As the race towards sustainable transportation accelerates, the MAXIMA project is tackling one of the most pressing technological and environmental challenges in electric mobility: how to reduce reliance on critical raw materials, especially rare earth elements (REEs)—without compromising motor performance.
At the heart of this mission is the transformation of magnet production and recycling, with MIMplus Technologies playing a leading role. Their advanced expertise in Metal Injection Molding (MIM) is central to MAXIMA’s efforts to reduce material use, close resource loops, and redefine the electric motor from the magnet outward.
Why Permanent Magnets Are a Problem—and a Priority
Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnets are the go-to solution for delivering high torque and power density in electric motors. But their cost, environmental impact, and the geopolitical risks tied to rare earth supply chains make them unsustainable in the long term.
Key challenges include:
- China holds a near-monopoly, producing over 80% of global REEs.
- Volatile supply chains and market prices. As global demand grows, Europe faces increasing supply risks.
- High carbon and energy footprint of REE mining. Mining REEs is energy-intensive, often conducted under poor environmental and labor conditions.
- Constraints for recyclability due to the material’s reactivity and contaminations.
To address this, MAXIMA is building a next-generation axial flux motor that uses fewer permanent magnets, integrates smarter magnet placement, and boosts recycling potential—while maintaining world-class performance.
The Challenge: Recycling NdFeB Magnets
Recycling offers a promising solution—but it’s not simple. End-of-Life (EoL) magnets must be carefully extracted, demagnetized, and processed to avoid contamination or performance degradation.
Key obstacles include:
- High pyrophoricity of NdFeB powders.
- Contamination with carbon and oxygen, which drastically reduces magnetic performance.
- Loss of critical elements like Dysprosium (Dy) during processing.
- Complex assemblies and coatings that hinder recycling.
The Solution: A Closed-Loop, High-Tech Approach
MIMplus Technologies is pioneering a sustainable magnet lifecycle using Metal Injection Molding (MIM) combined with short-loop recycling techniques.
Advantages of the MIM Technology:
- Enables complex geometries and high-performance magnets with minimal waste.
- Supports direct reuse of recycled powder from Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS).
- Reduces need for virgin REEs and eliminates many post-processing steps.
MAXIMA also integrates Grain Boundary Diffusion (GBD) treatments to restore magnetic properties in recycled materials—minimizing rare earth consumption while maintaining quality.
Toward a Greener Magnetic Future
The MAXIMA project demonstrates that sustainability and performance are not mutually exclusive. By innovating at the intersection of recycling, materials science, and manufacturing, the project is advancing towards the next generation of eco-friendly, high-efficiency magnets—essential for Europe’s green and digital transformation.
As the MAXIMA project progresses, prototypes incorporating magnet innovations by MIMplus Technologies will undergo testing and validation. Our goal is to reach a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6 by the end of the project—bringing this cutting-edge motor closer to commercial reality.