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ACLARA AND VAC STRENGHTHEN MINE-TO-MAGNET COLLABORATION DURING VISIT TO ACLARA’S PILOT PLANT IN BRAZIL

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VAC ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN VAC, eVAC, AND UCORE RARE METALS FOR RARE EARTH OXIDE SUPPLY AGREEMENT

TORONTO, CANADA (November 3, 2025) – VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC), a global leader in magnetic materials and technologies, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (Ucore) and e-VAC Magnetics LLC (eVAC) to evaluate a collaborative supply agreement for high-purity rare earth oxides (REOs).

The agreement is a significant step toward building a resilient North American and European supply chain for critical rare earth materials needed in the production of high-performance permanent magnets.

eVAC, a subsidiary of the VAC Group, has recently begun ramping up operations at its cutting-edge permanent magnet manufacturing facility in South Carolina, USA. Combined with VAC’s extensive permanent magnet operations in Europe, these facilities rely on rare earth oxides such as Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr), Terbium (Tb), and Dysprosium (Dy) for the production of VACODYM^® neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets, and Samarium (Sm) and Gadolinium (Gd) for VACOMAX^® samarium-cobalt (SmCo) permanent magnets.

The MoU outlines the framework for a proposed collaboration in which Ucore will supply VAC and eVAC with rare earth oxides processed at Ucore’s Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex (Louisiana SMC) in Alexandria, Louisiana, USA, and/or its Commercial Demonstration Facility in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. These facilities will produce high-purity rare earth elements including Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Samarium (Sm), and Gadolinium (Gd) – vital components in the production of advanced permanent magnets.

VAC’s CEO, Dr. Erik Eschen, commented:

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Ucore Rare Metals Inc., a Canadian company focused on the development of rare earth element projects and refining technologies. "This collaboration strengthens VAC’s and eVAC’s strategic position in the global rare earth supply chain and ensures long-term access to critical raw materials for our permanent magnet products. Partnering with Ucore reflects our commitment to sustainable innovation and securing supply resilience."

Ucore’s CEO, Pat Ryan, added:

"It's known in critical industries of defense, EV automotive and renewable energy that VAC and eVAC represent an extensive supply network with decades of experience for rare earth permanent magnet production and magnetic solutions. As such we are extremely pleased with our strategic alignment which will allow Ucore to provide critical rare earth oxides produced using Ucore's RapidSX refining technology for VAC and eVAC's growing global markets. We anticipate that joining forces to provide a complete supply chain solution, in particular for Europe and North America, will support lasting growth for years to come." 

About Vacuumschmelze (VAC)

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know-how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical, aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. VAC is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy.

More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonization impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington D.C., and Dublin. Ara Partners closed its third private equity fund in December 2023 with over $2.8 billion in capital commitments. As of June 30, 2025, Ara Partners had approximately $6.6 billion of assets under management.

For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

About Ucore Rare Metals Inc.

Ucore is focused on rare- and critical-metal resources, extraction, beneficiation, and separation technologies with the potential for production, growth, and scalability. Ucore’s vision and plan is to become a leading advanced technology company, providing best-in-class metal separation products and services to the mining and mineral extraction industry. 

Through strategic partnerships, this plan includes disrupting the People’s Republic of China’s control of the North American REE supply chain through the near-term development of a heavy and light rare-earth processing facility in the US State of Louisiana, subsequent SMCs in Canada and Alaska and the longer-term development of Ucore’s 100% controlled Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Heavy REE Project on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, USA (“Bokan”).

Ucore is listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol “UCU” and in the United States on the OTC Markets’ OTCQX® Best Market under the ticker symbol “UURAF.”

For further information, please visit www.ucore.com.

Media Contacts                                                                 

For VAC:                                                  

Dominik Kresslein
Team Lead Global Marketing       
pr@vacuumschmelze.com   

For Ucore Rare Metals Inc.:

Mark MacDonald
Vice President, Investor Relations
mark@ucore.com

VACUUMSCHMELZE Commits to Science Based Targets - Ambitious Decarbonization Strategy on the Path to Net Zero by 2050

Hanau – October 29, 2025 – VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has developed a comprehensive decarbonization strategy built on two powerful levers: the systematic reduction of its own emissions across the value chain and the acceleration of global decarbonization through advanced magnetic materials that are integral to the technologies of the energy transition.

In line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), VAC has finalized concrete climate targets and submitted them for validation. These include both ambitious near-term reduction goals and a long-term Net Zero commitment:

VAC’s Climate Targets at a Glance (Base Year: 2023)

• Near-Term Target – Scope 1 & 2: 65 % reduction in direct and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2035
• Near-Term Target – Scope 3: 40 % reduction in value chain emissions by 2035
• Long-Term Net-Zero Target: Net Zero emissions across all Scopes by 2050

“By uniting internal decarbonization with the external climate benefits of our technologies, we are driving meaningful change,” said Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VACUUMSCHMELZE. “We are reducing our own footprint while enabling significant Carbon savings through our products in areas such as e-mobility, wind and solar power. We are taking action to ensure a more sustainable future – for our customers, employees, and generations to come.”

VAC’s advanced magnetic materials make a substantial contribution to global decarbonization. At the same time, VAC is reducing its own footprint with ambitious Science Based Targets. This dual approach – cutting emissions internally while enabling external Carbon reductions with its technologies – is reinforced by a strong commitment to building a sustainable and resilient supply chain in close partnership with customers, suppliers and partners. VAC is uniquely positioned to advance the technologies that form the backbone of the global energy transition.

About VACUUMSCHMELZE

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know-how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical, aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. Vac is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy. More information is available at www.vacuumschmelze.com.

About the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

The Science Based Targets initiative is a global partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It supports companies in setting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in line with climate science and the goals of the Paris Agreement – particularly limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Organizations that commit to the SBTi undertake to develop and submit measurable, time-bound climate targets for independent validation. These targets must be consistent with the most recent climate science and contribute to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy.

By aligning with the SBTi, VAC strengthens its role as a responsible corporate citizen and reliable partner in the decarbonization of global industries. The company continues to invest in energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy sourcing, and sustainable supply chain practices to achieve its ambitious environmental goals.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonization impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington D.C., and Dublin. Ara Partners closed its third private equity fund in December 2023 with over $2.8 billion in capital commitments. As of June 30, 2025, Ara Partners had approximately $6.6 billion of assets under management.

For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

Media Contacts                                                    

For VAC:                                           

Dominik Kresslein                             

Team Lead Global Marketing       

pr@vacuumschmelze.com            

For Ara Partners:

Amanda Meador / Zach Harris

Prosek Partners

Pro-AraPartners@prosek.com

Cyclic Materials and VACUUMSCHMELZE Expand Partnership

Hanau / Toronto - October 22, 2025 – VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC), a leading developer of magnetic materials and solutions, today announced an expansion of its partnership with Cyclic Materials, the advanced recycling company creating a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials.

The companies have signed a 10-year exclusive agreement for recycling 100 percent of the magnet production by-products (i.e. swarf) that will be produced at VAC’s impressive new manufacturing facility in Sumter, South Carolina, scheduled to begin operations end of 2025. This extended partnership builds on the 2024 agreement between both companies that ensures efficient recycling of critical materials used in high-performance permanent magnets.

VAC produces neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) rare earth magnets, which are essential to automotive, defense, industrial and renewable energy applications. Through this extended agreement, VAC also strengthens its commitment to circularity with the option to reintegrate recycled Mixed Rare Earth Oxides (rMREOs) from Cyclic Materials into its own production processes.

“We are pleased to expand our partnership with Cyclic Materials to further support the circular economy for critical materials essential to the energy transition,” said Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VACUUMSCHMELZE. “The addition of this new contract for our South Carolina facility strengthens our ability to localize the recovery and reintegration of REEs back into our production. By continuing to leverage Cyclic Materials’ innovative recycling processes alongside our advanced magnet manufacturing, we are collectively ensuring a sustainable and high-purity feedstock for high-performance magnets to meet current and future industrial demand.”

Cyclic Materials raised $57 million in its Series B equity round last year, backed by global industry leaders like Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW iVentures, Jaguar Landrover’s InMotion fund, and specialized funds such as Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures and Fifth Wall. Together, these investments position Cyclic Materials as a key partner for companies seeking sustainable and circular supply chain solutions, particularly in the automotive and data center industries.

The company recently announced its move into the US with its plans to open a facility in Mesa, AZ, which underscores the critical role Cyclic Materials plays in advancing sustainable supply chains as it expands its footprint across North America with plans to establish operations into Europe in the future. 

“At Cyclic Materials, our mission is to recover critical materials from permanent magnets that can be put back into the magnet supply chain to reduce the reliance on traditional mining methods and overseas sources,” said Ahmad Ghahreman, co-founder and CEO of Cyclic Materials. “With the extension of our partnership with VAC, we’re collectively building more momentum towards our goal of building a North American supply chain. VAC brings not only a reliable source of raw materials for extraction but also decades of expertise in rare earth magnet technology. Together we are making the circular economy a reality.” 

Established in 2021, Cyclic Materials’ proprietary technologies are capable of economically and sustainably recovering critical raw materials from end-of-life electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, MRI machines, and data center electronic waste. Over the years, the company has forged strategic partnerships with key industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Synetiq, and VACUUMSCHMELZE to recycle magnets containing REEs and establish a circular supply chain. 

About Vacuumschmelze (VAC)

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know-how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical, aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. Vac is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy.
More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonization impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington D.C., and Dublin. Ara Partners closed its third private equity fund in December 2023 with over $2.8 billion in capital commitments. As of June 30, 2025, Ara Partners had approximately $6.6 billion of assets under management.
For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

 About Cyclic Materials

Cyclic Materials, founded in 2021, is a cleantech company building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials essential to the clean energy transition. Its innovative technology transforms end-of-life products into valuable raw materials used in EVs, wind turbines, and electronics. In 2023, the company launched a commercial demo facility using its MagCycle℠ process to recover rare earth magnets. In 2024, it opened a second facility in Kingston, Ontario, producing Mixed Rare Earth Oxide via its REEPure℠ hydrometallurgical process. With demand for REE-based magnets surging, Cyclic Materials is scaling globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Mesa, Arizona, is its first U.S. location. In recognition of its pioneering work, it was named the #8 Most Innovative company in North America by Fast Company in 2025. 
Learn more at http://www.cyclicmaterials.earth/.

Media Contacts           

For VAC:                                        For Cyclic Materials:

Dominik Kresslein                         Jacquie Kane

+49 6181 38-0                               +1 978-764-7840

pr@vacuumschmelze.com            cyclicmaterials@antennagroup.com

VACODYM 902 TP – Heavy Rare Earth Free Permanent Magnets

VACODYM^® 902 TP – Heavy Rare Earth Free Permanent Magnets

Next-Generation Permanent Magnets: Sustainable, Powerful, and Resource-Efficient

Global reliance on critical raw materials – especially heavy rare earths such as Terbium (Tb) and Dysprosium (Dy) – pose increasing challenges for key industries such as aerospace, industrial automation, electromobility, and other mission critical applications.  Volatile raw material costs and market uncertainty are placing considerable pressure on global supply chains.  This underscores the critical importance of developing alternative supply chains and establishing domestic, bespoke processes – from metallization to magnet production. Additionally, there is a growing need to reduce reliance on heavy rare earth elements wherever feasible.

VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC), a global leader in advanced magnetic materials with over 40 years of experience of manufacturing NdFeB, proudly introduces its latest innovation in the field of rare-earth permanent magnets.

VACODYM^® 902 TP

With VACODYM^® 902 TP, we present our latest high-performance Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) alloy that is entirely free of heavy rare earths (HRE) – without compromising magnetic performance. 

This alloy is part of our proven VACODYM^® 90X family, a series of NdFeB grades optimized for reduced Terbium and Dysprosium content and excellent magnetic performance. Among them, VACODYM^® 902 TP stands out as it is completely HRE‑free and offers maximum flexibility and highest resilience regarding raw material sourcing.

At room temperature, VACODYM^® 902 TP reaches a remanence of ≥ 1.40 Tesla and a coercivity of ≥ 1190 kA/m, making it the material of choice for high-performance applications that also demand maximum sourcing flexibility and long-term security.

A key advantage: 100% license-free, established and resilient supply chain from mine to magnet. This gives our customers a reliable, geopolitically independent alternative to existing HRE-based solutions – a vital step toward resilient supply chains and a sustainable product strategy.

Why choose VACODYM^® 902 TP?

·         Use for high-efficiency electric motors and generators  (e.g., in electric vehicles, robotics, automation, renewable energy)

·         Future‑proof sustainability – no HRE added

·         Supply chain resilience – 100% production in the western world

More to come:

VAC continues to pioneer next-generation HRE-free NdFeB magnets. Development is underway to achieve even higher performance – with remanence up to 1.45 T and coercivity of 1280 kA/m – still without any heavy rare earth content.

Please contact us – together, we can shape the future of rare earth magnet technology by introducing improved alloy compositions and a resilient supply chain. 

For more information or to discuss application-specific solutions, please contact:

info@vacuumschmelze.com

VACUUMSCHMELZE joins UK’s flagship CirculaREEconomy project

VACUUMSCHMELZE joins UK’s flagship CirculaREEconomy project to secure sustainable magnet supply chain

Agreement aims to establish a sovereign, first-of-kind based rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) supply chain

Hanau, 18 July 2025 – VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC), a global leader in the production of rare earth permanent magnets and advanced magnetic solutions, is proud to announce its strategic participation in the UK Government-backed “CirculaREEconomy” initiative. The £11 million program, funded by the UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), aims to establish a sovereign, first-of-kind UK based rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) supply chain.

As part of the consortium, VAC will manufacture high-performance permanent magnets at its German facilities, based on the specifications of major automotive OEMs including Ford, Bentley, and Wrightbus.

"We are proud to contribute to this groundbreaking initiative, which marks a significant step towards a resilient and independent European magnet supply chain," said Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VACUUMSCHMELZE. "Our longstanding expertise in magnetic materials and product innovation will play a key role in ensuring that the magnets produced meet the highest technical and sustainability standards."

The CirculaREEconomy project pioneers a long-loop recycling model, recovering critical rare earth elements such as Neodymium, Dysprosium, and Terbium from end-of-life magnets for reuse in new electric motors. This closed-loop supply chain model is designed to reduce dependence on non-European sources and mitigate risks related to global market concentration.

Led by Ionic Technologies, the consortium includes leading partners from across the value chain: EMR (European Metal Recycling), Less Common Metals, the British Geological Survey (BGS), Bentley, Ford, and Wrightbus. VAC will work in close collaboration with these partners to deliver tailor-made magnetic solutions for next-generation e-mobility applications.

"The future of electrification depends on secure, high-performance, and sustainable material supply chains. Through this partnership, we are taking a significant step towards resource sovereignty and climate-conscious innovation in Europe," added Dr. Erik Eschen.

IonicRE Managing Director, Mr Tim Harrison stated: “As we saw with recent developments in the United States, changes are now occurring in the rare earth sector, and we believe our magnet recycling technology can be a big enabler in creating near term resilient rare earth capacity in the West.”

APC CEO, Mr Ian Constance said: “This funding award aligns perfectly with our commitment to transform the automotive sector through innovative zero-emission and Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) vehicle technologies. By continuing to prioritise collaboration between industry, government, and academia, we can support research and development, vehicle innovation, and unlock capital investment in manufacturing plants and their wider supply chains.”

To learn more, please visit https://ionicre.com/ and www.vacuumschmelze.com

About Ionic Rare Earths Ltd

Ionic Rare Earths Limited (ASX: IXR or IonicRE) is an emerging miner, refiner and recycler of sustainable and traceable magnet and heavy rare earths needed to develop net-zero carbon technologies. Ionic Technologies International Limited (“Ionic Technologies”), a 100% owned UK subsidiary, has developed processes for the separation and recovery of rare earth elements (REE) from mining ore concentrates and recycled permanent magnets. Ionic Technologies is focusing on the commercialisation of the technology to achieve near complete extraction from end-of-life / spent magnets and waste (swarf) to high value, separated and traceable magnet rare earth products with grades exceeding 99.5% rare earth oxide (REO). The Makuutu Rare Earths Project in Uganda, 60% owned by IonicRE, is well-supported by existing tier-one infrastructure and is on track to become a long-life, low Capex, scalable and sustainable supplier of high-value magnet and heavy REO. IonicRE has also executed a transformational 50/50 joint venture refinery and magnet recycling facility in Brazil with Viridis Mining and Minerals Limited (ASX: VMM) to separate high value magnet and heavy rare earths from the Colossus Project’s full spectrum of REOs. This integrated strategy completes the circular economy of sustainable and traceable magnet and heavy rare earth products needed to supply applications critical to EVs, offshore wind turbines, communication, and key defence initiatives. For more information about IonicRE and its operations, please visit www.ionicre.com.

