Loss Modelling of Soft Magnetic Composite Components in 3-D Flux Electrical Machines
by Mehmet Kulan of School of Engineering, Newcastle University

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are an alternative to silicon steel laminations, yet the electromagnetic material properties are less well-documented and include uncertainties which can lead to inaccurate iron and Joule loss computations In traditional laminated electrical machines, the magnetic field is assumed to be alternating and along an axis. The nature of magnetic fields in soft magnetic composites is 3-dimensional and rotational. Soft magnetic composites differ from laminated steels in terms of magnetic field distribution within material. Electrical resistivity measurements in different grades of SMC indicate that these magnetic materials usually do not have a unique value of electrical resistivity at a given temperature. This causes discrepancy in loss computations through finite element simulations. Therefore, this presentation explores the opportunities, characterization and manufacturing challenges of soft magnetic composites in 3-D flux electrical machine topologies including axial and transverse flux machines.

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test developments in Pulsed Field Magnetometers including closed loop mapping
by Jack Wade of Hirst Magnetic Instruments / National Institute of Metrology, China

Hirst recently launched its 8th generation of PFM, magnet characterisation magnetometers. Uniquely these include the Hirst proprietary Self De-magnetisation Field Function SDFF™ which accurately generates an open to closed circuit mapping (O2C™). This gives permeameter like measurements. With a maximum field of 10.5T (8356 kA/m / 105 kOe) even the most coercive materials and highest grades of NdFeB magnets and SmCo can be measured, while traditional permeameters cannot measure these high coercivity materials due to pole piece saturation limitations. HirstLab v2 software and Hirst proprietary SDFF™ technology has been implemented in collaboration with the National Institute of Metrology (NIM), Beijing, as part of a contract for the first PFM08-30 MT placed by NIM. The talk covers the latest test results and details of the Extended Ising model that underpins the SDFF technology.

Ensuring quality of magnets, PM rotors and magnet assemblies with magnetic field camera technology and deep data analysis
by Koen Vervaeke of Magcam

With e-mobility on the rise, permanent magnet electric motor development and production are more important than ever before. Besides radial-flux motors, axial-flux motors are increasingly gaining importance. Supplies of permanent magnets and rare earth materials are becoming of strategic importance. In order to make optimal use of these valuable resources and create efficient and high-performing permanent magnet motors, magnetic quality inspection is of critical importance in both the R&D and production stages. Over more than a decade, Magcam has been developing and supplying superior magnet inspection systems to the world’s leading companies in automotive, medical, consumer electronics, magnet production and other industries and research institutes. In this presentation, you will discover how Magcam helps its customers develop and produce top quality magnets, motors and magnet assemblies, by identifying and solving magnet quality issues.

CoFe and Stator Segments – a Perfect Match
by Niklas Volbers of VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG

Cobalt-Iron alloys (CoFe) such as VACODUR® and VACOFLUX® offer a significant technical advantage over standard iron-silicon materials (FeSi) when used as stator material for electrical machines. This improvement relates to both a substantial increase in power density due to the very high saturation magnetization and a better efficiency due to the low core loss. However, there are also challenges involved when using the material, such as the higher cost due to the cobalt content and the limited strip width. Considering these circumstances, segmentation is an attractive method for the production of CoFe stator stacks. By using segments instead of a full stator, a high material utilization and lower tool costs can be achieved. In addition, it allows the fabrication of stators with large diameters. This presentation outlines some possibilities for segmentation and discusses implications for subsequent production processes. A special focus will be on single tooth solutions, especially interlocked parts. This production method is cost-efficient for small to high volumes and is applicable even down to 0.20 mm thin strip material. To ensure a consistent quality, Vacuumschmelze® has designed and implemented an innovative Single Tooth Tester, which can be used to verify the magnetic properties of individual stator teeth made from CoFe.

