German firm's motor innovation eases rare-earth pressure

DW (English)

German companies are searching for ways out of their rare-earth dependancy on China. As the Asian powerhouse holds a quasi-monopoly on rare earths, Ziehl-Abegg has invented a new motor with more accessable materials.

Transcript

00:01They're small, and they don't look like much.

00:04But for the elevator motors made by the Ziel-Abeck company,

00:08these rare earth magnets are a key component.

00:11For years, the company sourced them from China with no problem.

00:16But that has changed.

00:21It happened slowly, starting at the beginning of the year.

00:25Export rules were interpreted ever more narrow.

00:28And that can pose a threat for a business model.

00:31It started with dropping some shifts until you can't supply your customers any longer.

00:37The company wanted to end this dependency,

00:40and they started talking to their innovators.

00:43Their solution? Rare earths out, different magnets in.

00:47That, of course, was easier said than done,

00:50as rare earth magnets are simply better.

00:53But they made it work.

00:57We now have a product that, from the outside, looks just like what we had.

01:02But it doesn't use rare earths in the shape of neodyme magnets.

01:06Instead, we're using ferrite magnets.

01:08The customer doesn't see a difference.

01:10The motor is just as strong.

01:12German in-house engineering to battle China.

01:16Can others follow?

01:17Some scientists are skeptical.

01:22Rare earths have very distinct, very particular magnetic characteristics,

01:27and they won't be easy to substitute.

01:32It's not the first time that China is flexing its muscle.

01:36And yet, Europe so far has failed to find a way out of that dependency.

01:42The big battle over rare earths started in 2020 in a conflict between China and Japan.

01:49The Japanese reacted quickly and started investing strategically in mines in Australia.

01:54In Europe, we have taken no such steps.

01:59The Ziel-Abeck company has found a way out of their problem.

02:03Next year, they're bringing out a motor with no rare earths.

02:06The patent is pending.

02:08The

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