About Vacuumschmelze

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know-how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical, aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. More information is available at www.vacuumschmelze.com. VAC is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy.

About Ara Partners

Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonization impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Dublin. Ara Partners closed its third private equity fund in December 2023 with over $2.8 billion in capital commitments. As of March 31, 2025, Ara Partners had approximately $6.0 billion of assets under management. For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

Media Contacts

For Ara Partners:

Amanda Meador / Zach Harris

Prosek Partners

Pro-AraPartners@prosek.com

VAC and Torngat Metals announce strategic partnership

VAC Magnetics joins WEMPEC as a Corporate Sponsor

VAC Magnetics joins WEMPEC as a Corporate Sponsor

Hanau – We are proud to strengthen our partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison by joining the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC) as a corporate sponsor.

WEMPEC is a world-renowned technology center recognized for pioneering research in power engineering, electric machines, and generators. As a member, VAC is excited to collaborate with leading researchers and industry partners on innovations that will shape the next decade of technology.

Through this partnership, we are supporting the next generation of engineers while gaining insight into emerging trends in: electromagnetic interference (EMI), actuators, motor drive, motion control, and drive applications.

Together, we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in power electronics and electric machine development.

Announcement from General Motors and VACUUMSCHMELZE

HANAU – General Motors (GM) is taking another major step forward in creating a strong, sustainable and scalable supply chain for electric vehicles. Today, VAC and GM announced plans for VAC to build a plant in the U.S. that will manufacture permanent magnets for the electric motors used in the GMC HUMMER EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Silverado EV and more than a dozen other models using GM’s Ultium Platform. The new plant would plan to use locally sourced raw materials.

VAC is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic materials and the largest producer of permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere with nearly 100 years of experience.

“We are building a resilient and sustainable EV manufacturing value chain in North America from raw materials to components to drive GM’s growth and support a mass market for EVs,” said Shilpan Amin, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain.  "Our work with VAC is another bold step forward that will help ensure that we meet our goal to lead the EV industry in North America in more than just sales.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with GM on this journey into an increasingly electrified world, leveraging sustainable clean energy solutions. As VAC’s Permanent Magnet Division is the only industrial scale producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere, VAC brings reliable scale and experience to GM’s supply chain. VAC’s deep magnetic materials knowledge and extensive e-mobility technology expertise, in partnership with GM, will enable a cleaner global future for our communities,” said Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC.

The plant is expected to start production in 2024 and create hundreds of new jobs. The location of the facility will be announced at a later date. The finished magnets will be delivered to facilities building EV motors for GM’s Ultium-powered EVs.

Magnets are at the heart of an EV motor. Within the motors, an electric coil generates a magnetic field to push against strong magnets, creating the torque that propels a vehicle’s wheels. A GMC HUMMER EV powered by GM’s Ultium platform may have as many as three motors with up to 15,590 in newton-meters (11,500 lb.-feet) of torque – all of which is available to the driver on demand. This allows the GMC HUMMER EV to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just three seconds.

A non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been completed. VAC and GM expect to finalize definitive agreements in early 2022.

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic materials as well as rare earth permanent magnets and inductive components. With extensive application know how and 98 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical and aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com

General Motors (GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at www.gm.com

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Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact. Forward-looking statements represent our current judgment about possible future events and are often identified by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “appears,” “approximately,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “designed,” “effect,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “initiative,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “priorities,” “project,” “pursue,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “when,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of any of those words or similar expressions. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results, and our actual result may differ materially due to a variety of important factors, many of which are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10 Q, and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law.

On the road to an electric future

HANAU – VAC announced today a binding long-term supply agreement with GM for North America permanent magnet production – another major step forward to create a strong, sustainable and scalable supply chain for electric vehicles. As a part of the agreement, VAC will build a facility in North America to manufacture permanent magnets for the electric motors used in a broad portfolio of EVs, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Blazer EV and Equinox EV, the Cadillac LYRIQ, the GMC Sierra EV, and the GMC HUMMER EV SUV and Pickup. The new facility will use locally sourced raw materials. The binding agreement finalizes a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) VAC and GM announced in December 2021.

With 100 years of experience, VAC is a leading global developer and producer of advanced magnetic solutions. Additionally, VAC is the largest producer of rare-earth NdFeB permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere.

“The demand for rare earth permanent magnets and supporting technologies is intensifying at an unprecedented rate as the world shifts to sustainable clean energy. VAC is extremely excited to be partnering with General Motors to take this important step to ensure the realization of GM’s all-electric future”, said Dr. Alexander Barcza, VAC Vice President Permanent Magnets.

VAC is in the process of establishing a North American rare-earth permanent magnet production facility to support GM for a minimum period of 10 years. The finished magnets will be delivered to facilities building EV motors for GM within North America.  The VAC facility is expected to start production in 2025 and create hundreds of new jobs.

“Our agreement with VAC for permanent magnet production in North America represents another major milestone in building a strong, secure, sustainable and cost-competitive supply chain to support our EV growth”,
said Jeff Morrison, GM Vice President, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain.

“GM’s leadership in recognizing the need to develop a resilient North American supply chain creates additional resources to ensure all regions of the world will have sufficient access to core elements and technology to pivot to a cleaner global future. We are thrilled to be a part of it”, said Scott Pelhank, VAC Vice President Sales.

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical and aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com

General Motors (GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at www.gm.com

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact. Forward-looking statements represent our current judgment about possible future events and are often identified by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “appears,” “approximately,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “designed,” “effect,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “initiative,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “priorities,” “project,” “pursue,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “when,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of any of those words or similar expressions. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results, and our actual result may differ materially due to a variety of important factors, many of which are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10 Q, and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law.

ACLARA announces strategic alliance with VAC

ACLARA ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH VAC TO DEVELOP PERMANENT MAGNET SUPPLY CHAIN

TORONTO, ON (July 09, 2024) – Aclara Resources Inc. (“Aclara” or “Company”) (TSX: ARA) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG ("VAC"), which establishes a non-binding, non-exclusive, preliminary agreement, to: jointly approach potential clients as a “mine-to-magnets” solution for ESG compliant permanent magnets (the “Preliminary Agreement”).

 Aclara and VAC believe that there is a significant market opportunity driven by the rising demand for electric vehicles (“EVs”), wind turbines, and other clean technologies that require rare earth permanent magnets produced pursuant to ever-increasing ESG standards. Such permanent magnets require significant quantities of both light and heavy rare earth minerals. Currently, obtaining these rare earth mineral materials whilst also having the capacity to process them, combined with the industrial technology needed to fabricate permanent magnets, is very limited and concentrated among a few Asia-based suppliers. This supply/demand dynamics results in a promising background to develop a new, resilient, ESG-focused supply for permanent magnets.

 The strategic alliance between VAC and Aclara is unique due to Aclara being one of the very few potential suppliers of Dysprosium and Terbium, two highly coveted heavy rare earth minerals which are key in the production of permanent magnets and are not easily available outside of Asia. Aclara is currently developing two ionic clay projects, one in Chile and another in Brazil, for the production of a high-purity heavy rare earth carbonate. In addition, the Company is developing processing technology through its US-based subsidiary to be able to receive this carbonate and produce with it magnetic alloys.  These alloys, in turn, are the key input required by VAC to produce permanent magnets.

VAC is considered the largest producer of rare earths magnets outside of Asia, with more than 40 years of experience in magnet making technology. VAC, whose main permanent magnet facility is located in Hanau, Germany, recently executed a contract with General Motors (GM) to supply GM with permanent magnets by building a new magnets’ plant in the State of South Carolina, United States.

Accordingly, each of Aclara and VAC are strategically positioned to collaborate to build a reliable long-term solution to supply high-performance permanent magnets to power EV motors and other technologies for our global clients.

Agreement Structure and Next Steps

The collaborative relationship between Aclara and VAC is not structured as a legal entity. Instead, each of the parties will engage in collaborative efforts, in a relationship characterized as (i) preferred supplier-purchaser and (ii) cooperation on marketing, customer relations, and related matters. Highlights of a number of the collaborative next steps include but are not limited to:

·         VAC’s intention to support the further development of Aclara’s rare earth metals and alloys existing joint venture project with CAP S.A., by providing product specification requirements to produce the high-performance permanent magnets used in EVs;

·         the intention of both parties to jointly analyze the mine to magnets cost structure to develop an optimal cost-effective solution for potential customers; and

·         the intention of both parties to jointly approach potential new customers and present them with a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution to secure geopolitically independent and ESG responsible permanent magnets.

VAC’s CEO, Erik Eschen, commented:

“We are thrilled to announce the fortification of our partnership with Aclara, a frontrunner in the development of ionic clay mines in South America. This collaboration is aimed at streamlining the supply chain for rare earth elements, specifically Dysprosium and Terbium. These elements play a pivotal role in the decarbonisation of the transportation sector and the generation of renewable energy. By joining forces with Aclara, VAC is committed to tackling one of the most pressing issues of our era. Our joint efforts not only create value for our customers and shareholders but also contribute significantly to the well-being of our planet.”

Aclara’s CEO, Ramon Barua, commented:

“This strategic alliance is expected to offer great synergies to both Aclara and VAC as it combines a clean source of heavy rare earths with the technology needed to convert those resources into actual products. It is the first step towards solving a real need in the market, as the transition to electric vehicles requires new rare earths supply chains, which are currently not being addressed in a comprehensive manner. This strategic alliance will create value for VAC, Aclara, OEMs and for our planet, as we will be closer to achieving our climate change goals in a sustainable manner.”

About Vacuumschmelze

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components. With extensive application know-how and 100 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical and aerospace. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. More information is available at www.vacuumschmelze.com. VAC is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a global private equity firm that is decarbonizing the industrial economy. 

About Acara

Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX: ARA) is a development-stage company that is focused on heavy rare earth mineral resources hosted in Ion-Adsorption Clay deposits. The Company’s rare earth mineral resource development projects include the Penco Module in the Bio-Bio Region of Chile and the Carina Module in the State of Goiás, Brazil.

Aclara's rare earth extraction process offers several environmentally attractive features. Circular mineral harvesting does not involve blasting, crushing, or milling, and therefore does not generate tailings and eliminates the need for a tailing’s storage facility. The extraction process developed by Aclara minimizes water consumption through high levels of water recirculation made possible by the inclusion of a water treatment facility within its patented process design. The ionic clay feedstock is amenable to leaching with a common fertilizer main reagent, ammonium sulfate. In addition to the development of the Penco Module and the Carina Module, the Company will continue to identify and evaluate opportunities to increase future production of heavy rare earths through greenfield exploration programs and the development of additional projects within the Company's current concessions in Brazil, Chile, and Peru.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company’s current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to, among other things, the Company’s expectations including statements with regard to, among other things, the Company’s strategic investments and partnerships, the current and future valuation of the Company, the economic effect of the Preliminary Agreement, the success of its and its subsidiary’s development projects and the Company’s expectations as to the partnership and the transactions contemplated thereby.   Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual information form dated as of March 22, 2024 filed on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile. Actual results, timing, performance, achievements or future events or developments could differ materially from those expressed or implied herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Ramon Barua
Chief Executive Officer

investorrelations@aclara-re.com

Media Contacts                                                          

For VAC:                                               For Aclara:

Dominik Kresslein                                  Ramon Barua

Ara Partners acquires VACUUMSCHMELZE

ARA PARTNERS ACQUIRES VACUUMSCHMELZE, LEADING GLOBAL ADVANCED MAGNETIC MATERIALS PRODUCER

Sole Western Manufacturer of Sintered NdFeB Electric Vehicle-Grade Permanent Magnets
Poised to Meet Significant Demand for High-Quality, High-Performance Magnetic Materials Critical to the Global Energy Transition

HOUSTON and HANAU, GERMANY – October 10, 2023 – Ara Partners ("Ara"), a private equity firm that specializes in industrial decarbonization investments, today announced that it has acquired Vacuumschmelze (“VAC”), a leading global producer of advanced magnetic materials and the largest producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere, from funds managed by Apollo. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

VAC is a vertically integrated magnetic solutions provider that designs and manufactures mission-critical soft and hard magnetic materials for a wide variety of industrial applications across the automotive, renewable energy, industrial automation, medical and aerospace sectors. VAC is poised to meet the significant and growing global demand for hard-to-replace, high-quality magnetic materials critical to the energy transition given its more than 100-year history of excellence in commercial innovation, hundreds of patents protecting its robust technical know-how and tailored product designs, and longstanding partnerships with industry-leading blue-chip customers. VAC is headquartered in Germany, with manufacturing facilities in Slovakia, Finland, China, and Malaysia.

VAC is the only Western manufacturer of sintered NdFeB EV-grade permanent magnets. In January 2023, VAC entered a long-term agreement with General Motors (“GM”) to build a facility in North America to manufacture permanent magnets, using locally sourced raw materials, to supply the electric motors used in a broad portfolio of GM electric vehicles. Through permanent magnet sales for use in EVs alone, VAC has the potential to catalyze the abatement of a gigaton of CO2E in the next five years.

Tuan Tran, Partner at Ara Partners, commented, “We are thrilled to acquire VAC, the premier Western producer of high-performance magnetic materials and a key enabler of electrification and energy efficiency across massive global industries. We believe the demand for VAC’s differentiated, customized products will continue to grow rapidly as companies around the world decarbonize their industrial processes and the electrification of mobility advances, and we look forward to leveraging our expertise to further enable VAC’s continued success. We are excited to collaborate with Erik Eschen and VAC’s talented, deeply experienced management team, and to support the company’s next stage of growth as it expands its manufacturing capabilities in North America to drive the decarbonization of transportation.”

Erik Eschen, Chief Executive Officer of VAC, said, “We are excited to partner with Ara Partners, which has a strong track record of working closely with management teams across the industrial economy to create value while achieving meaningful decarbonization benefits. Ara and VAC will capitalize on significant growth opportunities for soft and hard magnetic solutions alongside our loyal partners and customers. In addition, we will accelerate work towards building our rare earths value chain, pursuing a range of strategic growth opportunities to establish a robust supply chain for EV manufacturing in the Western World.”

Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal counsel to Ara Partners. Barclays acted as financial advisor to VAC. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Ashurst LLP acted as legal counsel to VAC.

About Vacuumschmelze
AC is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic solutions, rare earth permanent magnets, and inductive components that are crucial for the decarbonization of our planet. With more than 100 years of application know how and experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical and aerospace. VAC's unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner. More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com

About Ara Partners
Ara Partners is a private equity firm focused on industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors, seeking to create companies with significant decarbonization impact. It operates from offices in Houston, Boston and Dublin, Ireland. As of June 30, 2023, Ara Partners had approximately $4.4 billion of assets under management. For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.

About Apollo
Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three investing strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of June 30, 2023, Apollo had approximately $617 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

VAC is part of the European Raw Material Alliance

At the end of September, the European Commission launched the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA). The aim is to create an economically resilient and environmentally friendly Europe and to ensure a sustainable supply of raw materials. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is proud to be part of this alliance and to make a contribution.

The importance of raw materials is crucial for the security, sustainability and industrial leadership of the EU. Europe is currently heavily dependent on countries with less stringent environmental, social and human rights standards and less stable economies. Due to the increase in electric mobility and renewable energies, the demand for critical raw materials will increase significantly in the future. Demand for rare earths in particular is expected to tenfold by 2050. This also applies to VAC, which, together with its Finnish subsidiary Neorem Magnets Oy, is one of the only manufacturers of rare earth permanent magnets in the western hemisphere.

In the first phase, the alliance will focus primarily on rare earth and permanent magnets, which are required for many technologies, drive growth and thus secure millions of jobs as the engine of the economy. Other metals and minerals will follow in the subsequent phases. The entire value chain, from the mining of raw materials to recycling, is always examined and included.

Innovative permanent magnet production - Interlinked Production

Highest quality efficiently manufactured

Automation and innovation of manufacturing processes are vital contributions towards strengthening a competitive cost structure. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has reached another milestone by implementing "Interlinked Production" for the manufacturing of NdFeB magnets – improving both quality and production costs.

Interlinked Production represents a step-change in the way VAC produces NdFeB magnets. The European manufacturer of RE magnets has now the capabilities to transfer pressed magnets from a central feeding station across the entire shop floor into a continuous sintering furnace automatically. By using conveying belts that operate under oxygen-free conditions, VAC produces VACODYM® magnets with even higher quality.

