Aisin Corporation is developing an ultrahigh-efficiency motor using NANOMET jointly with Tohoku Magnet Institute (TMI), in which Aisin invested in June last year. A prototype was exhibited at the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2023, in Yokohama in May.

NANOMET is a nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloy that achieves both high saturation magnetic flux density and ultralow iron loss, invented at the Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University. It is sold exclusively by TMI, a spin-out from Tohoku University.

Aisin’s strengths lie in its motor development technologies for a variety of units for HEVs, BEVs and other vehicles that have been cultivated over the years, as well as its production technologies that leverage its diverse processing know-how.

TMI’s strengths lie in research and development of optimal compositions for motors and technological development of optimal foil manufacturing. The ultrahigh efficiency motor, which is made by processing NANOMET into the motor core and stator, was developed by combining the strengths of the two companies.　

This technology halves the loss compared to conventional motors for BEVs that use electromagnetic steel plates, and is expected to improve the overall electric power efficiency of the vehicle by more than 3%.

Aisin will further refine the technology for practical use and proceed with testing and evaluation, with the aim of bringing this motor to the market for BEVs by 2029.