Automotive

Over the past decade, the use of permanent magnets in automobiles and other types of vehicles has skyrocketed. Today the typical car has over 50 magnets in sensing devices that help reduce emissions, improve fuel economy, reduce vehicle weight, increase safety and security, provide comfort and convenience, and improve reliability. This trend will continue - and accelerate even more when 42-volt electric systems and drive-by-wire technologies enter mass production.

Magnets are a critical component in hybrid and electric vehicles too. In addition to the devices above, these vehicles use large volumes of magnets in their traction motors and electric generators.

Dexter has helped pioneer many of these applications by providing our customers with technical assistance, prototyping support, and ultimately production parts and assemblies. We understand that a successful product needs to meet cost targets as well as performance criteria. Our technical resources allow you to optimize your product in the design phase resulting in cost effective solutions that meet your market needs. In many cases we utilize high-energy materials, primarily bonded and sintered neodymium iron boron. They are well suited to many applications as their high-energy values allow for small, cost effective devices. When high temperatures are encountered, sintered samarium cobalt is used. Although more expensive, the temperature and corrosion characteristics of samarium cobalt are much better than neodymium iron boron.

Sintered and bonded ferrite may offer the most cost effective solutions, but usually at the expense of size or performance as the energy products are much lower than the high-energy materials.

Regardless of the material, Dexter maintains the largest inventory of commercially available magnet materials in the industry. We will be able to provide you with the best magnet material for your specific application.

Our technical sales staff and applications engineers are ready to help you!