Automatic handling units at the presses package the magnets into a new type of sealed transport packaging. This reduces the contact with air even further, when the magnets move the short distance from the presses to the central feeding station. The focus is on an almost vibration-free shuttle technology, resulting in reduced mechanical damage.

The subsequent sintering process is also carried out under exclusion of oxygen. Combined, this yields increased uniformity of the magnetic properties and improved shape accuracy. The consistent use of RFID technology allows the acquisition of all necessary information to achieve further quality improvements.

"Production behind the glass pane, without direct access to the product, poses particular challenges in terms of system availability, reliability and modularity," enthuses Philipp Strodt, Head of Industrial Handling in R&D. "With the implementation of Interlinked Production, we have laid the foundation for optimizing other process chains as well".

EMC solutions as plug & play products

Nanocrystalline Standard Series

The use of electric motors in the automotive sector is constantly increasing. In line with this trend, the resulting EMC problems are increasing, although these are often only detected in later phases of product development or even in close-to-production test setups. This promotes the demand for quickly available products that enable short-term EMC solutions and do not incur product-specific tooling or qualification costs. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) offers exactly this solution with its standard series of toroidal cores and inductive components.

The tape-wound cores and inductive components qualified according to AEC-Q200 are based on the nanocrystalline, soft magnetic material VITROPERM^®. Compared to conventional ferrite solutions or other amorphous materials, nanocrystalline VITROPERM offers a variety of advantages. The technical parameters allow a very compact design. Therefore the EMC solution can be used in a wide variety of applications even in small existing installation spaces.

The permeability values for toroidal cores are µ 30,000 and µ 100,000, for oval cores they are µ 30,000 and µ 70,000. In addition, the cores have a high saturation flux density of 1.2 T and can be used almost temperature-independently in a range from -40° C to +150°C. In the standard VAC series, ring and oval cores as well as current compensated chokes for common mode suppression are available in different dimensions and permeability levels. Thus, the VITROPERM cores and chokes of VAC's test setups can be realized easily and product development can be accelerated significantly.

Joining forces against Corona

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is supplying the Swiss based Maxon Group with its PERMENORM 5000 V5 for Maxon’s Brushless EC 22 DC motor. These motors are used in respiration therapy devices, which are urgently required for COVID-19-patients around the globe.

VAC was able to more than triple its output for this very specific product in a matter of days. Deliveries initially planned for the end of October are being delivered starting in June. VAC’s global supply chain and product management teams made this happen through their tremendous levels of personal commitment.

Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC states: “We are proud to be part in the fight against COVID-19. I would like to thank Maxon for its longstanding trust in VACUUMSCHMELZE and our incredible VAC team that always stays committed to keeping the global supply chain intact during these challenging times.”

Magnetism on Prescription

The requirements for permanent magnets are just as manifold as the applications for them. The advantages of VACODYM include a particularly high energy density at room temperature, a high coercive field strength and correspondingly an extreme stability against demagnetizing fields. This permanent magnetic material based on neodymium, iron and boron is ideally suited for applications in medical technology, where the requirements are particularly high.

VACODYM is also characterized by the highest energy densities available today and a particularly high remanent flux density. For applications where, depending on the requirements, sophisticated magnet systems are used, VAC offers the highest material and manufacturing competence. The combination of excellent magnet and coating qualities paired with highest precision in the positioning of the individual magnets enables extraordinary quality in a wide range of applications.

Magnets and complex magnet systems can be found in miniature systems for heart pumps, blood pumps or cochlear implants. In dental implants they are a durable, reliable alternative to adhesive bonding and dental motors are brought up to speed with magnets. Imaging systems can also be constructed compactly and maintenance-free thanks to the highly remanent materials

"The applications for VACODYM are as broad as the spectrum of our alloys. In combination with our manufacturing expertise, we can therefore offer the optimum solution for every application, from single magnets or ready-to-install assemblies," says Michael Putz, Product Manager Permanent Magnets at VAC. 

Commom mode chokes for highest load currents

Sustainable mobility and renewable energies

Smaller, lighter and fewer losses - these demands are familiar in power electronics. Space and costs can be saved with VACOCOIL. The new manufacturing process for VACOCOIL chokes uses shaped copper bars that are placed on the core instead of the conventional heavy wire winding. This allows a cost-effective production which also takes into account the highest demands on technical cleanliness and process capability.

VACOCOILs are used as common mode chokes and are characterized by a significantly improved attenuation at frequencies above 1 MHz, a minimized winding capacity and up to 10 times improved impedance at 10 MHz. For the application in a High Power Charger (HPC) for charging electric vehicles, VAC developed a 250 A choke with a 12 mm bar diameter. The chokes are characterized by highest permeability and lowest losses in combination with excellent thermal properties. Therefore, depending on the individual design, these chokes are suitable for load currents up to several hundreds of ampere. In addition to charging equipment for electric vehicles, these chokes are used directly inside of electric vehicles for low weight and compact design. Additionally, VACOCOIL can also be used in high-performance inverters for wind and solar power systems. 

"VACOCOIL is a cost-optimized solution for numerous industrial applications with superior technical characteristics. We are proud that we have developed this manufacturing process, which enables us to offer chokes with unique properties", says Susanne Ganz, Product Manager ECA at VAC.

Solar energy on the rise

The worldwide acceptance of photovoltaics is growing, the systems are easy to install, the costs for solar power are falling and the number of new installations is rising again. In the development of the necessary inverters, the trend is towards higher switching frequencies and, as a result, towards smaller and more cost-effective components. The new 75 A current sensor from VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) fits exactly into this picture, as it is the most compact current sensor in its class.

The EMC-optimized sensor is designed for a nominal current of 75 Arms, the size is only 13.7 x 22.2 mm. The large measuring range extends to 240 Arms and achieves an accuracy of 0.8 %. Minimum DC offset with very low hysteresis, low rise time, high clearance and creepage distances as well as a wide frequency range also characterize this sensor. The sensor has five primary connections and, like the entire series, is red-phosphorus-free. Besides solar inverters, the current sensors are used in frequency converters, uninterruptible power supplies and wind turbines.

 "We are pleased to have added another sensor to our series of compact closed-loop sensors," says Nico Schöniger, Product Manager ECA at VAC. "This will enable us to meet the demand for sensors for higher nominal currents."

From traditional diesel to modern electric car

Copper coolers in automobiles are currently experiencing a renaissance after aluminium coolers dominated the market for a long time for price reasons. The reason for this is the use of IGBT modules in electric or hybrid-electric vehicles, which require very efficient heat dissipation for reliable operation.  Amorphous copper-based brazing foils made of VITROBRAZE^® make the production of such highly efficient copper coolers possible.

VITROBRAZE stands for 100% metallic brazing materials based on nickel, nickel-iron or copper - free of organic binders. The brazing foils are characterized by simple, uncomplicated processing as well as outstanding flow properties and uniform brazed joints of outstanding quality. They are ideally suited for flat, rectangular geometries with narrow cooling channels, without having to use flux or extract combustion gases from the organic binders. Thus, particularly compact and efficient coolers can be brazed in a health-friendly way.

The copper-based VITROBRAZE alloys VZ2250 and VZ2255 are primarily used for joining copper and brass heat exchangers in industrial and automotive applications. They are available as strip and can be adapted to the required geometry by cutting to length or punching. For use in automated production and assembly steps, preforms can be easily produced, reducing scrap and increasing production efficiency. In some cases it is also possible to replace expensive silver-containing brazing alloys with copper-based VITROBRAZE brazing foils. All this allows the construction of thermally high performant copper coolers at low manufacturing costs.

"The traditional market for copper coolers has been expanded to include IGBT coolers with the emerging of electric or hybrid electric vehicles. We are in contact with all major automotive suppliers worldwide and are already represented in the first models in IGBT coolers with our copper-based VITROBRAZE alloys", says Dr. Julia Hahn, Product Manager for amorphous materials.

Interview with VAC for the 98th anniversary of the company

Germany is the country of hidden champions. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has been on the official list of these top companies for years and is better known among specialists in certain industries than among the general population. Even though everyone has something of VAC in everyday use - in their smartphone, in their car or even in their clothes, to name just three examples. With its innovative materials, components and solutions VAC is one of the companies that makes many products and technologies possible in the first place - and has been doing so for 98 years now. This anniversary is one more reason to take a look behind the scenes of VAC to find out what the company has achieved for people and industry and what inventive spirit we can expect for the future. We talk about this with Dr. Ralf Koch, VP Research & Development, who is driving VAC’s success together with his 180-strong team.

Dr. Koch, what exactly does the VAC do?

VAC mainly manufactures products for electro magnetics. Simply said, we develop metallic high-quality alloys and solutions that have special physical properties. Our specialized magnetic materials can mostly be found in electronics that drive the megatrends of e-mobility, e-flight and smart manufacturing. This sounds very theoretical, but if you consider that such technology is required in every electronic part or device, you can get a feeling for the relevance and spread of our products.

For 98 years, VAC has been one of the companies that has had a major influence on technological developments worldwide and has enabled or helped to develop many of the things we take for granted every day. How did it come to this?

Our origins make us special. We developed a process to melt metals in a vacuum several years before our actual founding, in 1923. This opened up completely new technical possibilities, which exist until today and are still being used. Alloys melted with this process were able to replace the standard solutions of the time, which until then had been made of extremely rare materials such as platinum or rhodium. Until today, these alloys can be found in an incredible number of finished products.

In the early days of VAC's history, our technologies enabled the development of temperature probes and radio tubes, light bulb wires and components for electric heating elements. Today, our products are used, for example, in electric motors for high-speed turbomolecular pumps required in semiconductor manufacturing. Also high-quality mechanical watches from Switzerland, achieve the required highest precision through the use of our alloys.

Groundbreaking VAC inventions of the past are still important and essential today. With what has VAC had a particularly lasting impact on the world?

For more than 2 decades, we have been producing, for example, the basis for reliable anti-theft protection in the retail sector, with our special foils that are hidden in product packaging or even sewn into high-quality clothing. The principle of electronic article surveillance is relatively simple in application. Security labels are attached to the products. At the store exits, these react to a magnetic field. Unless they have been deactivated at the checkout, they trigger a warning signal when the product leaves the store.

Communication via ISDN technology, which was the standard technology at the turn of the millennium, was also essentially based on core components such as VAC's UK0 transformer - and as we all know, ISDN technology was a decisive step towards today's digital private and business life.

In addition, high-tech requirements have evolved over the last decades. We are also significantly involved in this. Today, there is no fuse box, car, plane or train that could be working reliably without the use of electro magnetic alloys.

Increasing electrification in all industries is a hot topic for us. The mitigation of electromagnetic interference in industrial electronics and in vehicles as well as the rapid further development of electric motors require a variety of new products. In the meantime, the development and manufacture of components for high-performance electric motors and generators are part of our core competence.

Without our technology, charging an electric car would be less safe, wireless charging of a smartphone would not be possible or clean energy generation from wind, solar and hydropower would be less efficient.

What has made VAC so successful for 98 years?

In my opinion the high material competence, the application know-how and our manufacturing expertise. Our advantage lies in the fact that we do not only supply special alloys but also products that can be integrated by our partners and customers into their solutions without further processing. This is only possible with highly specialized, motivated and above all innovative thinking employees. Without our luminaries and the freedom in development and fundamental research, this innovative power would not be possible. Our knowledge has been built up and passed on for 98 years. Many of our employees have been with VAC for their entire professional lives. Projects such as the development of alloys for the security labels described earlier or the support of the development of the solar airplane "Solar Impulse" become more or less a personal passion, which we as VAC always enable and support.

This expertise also enables us to collaborate closely and conduct joint research with institutions such as the Paul Scherer Institute, CERN in Geneva and many other universities or research institutes.

And yet, to this day, VAC remains a hidden champion ...

 Yes, this is typical for the components industry. The end user cannot buy our products directly and in most cases cannot even see them. Nevertheless, many millions of people around the world have our products in daily use or are at least beneficiaries. This does have its advantages. Compared to the very well-known companies, we can focus much more on research, development and production instead of mainly satisfying the global stock markets. In addition, our success proves us right.

Let us talk about the future. VAC is at the forefront in many industries, for example in the hot topic of e-mobility. What role do you play in current innovations?

Modern electro mobility is one of the fields that benefits from our developments. Mostly, people think of the core components for particularly efficient and powerful electric motors for electric cars. However, electro mobility is much more than cars or public transport. We conduct research, development and also supply components for high-end areas such as Formula 1, Formula E, the Hyperloop, for electric aviation projects such as the Solar Impulse or the first autonomous and fully electric air taxis. We were and are significantly involved in these developments.

Some technologies from these research and high-end projects will later find mainstream use and become normal and affordable for everyone. We have developed a new high-performance alloy for broader use in road-legal electronic vehicles. Additionally, it will play an important role in the development of electric flying - with reduced use of valuable cobalt. More than 30 automotive manufacturers worldwide - including some of the newcomers - are already using our products in their vehicles. 

Now, however, with electro mobility we are also talking about ever greater currents and thus also increased electromagnetic interference, which must be damped. Because without optimized electromagnetic shielding by our nanocrystalline alloys, for example, flawless transmission of data in the vehicle or exchange with the radio network would not be possible. Imagine interference with navigation during autonomous driving. That would have catastrophic consequences. VAC products are also required for reliable shielding at ever-higher currents and voltages.

Because electro mobility has so many advantages, the enormous consumption of electrical energy must not be forgotten. This is one of the reasons why we have also been a core supplier in solar, wind and hydro energy for more than 20 years. Especially when it comes to measuring direct and alternating currents using our high-precision current sensors. Just recently, we were awarded with an innovation prize by the German trade journal "Design & Elektronik" for our innovative high-current sensor. This can be used in large wind turbines, which are located in the open sea more and more.

What can we expect from VAC in the coming years?

There is still a lot to develop and VAC is an active part in this process. We have been committed to sustainability for many years, long before it became a buzzword. We have developed a technology that makes it possible to generate cold very efficiently using magnetic materials. Personally, I have a special wish. For VAC's 100th birthday, I would like to see a refrigerator that uses magnetocaloric cooling. This refrigerator would require significantly fewer components, less energy and, above all, no refrigerants that are harmful to the climate. We have been developing this technology for some time now. The technology exists and works. I am convinced that it will not take long until we see such a refrigerator on the market. To this end, we are in very close development and industrialization cooperation with partners.

Another field of development is medical technology. Here we enable important research and development work with our unique VACOSHIELD cabins. Inside this cabin you are completely isolated from any fields, including the earth's magnetic field. The Paul Scherer Institute has measured the lowest geomagnetic field influences ever in the world in our shielding cabin. This is the basis for important medical research and treatments, such as for strokes or Alzheimer's disease and in every research where brain activities have to be measured very precisely. There is currently strong demand for this technology around the world.

Innovation is in the DNA of VAC. How do you manage that?

Many of the innovations we have developed were initially special solutions that are now widely used. We originate in the area of materials development and often get our impulses from there. We use these materials to develop products that are not finished with melting. VAC is also very strong in partnerships with other companies. One example is the cooperation with the German company Bender. The aim was to develop a product for electrical safety when charging electric vehicles. In the event of a fault - when residual currents occur - a sensor should independently cause the system to shut down. Both VAC and Bender had important knowledge and crucial components for a solution to this issue. Together, we developed the benvac sensor, which is now involved in almost every charging process of an electric vehicle.

More than 20 manufacturers of charging infrastructure equipment (charging pole, wallbox, cable, etc.) rely on the patented solution of the two medium-sized companies Bender and VAC. Currently, our customers are building a network of over two million charging stations for electric cars. Without our sensors, fast charging with high currents would not be possible and would be less safe.

Do you want to remain a hidden champion?

We are modest, but proud of what we create and like to share our enthusiasm with others. This is one of the reasons why we are speaking today. I also think that in a modern society, people should know how things, that they use every day, work. In addition, I am proud that in a global world, a European company from Germany plays the key role in so many areas. We are not one of the world's famous rock stars, but we're right up there with them, helping many of the rock stars to achieve their success. That makes us proud.

Finally, a personal question: Which project or product has grown particularly close to your heart over the years?

One part is certainly electro mobility - also electric aviation and our new types of alloys are particularly important to me. I see groundbreaking changes here, and we have a lot to contribute to them. I am also proud of applications in the area of dual-clutch transmissions. Here our permanent magnets with very tight tolerances ensure that the position of the transmission can be measured precisely.