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Production Engineering for Cobalt-Iron Lamination Stacks
by Frederic Baecker of VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG

High performance electrical drives, as found for instance in racing or aviation applications, frequently make use of cobalt iron alloys for rotor and stator cores. Obvious advantages are a superior saturation (Bmax) and permeability as well as lower losses at medium to high frequencies and induction levels. In addition, experienced e-motor designers know how to utilize the full potential of this material by also considering manufacturing induced properties, which in case of cobalt iron cores may differ from cores made of other materials. Early consideration of both material and manufacturing induced properties along with an evaluation of their impact at system level yield the best results in terms of performance, quality and cost. This expands the range of applications for which cobalt iron alloys are suitable and viable significantly. This presentation gives an overview of suitable manufacturing methods for cobalt iron cores, the properties they induce and how their impact on emag performance can be monitored.

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SecREEts – Secure European Critical Rare Earth Elements
by Dominik Ohmer of VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG

Goal of the SecREEts project was the integration of a new European value chain for extraction, refinement and production of rare earth elements. SecREEts partners have worked towards the development of pilot processes for a sustainable extraction, separation and manufacturing of REEs to create permanent magnets for application to areas such as electric vehicles, industrial motors, wind turbines, with replication potential in consumer products or medical equipment.

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Less Critical Permanent Magnets by using the 2-Powder Method
by Konrad Opelt of Fraunhofer IWKS

Presentation Abstract (Brief details about your talk) The 2-powder method (2PM) shows enormous potential for decreasing the criticality of high-performance Nd2Fe14B-based sintered magnets. Compared to conventional magnet production the magnetic properties are at least equivalent and the process costs are reduced. By use of the 2PM a coarse heavy rare-earth (HRE) free main phase powder (~5 µm) and a finer HRE-containing anisotropy powder (~2.5 µm) are blended. Like in terms of the industrially established grain boundary diffusion process a core-shell structure develops in the microstructure during the sintering procedure, meaning that the critical elements are only located at the outer regions of the magnetic grains.

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SmCo5 with increased remanence
by Kaan Üstüner of VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co.KG

Samarium Cobalt (SmCo5) based permanent magnets such as VACOMAX® VX 145 and VX 170 are known since several decades. Although the magnetic properties like e.g. remanence and energy density are lower than for RE2Fe14B and Sm2Co17 based material the permanent magnets out of SmCo5 are preferred for various applications. This is due to their better temperature - and corrosion –stability compared to RE2Fe14B and better mechanic stability compared to Sm2(CoFeZrCu)17. Vacuumschmelze has developed and launched production of two new grades VX 175 and VX 190 with improved magnetic properties. The talk will provide detailed information about the magnetic properties of those new VACOMAX grades.

Injection Molded Magnets for Modern Sensor Systems
by Thomas Schliesch of Max Baermann GmbH

The presentation will be concerned with the interaction between new sorts of magnetic sensors, as stray field immune systems, with injection molded magnets. The advantages of those magnets for sensor industry as their high variety of possible polarization patterns or their fastidious geometry will be displayed by practical examples. Those examples will comprise also new concepts with respect to sensor locations, polarization patterns or magnetic materials. Due to the oftentimes special distributions of polarization inside injection molded magnets, aspects of their magnetic design by numerical and analytical simulations will be provided also.

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Electromagnetic centric simulation workflows with SIMULIA products
by Christian Kremers and Yi Zhou of DASSAULT Systèmes

Electromagnetic simulation software is a game changer when it comes to reducing the time and cost of bringing a product to market, not just in the high-tech industries of electronics and communication, but also in aerospace, defense, transportation and life sciences. Analysis with electromagnetic software ranges from designing individual components such as magnets, sensors, antennas, electrical machines both in isolation and in real environments up to EMC related questions in entire systems like cars, smartphones and MRIs. With CST Studio Suite and Opera Dassault Systèmes provides tools, which empower engineers to tackle these challenging problems. On a few exemplary workflows from the field of magnet and sensor design, electrical machine analysis and power electronics this talk will introduce capabilities and usability of SIMULIA products. The focus will be electromagnetics but the coupling to other physical domains will be touched as well.

