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NEWS
Rare-earth crisis sparks quest for
alternative motor technologies
JAPANESE MOTOR manufacturers are
scrambling for motor technologies that do
not need rare earth metals, following a
crisis in which China, which produces 95–
97% of the world’s rare earths, cut off
supplies to Japan and limited supplies to
other countries. The materials – which
include neodymium, dysprosium and
yttrium – are needed for a wide range of
applications, from electric vehicles and
wind turbines, to computer hard drives and
mobile phones. They are a key component
of high-power permanent magnets.
In recent years, China has come to
dominate the global market for rare earths
by undercutting producers in other
countries, thus forcing them out of the
market. In recent months, however, it has
raised the prices of some of its rare earth
materials nine-fold.
China has also cut back on its production
of rare earths, citing environmental and
energy-saving reasons. At the same time, it
is using more of them in domestic
manufacturing, and is limiting exports.
The rare earth problems hit the world’s
headlines in September when China
blocked supplies to Japan following a
collision between ships from the two
nations in disputed territorial waters.
Japan relies on China for more than 90%
of the 30,000 tonnes of rare earths it
imports every year. Its demand has been
growing as it ramps up production of
electric and hybrid vehicles, each of which
typically needs 9–15kg of rare earths for
motors, batteries and other equipment. A
conventional car contains about 5kg of the
materials.
The crisis has accelerated Japan’s quest
to reduce its dependence on rare earth
materials, particularly from China. Its New
Energy and Industrial technology
Development Organisation (Nedo)
announced recently that, working with
researchers from Hokkaido University, it
has developed “the world’s first” rareearth-free,
high-performance motor for
hybrid vehicles. The 50kW motor is similar
in performance to the motors currently
used in Toyota’s Prius hybrid-electric car,
which need 1kg of rare-earth materials.
The Japanese motor-maker Nidec has
revealed that it plans to start producing
switched-reluctance motors, which do not
need rare earths, in two years’ time. Nidec
acquired the switched-reluctance
technology when its bought Emerson
Electric’s Motors and Appliance Controls
businesses earlier this year. These
businesses included the UK-based
switched-reluctance specialist, SR Drives.
Nidec plans to start producing switchedreluctance
motors for heavy machinery
from 2012, followed by versions for
tractors and other vehicles. At present,
Piles of trouble:
rare earth oxides
(photo: US Department of Agriculture)
Nidec produces synchronous motors for the
electric vehicle market that rely on rareearth-based
permanent magnets inside
their rotor cores.
Other motor developers with
technologies that do not rely on rare-earth
materials, are taking the opportunity to
promote them. For example, Gibraltarbased
Chorus Motors says that its
multiphase Meshcon motor can produce
five times the start-up torque of a similarsized
conventional three-phase motor, and
more than a comparable permanent
magnet motor, without using any rare
earths or other exotic materials.
The rare-earth supply problems could last
for several years until new sources, now
being developed, come on stream in
countries including Vietnam, Australia,
Kazakhstan, Turkey and India. In the US,
rare earth production sites that were shut
down because they could not compete
with China, are being re-opened.
Nidec targets GE and Bosch as it aims for the top
THE ACQUISITIVE Japanese motor-maker Nidec has set its sights
on becoming a global leader in the motors market, possibly by
buying the motors activities of General Electric and Bosch. The
company, which already claims to dominate the market for small
precision motors for applications such as computer hard drives,
is now expanding aggressively into the market for industrial and
appliance motors.
Nidec, whose sales are expected to amount to around ¥700bn
(£5.3bn) this year, is aiming to hit ¥1,000bn (£7.6bn) by 2012
and ¥2,000bn (£15.2bn) by 2015. The company wants this
income to be split evenly between four business “pillars”: small
motors; industrial and appliance motors; automotive motors; and
other activities, including machinery and electronic components.
Much of the growth in the industrial and automotive sectors
will have to come through acquisitions. Even after Nidec’s recent
acquisition of Emerson’s Motors and Controls business, its
industrial and appliance motor activities account for less than
¥100bn (£760m) of its income.
Nidec’s chief executive Shigenobu Nagamori told the Financial
Times recently that he is keen to buy the motor divisions of GE in
the US and Bosch in Germany. In recent years, Nidec has had
discussions with both companies, without reaching any
agreement. But Nagamori is still keen to acquire both businesses
which, he says, would fit well with Nidec’s existing operations.
Nidec is also rumoured to be talking to Sanyo Electric about
buying its motor activities.
6 November/December 2010 www.drives.co.uk