Besides, it's often the little things that are special. For example, on a vacation in South Africa, I held an ostrich egg in my hand that had a theft security label with VAC technology on it. That was an incredible experience and shows how diversely things can be used all over the world. Sometimes even where you do not expect them.

Dr. Koch, thank you very much for the fascinating interview and the insights into a company that few know and whose products are used by everyone.

Announcement from General Motors and VACUUMSCHMELZE

HANAU – General Motors (GM) is taking another major step forward in creating a strong, sustainable and scalable supply chain for electric vehicles. Today, VAC and GM announced plans for VAC to build a plant in the U.S. that will manufacture permanent magnets for the electric motors used in the GMC HUMMER EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Silverado EV and more than a dozen other models using GM’s Ultium Platform. The new plant would plan to use locally sourced raw materials.

VAC is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic materials and the largest producer of permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere with nearly 100 years of experience.

“We are building a resilient and sustainable EV manufacturing value chain in North America from raw materials to components to drive GM’s growth and support a mass market for EVs,” said Shilpan Amin, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain.  "Our work with VAC is another bold step forward that will help ensure that we meet our goal to lead the EV industry in North America in more than just sales.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with GM on this journey into an increasingly electrified world, leveraging sustainable clean energy solutions. As VAC’s Permanent Magnet Division is the only industrial scale producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere, VAC brings reliable scale and experience to GM’s supply chain. VAC’s deep magnetic materials knowledge and extensive e-mobility technology expertise, in partnership with GM, will enable a cleaner global future for our communities,” said Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC.

The plant is expected to start production in 2024 and create hundreds of new jobs. The location of the facility will be announced at a later date. The finished magnets will be delivered to facilities building EV motors for GM’s Ultium-powered EVs.

Magnets are at the heart of an EV motor. Within the motors, an electric coil generates a magnetic field to push against strong magnets, creating the torque that propels a vehicle’s wheels. A GMC HUMMER EV powered by GM’s Ultium platform may have as many as three motors with up to 15,590 in newton-meters (11,500 lb.-feet) of torque – all of which is available to the driver on demand. This allows the GMC HUMMER EV to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just three seconds.

A non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been completed. VAC and GM expect to finalize definitive agreements in early 2022.

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is a leading global producer of advanced magnetic materials as well as rare earth permanent magnets and inductive components. With extensive application know how and 98 years of experience in material science and product development, VAC designs and manufactures mission critical solutions for a wide variety of industries, including renewable energy, e-mobility, automotive, industrial automation, medical, aerospace and defense. VAC’s unique ability to develop and manufacture from base elements through final products enables us to provide customers optimal form factors and performance, generating best in class efficient solutions in an environmentally conscious manner.  More information at www.vacuumschmelze.com

General Motors (GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at www.gm.com

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Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact. Forward-looking statements represent our current judgment about possible future events and are often identified by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “appears,” “approximately,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “designed,” “effect,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “initiative,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “priorities,” “project,” “pursue,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “when,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of any of those words or similar expressions. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results, and our actual result may differ materially due to a variety of important factors, many of which are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10 Q, and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law.

Promotions of our Asian Colleagues

Promotions of our Asian Colleagues 

We are pleased to announce personnel changes within our VAC Asia team. These changes became effective on August 1, 2021. Those promotions directly reflect our colleagues’ continuous efforts in promoting VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) and their products, as well as the ongoing success in building strong and long-term reliable partnership with our customers in the respective regions.

We congratulate Mr. Peter Pei to his new position as Director of Asia. Peter has extensive knowledge of our largest Asian customers with his over 20 years’ experience at VAC. Peter’s most recent role was Senior Field Application Manager for Asia Pacific. During Peter’s tenure at VAC, we have seen consistent growth in the Asia region where he has provided significant contributions. Peter’s technical and commercial leadership experience will serve him and VAC well as he transitions into his new role as Director of Asia. 

We also congratulate Ms. Yanyan Li, who will take over as the Country Manager for China. Yanyan began her career at VACUUMSCHMELZE as Senior Sales Engineer. Throughout her time at VAC she has consistently operated to a high professional standard developing and managing effective teams to drive commercial success at every phase. Most recently, she served as Regional Sales Manager for north and southwest of China prior to accepting the position of Country Manager for China.

VAC is proud to have such talented individuals within our organization, and is committed to nurturing and supporting our colleagues to achieve personal and professional success. We are confident Peter and Yanyan will build upon their respective successes and experience in their new positions, and congratulate them on their well-deserved promotions.

Versatility is the key

Current transformers for charging infrastructure

Current transformers have already been used for many years in multifunctional electronic energy meters, so-called smart meters, where they ensure the requirements of both, a decentralized energy supply (including photovoltaics, wind, and smart grid) and a timely exchange of data between energy suppliers, grid operators and consumers. A new application is in stationary charging stations for electric vehicles.

In industrial electricity meters for 1 A (5 A), a measuring transformer is usually connected indirectly to the network to be monitored. Its output current of 1 A or 5 A is measured by a metering device in which the CT module is integrated. Charging stations for electric cars, on the other hand, draw their high power directly from the supply grid. If the current is mapped indirectly, i.e. by means of instruments transformers as described above, the compact 3-fold module is particularly suitable for space-saving use in a corresponding measuring device.

The footprint of only 36 x 28 mm combines three precision current transformers with primary bars and makes optimum use of the available space. Electrical safety is included, because the module is designed according to IEC 61800. The clearance and creepage distances defined there between the primary and secondary sides are controlled by a 100% high-voltage test and a type test with 6 kV (1.2/50 µs) surge voltage, as well as at least 750 V_rms partial discharge extinction voltage.

"Our current transformer module T60404-E4629-X503, nicknamed "Piano," not only saves valuable space in the application, but also assembly and logistics costs," says Dr. Stefan Lehmann, Product Manager Installations. "Instead of three individual power transformers, our customers can rely on just one component. And we have something big in mind for next year, a 32 A module will be added to our product range."

VAC supports AIR RACE E

Air Race E is a revolutionary form of Air Racing with the first ever all-electric airplane race. The future of aviation is green, and Air Race E is setting the pace in electric aviation with the world first electric airplane race.

VAC is a leading solution provider of high performance stator and rotor solutions for electric motors.  We are the only company in the industry that has complete in-house capability from proprietary advanced materials through full rotor-stator assemblies spanning cobalt-iron and permanent magnet solutions. 

VAC is no stranger to racing, supporting leading teams in Formula 1 and Formula E racing for many years.  We are particularly proud of supporting the AMZ student team in 2016 with our technology to set the Guinness World Record for acceleration of an electric vehicle using VAC component.  A record that still remains untouched today! VAC has taken solutions from the track to leading innovators in the aerospace and automotive industries to develop the most efficient high performance electric motors for green transportation.

“We are looking forward to use our combined experience from electric vehicles, motorsports and electric aviation to support the teams of Air Race E. We want to bring latest technology and high performance components to the series to make it fast, efficient and sustainable.”
Hendrik Borgmeier, Head of Global Marketing & Communication at VAC

The first race of Air Race E will go ahead in 2022. Eight planes will race wingtip-to-wingtip in pure exhilarating action around an oval circuit. The spectacular, quick, and action-packed race will see speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph) around a tight circuit just 1.5 km end-to-end. The first race series will go ahead in 2022.

98 years of VAC success story

The German innovation forge VACUUMSCHMELZE celebrates 98th company anniversary

The Hanau-based company VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) will celebrate its 98th anniversary on July 1, 2021, and can look back on almost a century of success with many inventions and innovations that have played a major role in industry and everyday life to this day. Since 1923, VACUUMSCHMELZE has been a specialist company for metallic alloys and solutions that have special physical properties. Radio and radio tubes, incandescent lamps or heating elements, for example in irons, would not have been possible without VAC's products. Today, with more than 4,500 employees, 180 of them in R&D and in five worldwide subsidiaries, the company researches, develops and produces alloys and the products made from them. These solutions are indispensable in areas such as medical technology, electronics, climate-neutral energy generation and e-mobility, and make a significant contribution to the development of new and modern branches of industry.

"We can look back at an impressive history of which all VAC employees can be very proud. Almost one hundred years ago, our founder laid the foundation for countless further developments and innovations with his inventions and patents. Until today, VACUUMSCHMELZE is one of the important innovation drivers for the further development of state-of-the-art technologies, which accompany the industry and society in a long-term and sustainable way", Dr. Ralf Koch, VP Research & Development at VACUUMSCHMELZE, is pleased to say.

Current lighthouse projects of VACUUMSCHMELZE include, for example, special components for electric-powered aircraft prototypes (Solar Impulse or autonomous and fully electric air taxis), core components for e-car charging stations, high-performance drives in racing (Formula 1 and Formula E), components for particularly efficient power generation from wind, water and solar energy or for medical technology.

VACUUMSCHMELZE announces partnership with EuroGroup

US Footprint Expansion

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) announces its partnership with the EuroGroup to establish local production within the Americas (USMCA). The two companies have invested in production and expanded development capabilities within the United States to enhance their support to key customers in Aerospace, Automotive, Medical, and Industry as it relates to electric motor and generator applications. This expansion of VAC’s soft magnetic alloy capability including cobalt iron stator solutions coupled with EuroGroup extensive stamping and manufacturing expertise provides a locally integrated supply chain of high performance solutions to USMCA customers.

VAC is globally recognized for being the one-stop-shop for motor manufacturers. It is unique in its depth of value creation, being the only manufacturer of high performance magnetic alloys, such as cobalt iron material, that processes the material in-house into ready-to-use stator packages. Being also the biggest producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the western hemisphere makes VAC also unmatched in its breadth as it also features stator- and rotor-systems using its own rare earth magnets technology. The companies’ magnetic solutions for electric motors come with the highest energy densities and provide the basis for the world's most powerful electric motors. VAC’s customer-base comprises the world leaders in Aerospace, Automotive, Renewable Energies, Industry and many more.

‘We highly appreciate the trust in our capabilities from VAC. We are convinced that this partnership will realize growth opportunities for both companies and strengthen our footprints likewise.’ states Marco Arduini, CEO of EuroGroup.

‘We fully recognize the importance of the US market when it comes to the innovation and design of energy efficient electric motors. We are convinced we have the right partner with EuroGroup in order to meet the mission critical expectations of our customers. With this partnership, we utilize the strength of both companies while maintaining full process control and keeping responsibility in our hands in order to deliver VAC technology made in the USA.‘ says Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC.

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is among the world’s most innovative developers of magnetic materials, inductive components and other related products. With a global network of Sales and Field Application Engineers, VAC designs and manufactures tailor-made solutions for a wide variety of industries, comprising renewable energies, automotive, industrial automation installation technology, and aviation.

For more information visit: vacuumschmelze.com

EuroGroup S.p.A. is the industrial holding company that coordinates and controls the companies of the group, which supply manufacturers of electric motors and generators. Thanks to its wide range of technologies, it can offer its customers dies, equipment, blanked components, die cast rotors and assembling of finished parts for prototypes and series production. EuroGroup assists its customers during the development of their products, recommending the technologies most appropriate to their requirements.  For more information visit: euro-group.it

VACOMAX 262 TP sets new benchmarks

The demands on the automotive industry to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles with internal combustion engines and hybrid electric vehicles is ever increasing. How to reach the necessary technological improvements to achieve climate targets is an ongoing issue. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) contributes to this goal with the introduction of the new permanent magnet grade VACOMAX^® 262 TP. This samarium cobalt alloy is the optimum choice for electric turbochargers for internal combustion engines as well as high-speed permanent magnet motors for air-compressors needed for hydrogen fuel cells.

 Air-compressors and electric turbochargers achieve more than 100 000 rpm and in combination with the requirement for low latency, this results in application temperatures of around 200 °C. VACOMAX 262 TP provides not only excellent high-temperature properties, in comparison to all currently available SmCo magnets it is also characterized by a much higher energy density, leading to most compact system sizes.

Due to VAC’s unique high yield single part pressing technology, VACOMAX 262 TP is available for the high volume demands of the automotive industry. In many applications, the high rotational speeds lead to mechanical stresses in the rotor. Remedy for these are metal or carbon fiber bandages that protect the brittle material. The assembly of bandaged and balanced rotors is a further competence that distinguishes VAC, as well as the complete in-house capability from material development to rotor assemblies.

„The ability to control the fuel-to-air-ratio with an electric turbocharger during combustion leads to cleaner engines. In addition, a more dynamic driving experience through the elimination of the turbo-lag makes electric turbocharging an attractive auxiliary device for the car industry. VAC has a the optimum magnet grade for each scenario of application.", says Alex Barcza, Product Manager Permanent Magnets. "We are happy to contribute to cleaner engines and therefore to a cleaner environment.“

In Search of the Neutron Dipole

Perfect Magnetically Shielded Room

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), located in the Swiss canton of Aargovia, are on the trail of the electric dipole moment of the neutron. For their measurements, VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC) recently installed a walk-in shielding room at PSI. This room has the smallest magnetic field and the best shielding against electromagnetic fields in the world.

The scientific experiment partly addresses fundamental physics questions: the physicists want to find a neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM). The search for the nEDM is very difficult, since it must be unimaginably small (smaller than 1.8 x 10^-26 e-cm, according to current knowledge). Nevertheless, the effort is worthwhile: the nEDM can provide the answer to the question why there is almost no antimatter in the visible universe.

VAC is not only characterized by the extraordinary know-how in the development and construction of the shielding booths, the used high permeable alloys are completely manufactured in-house. MUMETALL^® is characterized to possess the highest permeability of all crystalline materials thus is ideally suited to magnetic shielding. The MSR (Magnetically Shielded Room) for PSI is a seven-shell cabin with external dimensions of 5 x 5 x 4.8 m. A total of 80 feedthroughs with diameters ranging from 55 - 220 mm were placed. The inner booth has a usable space of approx. 2.9 x 2.9 x 2.9 m and has three doors, the largest of which measures 2.6 x 2.6 m. All doors have a mass in the ton range, and a total of about 25 t of the highly permeable MUMETALL material was used.

"We have built the world's best shielding room of this size," says Bernhard Lauss, project manager of the experiment: "We shield the static magnetic field from the outside by a factor of a hundred thousand, and the shielding increases to over a billion times even at very low frequencies. And Klaus Kirch, head of the Laboratory for Particle Physics at PSI and professor at ETH Zurich adds: "There are arrangements with an even higher shielding factor, but they are much smaller, too small to carry out our experiment. Among the walk-in facilities, we have by far the weakest magnetic field realized anywhere in the world." Inside the chamber, the researchers measure a residual magnetic field of less than 150 picotesla (10^-12 tesla). By comparison, the Earth's magnetic field is several hundred thousand times stronger at 30 to 60 microtesla (10^-6 tesla).

Photo: Courtesy of Paul Scherrer Institute/Markus Fischer 

Using the power of the sun safely

Dl current sensors for PV systems

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) developed a completely new differential current sensor series to fulfill the requirements of the largest available photovoltaic string inverters on the market. In addition, this series already meets the requirements of future developments of high-power inverters above 255 kW and is thus a sustainable solution that enables string inverters of the next generation.

The trend in PV string inverters for large solar power plants is towards higher power classes. The currently largest inverters have an output of 255 kW and the trend in development points to a further increase of output. This requires current sensors with a higher current capability. The new VAC differential current sensor series T60404-N4647-P98x was specially developed to fulfill the requirements of string inverters from 80 kW to 255 kW and upcoming developments. The newest models of this sensor are designed for phase currents up to 200 A_rms. Designs are available with integrated primary conductors for PCB mounting or with pass-through opening. The large inner hole for primary conductors of 35 mm x 16.5 mm enables individual solutions for different customer requirements. For upcoming string inverter developments, it will be possible to increase the current capability of this series to even higher phase currents > 200 A_rms.

Differential current sensors are used in the RCMU (Residual Current Monitoring Unit) in PV inverters. Leakage currents represent safety risk and thus impact the whole system. When the leakage current exceeds the limit acc. to IEC 62109 the inverter should shut down and disconnect. Therefore, the current sensors need to detect very small leakage currents while very high phase currents must not affect them. Hence, VAC sensors have a metal screen against external fields and several self-optimizing functions. This allows measuring the differential current with an excellent accuracy. The total measurement error is ≤ 1.5 % (@ IPN, 25 °C). The existing models measure a differential nominal current of IΔN = 1 - 3 A_rms (tailored to IEC 62109) and have a measuring range of 1.7 - 5 A_PEAK.

