerization and stable coating composition.
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
The method efficiently joins magnet pieces with high bonding strength, corrosion resistance, and insulation, reducing costs and labor, while maintaining precise dimensions and effective electrical insulation.
Implementation Method 1
forming a coating on at least a portion of the adjacent surfaces of the magnet pieces, the coating continuously extending across the rim of the abutment interface and over the adjacent surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly of rare earth magnet pieces is prepared by placing two rare earth magnet pieces at their side surfaces in abutment so that top surfaces of magnet pieces are disposed adjacent to each other across the abutment interface, and forming a coating on the adjacent surfaces of magnet pieces, the coating continuously extending across abutment interface and over adjacent surfaces for thereby tightly joining the abutted magnet pieces together.