Sustainability of tomorrow´s magnets and their applications
by Prof Oliver Gutfleisch of Material Science Faculty Dep. Functional Materials Technical University of Darmstadt

Magnets are key enablers for the green energy transition. High performance hard and soft magnets are crucial components of energy-related technologies, such as direct drive wind turbines and e-mobility. They are also important in robotics and automatization, sensors, actuators, and information technology. The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is the key for new and disruptive solid state-based refrigeration. The rare earth elements (REEs), an important class of the critical raw materials (CRMs), are essential constituents of the highest performing magnets and are highlighted in the raw and advanced materials flow essential for (EU) Industrial Ecosystems and a net zero emission scenario. Important questions arise around the different mitigation scenarios addressing the criticality of REEs; they are classified as strategic elements and there are many bottlenecks along the supply and value chain. Supply deficits will endanger the development of technologies which abate the climate change and will also impact on other strategic sectors. This supply chain has to be secure, affordable and sustainable and in order to achieve this, we need the diversification of primary CRMs, material science and process solutions for new efficient alloy and microstructure design, substitutional materials and effective short and long loop recycling routes. Assessing these different strategies in terms of their energy needs, CO2 balance, other emissions, all impacting on a price we are paying in the short and long term is a complex task. Considering that this assessment will differ greatly, when the primary magnet making is compared with an application such as an electric vehicle with a certain lifetime in which the magnet is a key component, will make an analysis even more complicated.

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Improvement of PM motor efficiency by applying Si gradient steel sheet
by Yoshiaki Zaizen of JFE steel corporation

For higher efficiency of motors, reduction of iron loss in electrical steel is strongly required. High silicon electrical steels, such as 6.5% Si steel and Si-gradient steel, have been developed for this purpose. In this presentation, material properties of two types of Si-gradient steels will be presented: one is JNHF, which has low iron loss at high frequency, and the other one is JNRF, which combines high flux density and low iron loss at medium frequency. The evaluation result of IPM motors will also be explained.

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Magnetization and measurement technologies for high precision magnetic sensor systems
by Dr Rolf Slatter of ITK Dr. Kassen GmbH

Modern electrical drive systems rely increasingly on magnetic sensors for motor control or for position control. The market share of magnet-based sensor systems for length or angle measurement is growing steadily both in the automotive and industrial markets. Their superior robustness under difficult operating conditions is a major advantage compared to other sensor technologies, such as optical, capacitive or inductive sensors. While the sensor itself has a great impact on system accuracy, the used magnetic scale or pole wheel is of similar importance when evaluating system performance and the need for more accurate scales is leading to a demand for more accurate magnetizing machines and measurement equipment. In this paper the design requirements for high accuracy, pole writing machines either for linear or rotary magnetic scales are discussed. Baseline for the software architecture is the newly released DIN SPEC 91411 which unifies the nomenclature for magnetic measurement systems. In addition, the paper focuses on a systematic approach to measure the magnetic accuracy. Furthermore, new developments in write-head design are presented as new hard magnetic coatings require higher fields for magnetization.

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Multi-piece magnet pole magnetic flux verification for surface mounted magnet rotors in aerospace applications
by Fabio Dubois of Rolls Royce Electrical

High-power density electrical machines, with surface mounted magnet rotors, utilize multi-piece magnet poles in their designs. These magnet poles are made up of multiple pieces bonded together in a particular arrangement, often to form sophisticated Halbach arrays. The resulting superposed magnetic field is a key design driver and shall be measured in as-built state on component level in order to inform machine performance predictions. Although commercial field mapping/scanning systems exist, there are no suitable international testing standards for measurements on multi-piece magnet assemblies. Hence, a methodology for direct verification of external magnetic flux density in the vicinity of a multi-piece magnet pole or pole assembly was developed and standardized for inhouse experiments. The lessons learned from the conception of this internal guideline will be presented and discussed.