"Our new differential current sensor series enables next generation solutions in power electronics. Moreover, the design offers a high flexibility and will be easy to integrate in our customers application solutions." says Nico Schoeniger, Product Manager for Energy Conversion and Automation.

Reduced to highest performance

Efficient attenuation with VITROPERM 550 HF

VITROPERM^® 550 HF is the name of the latest development in the family of nanocrystalline alloys, which are characterized by excellent magnetic properties in the high-frequency range. The innovative material enables next-generation components with optimized size and weight at highest noise suppression, especially in the HF range. 

With VITROPERM 550 HF it was possible to optimize all magnetic core properties. The result is a material with excellent performance, especially in the HF range (> kHz) with a high permeability of IµI ~ 20,000 - 100,000 (10 kHz) and low losses of only 50 W/kg at 100 kHz (0.3 T).
VITROPERM 550 HF shows its superior properties as part of a common mode choke in solar inverters, wind turbines, switch mode power supplies, frequency converters and charging units for battery charging in electromobility.

Due to the improved HF performance, VITROPERM 550 HF enables reduced volume and weight (up to 60 %) compared to previous nanocrystalline solutions. In addition, the new material offers great advantages in use as a power transformer in many applications due to the significantly reduced losses.
Thus, either the costs can be reduced or the performance of the system can be improved in the same installation space, since either substantially less material is required or the attenuation is significantly increased. In some cases, a higher EMC class can be obtained as a result. The new material is available as a core in several standard sizes as well as in customer-specific dimensions or as a common mode choke. All details about VITROPERM 550 HF can be found at https://vacuumschmelze.com/VITROPERM550HF.

"This alloy enables our customers to achieve cost and volume advantages or to significantly increase the attenuation of their design", says Susanne Ganz, Head of Product Management ECA at VAC. "This allows us to markedly improve many of our customers' existing designs and prepares us for new, more compact designs".
 

VAC wins innovation award in two categories

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has been awarded the "Innovator of the Year" award by the trade magazine "Design & Elektronik" in two different categories with two products at the same time.

In the passive components category, VACUUMSCHMELZE received first place for its VACODUR^® 49 cobalt-iron alloy. This alloy is used for laminations in stator systems and finds its application in electric drives. VACODUR 49 demonstrates its superior characteristics particularly in aerospace applications: Improved flux control can increase power density by 30%. As a result, torque and maximum power can be increased or volume and weight can be reduced. Therefore electric motors with significantly more power can be realized.

With its most compact high-current sensor for DC and AC rated currents over 1,000 A, VAC also made it to first place in the measurement technology category. This ultra-compact high-current sensor delivers high measurement accuracy for a rated current of 1,700 A. At an ambient temperature of 20°C, this generation of high current sensors enables a measuring range I_{P, max} above 3,400 A. At lower rated currents, this measuring range increases again. A maximum measuring error of 0.5% is therefore guaranteed over the entire measuring and temperature range. In addition, this high current sensor is the first with a MOSFET class D output stage, which enables a higher compensation current with lower power dissipation.

In many applications, more favorable and compact solutions are now possible. It is now also possible to replace an oversized current sensor with 2,000 A rated current with the VAC solution.

Image source: Andreas Juranits/WEKA Fachmedien

VAC wins innovation award in two categories

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has been awarded the "Innovator of the Year" award by the trade magazine "Design & Elektronik" in two different categories with two products at the same time.

In the passive components category, VACUUMSCHMELZE received first place for its VACODUR^® 49 cobalt-iron alloy. This alloy is used for laminations in stator systems and finds its application in electric drives. VACODUR 49 demonstrates its superior characteristics particularly in aerospace applications: Improved flux control can increase power density by 30%. As a result, torque and maximum power can be increased or volume and weight can be reduced. Therefore electric motors with significantly more power can be realized.

With its most compact high-current sensor for DC and AC rated currents over 1,000 A, VAC also made it to first place in the measurement technology category. This ultra-compact high-current sensor delivers high measurement accuracy for a rated current of 1,700 A. At an ambient temperature of 20°C, this generation of high current sensors enables a measuring range I_{P, max} above 3,400 A. At lower rated currents, this measuring range increases again. A maximum measuring error of 0.5% is therefore guaranteed over the entire measuring and temperature range. In addition, this high current sensor is the first with a MOSFET class D output stage, which enables a higher compensation current with lower power dissipation.

In many applications, more favorable and compact solutions are now possible. It is now also possible to replace an oversized current sensor with 2,000 A rated current with the VAC solution.

Image source: Andreas Juranits/WEKA Fachmedien

Revolutionizing SiC Applications: new Gate Drive Transformer

Setting New Standards in Speed, Efficiency, and Loss Reduction for the Future of Electronics

Revolutionizing SiC Applications: new Gate Drive Transformer

[Hanau] – VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC), a leading manufacturer of high-quality inductive components, is excited to announce the launch of its latest gate drive transformer, the T60403-F5046-X102. This innovative component is specifically designed for silicon carbide (SiC) applications, setting new standards in speed, efficiency, and loss reduction.

Silicon carbide semiconductors are increasingly used in next-generation hardware developments due to their higher switching frequencies and lower losses. These advantages lead to volume reduction and increased efficiency. However, the demands for ultra-fast switching speeds and very high switching frequencies in excess of 100 kHz pose a challenge for component design. The new T60403-F5046-X102 gate drive transformer is engineered to meet these challenges, offering fast switching, high efficiency, and low losses.

 The T60403-F5046-X102 gate drive transformer boasts several outstanding features that make it ideal for modern, high-performance applications. It offers lower coupling capacitance, with a value of less than 8 pF, minimizing interference and optimizing performance. Despite its compact design, the transformer provides high power density and insulation strength, making it suitable for space-saving designs. Additionally, it has a large voltage-time area, enabling effective handling of high voltages in compact configurations. The transformer also features lower leakage inductance, which enhances efficiency and reduces losses. Furthermore, the turns ratio of the transformer is adaptable, allowing it to be adjusted to meet specific requirements.

 "With the new T60403-F5046-X102 gate drive transformer, we provide a tailored solution for the growing demands of SiC applications," said Simone Schwarz, Product Manager Energy Conversion & Automation at VAC. "Our innovations ensure that our customers benefit from faster, more efficient, and lower-loss switching operations."

New acceleration record thanks to cobalt-iron alloys from VAC

New acceleration record thanks to cobalt-iron materials from VAC

Better and better!

HANAU - For more than a decade, VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has been supporting teams from Formula Student Electric with VACSTACK® sheet metal packages for electric motors. This year, the third world record was already achieved with these systems - in an incredible 0.956 seconds from 0 to 100 Km/h.

VACODUR^® 49, a cobalt-iron material from VAC, enables a torque increase of typically up to 30 % compared to conventional electrical steel sheets. Thanks to the patented VACSTACK technology, the tightest tolerances and a sheet thickness of only 50  μm can be realized. Although the packing density is 98%, the insulation between the tape layers is ensured in order to achieve the lowest eddy current losses.

"We congratulate the entire AMZ team and look forward to further cooperation for the next season," says Ute Fecher-Petzold, Product Manager and Application Specialist at VAC.

VITROPERM 550 HF cores for advanced EMC solutions in industrial applications

HANAU – VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is expanding its product portfolio of EMC cores made of the new nanocrystalline material VITROPERM^® 550 HF.

Compared to EMC ferrites and conventional nanocrystalline alloys, VITROPERM 550 HF has significantly improved high-frequency behavior without compromising the saturation behavior. Compared to previous nanocrystalline EMC solutions, VITROPERM 550 HF allows either a significant reduction in volume and weight (up to 60 %) or significant increase in high frequency attentuation (>100 kHz) for the same size.

With these new EMC cores, VAC offers an optimized solution for

•             The ongoing request for more compact & lightweight systems.

•             The use of SiC and GaN as wide bandgap semiconductors in power electronics. By using these semi-

conductors, interfering currents with higher amplitudes occur and the spectrum is shifted to higher frequencies. This change in electromagnetic interference confronts many manufacturers with new challenges which can be solved by innovative materials such as VITROPERM 550 HF.

The new VITROPERM 550HF EMC cores are available from 9.8 mm to 102 mm nominal outer diameter. Customized dimensions and permeability levels are available upon request. Furthermore, the new cores can also be used to quickly design suitable common mode chokes.

The plastic housings are suitable for direct winding and provide good mechanical protection for the nanocrystalline material. The plastic materials meet the requirements of UL94V-0 / HB (UL file number: E41871), Class B (130 °C).

"With these cores we offer our customers an innovative and quickly available solution for modern EMC filters,” says Nico Schöniger, Product Manager for Industrial Solutions. “This enables the development of highly efficient systems and speed up product development".

VACUUMSCHMELZE celebrates anniversary

A century full of innovations
VACUUMSCHMELZE celebrates anniversary

HANAU - It all began with an ingenious idea by Dr Wilhelm Rohn, head of the Physical Experimental Laboratory at W. C. Heraeus GmbH in Hanau. In 1913, he developed a process for melting metals in a vacuum. The aim was to replace precious metals such as platinum or rhodium, which were in high demand on the world markets and therefore expensive, with cheaper non-precious metals such as chrome-nickel alloys.

The new vacuum melting process made it possible to produce temperature measurement devices much more cheaply and in larger quantities and with the same requirement profile for the material properties. Dr. Rohn and his team were also researching pure, clean iron to replace the increasingly scarce copper.

The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 put a stop to further development work, and it was not until 1917 that the Heraeus engineers were able to resume their experiments. Just one year later, the "Process for the Vacuum Melting and Tempering of Metals and Alloys" was patented under the number DE345161. It was only a matter of time before an independent company was set up to produce vacuum-melted non-precious metals.

On 01.07.2023, VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) will celebrate its 100th birthday, a day to look back, but also to look forward to the future. Many challenges have been mastered and new products developed over the years. The goal has always been to be smaller, lighter, more efficient and more sustainable than others. In the course of the company's history, these efforts have already been recognized several times with awards, and in 2022 the development achievements were even honored with two awards at once - VAC received the Hessian State Prize for Energy for environmentally friendly cooling with CALORIVAC^® and the "Hessen Champion" award in the category of world market leader for the material VITROPERM^®, which enables groundbreaking products for electromobility, photovoltaics and a variety of other applications. With all the current trends in development, be it renewable energy, electromobility or smart production, we enable our customers to push technical boundaries with their products and make the world a better place.

Reason enough for a celebration to which, in addition to the employees and their families, the Lord Mayor of Hanau Claus Kaminsky and the granddaughter of the company founder Dr. Grit Berner-Rohn were invited. In their speeches, both emphasized the innovative spirit, the developments of VAC and the incomparable team spirit of the VAC family.

The approximately 4,500 guests enjoyed a relaxed day with delicious food and drinks on Saturday, 1 July. Musical entertainment was provided by the VAC company choir and two bands, Pfund and Revolte Tanzbein. The evening ended with an impressive drone show.

Award for outstanding development

At the 2015 eCarTec show, VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) was presented with the Bavarian State Award for Electric and Hybrid Mobility in the “Energy Storage & Infrastructure” category. The Munich event is the world’s largest international trade show for electric mobility. The new type of differential current sensor, developed by VAC in partnership with Bender GmbH & Co. KG, successfully beat off strong international competition to bring the award to VAC’s home state of Hesse.

The Bavarian State Award for Electric and Hybrid Mobility attracted 100 entries from a total of nine countries, which were narrowed down to 21 finalists in five categories. In the final round, VAC’s DI sensor was able to secure the decision of the panel of experts that made up the jury. The new AC/DC-sensitive differential current sensor module is used in residual current monitoring units for charging stations and their charging cables. It reliably measures AC currents of < 30 mA and DC currents of < 6 mA. The module makes an important contribution to safety, protecting users from coming into contact with residual current in cases such as cable insulation faults – which can cause injuries or even fatalities. The new product has good prospects of soon becoming an integral safety element in future generations of charging systems for electric and hybrid vehicles.

This was the seventh time that Munich Expo GmbH and the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media had presented the eCarTec Award. The award, which is unique throughout the world, is aimed at promoting electric mobility and helping this drive technology to achieve widespread adoption. The competition is directed at companies that have marketed exceptional products and innovative technologies.

VACUUMSCHMELZE announces partnership with EuroGroup

US Footprint Expansion

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) announces its partnership with the EuroGroup to establish local production within the Americas (USMCA). The two companies have invested in production and expanded development capabilities within the United States to enhance their support to key customers in Aerospace, Automotive, Medical, and Industry as it relates to electric motor and generator applications. This expansion of VAC’s soft magnetic alloy capability including cobalt iron stator solutions coupled with EuroGroup extensive stamping and manufacturing expertise provides a locally integrated supply chain of high performance solutions to USMCA customers.

VAC is globally recognized for being the one-stop-shop for motor manufacturers. It is unique in its depth of value creation, being the only manufacturer of high performance magnetic alloys, such as cobalt iron material, that processes the material in-house into ready-to-use stator packages. Being also the biggest producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the western hemisphere makes VAC also unmatched in its breadth as it also features stator- and rotor-systems using its own rare earth magnets technology. The companies’ magnetic solutions for electric motors come with the highest energy densities and provide the basis for the world's most powerful electric motors. VAC’s customer-base comprises the world leaders in Aerospace, Automotive, Renewable Energies, Industry and many more.

‘We highly appreciate the trust in our capabilities from VAC. We are convinced that this partnership will realize growth opportunities for both companies and strengthen our footprints likewise.’ states Marco Arduini, CEO of EuroGroup.

‘We fully recognize the importance of the US market when it comes to the innovation and design of energy efficient electric motors. We are convinced we have the right partner with EuroGroup in order to meet the mission critical expectations of our customers. With this partnership, we utilize the strength of both companies while maintaining full process control and keeping responsibility in our hands in order to deliver VAC technology made in the USA.‘ says Dr. Erik Eschen, CEO of VAC.

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is among the world’s most innovative developers of magnetic materials, inductive components and other related products. With a global network of Sales and Field Application Engineers, VAC designs and manufactures tailor-made solutions for a wide variety of industries, comprising renewable energies, automotive, industrial automation installation technology, and aviation.

For more information visit: vacuumschmelze.com

EuroGroup S.p.A. is the industrial holding company that coordinates and controls the companies of the group, which supply manufacturers of electric motors and generators. Thanks to its wide range of technologies, it can offer its customers dies, equipment, blanked components, die cast rotors and assembling of finished parts for prototypes and series production. EuroGroup assists its customers during the development of their products, recommending the technologies most appropriate to their requirements.  For more information visit: euro-group.it

benvac protects charging infrastructure from fault currents

The number of registrations of electrically powered vehicles is rising continuously and the demand for charging points and wall boxes is booming. The estimated annual growth rates are over 40%, driven by the expansion of public charging infrastructure, especially for DC charging stations. The all-current sensitive differential current sensor benvac of VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) ensures reliable residual current monitoring and system shutdown in the event of electrical hazards.

benvac already detects residual currents from 5 mA DC and 20 mA AC according to IEC 62752 and/or UL 2231 standards and is characterized by outstanding measuring accuracy with a resolution of only 0.2 mA. The small and robust sensor is protected against external magnetic fields for use in harsh electrical environments. It is available in various mechanical versions: with through-hole openings or primary conductors in various configurations. In addition to wall boxes and charging stations (charging mode 3), the sensor is also used in the safety shutdown of the IC-CPD (In-cable Control and Protection Device) in charging mode 2.

"We are feeling the boom in electromobility from the sharp rise in worldwide demand for the benvac sensor." says Benjamin Zeiger, Product Management Energy Conversion & Automation at VAC, "Our broad standard portfolio offers solutions for all applications.”

Commom mode chokes for highest load currents

Sustainable mobility and renewable energies

Smaller, lighter and fewer losses - these demands are familiar in power electronics. Space and costs can be saved with VACOCOIL. The new manufacturing process for VACOCOIL chokes uses shaped copper bars that are placed on the core instead of the conventional heavy wire winding. This allows a cost-effective production which also takes into account the highest demands on technical cleanliness and process capability.

VACOCOILs are used as common mode chokes and are characterized by a significantly improved attenuation at frequencies above 1 MHz, a minimized winding capacity and up to 10 times improved impedance at 10 MHz. For the application in a High Power Charger (HPC) for charging electric vehicles, VAC developed a 250 A choke with a 12 mm bar diameter. The chokes are characterized by highest permeability and lowest losses in combination with excellent thermal properties. Therefore, depending on the individual design, these chokes are suitable for load currents up to several hundreds of ampere. In addition to charging equipment for electric vehicles, these chokes are used directly inside of electric vehicles for low weight and compact design. Additionally, VACOCOIL can also be used in high-performance inverters for wind and solar power systems. 

