MagnaTech Returns to the Powder Metallurgy Industry

MagnaTech was established 27 years ago to develop processing and material development, mainly for magnetic applications. At that time metal injection molding development was a dream to many, and a good friend made the statement that parts would be made by this process when all other processes failed. Furthermore, he said, parts will never be larger than the size of a dime.
Today, not only has the development of parts made using metal injection molding grown into a fledgling industry, but the promise of improved properties resulting from the technology is becoming reality.
MagnaTech has evaluated some of the magnetic parts made using this technology and we have not been too impressed. However, MagnaTech has just begun working with a new customer who intends to use metal injection molding technology to fabricate some of its parts. MagnaTech has just received the first set of these parts for evaluation. Actually, they are not the parts themselves, but metal injection molded rings that received identical processing as the parts. Prior to this shipment of rings, the rings that have been evaluated were distorted and discolored. Rings of this nature are always suspect because the discoloration suggests impurities and the distortion suggests stress. Both are detrimental to obtaining the magnetic properties required for the application. However, the rings just received are shiny and are not distorted. MagnaTech therefore looks forward to evaluation of these rings and a long term relationship with our new customer.

Do You Need Help Heat Treating or Testing HyMu 80 Alloy?

HyMu 80 is a nickel base alloy that has as principal alloying elements 80% nickel, 4.2 % molybdenum and remainder iron. The alloy is used primarily for transformer cores, tape wound torroids, laminations, and for shielding to protect electrical components from stray magnetic fields. Its value is that it provides low initial and maximum permeability, with low hysteresis losses. The alloy is available in bar, sheet or wire.
When sold to the user, the material is accompanied by a certification that states  the material satisfies the required properties. The problem is that once the material is altered, such as by machining, stamping or other mechanical operation, the certified properties no longer apply. The user then must provide a heat treatment that restores the magnetic properties to the properties originally certified. Heat treating may be a problem because there are different furnaces, atmospheres and proceedures that may not provide the heat treatment required to restore the original properties of the material. In addition, testing becomes the second problem. Equipment for testing is expensive, and unless you are a large company it is difficult to justify its purchase. In addition, the tests available also are fraught with error, and repeatability between laboratories is not good. The problem is that hysteresigraphs and other similar test equipment are composed of an ammeter to measure the current to define the applied field. The measurements required to calculate the applied field are at the extreme lower end of the ammeter and therefore are prone to maximum error. In addition, the flux meter also requires the most sensitive scale for measurement of the magnetic induction. It too is at a scale where the error is maximum. Throw in zeroing capability of a hysteresigraph and you have a third major error. Therefore, couple sensitive heat treatment with high risk of measurement in testing and you may have a problem. MagnaTech has worked with many customers to resolve the headaches that result after the material has been received and altered. MagnaTech can help you to resolve your heat treating inconsistities, and also can provide accurate test results that are within 3% error. If you are having a problem either heat treating or testing this magnetic alloy, please consult MagnaTech to resolve your problem.

Magna-Tech Hires New Engineer

Magna-Tech P/M Labs, a provider of research and development and testing services as well as consulting services for the materials world, has named Katherine Small as its new Project Engineer. Mrs. Small, who previously was a Materials Engineer at Carpenter Technology, will be in charge of managing and increasing Magna-Tech’s customer base. Magna-Tech, which is mainly focused on research and development, is looking to expand its business to include a carburizing and nitriding surface treatment of metals. At this time Magna-Tech is awaiting the patent on this process. Katie will bring a background of new product management and marketing. As a metallurgist for Carpenter, Mrs. Small was in charge of the metallurgic needs of Carpenter’s customer in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the USA. Her extensive knowledge of the metals community will be a great asset in the expansion. Mrs. Small has a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University.

MagnaTech Awarded Patent

The United States Patent Office has just awarded United States Patent 8,182,617B2, "Nitrogen Alloyed Stainless Steel and Process" to Magna-Tech P/M Labs. The patent resulted from work completed on a Phase I study for NAVAIR Contract Number N88335-190-C-0141. In additition to the awarded patent, Magna-Tech has patents pending on processes to carburize and nitride martensitic stainless steels. Magna-Tech welcomes discussions with interested parties regarding the content of these patents. The developed processes decrease carburizing or nitriding time more than half. Magna-Tech currently is in the fifth month of a Phase II NAVAIR contract to scale up the carburizing process to serve as a surface providing improved wearability and corrosion resistance for applications such as hookpoints. In addition to the above, Magna-Tech intends to propose new research designed to develop higher energy product permanent magnets at lower cost to the Department of Energy. These new alloys are designed from powders, using technology that Magna-Tech has patented. Magna-Tech is also exploring opportunities to the Defense Logistics Agency to broaden the applications that could benefit from the new carburizing and nitriding technology that has been developed and continues to be developed. Please contact Ken Moyer at 856-786-9061 or moyer@snip.net to learn more about these Magna-Tech innovations.

