Event

Magnetic Horizons 2026

UKMagSoc

MH26

Feb 11th 2026 - Feb 12th 2026

Updated 10.11.25

Registration Opening soon

Submit your talk proposal here


The UK Magnetics Society is excited to announce Magnetic Horizons, a new two-day event taking place in February 2026 in Birmingham. Delivered in collaboration with the Rare Earth Industry Association (REIA) and the Institute of Physics Magnetism Group, this event is designed to bring together the magnetics community across industry and academia and everything else in-between.

With a strong focus on collaboration, innovation, and networking, Magnetic Horizons will explore a broad range of topics including permanent magnets, soft magnetic materials, material supply chains, magnetic sensors, superconductivity, magnetic applications, power electronics, magnetic modelling, and emerging technologies.

The event will also feature the return of the Challenges in Applied Magnetism workshop, now integrated into the main programme, providing a dedicated platform for discussing real-world technical and industrial challenges.

More details to come so please watch this space. We’re hoping to include a tour of the nearby magnet recycling facilities at Tyseley, an excellent opportunity to see cutting-edge recycling technology in action.

In a new approach we’re inviting potential speakers to submit a short application, aiming to curate a diverse and dynamic programme of presentations that reflects the full breadth of the community.

Join us in Birmingham for an event that promises insight, innovation, and invaluable connections. Register your interest below.

DAY VENUE

Thinktank museum

Millennium Point, Curzon Street

Birmingham, UK

B4 7XG

For Sat Nav use postcode B4 7AP

By Road

Thinktank is situated within Millennium Point, Digbeth, which is just minutes from Birmingham City Centre and The Bullring. The nearest motorways are the M6, M5 and M42.

Please give yourself extra travelling time when driving to Thinktank as there are roadworks, diversions and road closures across the city centre which can cause delays. New Canal Street is closed to both pedestrians and cars.

Clean Air Zone

Birmingham is now a ‘Category D Clean Air Zone’, this means owners of the most high-polluting vehicles will be charged to drive within certain parts of the city centre, including the area that Thinktank is located in. To find out more and to check if your vehicle will be charged visit brumbreathes.co.uk

Car Park

The following is the information for the Millennium Point multi story car park when it is open.

The closest car park to Thinktank is the Millennium Point car park located on Howe Street, off Jennens Road, it is operated by Birmingham City Council (charges apply). For google maps and Sat Nav use postcode B4 7AP and select the car park name. This car park is also in Birmingham’s Clear Air Zone. Blue Badge holders can park for free, there are 20 blue badge bays within the car park and the maximum height restriction for the car park is 2.1 metres.

The Millennium Point building is approximately 20 meters from the multi-story car park and from Level 1 and Level 2 of the multi-story car park there is step free access into Millennium Point. Thinktank’s main entrance is now located on Level 0 of Millennium Point.

Alternative parking is available at Houndshill secured parking, postcode B4 7UP (0.3 miles) and NCP Birmingham Londonderry House, postcode B4 7LX (0.5 miles).

By Bus

From Birmingham City Centre catch numbers 14 , 55 / 55A, 66 or 94 from The Priory Queensway (opposite Argos) to Jennens Road. Bus services are operated by National Express West Midlands.

Day Saver offer

Visitors to our sites can get 25% off their Day Saver bus tickets when they travel to our sites. Visit National Express and enter this code: NXTTA25.

By Rail

Moor Street station

The nearest train station is Moor Street station which is a 10 minute walk away. Turn right upon leaving Moor St Station, just before the Clayton Hotel (formerly Hotel LaTour,) veer right to enter the City Park. Walk through the Park, past the Science Garden and in through the entrance of Millennium Point.

West Midlands Railway connects Moor Street station with key destinations along the Snow Hill and Birmingham – Hereford lines. View timetables on West Midlands Journey Planner to find out more about available services.

New Street Station

New Street Station is 15 minutes walk away. Leave the station heading towards St Martin’s Queensway. Turn left to pass through the tunnel under the Bullring, towards Moor Street station. From there, follow the directions above.

New Street Station is served by West Midlands Railway connecting numerous locations across the region with the heart of Birmingham. View timetables on West Midlands Journey Planner to find out more about available services.

DINNER VENUE

Fazeley Studios

191 Fazeley St,

Deritend, Birmingham

B5 5SE

Map link

DRAFT PROGRAMME

The event will run over two days and will include talks, dinner and a tour.

ACCOMMODATION

To be confirmed

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any dietary requirements we need to be aware of.

DRESS CODE

The dress code for the event is business attire / smart casual

CONTINUING CONTACT / GDPR

Please note, by providing contact details during registration, you authorise us to

  • use these contact details to let you know details of this event, and
  • add your contact details to our contact database to let you know about future events that may be of interest.

Please let us know at enquiries@ukmagsoc.org at any time if you do not wish to be contacted in this way. Also, we can remove you from our contact schedule at any point in the future.

