HardMagnet3D | 3D printing of NdFeB hard magnets

Strengthening Europe’s permanent magnet value chain through additive manufacturing

HardMagnet3D addresses the strategic need for resilient European permanent magnet production. Permanent magnets are critical for sectors such as automotive, aerospace, automation and electronics. Yet Europe remains highly dependent on non-EU supply chains. The project develops additive manufacturing routes for Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnets, both bonded and fully metallic, to strengthen the European magnet value chain.
 

Target group

This project is relevant for manufacturers of electric motors and generators. It also targets designers and application owners who require permanent magnets with application-specific geometries.

Key sectors include:

• Automotive and e-mobility
• Industrial automation and robotics
• Aerospace
• High-speed drive applications

Context

NdFeB magnets are characterised by their high remanence (ability to retain magnetisation) and strong coercivity (resistance to demagnetization). They are currently mainly produced through sintering. Europe remains strongly dependent on non-EU suppliers for both raw materials and finished magnets. This dependency, addressed by the European Critical Raw Materials Act, creates economic and strategic risks.

Additive manufacturing opens new perspectives. It offers design freedom, enables local and on-demand production, and reduces material waste. It also allows application-specific geometries that are difficult or even impossible to achieve with conventional manufacturing processes

However, current additive solutions still face limitations in terms of magnetic performance and material stability. HardMagnet3D addresses these challenges by combining powder surface engineering, advanced additive manufacturing processes and in-depth magnetic characterisation.
 

Objectives & results

The main objective is to enable additive manufacturing of NdFeB magnets suitable for electrical machines.
The project aims to:

• Develop coated NdFeB powders tailored for additive manufacturing
• Achieve competitive remanent field strength and coercivity using fused deposition modeling (FDM) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)
• Demonstrate complex magnet shapes and custom-designed geometries
• Validate performance in an axial flux electrical machine test bench

Key results:
Participating companies will gain access to:

• Demonstrator magnets produced via FDM (bonded magnets) and LPBF (metal magnets)
• A validated axial flux motor test bench with optimised magnet geometry
• Processing guidelines for additive manufacturing of NdFeB magnets
• Recommendations on material and coating selection
• Technical reports on magnetic and thermal performance
   

Approach

1. Material preparation and surface engineering
   Development of PVD- and PECVD-coated NdFeB powders to improve coercivity and processing performance.
2. Additive manufacturing
   Processing via FDM (bonded magnets) and LPBF (metal magnets), including parameter optimisation.
3. Characterisation
   Magnetic, microstructural and thermal characterisation will link processing parameters to material structure and performance.
4. Demonstration
   Integration of printed magnets into an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine.
   The test bench will validate performance and quantify the added value of complex magnet geometries. 

Funding

• Project type: CORNET Collective Research