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Prashant Patel of Magnetic Shields Ltd

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True 3D Magnetic Field Camera SEN-3D-CAM
by Dr. Dragana Popovic Renella of SENIS Group, Switzerland

SEN-3D-CAM is the World's First True 3D Magnetic Field Camera with the smallest field sensitive volume and 128 x 128 pure 3D Hall sensors. It simultaneously measures all three magnetic field components (Bx, By, Bz) using SENIS proprietary 3D Hall technology. The camera provides comprehensive and accurate pictures of magnetic fields in three dimensions. With a spatial resolution of 100 µm and a tiny measurement volume of 27µm x 9µm x 4µm in each pixel, SEN-3D-CAM offers unprecedented precision in magnetic field measurement. This is particularly important if you need to measure complex fields with high field gradients. With 16,000 pixels, SEN-3D-CAM can acquire a full magnetic image within just 1 second, making it ideal for both inline and offline inspection of magnetic systems. The direct output of SEN-3D-CAM is in 2D images, with all three field components accurately calibrated. These calibrated images are streamed through a USB-C connection, providing real-time data for analysis and visualization. In addition, the optional Senis 2D Vision Commander Software is available for more sophisticated magnetic image analysis, allowing for advanced magnetic data processing and interpretation. With its unmatched precision, high acquisition rate, and advanced software options, SEN-3D-CAM is the ultimate tool for magnetic field analysis in research, industry, and beyond.

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Design of High Field Post Assembly Magnetising Systems for Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Rotors
by Chris Riley of Bunting Magnetics

The presentation will take a detailed look at the design of magnetising systems for post assembly magnetisation of rare permanent magnet assemblies, in particular IPM and Halbach rotors. The downstream advantages of this process will be highlighted, including the reduction in Health and Safety risks and assembly times, as well as an easing of manufacturing operations such as machining, grinding and balancing, and the utilisation of any banding materials to their fullest potential without a limit on magnet killing temperature effects. However, the presentation will also show that whilst in many cases it is theoretically possible to saturate many rotor and material configurations with post assembly magnetisation, the high magnetic fields in the magnetising fixtures that are sometimes necessary introduce mechanical and thermal issues that most be overcome if these systems are going to have an acceptable life cycle or cycle times when used in production environments.

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Designing magnetoresistive sensors with tunable characteristics
by Diana C Leitao of Eindhoven Technical University (TU/e)

Magnetoresistive sensors can deliver high sensitivity and spatial resolution in magnetic field detection, ideal to leverage challenging applications in navigation, robotics or biomedicine. Being able to manipulate the device’s properties, as needed and during operation, has the potential to push further the limits of performance, and broaden applications of spintronic sensors. In this talk, current approaches to engineer key properties – e.g. sensitivity, multiaxial detection, thermal resilience - of these magnetic sensors will be introduced. The discussion will include considerations regarding the tuning of the thin-film multilayers and of the geometry of the elements, addressing the level of development of the chosen approaches. Such strategies open pathways to design versatile sensing devices with on-demand tunable characteristics.

EMPIR HEFMAG –Development of measurement techniques to characterise AC losses in electrical steels.
by Adam Wilson of NPL

With increasing demand for electrification to enable Net Zero and decarbonisation, characterisation of electrical steels used in electric motors and generators through good metrology is paramount. The EMPIR HEFMAG project aimed to develop and compare the measurement techniques used by a consortium of several European NMIs and a number of external partners including materials producers. Areas of particular interest include optimising the standard Epstein and SST systems to reduce measurement uncertainties, develop Epstein measurement systems for frequencies up to 10 kHz, AC loss measurements at electric motor operational temperatures up to 155 °C, and to study power loss in thin sheets up to the MHz frequency regime

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Magnetic sensors for modern automotive steering systems
by Ekkehart Froehlich of Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH

Information about the steering torque and angle is used as input for automotive steering systems and allows easy and safe driving manoeuvres. The presentation will show the design concept of three variants of modern magnetic sensors for automotive steering systems. Sensor designs for steering torque and angle are presented with focus on the magnetic components and their mode of operation. The functional chain from drivers input to the electric sensor output will be described and demonstrated. Such sensors are used in passengers cars as well as in heavy commercial trucks. A short outlook on future requirements for steer-by-wire systems and for autonomous cars will finish the talk.

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Metal and Alloy production in a Western supply chain A complementary supply chain alternative
by Aaron Riley of Less Common Materials

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