We will also be taking photos at the event. If you do not wish to have your photo taken during the event, please contact events@ukmagsoc.org

PHOTOGRAPHY

We will also be taking photos at the event. If you do not wish to have your photo taken during the event, please contact events@ukmagsoc.org

EVENT SPONSORS


Speakers

Rapid quenching of nanocrystalline Nd-Fe-B materials for high performance magnets from recycled feedstock in industrial scale: Challenges and opportunities
by Karsten Rachut of Heraeus Remloy

The European Union has initiated the Critical Raw Materials Act to mitigate the supply gap and limit the EU’s dependence on critical material imports. One solution to contribute to that process is recycling of end-of-life Nd-Fe-B magnets. As a part of the Heraeus Group, Remloy is one of the most advanced European recyclers for Nd-Fe-B magnets with a midterm planned capacity >1000 tons / year. Heraeus Remloy purchases, analyses, sorts and processes end-of-life magnets and production scrap into valuable high-performance nanocrystalline magnetic materials using the melt-spinning technology.

Scaling Up Rare Earth Permanent Magnets Manufacturing: A Guide to Vacuum Furnace Selection and Optimization
by Giorgio Valsecchi of TAV VACUUM FURNACES

The production of rare-earth permanent magnets (REPMs) via vacuum sintering and heat treatment faces a critical challenge. Amidst today's supply chain uncertainty and rapidly evolving demand, established batch-processing methods are struggling to meet modern requirements for higher productivity, flawless repeatability, and advanced automation. The conventional approach, which relies on manual part transfer, is not only labor-intensive but also introduces significant risks of contamination and process inconsistency, creating a major bottleneck for high volume manufacturing. This analysis evaluates various vacuum furnace configurations and automation solutions for REPM sintering and heat treatment. Each solution will be assessed across different production throughput scenarios, weighing its pros and cons in terms of initial investment, operating costs, complexity, and flexibility to identify the optimal path for industrial scale production.

Recent developments in Permanent Magnets Recycling
by Carlo Burkhardt of Pforzheim University

Establishing a circular economy for rare earths (RE) in Europe is critical for environmental, social and governance (ESG) reasons and to mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions. The extraction and processing of rare earths is environmentally intensive, with significant carbon emissions and habitat destruction. By recycling and reusing these critical materials, Europe can reduce environmental damage, contribute to climate goals and support social responsibility initiatives. Supply chain security is a pressing concern as Europe remains highly dependent on imports from regions prone to geopolitical tensions, in particular China, which controls the vast majority of rare earths production. This dependence exposes key industries such as automotive, electronics and renewable energy to significant risks. The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) emphasises the strategic importance of securing raw materials through sustainable and circular solutions. A circular economy meets the objectives of the CRMA by reducing import dependency, promoting technological innovation and ensuring Europe's industrial competitiveness and environmental sustainability. However, establishing a circular economy for rare earth (RE) permanent magnets in Europe faces several challenges: One major obstacle is the complexity of recycling processes, as RE magnets are often deeply embedded in electronic devices, making separation difficult and costly. In addition, the limited availability of collection and recycling infrastructure hinders efficient material recovery. Technological limitations and inconsistent waste classification standards across European countries further complicate efforts. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated solutions and investment in advanced recycling technologies, as well as the establishment of a harmonised regulatory framework to standardise waste collection and processing. The talk will present the latest developments in recycling technologies across the value chain and look at how further enhanced collaboration between industry, academia and governments can help to drive innovation and share best practice.

Metal-Bonded Magnets: A powerful product for electric motors, sensors & encoders in challenging conditions
by Theodoros Tsoulos of EPoS Technologies SA

In April 2025, EPoS Technologies SA introduced TiMM4H, the first commercially available and fully industrialized metal-bonded magnet grade, a hybrid composite consisting of equal parts NdFeB and titanium. The novel composite was developed and produced through the proprietary Electro-Sinter-Forging (ESF) process, conceived and industrialized by EPoS. Three additional titanium-bonded variants and several composites with different metal matrices have been engineered. The influence of composition on magnetic performance, tensile strength, impact resistance, and other physical properties has been systematically investigated. Potential applications of these novel magnets have been evaluated in encoders, sensors, and axial-flux electric motors, as well as their performance under hydrogen-rich environments, in collaboration with leading research institutions and industrial partners. This work presents the key findings, highlighting the promise of metal bonding as a powerful method for advancing magnet technology.

Simulation of STEP Small Test Coils with SIMULIA Opera
by Ben Pine of Dassault Systemes

Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) Small Test Coil Programme provides relevant real-world experimental data to validate models and designs. SIMULIA Opera has been used to validate simulation models for initial designs. This talk will report on progress simulating quench and AC losses with both insulated and non-insulated double pancake coils.

