Effective use of neodymium iron boron magnets, case studies

Abstract

Magnets based on neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloys have been available for about 15 years, yet many people are frustrated in their attempts to incorporate this material into new devices. These are problems that cannot be solved by research focused on higher energy product materials, nor are they the result of the three well-known objections to NdFeB magnets: higher cost per kilogram than ferrite, limited maximum operating temperature and poor corrosion resistance when uncoated. The authors address problems due to a lack of understanding by many design engineers on how to correctly use magnets. They review several common design situations and offer ways to improve device performance through the effective use of NdFeB.