Current Status of Permanent Magnet Industry in the United States

The permanent magnet industry in the United States has been declining in recent years due tooffshore competition and lack of breakthroughs in new magnet research. Although the UnitedStates represents the largest market for neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets, there are noUS Nd-Fe-B producers left; all US suppliers of this material are either distributors or value-added resellers of product produced in Asia and Europe. Primary applications includeautomotive, personal computers, commercial motors and generators, medical, meters and gauges.The production of Sm-Co magnets has been steady over the last decade primarily due to strongdemand in aerospace and military markets. Main applications include high performance specialtymotors and generators, space propulsion systems, inertial devices, medical devices, and travelingwave tubes and other high power microwave amplifiers. Alnico magnet production still exists inthe United States to address specialty applications but has been flat in recent years. In this paperwe will provide a brief review of the manufacturing activities and main permanent magnetapplications in the United States.