Source: FAUTeams from Germany’s Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Austria’s Graz University of Technology, University of Vienna and Joanneum Research have developed a method for 3D printing custom super magnets for mechatronic devices.

Magnetic materials for devices including electric motors, sensors, magnetic switch systems and wind power stations, typically produced through standard manufacturing techniques such as injection molding and sintering, can now be 3D printed.

To accomplish this, metallic powder from the magnetic material emerges layer by layer from a laser-based printer and particles are then joined together through a process of melting. This 3D printing process, according to researchers, enables the magnets to print with high density while ensuring control over the material’s microstructure, thereby enabling users to customize the material’s magnetic properties according to application.

This development, according to researchers, will enable the customization as well as the miniaturization of devices, which are generally not achievable through conventional manufacturing methods.

The research appears in the journal Materials.