MagnaTech Completes Three Months of Research on Phase II Contract

MagnaTech has just completed its third month of effort to scale up a carburization process that they have developed to carburize parts to a depth of 1 mm (0.040 inches),to a hardness of > 60 HRC in less than 4 hours. This coming month they will be devoting their efforts to scaling up the process for production and fine tuning the process. MagnaTech is interested in talking with interested parties to exploit the new process commercially. Patents have been applied for and are in progress.
In addition, MagnaTech is now focusing its efforts on development of new permanent magnet alloys. The current alloy of interest is iron-neodymium-boron. However, there are several problems that limit the usage of this alloy for new applications, such as windmills for electrical power and electric automobiles. These include the technology residing mostly in the Far East, high cost for production of the magnets, and an undesirable reclamation process.
The current technology has limited the energy product to 65 MGO. However, recent work at the University of Minnesota indicates that iron-nitrogen magnets that will yield an energy product greater than 125 MGO can be developed. MagnaTech has ideas on how to make alloys that are also capable of improving the energy product and intends to partner with Arnold Engineering to develop these alloys. MagnaTech is currently in the process of preparing white papers for a BAA to the Air Force and to the DOE for funding to support an exploritory program to develop these alloys. Again, MagnaTech would be interested in discussing their ideas with interested parties.

Magnetics 2012

Last week Moyer of MagnaTech P/M Labs attended a two day conference to obtain an update on activity in the magnetic field. The conference was oriented toward new materials, processes, and applications that will require magnetic assemblies. Of these, perhaps offshore windmills, requiring larger motors with minimum maintenance are perhaps the newest
as a challenge for today's applications. There was great concern about the availability and the cost of iron-neodymium-boron magnets. In 1990 General Motors sold their technology to the Chinese. I am told that all iron-neodymium-boron magnets are now manufactured in China. These kinds of magnets have the highest energy product and are therefore a requirement for the introduction of the electric car to the market, as well as new windmill drive requirements. In addition to the Chinese monopoly of the market, little research has been conducted in the United States to innovate new higher energy product alloys or improve additional alloys such as ferrites and Alnicos to satisfy some of the requirements of the developing market. Recently the Air Force has submitted a BAA and the Department of Energy is about to request Phase I SBIRs designed to satisfy these emerging markets. MagnaTech will be submitting a white paper to adress the requirements required of the Air Force BAA, and expects to write a proposal requesting a Phase I award for an idea of an alloy that we believe has potential for higher energy product material. If you are interested in new magnetic materials and their design, contact MagnaTech to explore technology, which they have patented, that could satisfy some of the advanced material requirements.MagnaTech has test equipment to support materials research and also provides a short course to those wishing to come up to speed in this newly developing industry.

New Patent

MagnaTech has been informed that they have been awarded a patent that uses gaseous nitrogen in a nano state to alloy nitrogen with high strength powders. When consolidated using HIP technology, the powders become dense and exhibit excellent wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and toughness. MagnaTech now owns two patents, and has three additional patents pending.
In addition, MagnaTech was issued a purchase order yesterday to begin a study of P/M magnetic alloys to be tested for electromagnetic shielding. MagnaTech is doing more and more outside service testing for customers that need to know the properties of these special purpose nickel iron alloys. The equipment required to test these materials is expensive, and is concentrated primarily with the material manufacturers. Therefore, when a parts producer requires outside verification of properties supplied by the material producers, they look to MagnaTech to substantiate the documented properties. The materials are used for DC or pulsed DC applications, and require high magnetic permeability and low coercive field. These properties are difficult to achieve, and are important to the end user. If you have a need for these services, MagnaTech may have your solution. In addition, Moyer of MagnaTech offers one or two day short courses, including magnetic theory, magnetic materials and test methods. Call or email us if you have need of these services.