Schaeffler Develops Process to Recover Rare Earth Magnets From EV Motor Rotors
The new method extracts magnets from defective production parts, creating a factory scrap loop rather than end-of-life recycling.
Schaeffler has developed a process to recover and reuse rare earth magnets from defective electric motor rotors, addressing high material costs in e-mobility production.
What Happened
Specialists at Schaeffler's E-Mobility plant in Szombathely, Hungary, created a method to extract magnets from defective rotors. The process involves pressing the magnets out of rejected parts, cleaning them, and vacuum packing them for reuse in new rotors under strict testing. The project, which Schaeffler calls "Pioneering Sustainability," involved a team of seven people in Hungary and two in Germany. According to the company, the technique can be adapted to other permanent-magnet e-motor production sites that use transfer molding.
Why It Matters
In transfer molding, magnets are locked into a rotor's laminated core with injected resin, making them difficult to remove from rejected parts. Schaeffler describes these rare earth magnets as extremely expensive, noting that managing high-value raw materials is a significant industry challenge. The company states that this recovery process requires minimal investment, yields significant cost savings, and reduces scrap and transport-related CO₂ emissions compared to other methods. However, the announcement did not provide specific figures for these savings or emission reductions.
The Bottom Line
This initiative focuses on a factory scrap loop—recovering magnets from parts that failed during manufacturing—rather than end-of-life vehicle recycling. Tibor Szigeti, CEO of Schaeffler's Hungarian companies, said the project protects the environment while serving customer interests.