"VACOCOIL is a cost-optimized solution for numerous industrial applications with superior technical characteristics. We are proud that we have developed this manufacturing process, which enables us to offer chokes with unique properties", says Susanne Ganz, Product Manager ECA at VAC.

Connecting everything – smart, safe & secure

The claim of electronica 2018 "Connecting everything - smart, safe & secure" fits perfectly with VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC). The clear strategic focus on new electric vehicles and their charging options as well as solutions to energy-related problems are reflected in the numerous innovations at electronica 2018, such as a new series of highly permeable cores.

The highly permeable nanocrystalline toroidal and oval cores are offered in different dimensions and with different permeability levels. The permeability values for toroidal cores are μ = 30,000 and μ = 100,000, for oval cores μ = 30,000 / 70,000. The cores made of VITROPERM are compact, lightweight and almost temperature-independent in a range of -40 °C - +150 °C. The high saturation levels make them suitable for a wide range of applications. Due to the high saturation flux density, they are ideally suited for damping common mode interference. Further benefits include AECQ200 qualification and technical cleanliness in accordance with VDA Volume 19. Thus there are no tooling or qualification costs for the user when introducing these products.

Of course, the differential current sensor "benvac" established on the market will also be on display. Benvac is a joint development of Bender GmbH & Co. KG and VACUUMSCHMELZE. This sensor is utilized in the safety shut-off of the ICCPD (In-cable Control and Protection Device), which is used when charging electric vehicles. All sensors detect fault currents according to IEC 62752 or UL 2231, the switching thresholds are 6 mA DC and 30 mA AC. The new sensor 4646-X903 complies with both, UL and IEC standards through a switching threshold linkage. Thus, benvac remains the preferred solution on the market.

The combination of rotor-stator systems made of cobalt-iron and VACOMAX 262 HR permanent magnet systems, which has already led to many world records and world championships in racing, also contributes to the wide range of products for automotive applications. The unique high-performance materials enable torque increases of typically up to 30 % as well as an associated weight reduction of the overall system. VACOMAX 262 HRP allows torque and acceleration to be maximized in the smallest and most reliable size at application temperatures exceeding 130°C. Due to the low temperature coefficient of remanence, this alloy offers higher flux values than any other NdFeB magnet available today.

"VAC is an established player in the automotive segment and has been a strong partner in electromobility from the very beginning. This is reflected not only in the latest innovations, but also in the strategic orientation of the company. As a consequence, we will be present this year for the first time at electronica in the Automotive Hall B4," says Norman Lemm, Director of Business Intelligence & Marketing at VAC.

VAC represented at electronica India

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) will for the first time be participating as an exhibitor in the electronica India from 14 to 16 September on stand 1050 in the German Pavilion. The developer and manufacturer of special magnetic materials and related products will be showcasing innovative solutions for the pressing challenges facing the automotive, aviation, energy and industrial areas.

Visitors to the VAC stand will be able to discover rotor-stator systems consisting of cobalt-iron stacks and rare-earth permanent magnets that combine the advantages of reduced size and weight or improved performance in high efficient electric drives. Future-proof infrastructure solutions can be implemented with the use of the exhibited current transformers, applicable for current monitoring, in electronic energy meters or as measuring units in EV charging applications with metering functions.

The portfolio will be completed with  state-of-the-art product solutions in the sector of renewable energies. Active current sensors that can be used, e.g. in solar inverters or for EV charging systems monitor high maximum and continuous currents and offer the highest accuracy in a compact design.

“The electronica India clearly shows that the demand for energy, mobility and - in view of this - eco-friendly solutions is growing, both in India and throughout the world. We are therefore delighted that our first-time participation in this trade fair will make it possible for us to demonstrate our extensive expertise when it comes to finding solutions to the related problems,” says Norman Lemm, Marketing Director at VAC.

The German Pavilion is being jointly organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) and also the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA).  

Invitation to: Webinar on electrical charging

Electromobility is the focus of the public not only at the leading international motor show IAA. Urgent questions revolve around the range of the electric automobile and the charging infrastructure. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is organizing a webinar on electric charging, which will take place on the 26th of September, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Approaches to solutions will be shown and described for the technical challenges presented by different charging modes, such as with AC charging via IC-CPD or a wallbox (Mode 2 & 3), DC quick charging (Mode 4) and inductive charging.

VAC has extensive problem-solving expertise in the automotive and aviation sectors as well as in the field of energy and industrial applications, and has been focusing on innovative products for the charging infrastructure for quite some time. This has included differential current sensors, current transformers, EMC chokes, power transformers and operating current sensors, which make it possible to realize highly performant and reliable solutions for the relevant charging modes.

“Safety increases due to the use of a differential current sensor that can be integrated in an IC-CPD or wallbox, because the sensor also detects DC current errors, which then protects the domestic electrical installation as well. In addition, VAC current sensors can be used for simple monitoring purposes and as precise measuring instruments. The high transmission ratio of VAC current transformers provides the right output voltage for simple signal processing across the entire current range”, explains Frank Schnelle, Webinar presenter, Product Manager and expert for VAC charging infrastructures.

If you are interested, dial in via the specific link provided at electronics-know-how.com to find out more.

VACUUMSCHMELZE with new chief executive officer

VECTRA CO. today announced the appointment of Dr. Reiner Beutel as Chief Executive Officer of its wholly-owned subsidiary VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC) effective immediately.  Dr. Beutel succeeds Dr. Stefaan Florquin who has stepped down as VACUUMSCHMELZE’s CEO and Managing Director.

Dr. Beutel joins VAC with over 25 years of diverse leadership experience with global manufacturing organizations, including significant strategy and operational experience in the automotive industry. Prior to joining VAC he was the CEO of MAG IAS Group where he led the company through a successful sale. Before MAG IAS, he was the CEO and COO of Sovello AG, a leading manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules where he successfully led the company’s operational excellence initiatives.  He also served in other senior leadership positions throughout his career, including 15 years with Robert Bosch Group.

“We are thrilled to have Reiner join VACUUMSCHMELZE as our new CEO,” said Jim Voss, CEO of VECTRA. “He is execution focused and has a track record of building organizations, leading teams, and creating significant value which makes him an ideal fit. We are confident he will bring a new level of focus and enthusiasm to VACUUMSCHMELZE.”

“The entire organization thanks Stefaan for his leadership of VACUUMSCHMELZE,” Voss continued. “Stefaan’s dedication and tenacity has resulted in significant improvement in VAC’s performance and positions the company well for its next phase of growth and innovation.”

Strategic Additions for the Management Team

Since March three additions have been made to the management competences of VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC). The team now includes Dr. Ralf Koch, Vice President of Research and Development, Scott Pelhank, Vice President of Global Sales, and Jeremy Martin, General Manager Americas. The company is thus taking the next step in its transformation strategy. The aim is to optimize the business processes internally and thereby also for customers.

Dr. Ralf Koch has been with VAC since 2004 and held, among other things, positions in product management and product development. He received a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt and a doctorate from the University of Stuttgart. Dr. Koch will develop solutions as Vice President R & D, which meet the current requirements of the VAC customers. His tasks also include the improvement of the speed to market of new products and applications.

Scott Pelhank joins VAC as Vice President of Global Sales. He studied marketing at the Illinois State University and has been in sales for 20 years. Pelhank has over 17 years of experience in the management of sales teams across global industrial, electronic, automotive, and specialty materials businesses. Among other things, he was responsible for large OEM and tiered customer sales for Würth Electronic Midcom Americas.

Jeremy Martin joins the VAC as General Manager of Americas. He has earned a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Portland and has a decades-long track record of success: with record results for business development and business expansion, for example, in senior management at Eaton B-Line and as General Manager at Hilti North America. Martin will be operating out of VAC Americas headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri (USA).

"We are very pleased with the new additions to our management team," says Dr. Stefaan Florquin. "Our goal is to continuously develop VAC and offer our customers advanced solutions for magnetic materials. The appointment of the new leaders is the next, consistent step towards robust growth."

VACUUMSCHMELZE shows two novelties at the PCIM

BEVAC and VITROPERM^® 712: VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) will present two new products at the PCIM in Nuremberg from 16 to 18 May in Hall 7 at booth 123. The all-current sensitive residual current sensor BEVAC is characterized by an especially low switching threshold of 6 mA DC. It has been designed for charging electrical vehicles. With VITROPERM 712, VAC presents an advancement of the soft magnetic material for current-compensated chokes in high-performance applications. Further, at the center of the new booth concept are electric drives as well as solutions for intelligent electricity networks and electromobility.

VAC introduces with BEVAC a residual current sensor which according to IEC 62752, UL 2231 and GB 22794 standards is able to detect fault currents as low as 6 mA. The sensor is small and robust and provides a resolution of 0.2 mA. It is available in different mechanical types: either with a hole or with primary conductors with various configurations. BEVAC is used in the safety disconnection of the IC-CPD (In-cable Control and Protection Device), which is used for charging electrical vehicles.

Another highlight is VITROPERM 712, an advancement of the nanocrystalline material which has been optimized particularly for the use of current-compensated chokes in high-performance applications. Such typical applications are PV central inverters, wind power plants and large drives. The material is distinguished by its high DC load capacity which is essential in applications with high bearing currents. The permeability of the material lies between VITROPERM 250 and VITROPERM 500 and thus represents an expansion of the alloy spectrum. Compared to VITROPERM 500 a lower core weight is possible for special applications.

"As an important European trade fair, PCIM presents the latest developments, for example, of power semiconductors, passive components, intelligent drive technology and sensors. Our portfolio and booth concept are designed to present visitors with a range of solution to exact these areas in an application-specific and customer-oriented manner", says Norman Lemm, Head of Marketing at VAC.

Magnet assemblies for LCLS II X-ray Free Electron Laser are assembled

The VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) collaboration has reached a major milestone: production of the undulator systems for Stanford Linear Accelerator Center’s (SLAC’s) FEL (Free Electron Laser) began earlier this year. SLAC is the fourth renowned research facility to use large-scale undulator systems containing VAC magnets and magnet assemblies.

At the heart of this project are the modular magnetic assemblies that VAC supplies to LBNL. The 4m long assemblies contain permanent magnets made of VAC’s new material VACODYM 956 DTP, into which Terbium is diffused to increase the coercive field strength. Additionally, the assemblies’ soft-magnetic pole pieces are composed of VACOFLUX 50 parts. Ultimately, LBNL incorporates VAC’s assemblies into their strongback to create a powerful undulator system for SLAC.

In addition to using VAC-LBNL undulators at their own facility, LBNL is starting to provide them to other research institutions with FEL’s. Among these, it can boast SLAC, which is financed, inter alia, by the U.S. Department of Energy. SLAC uses the undulator in their LCLS-II (Linear Coherant Light Source) particle accelerator project. The particle accelerator is planned to be activated in 2019.

The VAC modular assemblies are an integral part of FEL’s and are used in hard and soft X-Ray undulators. FEL’s can be used for very specific applications, such as the real-time recording of chemical reactions. This kind of application demands a high degree of precision. The great challenge of magnet assembly production is to meet the extremely narrow magnetic and mechanical tolerances; these tolerances define the quality of the undulator systems, and ultimately the FEL. VAC has overcome this challenge and superseeds a Japanese competitor, who supplied SLAC for its first LCLS project.

"We are very pleased that LCLS-II in the USA is now using our magnets and magnet systems. In addition to several other major FEL projects; the European XFEL in Germany, the Swiss FEL in Switzerland, and the PAL FEL in Korea, this is the fourth large-scale project that uses our materials. These research facilities nearly cover the complete Free Electron Laser energy spectrum." says Matthias Herget, head of the Magnet Assembly Department at VAC.

Matthaeus Leitner, a lead engineer at LBNL also commented, “We chose VAC as a partner since VAC had the technical resources to develop integrated and fully assembled undulator modules. During the whole project life, maintaining a close communication between VAC and LBNL was essential, since the magnet module design had to be refined from early prototypes to full production. Throughout the project VAC’s technical team has been a tremendously supportive and knowledgeable partner, with experts in the field supporting LBNL in Germany as well as directly in the U.S.“

Increased trend towards electric drives

Goodbye hydraulic, hello electric: electric drive systems and motors are becoming increasingly widespread in all kinds of areas, from robotics to motor racing. Aviation is no exception. VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC) has been monitoring these developments closely. As the developer and manufacturer of advanced magnetic materials and related products, VAC anticipates long-term growth in the use of these systems, in applications ranging from small-scale motors to electric aircraft.

“The aviation industry will undergo a technology shift towards electrification over the medium to long term”, predicts Dr. Robert Brand, Head of Strategic Marketing in VAC’s Materials and Components division.  However, the expert notes that “fly by wire” technology will initially be limited to smaller components. As resources become increasingly cost-intensive, the more economical operation of small-scale motors and generators (depending on lifespan and required output) will readily compensate for their higher purchase prices. Environmental considerations are naturally also adopting a more important role. “Lighter motors result in more dynamic systems”, advises Dr. Brand.

One possibility of reducing weight is to use VAC’s soft magnetic materials VACOFLUX^® and VACODUR^®, which offer greater power density. The electrical steel from which components are usually made can be replaced by a soft
magnetic Cobalt/Iron (CoFe) alloy, resulting in components that are lighter in weight, yet still deliver the same performance standards. Components like these are used in high-end applications in automation, automotive and aviation. Dr. Brand explains, “Weight has a direct impact on costs – particularly in aviation. By using VACOFLUX and VACODUR, we can achieve weight reductions of one-quarter to one-third, depending on the product and application involved. A key factor in achieving this result is that we not only manufacture the materials ourselves, but also operate the entire production chain – up to complete stator and rotor stacks – in-house, customizing our products in line with application specific requirements.”

VACSTACK stator provides a decisive reduction of size and weight

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) the specialist in combining cobalt-iron rotor-stator-systems and permanent magnet assemblies to record-breaking systems is supporting the University of Nottingham (UoN) in constructing a unique electric motor-bike. The first test under racing conditions at Donington Park/GB led the team to an overwhelming victory in the second race. They won with an impressive lead of more than six seconds over motorcycles with combustion engines.

The motor uses a VACSTACK stator which typically providing a 25 % size and weight reduction, thus enabling an unbeatable advantage for the design of the bike. At the current development stage of the bike, a weight-to-power ration of 1.13 kW/kg can be achieved; in the upper rpm range, the engine provides a torque of 300 Nm. The impressive success of Daley Mathison, rider for Nottingham, proved again the extraordinary properties of the materials.

The parameters of success are VACODUR for the rotor, which will result in a speed increase of up to 33 %, VACOFLUX providing the size and weight reduction and, VAC’s magnet assemblies, which provide an additional torque increase of approx. 6 %. Motor performance and efficiency can be adapted specifically.

The cobalt-iron high-perfomance materials provide their benefits not only in motorsport applications, but also within electro-mobility, aviation or industrial applications, which have constantly increasing requirements for electrical machines with the highest efficiency and power/weight ratio.

Unspoilt environment

Magnetically Shielded Rooms (MSR) are widely used in basic and applied research. They attenuate the influence of low-frequency interference caused, for example, by railway lines, elevators, vehicles, transformers or radio signals. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has already built up more than 150 cabins in almost 40 years and thus has unmatched experience in the conception, planning and execution of shielding cabins for the most diverse requirements.

In addition to the three standard variants Basic, Advanced and Premium, highend customer-specific designs can be realized. The right solution for all requirements: The Basic cabin is weight- and costoptimized and suitable for installation in upper levels. The two-layer Advanced cabin also shields at higher frequencies and the Premium cabin with an additional MUMETALL^® layer is used for above-average magnetic environmental noises.

The full vertical integration from melting of the alloy to the assembly of the finished cabin out of one hand has proven to be a key success factor to ensure consistently the best magnetic properties and most efficient project management.

The team of shielding specialists will be present at BIOMAG 2018 in Philadelphia/PA from August 26 to 30.

„The latest trend in the use of optically pumped magnetometers requires uniform low residual field within the Magnetically Shielded Room. Our rooms provide the optimum precondition for this kind of application.” says Lela Bauer, Product Management specialist at VAC.

Unmatched

The participants of Formula Student Germany, taking place from August 6-12  at the Hockenheimring, have been  working hard for many months on the configuration of their vehicles. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) supports this year's favourites with its high-performance materials.