Next generation spintronic and 3D devices examined by electron holography
by Trevor Almeida of University of Glasgow

To better understand the functional performance of modern spintronic devices, it is often necessary to investigate the underlying processes on the nanoscale. The Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique of electron holography allows for the imaging of magnetic configurations in nanostructures with spatial resolution ≤ 1 nm. Adding the influence of external stimuli, e.g., biasing, heating, etc., through innovative in-situ TEM holders can further elucidate their dynamic magnetic behavior on the localized-scale operando conditions, and how they would perform when integrated into modern devices. In this context, several examples of the use of electron holography and in-situ experiments on technologically relevant spintronic and 3D devices will be presented.

A Single-Step, Reagent- and Energy-Efficient Process for Recycling NdFeB Magnets
by Chenna Rao Borra of Indian Institute of Technology - Kharagpur

End-of-life NdFeB permanent magnets are a valuable secondary source of rare earth elements (REEs) such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. We report a novel selective leaching process that enables efficient and sustainable recovery of REEs from spent magnet waste. The method selectively dissolves REEs while minimizing iron dissolution. Optimization of leaching parameters resulted in recovery efficiencies exceeding 95%, and subsequent oxalate precipitation and calcination produced REE products with purities up to 98%. A simple precipitation step after leaching further enhances the purity to 99.7% without any solvent extraction. Developed at lab scale and successfully piloted at a 5 kg scale, this approach provides a scalable and environmentally benign alternative to conventional hydrometallurgical processes. The technology enables high- purity REE production suitable for reintegration into magnet manufacturing and holds significant potential for industrial recycling streams and circular economy strategies for critical materials.

Magnetic drug delivery using a portable superconducting permanent magnet
by Zhenyang Xu of King's College London

Magnetic drug delivery (MDD) represents one of the most promising targeted drug delivery strategies for cancer therapy. However, most existing MDD systems rely on conventional permanent magnets such as NdFeB, whose magnetic field strength and gradient are limited to around 1-1.5 T. As a result, magnets often need to be implanted close to the target tissue to achieve sufficient magnetic force - an approach that is technically challenging and carries significant clinical risks. This limitation motivates the development of externally applied MDD systems capable of achieving effective, deep-seated magnetic targeting within the human body. Bulk superconducting magnets can act as super-strength pseudo-permanent magnets, capable of generating trapped fields exceeding 3 T. Such magnets offer a unique opportunity to produce the high magnetic fields and gradients required to capture and guide magnetic drug carriers non-invasively. In this presentation, we introduce an MDD concept based on a portable bulk superconducting magnet. We will outline the fundamental requirements for efficient magnetic targeting, present numerical simulations demonstrating the feasibility of the system, and discuss recent progress toward a practical, high-efficiency superconducting magnet platform for clinical translation.

The measurement procedure for the magnetic properties in a BH tracer in the industrial environment.
by Peter Gebauer of Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG

Hard magnets for traction machines are an essential component with special properties. The magnetic properties are determined indirectly via BH tracer. From the record of hysteresis, the remanence, coercicity and other characteristic measurands are derived. In the supply chain from magnet manufacturer to TIER-X to OEM, these magnetic properties must be kept within tight tolerances, both in sampling and in series production. The special feature of BH Tracers is that there is no original Tesla as a reference. For this reason, and also because of different coils and coil filling degrees, all measuring instances must be compared with each other. For this comparison, so-called "golden samples" are produced as standardised test specimens, which are measured in cube or cylindrical form at each measuring instance. This allows the offset between the devices to be determined. Typically, the OEM or TIER-X device is used as a reference because it is associated with the design of the machine. In this way, a magnet manufacturer can adjust to the offset between the devices and set the properties of the magnets so that they are within the tolerances of the customer's device. The practical procedure for this will be presented in the presentation.

Latest developments in measurement of magnetic materials and diagnostics using Pulsed Field Magnetometers (PFMs)
by James McKenzie of Hirst Magnetics

Hirst will present the latest developments in magnetic material measurements using PFMs including initial magnetisation curves and first order reversal curves (FORC) diagrams. These can be used to provide a non destructive testing method to provide a deeper understanding of magnetic microstructures and magnet phases in magnetic samples.

3D Printed NbTi SRF Cavities
by Tugrul Ersoz of University of Birmingham

Additive manufacturing of Nb-47Ti superconducting alloys via Laser Powder Bed Fusion offers a promising alternative to conventional fabrication of Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities. The tailored microstructure, refined through optimised heat treatment, enables a stable superconducting transition at Tc ≈ 9 K with high phase purity and minimal porosity (< 0.3%), essential for efficient RF performance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating defect-controlled, β-stabilised NbTi cavities with enhanced critical current density and mechanical integrity suitable for next-generation particle accelerators.

The Potential for Additive Manufacture in Future Magnetic Shielding
by Richard Sheridan of University of Birmingham

Magnetic shielding is vital in high performance machines and electronics. Conventional manufacture of parts gives high performance, but has limitations in geometry and structure. Additive manufacture has been successfully introduced in a number of industries where both functional and structural properties are important, however there has been little success in production of magnetic materials. This talk will give an overview of the feasibility of using additive manufacture for magnetic shielding components.