REProMag · Project

Zero-Waste 3D Manufacturing of Rare Earth Magnets From Recycled Materials

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Rare earth magnets are inside everything from electric motors to headphones, but making them today wastes a huge amount of expensive material and energy. This project figured out how to 3D-print these magnets into complex shapes — like building with magnetic Lego — using a process called SDS (Shaping, Debinding, Sintering). The raw material is 100% recycled, and the process itself produces zero waste, which is a big deal when the materials cost a fortune. They built working prototypes including tiny motor rotors and headphone components to prove it works.

By the numbers

30%

Minimum increase in material efficiency during manufacturing

30%

Energy efficiency improvement across the manufacturing chain

100%

Waste-free manufacturing (zero waste along the whole chain)

100%

Recycled raw material input

Consortium partners across 5 countries

5,726,365

EU contribution (EUR)

Physical demonstrators built and validated

The business problem

What needed solving

Rare earth magnets are critical components in electric motors, generators, headphones, and countless other products — but manufacturing them today is wasteful, energy-intensive, and limited in geometric complexity. Companies lose up to 30% or more of expensive rare earth material during conventional machining, and cannot easily produce magnets with complex shapes like cooling channels or lightweight structures. With rare earth supply chains under geopolitical pressure, producers urgently need a way to do more with less material.

The solution

What was built

The project developed and validated the SDS (Shaping, Debinding, Sintering) process — an additive manufacturing route for rare earth magnets. They built three categories of physical demonstrators: miniaturised magnet rotors for electric motors/generators, working headphones/microphones with SDS-produced magnetic transducers, and demonstrator rare earth magnet parts to specification. A total of 20 deliverables were completed across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

Electric motor and generator manufacturers looking to reduce rare earth material wasteConsumer electronics companies producing headphones, loudspeakers, and microphonesRare earth magnet producers seeking waste-free, circular production methodsAutomotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers developing next-generation electric drivetrainsRecycling companies looking to create closed-loop rare earth supply chains

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Electric motor manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of electric motors for automotive, robotics, or industrial automation

If you are an electric motor manufacturer dealing with expensive rare earth magnet waste and limited design freedom — this project developed an SDS process that produces complex magnet rotors with at least 30% less material waste and 30% better energy efficiency across the manufacturing chain. They built miniaturised magnet rotors as working demonstrators, proving the process handles real motor geometries including cooling channels and segmented designs.

Consumer electronics

any

Target: Producers of headphones, loudspeakers, and microphone components

If you are a consumer electronics company sourcing rare earth magnets for audio transducers — this project demonstrated working headphones and microphones with magnetic parts produced via their waste-free SDS route. The process allows complex 3D and multilayered magnet geometries that can improve transducer performance, while using 100% recycled raw material that can be recycled again at end of life.

Rare earth magnet production

SME

Target: Companies producing or trading NdFeB and other rare earth permanent magnets

If you are a magnet producer struggling with material losses and supply chain risks for rare earth elements — this project validated a production route that achieves 100% material utilisation with zero manufacturing waste. The SDS process uses recycled feedstock and delivers net-shape parts requiring no post-machining, which directly cuts your raw material costs and reduces dependence on primary rare earth mining.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this SDS manufacturing process?

The project does not publish per-unit cost figures. However, the objective states at least 30% material savings and 30% energy savings compared to conventional magnet manufacturing, which are the two biggest cost drivers. With zero waste and net-shape output eliminating post-machining, total production costs should drop significantly for complex geometries.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

The project produced small-scale prototypes and ran demonstration activities in a near-to-operational environment. The consortium includes 9 industry partners (60% of the consortium), which suggests the process was designed with scale-up in mind. However, full industrial-scale production would require further investment beyond this project's scope.

What is the IP situation and can I license this technology?

The SDS process was developed by a 15-partner consortium led by OBE Ohnmacht & Baumgartner GmbH (Germany). IP ownership and licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the consortium partners. SciTransfer can facilitate introductions to the right contact.

Does using recycled rare earth material affect magnet quality?

The project specifically aimed to manufacture complex structures of high quality using 100% recycled raw material. Working demonstrators — including motor rotors and audio transducers — were built and validated, suggesting the recycled feedstock meets performance requirements for these applications.

How does this compare to conventional magnet manufacturing?

Conventional sintered magnet production involves significant machining waste (often 30-50% material loss) and cannot easily produce complex geometries. The SDS process delivers net-shape parts with at least 30% better material efficiency, 100% waste-free manufacturing, and enables features like threads, cooling channels, and lightweight structures that are impossible with traditional methods.

What regulations or standards does this address?

The project directly addresses EU resource efficiency and circular economy goals by using 100% recycled feedstock and enabling full end-of-life recyclability. For companies facing tightening EU regulations on critical raw material sourcing and waste reduction, this process offers a compliance-ready manufacturing alternative.

Consortium

Who built it

The REProMag consortium is unusually industry-heavy: 9 out of 15 partners (60%) come from industry, with 5 SMEs in the mix. This is a strong signal that the technology was developed with commercial reality in mind, not just academic curiosity. The coordinator, OBE Ohnmacht & Baumgartner GmbH, is a German precision manufacturer — not a university — which means the project was driven by someone who actually makes products. The 5-country spread (Austria, Germany, France, Slovenia, UK) covers key European manufacturing hubs. With EUR 5.7 million in EU funding and 3 university plus 3 research institute partners providing the science backbone, this consortium had both the research depth and the industrial muscle to move from concept to working demonstrators.

OBE OHNMACHT & BAUMGARTNER GMBH & CO KGCoordinator · DE
NPL MANAGEMENT LIMITEDparticipant · UK
STEINBEIS INNOVATION GGMBHparticipant · DE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIENparticipant · AT
MONTANUNIVERSITAET LEOBENparticipant · AT
INSTITUT JOZEF STEFANparticipant · SI
SENNHEISER ELECTRONIC GMBH & CO KGparticipant · DE
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAMparticipant · UK
FOTEC FORSCHUNGS- UND TECHNOLOGIETRANSFER GMBHparticipant · AT
STEINBEIS 2I GMBHparticipant · DE
HAGE SONDERMASCHINENBAU GMBH & CO KGparticipant · AT
LITHOZ GMBHparticipant · AT
TEKS SARLparticipant · FR
SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

The coordinator is OBE Ohnmacht & Baumgartner GmbH & Co KG, a precision manufacturing company based in Germany. SciTransfer can help you reach the right person.

Order a report on this consortium See OBE OHNMACHT & BAUMGARTNER GMBH & CO KG profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the SDS magnet process or connecting with the consortium? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the project team and help you evaluate fit for your production needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0