custom neodymium magnets Project Overview
CA Slar LLC is a leader in automotive electronics. They focus on electric vehicle (EV) parts. The company needed to create its next-generation Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for traction motor systems. The ECU needed a small magnetic resolver to detect rotor position. It had to fit in a compact design (≤10mm³) and work in tough automotive conditions. Regular neodymium magnets could not provide 1.4+ Tesla flux density in such a small size. They also failed tests for corrosion and thermal demagnetization.
CA Slar LLC teamed up with CORT MAGNET, a global leader in magnetic solutions. They aimed to create custom neodymium magnets that would improve performance in EV powertrain electronics.
Key Challenges
1.Microscale Magnetic Performance
The resolver needed a radially magnetized ring magnet with <10mm³ volume, 50% smaller than standard components. N52 magnets lost 20% of their strength at this scale. High temperatures, up to 150°C, caused them to demagnetize quickly.
2.Extreme Environment Durability
The component had to withstand:
- 40°C to 150°C cyclic temperatures (ISO 16750-4 compliant)
- 5% NaCl salt spray exposure (ASTM B117) with corrosion rate <0.001mm/year
- Vibration (50g peak, 20- 2000Hz) without mechanical failure.
3.Nanometer-Level Assembly Precision
The custom neodymium magnets’ inner diameter (ID: 3.2±0.001mm) The outer diameter (OD: 6.4±0.001mm) needed to be aligned with micro-sensors within ±2μm. This is beyond what regular machining can do.
4.Mass Production Scalability
CA Slar LLC needed 500,000 units each year. They required a consistency of ±1% in magnetic properties. This was a challenge for making complex micro-magnets.
CORT MAGNET’s Engineered Solution
1. Material & Coating Innovation* N52SH Grade with Thermal Stability
- The maximum operating temperature is 150°C.
- The energy product is 52 MGOe.
- N52SH has 98% flux density at 150°C.
- 85% for standard N52), tested to ISO 9001:2015.
- Quadruple-Layer Corrosion Protection
- Ni-Cu-Ni (25μm) for mechanical durability, custom neodymium magnets
- Epoxy topcoat (5μm) for electrical insulation and chemical resistance
- Passed 1,000-hour salt spray test (ASTM B117), with corrosion rate of 0.0005mm/year (below ASTM detection threshold).
2. Advanced Design & Simulation
Multi-Physics FEA Optimization：
CORT used ANSYS Maxwell to improve a radial magnetization pattern. This change focused 95% of the magnetic flux in the resolver’s sensing area. As a result, energy loss decreased by 18% compared to axial designs. The simulation included thermal-electromagnetic coupling to model real-world ECU conditions.
Honeycomb Micro-Lattice Core (SLM Fabrication)：
Created a titanium alloy micro-lattice core using Selective Laser Melting. This design improves strength and reduces weight by 22%. This design passed 10,000-cycle vibration testing (ISO 16750-3) without deformation.
3. Precision Manufacturing Breakthrough
Nano-EDM Machining with Ultrasonic Assistance
I used the Mitsubishi U3000S nano-EDM to get a precision of ±12.7μm (0.0005″) on the magnet’s OD/ID. This allowed for a Ra 0.5μm surface finish, making it easy to integrate the sensor. The process reduced material waste by 30% compared to conventional grinding.
Five-Axis Magnetization Fixture
A custom fixture allowed for 3D multi-pole magnetization with ±1° precision. This created a sinusoidal flux gradient that matched the Hall effect sensors in the resolver. This reduced post-assembly calibration time from 30 minutes to 10 minutes per unit.
4. Collaborative Development Cycle
Rapid Prototyping with Digital Twin
3D-printed 17-4 PH stainless steel molds (via SLM) delivered the prototypes in 72 hours.
Digital twin simulations allowed 27 design iterations in 2 weeks, a 60% reduction in traditional prototyping timelines.
Smart Factory Integration
CORT’s Hangzhou facility used IoT-enabled CNC machines and AI vision inspection. This technology achieved 99.9% defect detection accuracy. It helped increase production from 100 to 500,000 units per month. Vertical integration (rare-earth refining to coating) stabilized lead times at 8 weeks (vs. industry average 14 weeks).
Project Outcomes
Performance Benchmarks
- Magnetic Efficiency: 1.5 Tesla flux density in an 8mm³ volume, which is 40% better than the baseline. This allows for 25% faster signal processing in the ECU.
- Thermal Stability: <1% flux degradation after 1,000 hours at 150°C (ISO 16750-4 compliant).
Operational Excellence
- Assembly Cost Savings: ±2μm precision reduced manual adjustments by 70%, saving $1.2M annually in ECU assembly.
- Quality Consistency: AI-driven quality control achieved 99.8% first-pass yield, exceeding automotive PPAP requirements.
Market Leadership
- The ECU uses CORT’s magnets. It received ISO 26262 ASIL-D certification. It also meets the EU New Battery Regulation (2023/586) for material efficiency.
- CA Slar LLC won a $50 million contract with a top electric vehicle maker. This contract is for their new powertrain platform. It aims to reduce EV battery energy use by 20%.
Client Testimonial
“CORT MAGNET turned our resolver design from a concept into a production part. Their material science, precision manufacturing, and functional safety expertise were key. We’ve not only accelerated our ECU development but are now a leader in EV efficiency.”
— Dr. Emma Chen, Head of Engineering, CA Slar LLC
“CORT’s digital twin and smart factory helped us meet our tight launch deadlines. We did this without losing quality.” We’ve since extended our partnership to three future ECU generations.”
— John Lee, Senior Program Manager, CA Slar LLC
Conclusion:custom neodymium magnets
Custom neodymium magnets help make things smaller and improve performance in advanced automotive systems. They address two main challenges in this field. CORT MAGNET has created a new standard for precision magnets in electric vehicles. They did this by using N52SH material, nano-manufacturing, and digital engineering. As the industry shifts to 800V and higher power levels, these solutions will be key for future automotive innovation.