All top Formula Student Electric teams have been using VAC’s cobalt-iron-alloys since the competition, which has been held since 2006, was extended in 2010 to include the topic of "electromobility". Rotor-stator systems in combination with optimized magnet assemblies made of rare-earth permanent magnets are used in the electric drive motors. The greatest advantage of using VAC materials is the considerably higher torque with increases of up to 53 % compared to conventional materials.

Electrical steel, which is the standard solution used, is significantly more limited in terms of magnetizability, which is decisive for the power density. Accordingly, VAC supplies the racing series with rotor-stator systems made of the cobalt-iron alloys VACOFLUX^® and VACODUR^®. While the induction of standardized electrical steel at a field strength of 1,000 A/m is still below 1.5 T, the materials of VAC reach 2.3 T. In consequence motors are either more powerful or smaller.

Not only motor sport applications, but also applications within electromobility, industrial or aviation have constantly increasing requirements that demand electric machines with the highest efficiency. An optimally adapted combination of rotor-stator packages and segmented permanent magnet systems allows the "weight" and "speed" parameters to be ideally adjusted, thus improving the performance and efficiency of the motors.

"Based on the technical development of our materials, we are confident that another world record can be set at Formula Student this year," says Dr. Robert Brand, Product Manager and Application Specialist at VAC, referring to the acceleration world records set in 2015 and 2016, the last one from zero to 100 km/h in only 1.513 seconds.

The dream of electric flying

Demands for lower kerosene consumption, lower pollutant emissions and reduced noise pollution are increasing in aviation and are driving the development of full-electric and hybrid-powered aircraft. The related demand for light yet powerful engines brings the high-performance materials of VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) into play. Not only numerous startups, but also renowned companies are pushing development forward. VAC will be happy to advise on this on the occasion of CWIEME 2018 in Berlin.

While the Swiss start-up Evolaris has already launched an all-electric aircraft using VAC materials, industry leaders are working on hybrid solutions for commercially used long-haul aircraft. With these, a kerosene driven turbine, which operates at any time at constant speed in the optimum power range, feeds a generator. This in turn drives the all-electric main drive. This is estimated to result in kerosene savings of more than ten percent.

For both technical concepts, the highest possible induction with low losses is decisive. Stators made of the cobalt-iron alloy VACOFLUX^® 48 are therefore the first choice. They allow a 50 % higher induction compared to systems with electrical steel. The patented VACSTACK^® technology allows the tightest tolerances to be kept and the low sheet thickness of only 50 µm allows 98 % packing density and the lowest eddy current losses to be produced. Rotor systems with rare-earth permanent magnets made of VACOMAX^® 262 HRP make it possible to maximize torque and acceleration in the smallest and most reliable size even at high application temperatures of up to 250 °C.

"At this year's CWIEME Berlin we will present the latest developments and products on the main topics of electric drives, especially for aviation and automotive applications. We are delighted to have the opportunity to discuss individual solutions with interested parties on site," says Norman Lemm, Head of Marketing at VAC.

Renewable energies – a global phenomenon

The demand for photovoltaic systems is increasing worldwide, already in 2017 the forecasts with a worldwide installed photovoltaic capacity of more than 400 gigawatts were clearly exceeded and for 2018 the expected expansion is estimated at approx. 100 GW, so that a capacity of more than 500 GW will then be available worldwide. While China recently announced that it would allow around 20 gigawatts less capacity to be added, the French group Total announced that it would invest in the expansion of ten GW of photovoltaic capacity over the next ten years. Above-average growth rates are expected again next year. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is ideally equipped for this economic boom with three sales locations in China and more than 40 additional sales offices worldwide.

With a broad portfolio of current sensors, common mode chokes and cores as well as application know-how directly in the growth markets, the current development trends, e.g. for inverters with an output of up to 100 kW, can also be served.

A PV system consists of a photovoltaic module in combination with an inverter, which brings the power into the grid or to an accumulator. Defective systems can become dangerous for people or cause a fire, therefore the relevant standards require that the inverter disconnects from the grid before it becomes dangerous for the system or people. The continuous current monitoring is relevant for measuring the actual output of the solar modules and can also be used for MPP tracking. Leakage currents can contain both, direct and alternating portions, therefore AC/DC-sensitive monitoring is necessary.

High-precision current measurement, minimum temperature drift and excellent temperature stability characterize the current sensors, which can be designed for measuring ranges up to 2,500 A. Monitoring devices, for example in transformerless solar inverters, which monitor the leakage current of the entire system with differential current sensors sensitive to universal current, benefit from the fast response time, low temperature drift and low residual currents of the VAC sensors. Since defective systems can be dangerous for persons or even trigger fires, these properties are decisive when used in safety functions. Common mode chokes or cores have excellent damping characteristics with the smallest size. Current further developments of the nanocrystalline high-tech material VITROPERM used for this purpose confirm that it is the universal solution for all questions concerning electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC), which is superior to conventional ferrites in many respects.

"We are optimistic about the increasing technical demands of the market thanks to our application competence and are confident that we can further expand our leading position with the PV inverter manufacturers," says Norman Lemm, Marketing Director of VAC.

Racing cars with VACUUUMSCHMELZE technology assert themselves

Black and white chequered flag for VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC): From energy recovery to complete electric drives, versatile electric motors are  decisive  for  victory  or  defeat  in state-of-the-art racing. High-quality magnetic materials are required for the highest possible power density and efficiency. As VAC's core competence, they are its proverbial  profitable contribution to Formula 1, Formula E, the WEC (World Endurance Championship) to which the Le Mans racing series belongs, or the Formula Student Electric. VACSTACK^® technology puts the company on a broad base. The use of these systems has already enabled several speed world records and world championship wins in various racing categories.

The patented production process is the key to VAC's long-standing cooperation with motorsport. The VACSTACK process enables the use of very thin strip material (down to 50 µm) in lamination stacks. Individual sheets are bonded to the height of the finished core. Then the final shape is produced using wire-cutting technology. Despite thin sheet metal thicknesses, VAC achieves typical packing densities of 98 % and at the same time excellent insulation between the lamination layers. The very thin laminations help to prevent eddy current losses extremely efficiently.

In Formula 1, for example, VACSTACK finds use in the ERS (Energy Recovery System). The energy recovery consists of two systems: MGU-K (motor-generator-unit-kinetic) and MGU-H (motor-generator-unit-heat). The first recovers energy kinetically, while the MGU-H generates energy from the exhaust gas stream using a generator. Although the electric motor-generator unit is fixed to a maximum speed of 125,000 rpm, it is not limited in energy consumption. This is an advantage that VAC knows how to use with its lamination packages.

In formula racing and in Formula Student Electric, weight reduction or performance increase of electric motors is even more decisive. The electrical steel sheets normally used for this purpose are noticeably more limited in terms of magnetic saturation, which is decisive for the power density. Accordingly, VAC supplies the racing series with rotor stator systems made of cobalt-iron alloys VACOFLUX^® and VACODUR^®. While the induction of the standardized electrical steel quality at a field strength of 1,000 A/m is still below 1.5 T, the materials of VAC reach 2.3 T. Thus, either more powerful motors of the same size or smaller motors with the same power can be achieved.

“VAC is the global leading supplier of these high-performance components. With VACSTACK we can therefore meet the special requirements of racing in an optimal way. Since the technology enables maximum performance in the smallest of spaces, it will prevail in all racing series," says Dr. Robert Brand, Product Management and Application Specialist at VAC.

New Director of Sales in India

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Abhishek Nagarkar as its Director of Sales in India.

India’s recent economic growth has been bolstered by active investment in research & development (R&D). To meet VAC’s end market technological demands, the company has steadily increased its regional team in India and has enhanced this effort with the recent hire of Abhishek Nagarkar, who will serve as the Director of Sales in India beginning in February 2018.  

VAC’s technological advantage is driven by its differentiated materials and process know-how as well as its close co
llaboration with customers. The company has maintained this advantage by establishing a presence in its customers’ geographies, allowing VAC to provide critical technical and development support to its customers’ R&D efforts.  

Mr. Abhishek Nagarkar joins VAC with over a decade of sales and business development experience across multiple industries within India, including industrial, solar and automotive.  Prior to joining VAC, he was the Business Development Manager for Emerson Network Power. He has also held management and technical sales positions at Larsen & Toubro and Schneider Electric. Mr. Nagarkar graduated with a BE in electronics from Nagpur University as well as an MBA from the University of Mumbai.

 “We are very excited to have Abhishek join and lead our team in India as we further expand our support and focus in the region. He has a proven record of market and team development across several of VAC’s core technology segments and we are confident that Abhishek will add focus and energy to our already exceptional team in India,” said Scott Pelhank, Vice President Global Sales.

New family member - VITROPERM 550 HF

New Centre of Excellence for rapid solidification

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC), one of the pioneers and leading manufacturers in rapid solidification, is opening a new Centre of Excellence (“Centre” or “CoE”) focused on the advancement of casting technology. The Centre’s mission is to optimize and develop new alloys and process technologies in order to accelerate the introduction of new and high-performance products in growing markets. This new CoE will position VAC for technology-driven growth in the expanding electro-mobility, renewable energy, wireless charging and emission-reduction end markets.

VAC is a global leader in the development of rapid solidification technology for highly-demanding applications. The company’s technology makes it possible to produce amorphous metal strips with precise foil thickness requirements ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 mm. In this process, molten metal is pressed onto a fast-rotating copper wheel on which the alloy is transformed into a solidified strip. This method facilitates high cooling speeds of approximately one million degrees per second and forms a thin amorphous metal strip ranging in width from 0.5 to 125 mm.

VAC’s unique process transforms amorphous alloys into a nanocrystalline condition using a specialized thermal treatment process. Amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys play a pivotal role in a range of  demanding, high-performance products including magnetic cores, inductive components, current transformers, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) chokes, RCCBs (residual current circuit breakers), shielding foils, as well as brazing foils that are resistant to high temperatures and that are used in EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) coolers.

Through the implementation of new process technologies, as well as an optimized sensor technology for improved control of processes, VAC will introduce new products that will serve new and growing markets. For instance, through the new CoE, VAC plans to almost double the current foil width to more than 200 mm with significantly thinner foils for higher saturation inductions of up to 1.8 T. These capabilities will enhance VAC’s position in new markets such as wireless data, energy transmission systems and EMC chokes that will reduce common-mode interferences in electric motors and photovoltaic or wind inverters.

“VAC’s advances in the area of rapid solidifcation have led to the development of new solutions in our strategic growth markets. Additionally, this technology underpins much of our core and component development as we transform raw materials into a technologically-advanced solution to meet customer requirements.  VAC’s capabilities provide a great advantage to our customers as we are not limited by the availability of standard core materials in the market.  As such, we are well-positioned with respect to innovative rapid solidification solutions and are very excited to expand our technology through our new Centre of Excellence”, remarked Scott Pelhank, Vice President of Global Sales at VAC.

“Our team, which consists of physicists, materials scientists, mechanical engineers and automation experts, has identified the most important subject areas and has generated suitable work packages on the basis of extensive analyses of state-of-the-art casting technology. In addition, we are pursuing co-operations with industrial and university partners, with the objective of jointly developing the next generation of casting machines that conform to the requirements of our customers” says Thomas Hartmann, Head of the Centre of Excellence for Rapid Solidification at VAC.  

Electric motors on the rise

The electrification of drives is gaining speed. For years, car manufacturers all over the world have been working with hybrid and allelectric vehicles, however a most recent trend is that electric highperformance drives, originating from motorsport technology are gaining increased relevance for the design and development of production vehicles.

Nearly all leading manufactures consider cobalt-iron alloys in their development approaches - whether to explore the limits of what is technically possible or to get to know the entire range of the product market. VACODUR^® and VACOFLUX^® continue to be the leading solution for highly efficient electric motors.

In combination with rare-earth magnet systems, these materials enable a torque, i.e. performance increase of approx. 50 % compared to conventional materials or a weight reduction with constant performance. Motor performance and efficiency can be adapted specifically.

Current developments are targeting an improvement of the product portfolio with associated cost neutrality and process-optimized alloys. This brings the use of premium products closer to the use in production vehicles.

Improved cooling systems driven by magnetocaloric materials

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is driving the future of magnetocaloric cooling with CALORIVAC. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Metrology (IPM), as well as the companies Philipp Kirsch GmbH and GSI Technology UG, they are developing a refrigerant-free and more efficient cooling technology. This so-called "MagMed" project is funded with EUR 2.4 million by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi). The goal is the development of a cooling device for medical applications based entirely on the magnetocaloric principle.

Magnetic cooling is a new disruptive technology where solid-state materials replace the environmentally harmful refrigerant gases used in actual compressor-based cooling devices. This new technology is based on the magnetocaloric effect in which the refrigerant exhibits a temperature change when exposed to a magnetic field. Besides the environmental benefit the technology has the potential to save up to 50 % of the required energy and significantly reduce audible noise compared to currently available compressors.

Vacuumschmelze has developed the solid-state refrigerant CALORIVAC^® which is in small-scale production, and tested in many magnetic cooling prototypes around the world. Future fields of application are industrial cooling systems, air conditioning in vehicles or buildings, as well as refrigerators in supermarkets.

The future of magnetic cooling depends to a large extent on strong networks working towards a common goal. Very recently, VAC together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurements Techniques (IPM) and the companies Philipp Kirsch GmbH and GSI Technology UG, started a 2.4 Mio. Euro project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The so-called MagMed project aims for the development of an efficient cooling device for medicine applications based completely on the magnetocaloric principle. In order to achieve higher efficiencies, MagMed introduces a new concept for the transfer of the heat from the cooling load over the magnetocaloric material to the surrounding.

Therefore, In the next three years, VAC will contribute to the project with the optimization of CALORIVAC^® to be compatible with the new heat-transfer concept. This includes the optimization of the material properties and its shaping and the development of measurement techniques for the characterization of materials. “VAC is committed to environmentally friendly and efficient technologies in all areas of life.  With MagMed, VAC continues its commitment of innovation towards the commercialization of magnetocaloric cooling technologies”, says Roland Stepputat, General Manager of Permanent Magnets at VAC.  

Never change a winning team

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) has supported Formula Student Electric since the introduction of the electromobility division in 2010. All top teams have been using VAC's high-performance materials in their electric motors since the very beginning. Thanks to the rotor-stator systems made of VAC's cobalt iron materials, the AMZ racing team of ETH Zurich won the overall first prize at the Formula Student Germany in Hockenheim on August 12 this year and remains in first place in the world rankings.

The high-performance cobaltiron materials such as VACOFLUX^® and VACODUR^® increase torque by up to 53% compared to conventional materials. In combination with segmented permanent magnet assemblies, the parameters "weight" and "speed" can be adjusted to the optimum and more powerful motors of the same size or significantly lighter motors of the same power can be realized.

Recently, VAC’s premium materials were also successfully used by the team of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which won the first place in the "Electric Vehicle Design" category of the FSAE Lincoln Competition. Max Liben, technical director of the team said: "The high level of performance of these motors is a testament of VAC's production quality and in-depth knowledge – although even more impressive was their ability to quickly adapt and meet the project’s incredibly fast timeline to actually bring these motors to life from conception to final product within one year."

Improved alloy for high-performance machines

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is working on the further development of the Sm2Co17 alloy VACOMAX^® 262 HR for demanding high-performance machines. Magnets of this alloy based on rare-earths and cobalt are used in a wide range of applications. These include, for example, electromotors, racing, and aviation.

The magnets are distinguished by a particularly high coercive field strength with a high saturation polarization as well as high temperature and corrosion resistance. The company is currently working on VACOMAX 262 HRP to further develop the product. The aim is to realize higher remanence values and energy densities. VACOMAX 262 HRP offers higher flux values than conventional Nd-Fe-B alloys at temperatures above 130 °C, due to the low temperature coefficient of the remanence. The next development goal is to raise the magnetic properties to Br min = 1,19 Tesla.

The further development of the alloy will be presented for the first time at this year's CWIEME from 20.06. until 22.06. in Hall 1.1 at booth A11 in Berlin. Another highlight of the event is the HYPERLOOP pod design of the TU Delft. The system incorporates VAC technology, and took first place in the Hyperloop Pod competition this year.

"At this year's CWIEME Berlin, we will present the latest developments and products for electric drives, automotive as well as solutions for intelligent power grids. We are pleased that we are able to inform visitors about application areas as well as individual solutions," says Norman Lemm, Marketing Director at VAC.

flexible. efficient. successful.

