A U.S.-based critical materials manufacturer has begun receiving additional vacuum sintering and magnet production equipment that is expected to increase annual rare earth magnet capacity from approximately 1,000 to 10,000 metric tons. The expansion will support production of high-performance sintered magnets for defense, automotive, aerospace, and other applications.
Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. (EM&T), headquartered in Miami, Florida, has received the first 13 of 57 containers of ULVAC equipment at its Pohang, South Korea, facility. The remaining containers are scheduled to arrive by the end of October.
The equipment includes 13 ULVAC sintered magnet production systems. According to an earlier announcement detailing the purchase, ULVAC’s magnet production system include vacuum sintering furnaces, strip casting systems, hydrogen decrepitation units, and jet milling equipment.
Once the additional equipment is installed and commissioned, EM&T expects its annual rare earth magnet production capacity to reach approximately 10,000 metric tons, including 6,000 metric tons of high-performance sintered magnets.
EM&T currently has seven high-performance neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) sintered magnet grades qualified with Tier-1 OEMs and has secured non-China neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) feedstock. The company said that expansion is intended to increase production capacity as U.S. defense sourcing requirements for rare earth magnets change.
Beginning January 1, 2027, DFARS 252.225-7052 will restrict the use of certain rare earth magnets containing materials mined, refined, separated, melted, or produced in China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran in qualifying U.S. defense applications.
EM&T plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expanded Pohang operation on December 17, including magnet production demonstrations and production-line tours.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Main image: ULVAC equipment containers being loaded onto trucks at the Pohang port for delivery and installation at EM&T’s Pohang facility. Image Credit: Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp.
