Magnetics Business & Technology - Spring 2015 - (Page 26)

INDUSTRY NEWS New Specifications Guide on Extended Life Brush DC Motors Crouzet Motors has introduced a new 24 page specifications guide focusing on the DCmind Brush Motor series. The full color brochure provides comprehensive information on this motor series as well as the brand as a whole. In addition to offering detailed product features and benefits, the brochure also provides a cutaway view, an informative chart illustrating motor sound compared to standard recognizable sounds, and a handy selection guide that makes it easy to review and choose the appropriate model by output power, torque, speed and gear reduction style and range. Complete specifications for performance curves, dimensions, and options on all five models include 15, 25 and 55 watt motors with a 42 mm diameter, and 55 and 104 watt motors with a 63 mm diameter. DCmind Brush Motors support 12, 24 and 48 volt power supplies and are available with several accessories and adaptations, including rear brake, optical or Hall effect encoders (1 or 2 channels), connectors and cables, as well as custom voltage, speed and power, and shaft dimensions and material. "The DCmind Brush Motor series is currently our hottest product and this brochure does a great job leaving nothing unanswered," said John Morehead, national sales manager for Crouzet Motors. "With its amazingly quiet operation and high efficiency, this motor is a true innovation, especially for applications where low noise level, long battery life and extremely long service life are critical." In addition to its low sound level, the motor meets several standards in applications for medical (IEC 60601-1), office equipment (IEC 60950), and household appliances (IEC 60335). All the DCmind Brush motors are approved in accordance with UL 10004-1 and CE, and are RoHS compliant. They come with standard IP65 levels of environmental protection and can be made available in IP67 and IP69K versions. DCmind Brush Motors can also be used in a variety of other applications such as pumps and valves in mass transportation equipment. Rare Earth Production Rises in Q4 at Molycorp's Mountain Pass Facility Molycorp, Inc. has reported that rare earth production in the fourth quarter of 2014 at its Mountain Pass, Calif. facility increased year-on-year and nearly doubled that of the preceding quarter. Mountain Pass completed Q4 of 2014 with 1,328 metric tons (mt) of rare earth oxide (REO) equivalent production. That compares to 1,034 mt in Q4 of 2013 and 691 mt in Q3 of 2014. Full year 2014 production totaled 4,785 mt, compared to 3,473 mt in 2013. Perunit cash production costs at Mountain Pass also declined sequentially in Q4 of 2014. Company officials said that the higher production volumes they expect at Mountain Pass in 2015 should coincide with relatively strong demand the Company is seeing for products such as the magnetic rare earth material Neodymium/Praseodymium, Lanthanum and Light Rare Earth Concentrate (LREC). Molycorp processes Mountain Pass LREC at vertically integrated downstream processing facilities into a variety of value-added engineered materials, including rare earth magnetic materials for multiple downstream markets and vehicle emissions catalysts that consume cerium and other materials. 26 Magnetics Business & Technology * Spring 2015 The Company said that its onsite Chlor-Alkali plant at Mountain Pass is performing well in producing hydrochloric acid (HCl), a key chemical reagent used in rare earth production at Mountain Pass. Moreover, commercial availability also has improved, such that HCl currently is no longer a significant constraint to production. Molycorp's Chlor-Alkali plant helps to lower cash production costs by generating chemical reagents onsite, reducing waste water disposal costs, and further shrinking the environmental footprint of rare earth production. Company officials reported that repairs of construction-related issues with the facility's newly expanded Leach system are ongoing. Once fully operational, that system is expected to increase rare earth production and lower operating costs. "We were pleased to see our production increase in the fourth quarter relative to the preceding quarter and year-on-year," said Geoff Bedford, president and CEO of Molycorp, Inc. "Optimization at Mountain Pass is ongoing, but our Q4 production demonstrates momentum in the right direction. Rare earth pricing softened in Q4 with market uncertainty surrounding release of final details of China's ongoing reforms to rare earth mining, separation, and export regulatory policies. However, given the relatively strong internal and external demand we are seeing for many Mountain Pass products, continuing to boost production there is a top operational priority." Significant Rare Earth Element Claim Discovery in Peru Reported RioSol SAC LLC and Compania Minera Rio Sol SAC (RioSol) has announced a significant rare earth element and poly-metallic claim discovery in Peru, with reports indicating the 10-kilometer claim as among the largest rare earth claims in Peru containing both light rare earth elements (LREEs) and heavy rare earth elements and metals (HREEs). Third-party geology and geochemical analysis indicates the claim is the largest in Peru, with further exploration warranted to further delineate the size and scale of the claim. The geology consultants leading the project were Rildo Oscar Rodriguez and a Peruvian rare earth expert, both of Lima. According to Mr. Rodriguez, "The claim is one of the newest rare earth finds in all of Latin America that contains both light and heavy rare earth elements and metals, as well as copper, zinc, aluminum and other base metals. It proves that the potential for rare earth elements exists outside of China with significant opportunity for development of new production in a mining-friendly country." Currently, approximately 90 to 95 percent of rare earth elements are located in China. Having a supply source in the Americas for commodities used today and in the future will be important for geographic diversity and commercial competition. Over the past two years, RioSol has been testing the claim, initially focused on base metals. However, rare earths were discovered in recent field explorations and assay results, and further testing was conducted. Both the rare earth geologist and RioSol general manager Max Cruz will be presenting the results of the discovery at PROEXPLO 2015, the 9th International Congress of Prospectors and Explorers in May. The claim area is located approximately 95 kilometers northwest of Cusco, Peru. Rare earth elements are a group of 17 chemical elements that occur together in the periodic table. The group consists of yttrium and the 15-lanthanide elements (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lu- www.MagneticsMagazine.com http://www.MagneticsMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Magnetics Business & Technology - Spring 2015

Editor's Choice
First-Order-Reversal-Curve Analysis of Multi-Phase Ferrite Magnets
Magnetics Design Tool for Power Applications
Magnet Inspection Tool with High Magnetic and Mechanic Accuracy
Research & Development
Electromagnetics
Software & Design
Industry News
Marketplace / Advertising Index
Spontaneous Thoughts: The Patent Challenge

Magnetics Business & Technology - Spring 2015