Smartphones are an essential part of everyday life for many people, because technical progress is making them more powerful and comfortable. The market for smartphones that can be charged inductively is growing continuously, as nothing is more convenient than a wirelessly charged smartphone. Many established and also more and more smaller manufacturers include this feature in their new developments. VITROPERM 800 from VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) is established as the state of the art because it allows the thinnest effective shielding foils to be realized.

VAC has more than ten years of experience with wireless charging applications. VITROPERM 800 is considered the benchmark material for inductive charging due to its outstanding shielding performance against external interference fields and its high efficiency in power transmission.

This material is the thinnest material available on the market and thus enables very flat designs. Depending on the processing (structuring), a very wide frequency range can be covered. 100 - 205 kHz according to the Qi standard of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), 277 - 357 kHz according to the Power Matters Alliance (PMA), 6.78 MHz applications according to the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and even 13.56 MHz according to the NFC standard. This opens up numerous application possibilities. In the high-frequency range, for example, these are the improved readability of RFID labels, since the extremely flexible and break-proof foils significantly increase the transmission range. Modern data transmission systems such as Near Field Communication (NFC), which is based on RFID technology, are also becoming increasingly widespread: cashless payment by smartphone or data transfer between compatible mobile devices are just a few examples of applications.

"Nanocrystalline foil made of VITROPERM is the leading technological solution for shielding in inductive charging. M, VITROPERM 800 has not only established itself as the standard for mobile radio devices due to its advantages, but is also predestined for other applications, such as the medical and automotive industries," says Matthias Schmidt, Product Manager for nanocrystalline materials at VAC.

Extreme resistance - VACOFLUX 9 CR

Low weight, small size and best performance even at high application temperatures are requirements that automotive components have had to meet for a long time. In recent years, the environmental aspect has also become increasingly important: VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) high-performance materials are used here.

Modern diesel and gasoline engines work with fuel injection, whereby multiple injections are made in very short times to optimize combustion and thus reduce fuel consumption, exhaust gas and noise. The high pressures require strong magnetic actuators. VAC offers a wide range of different alloys with high saturation and corrosion resistance. For diesel injection, rods made of VACOFLUX 17, 18 HR and 50 are used, for gasoline injection VACOFLUX 9 CR and other coated materials. The materials are supplied as rods or wires.

The high corrosion resistance required for gasoline injection is ensured by the addition of chromium, which usually reduces saturation. The saturation could even be increased by adding cobalt. The VACOFLUX 9 CR alloy therefore offers a high power density due to the high induction, thus miniaturization and better dynamic behaviour of the actuators are possible.

VAC appoints Erik Eschen as Chief Executive Officer

VAC Group announced it has named Erik Eschen as its new Chief Executive Officer effective 01 November 2018. Erik Eschen has been serving as the Chief Financial Officer of VAC Group since 2016. He will remain interim CFO until a successor is appointed.

“Erik Eschen knows the business and operations of VAC and has been instrumental in strengthening its operational efficiency from his position as CFO. We are excited that Erik will be leading VAC in the next phase of its development and growth,” said Jim Voss, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of VAC Group.

Before joining VAC, Erik Eschen held leadership positions with organizations engaged in complex international operations. He served as CFO of the EMEA Division of Keller Group, the world's largest geotechnical contractor listed in London, and held various executive management and senior staff positions at Bilfinger. Mr. Eschen started his career in audit with the independent accounting firm BDO.

“I am looking forward to continuing to work with VAC’s talented management team in the role of CEO. VAC’s unique product portfolio of highly engineered specialty materials being supplied across the world provides a strong platform for accelerating future growth," Erik Eschen said.

VACUUMSCHMELZE presents its expertise in sensors

At this year's PCIM in Nuremberg, VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (VAC) will again present ists portfolio of current sensors at Stand 123 in Hall 7. At the trade show from 10 to 12 May, VAC will display products including current sensors for chassis mounting with a new ASIC for up to 700 A and EMC-optimised sensors. The stand will also include well-known products, such as the AC-DC-sensitive differential current sensor module for residual current monitoring at charging stations and the ac-companying charging cables.

Current sensors for chassis mounting with a new ASIC for up to 700A
The electronic control systems in VAC current sensors are virtually comletely concentrated in an application-specific IC. These sensors offer outstandingly accurate measurements together with low temperature dependence and low longterm drift of the output variable. All sensor mudels feature compact dimensions and measure high maximum and continuous current. Models available include sensors for measuring unipolar and bipolar current, both with selectable output voltage and current. By delivering impoved thermal properties, MTBF and fit rates, the sensors help to enhance operating safety.

EMC-optimised sensors are now also a fixture in VAC's portfolio. In response to higher market requirements and the associated radiation resistance, the existing product portfolio was expanded to include sensors that comply with EN61000-4-3:2010.

The new AC/DC-sensitive differential current sensor module is used in residual current monitoring units for PHEV and EV charging stations and their charging cables. It produces reliable measurements for AC currents of <30 mA and DC currents of <6 mA. The module makes an important contribution to safety, protecting users from coming into contact with residual current in cases such as cable insulation faults - which can cause injuries or even fatalities. VAC was recently presented with the State of Bavaria Electric Mobility Award for this new sensor design.

VAC will also present a ange of new sensors based on flux gate technology. Designed for flexibility, these sensors are suitable for vertical and horizontal mounting and have three output options - analogue, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) and high-sensitivity PWM. The sensor, which runs on a 5V power supply, is designed for a range of +/- 300 mA and is suitable for customising. The analogue output has a 50 Hz bandwidth and the PWM output a 1 kHz bandwidth.

EMC solutions as plug & play products

Nanocrystalline Standard Series

The use of electric motors in the automotive sector is constantly increasing. In line with this trend, the resulting EMC problems are increasing, although these are often only detected in later phases of product development or even in close-to-production test setups. This promotes the demand for quickly available products that enable short-term EMC solutions and do not incur product-specific tooling or qualification costs. VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) offers exactly this solution with its standard series of toroidal cores and inductive components.

The tape-wound cores and inductive components qualified according to AEC-Q200 are based on the nanocrystalline, soft magnetic material VITROPERM^®. Compared to conventional ferrite solutions or other amorphous materials, nanocrystalline VITROPERM offers a variety of advantages. The technical parameters allow a very compact design. Therefore the EMC solution can be used in a wide variety of applications even in small existing installation spaces.

The permeability values for toroidal cores are µ 30,000 and µ 100,000, for oval cores they are µ 30,000 and µ 70,000. In addition, the cores have a high saturation flux density of 1.2 T and can be used almost temperature-independently in a range from -40° C to +150°C. In the standard VAC series, ring and oval cores as well as current compensated chokes for common mode suppression are available in different dimensions and permeability levels. Thus, the VITROPERM cores and chokes of VAC's test setups can be realized easily and product development can be accelerated significantly.

COMBICHOKE: CMC and DMC combined

HANAU – Due to the fast switching of semiconductor components in power electronics, unwanted interference currents are caused. These interference currents consist of two main components: common mode currents (CM: common mode) flow in one direction through the application, while differential mode currents (DM: differential mode) flow in the direction of the load current.

While in some cases the leakage inductance of the CMC may already be sufficient, typically, a separate DM choke must be used. This increases the number of filter components and thus the EMC filter volume. If higher DM suppression is required but space is limited, VAC's patented COMBICHOKE technology can now help. Here, a core with low permeability is integrated into the CMC in a space-saving way, which increases the DM attenuation. COMBICHOKES are designed as a customized EMC solution.

This COMBICHOKE approach can even be combined with VACOCOIL winding optimization to achieve superior performance. The patented VACOCOIL design involves solid copper bars instead of the usual parallel windings of individual copper wires. This VACOCOIL winding design offers significantly improved attenuation at high frequencies (f > 1 MHz) due to lower parasitic winding capacitances.

Main applications for COMBICHOKES are DC fast charging stations, PV inverters, wind generators, frequency converters and electric vehicles.

VAC receives the Hessian State Award for Energy

Up to 40% energy savings and complete avoidance of all climate-damaging greenhouse gases are a further contribution of VAC to fight climate change. We are proud to have been awarded the Hessian State Prize for Energy for our innovation CALORIVAC^®.

In particular industrial refrigeration systems are responsible for a large share of CO₂ emissions and still use refrigerants that are harmful to our climate. Over the past few years, our VAC team has developed a magnetocaloric solution that works completely without gaseous refrigerants and at the same time reduces energy consumption.

The Hessian State Prize is awarded every two years by the LandesEnergieAgentur Hessen (LEA). The award ceremony took place during the "Future Energy Transition Forum" on November 25, 2022 in Kassel.

"By 2045, Hesse wants to cover its energy needs entirely from renewable sources. To achieve this, we need innovative ideas and creative masterminds. Our competition offers a great platform for this. [...] Previous rounds of the Hessian State Prize for Innovative Energy Solutions competition have already shown us how much potential lies dormant in Hessen."
Tarek Al-Wazir - Hessian Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing

"We are proud about the award of the Hessian State Prize for Energy. CALROVAC is a revolutionary new technology that will trigger a similar paradigm shift in cooling technology as is currently taking place in the field of electric mobility. We would like to motivate the manufacturers of heating and cooling technology to actively participate in this change and thus save CO2 and energy."

Dr. Erik Eschen (CEO, VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG)

The innovative concept supports the goal of reducing emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases by 2/3 by 2030. CALORIVAC is suitable to improve particularly energy-intensive and high-loss cooling and heating processes in the economy but also in private households. The technology has the potential of energy savings of up to 40% compared to a modern compressor or up to 70% compared to a system that is about 5 years old. Added to this is the advantage of lower noise emissions, which is particularly beneficial to private households. Refrigerated trucks that deliver to supermarkets in busy residential areas early in the morning are also quieter thanks to the magnetocaloric principle.

For more information on our CALORIVAC technology, please visit our homepage.

Photo (f.l.t.r.: Tatjana Czernohorsky, Dr. Erik Eschen, Dr. Konrad Löwe, Dr. Alexander Barcza, Frank Scholz)

From Hidden Champion to Hesse-Champion

VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) products can almost never be seen in our everyday life, as they do their work deep inside electronic components or in the form of metallic cores, coils, wires or foils. For almost 100 years VAC has been developing products for multiple everyday situations, enabling the latest technologies and making our lives easier, more efficient and, above all, safer. This has always made VAC a true Hidden Champion. Last Tuesday, VAC was honored for one of its most versatile and at the same time most complex alloy classes.

The 'Hessen-Champions' are selected by a jury from business, politics and the media. This year, 61 companies applied, ten of them made it to the finals. VAC was victorious in the category 'World Market Leader' with its VITROPERM^® alloy class.

„With their products and solutions, the 'Hessen-Champions 2022' are helping to shape the transition towards a climate-neutral, sustainable and future-proof economy."
Minister of Economics Tarek Al-Wazir

VITROPERM is a revolutionary material that enables wireless charging even in particularly thin smartphones. In electric vehicles, it reduces bearing currents and electromagnetic interference (EMI), protecting motors and batteries. Our market-leading BENVAC^® DI sensor utilizes VITROPERM technology to detect both DC and AC fault currents in electric vehicle charging infrastructure with the highest accuracy, ensuring maximum safety and charging efficiency.

VITROPERM is driving technologies of the future by providing our customers with benefits such as size reduction, lighter weight, higher temperature stability, the highest accuracy in sensor technology and superior EMI suppression over a wider frequency range compared to conventional soft magnetic materials.

These products are manufactured using the Rapid Solidification production process. Rapid Solidification is an incredibly precise process that has been developed and refined by VAC over decades. The process involves high-purity materials that are melted at very high temperatures. The emerging melt drop hits the rotating surface of a copper wheel, where it solidifies at an extremely high cooling rate of about 1,000,000K/s (one million degrees per second). The fast rotating motion creates a continuous ribbon with an amorphous structure that is significantly thinner than a human hair. The ribbon can then be further processed via proprietary annealing processes to produce an iron-based nanocrystalline material, with an outstanding combination of soft magnetic properties. This turns it into a cutting-edge material that enables a wide range of new applications.

"We are proud that the jury has honored the complexity and potential of our technology and awarded VAC as 'Hessen-Champion'. This award goes to the entire VAC Team and in particular, to our developers, who have created a fantastic product and an absolutely fascinating process technology, and to our employees, that work in three shifts every day on our furnaces, casters and shears to produce VITROPERM in highest quality. With this achievement, the team has brought the technology to where it is today – to World Market Leadership! I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one for this achievement."
Dr. Erik Eschen (CEO, VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG).

For more information about our VITROPERM alloy class, please visit our Website.

Cooperation Agreement with Universiti Malaysia

Cooperation agreement with Universiti Malaysia
Fit for the future

HANAU - Already at the end of 2021, VACUUMSCHMELZE (VAC) and Universiti Malaysia Pahang signed a joint agreement to establish an international cooperation with the aim of jointly strengthening and continuously promoting the technical education of young students from Malaysia.

 The studies in Malaysia are based on the teaching content of the bachelor's degree programs in mechatronics and automotive technology at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, accompanied by the exchange of academic research and teaching staff as well as a stay abroad in Karlsruhe for the students from Malaysia. As part of the cooperation, VAC will also support two female or male students each year for the next five years and offer them various internships at our locations in Malaysia and Hanau. Three female students from Malaysia have been writing their bachelor's thesis in the R&D department in Hanau.

At the beginning of July, the third delegation from the universities of Pahang (UMP) and Perlis (UniMAP) visited VAC. The aim of the talks was to discuss cooperation in development projects, possible internships and other cooperation activities. For VAC, the quality of scientific education is of great importance and the establishment of this cooperation is thus a milestone to build technical capabilities and a related continuous strengthening of our location in Malaysia. A plant tour completed the day.

The picture shows (f.l.t.r.): Dr. Christian Kasper, Dr. Ralf Koch, Dr. Erik Eschen, Prof. Dato’ Ts. Dr. Yuserrie bin Zainuddin, Prof. Dr. Abdullah bin Ibrahim, Muhammad Hafiz Aswad bin Ahmad Kamal, Udo Daum

Evolution of magnetic materials to support today’s electronic requirements

The world is changing –
How VAC helps to change the world we live in.

Hanau – Humanity has always wanted to become faster, better, safer or more efficient. For this reason, many technologies that were invented at a certain time are no longer in use today, or can just be found very occasionally. They were replaced by newer technologies that can do the job more efficiently. For almost 100 years now, VAC has been involved in the development of advanced technologies that influence all our lives, make them easier or offer us completely new possibilities. Even if VAC's contribution is not directly visible in most cases, we work every day to ensure that even the technologies that are already considered efficient and state-of-the-art today can be replaced by new, better technologies.

The world is changing and VAC is an essential part of this change. We would like to show you how VAC has been influencing our daily lives over the last century and will continue to do so in the future.

Part 3: Evolution of magnetic materials to support today’s electronic requirements – From ferrite to VAC nanocrystalline technology

More electrification and advances in technology does not come without its challenges. Those of us of certain generations might recall the strange sound you could hear from your car radio in the 90s just before your cellphone would ring. This sound was a symptom of electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI occurs because of the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Whether manmade or a natural occurrence such as storms, EMI is the result of an external electromagnetic source disrupting electronics of another device or circuit

How do we manage EMI to ensure different devices or circuits do not interfere with each other?

To ensure that electrical circuits do not influence each other, one option would be to move them farther apart. However, today's devices are becoming smaller, at the same time their electrical complexity is increasing. Therefore, spatial separation is typically not an option. When many different circuits and components have to perform different functions in a confined space, it is essential that they are either grounded, shielded, or filtered to limit the stray magnetic fields.

A common EMI solution is filtering with components such as common-mode-chokes (CMCs). Traditionally, these CMCs were made of ferrite materials. However, ferrites have limitations related to the amount of electrical current they can manage, and their ability to filter at the higher frequencies used in today’s devices. As a result we see a paradigm shift in many applications migrating to nanocrystalline based solutions to address EMI, such as VAC’s VITROPERM® material, and respective inductive components and cores.

VITROPERM based CMC’s offer the highest attenuation in compact designs due to high permeability and saturation magnetization. This allows for a significant reduction in component size while achieving the same or better performance as a large ferrite CMC. Further, VITROPERM cores also generate much lower temperatures versus ferrite solutions, which is both a safety and performance concern.

Whether it be consumer electronics such as smartphones, electric vehicles, or medical devices to name a few, electronic solutions are driving our tomorrow. Effective EMI suppression is critical to ensure devices can be small, lightweight, efficient, and safe.

To learn more about VAC’s solutions to address EMI please visit

https://www.vacuumschmelze.com/Nanocrystalline-Material

https://www.vacuumschmelze.com/Inductive-Components-and-Cores