Partnership with Noveon aims to secure the supply of rare earth magnets for combustion engines.
Rare earth elements are vital to the automotive industry, especially in the form of permanent magnets. While they’re often discussed in the context of electric vehicles and their motors, magnets made of elements like neodymium also play a crucial role in conventional cars with internal combustion engines. They are used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from auxiliary motors in power windows to air conditioning systems.
U.S. automaker General Motors has now signed a supply agreement with Texas-based magnet manufacturer Noveon Magnetics to supply a product line of internal combustion engine vehicles. According to both companies, initial deliveries have already taken place in July. The partnership is part of a broader strategy to strengthen domestic supply chains.
China continues to dominate the global production of rare earths, and even more so the manufacturing of permanent magnets derived from them. Noveon claims to be the only U.S. producer of sintered magnets made from neodymium-iron-boron alloy. This process involves compressing powdered materials under high pressure, sintering them at elevated temperatures into a solid form, and then magnetizing them.
To source the necessary raw materials, Noveon is tapping into emerging Western supply chains and supplementing them with recycled materials. General Motors, meanwhile, is actively pursuing partnerships outside of China, including one with German magnet manufacturer Vacuumschmelze.
Photo: iStock/buzbuzzer
