There are many macro-trends which impact the design priorities of automotive OEMs and their respective suppliers. One such trend, of course, is the importance placed on optimizing a vehicle’s environmental performance whether that is measured by the increased fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) or by extension of battery life in electric vehicles (EV).
Managing temperatures generated by combustion and electrical components in a vehicle is one way to address this trend. As an example, studies have shown that if temperatures can be managed effectively, OEMs can save approximately 3 per cent of fuel consumption in an internal combustion engine vehicle.
Bonded neo magnetic materials lend themselves to various applications in automotive thermal management systems, and Magnequench has worked with several companies on these solutions generally.
For power trains that include an internal combustion engine, bonded neo (MQ1) magnets are often utilized in active grill shutter actuators. The superior magnetic properties of bonded neo magnets allow for smaller actuators, which provides additional options when mounting the actuator onto the grill.
Additionally, bonded neo is employed in electric cooling pumps not only for ICE but also for HEVs and EVs. Compared with sintered neo magnets, MQ1 magnets do not contain heavy rare earth elements or cobalt, which both have relatively volatile prices.
Moreover, near-net-shape manufacturing of an MQ1 magnet results in an improved effective material use because of inherently lower scrap rates. This is beneficial not only for cost control but also for environmental considerations. Finally, with isotropic bonded neo magnets, cooling pumps with brush-less DC motors can be designed with a higher number of magnetic poles (>4) on the magnet and with tailored magnetisation profiles which enable lower body noise and vibration.
These various advantages are best leveraged by taking them into consideration at the earliest design concept phases. As Magnequench works with companies throughout these supply chains, their technical teams are able to hasten the time to market for optimized applications. Magnequench’s materials science teams can identify the best performing, lowest cost magnetic materials and then quickly relay the magnetic material characteristics to their motor design experts, who then optimize the magnet designs and magnetization profiles for the applications.
Ultimately, these efforts play a key part in helping reduce fuel consumption and improve battery life.
