In the wave of industrial automation, electro-permanent magnets have emerged as a core component in the smart equipment sector, thanks to their efficient, safe, and highly controllable features. Their ability to maintain magnetic force without continuous power supply, combined with the instant on/off magnetization capability, gives them a distinct advantage in applications such as robotic grippers, production line handling, and sorting/palletizing tasks. Hunan Qianhao Magnetic Electric Technology Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as "Qianhao"), through years of dedicated technological innovation, has seamlessly integrated the flexibility of electro-permanent magnets with the demands of automation, creating several benchmark cases in industries like automotive manufacturing, rail transportation, and shipbuilding—offering the industry highly replicable solutions.

I. Robotic Arm End-Effector: The Art of Balancing Lightweight Design with High Load Capacity

In industrial robotic gripping applications, traditional electromagnets suffer from issues such as high energy consumption, severe heat generation, and uncontrollable magnetic force, while vacuum suction cups demand extremely precise flatness of the workpiece surface. The emergence of electro-permanent magnets, however, offers a superior solution for robotic end-effectors.

Case Study: Brembo Automotive Brake Disc Gripping System

Italy's automotive parts giant Brembo, known for its high-end brake disc production line, imposes stringent demands on the precision and efficiency of its gripping tools. The brake discs are made from gray cast iron, with tiny air pockets on their surfaces—issues that often cause conventional suction cups to slip and fall due to air leaks. To address this challenge, Qianhao has customized a robotic arm end-effector solution featuring an array of three QHMZ-C30 electric permanent magnets. Each magnet weighs just 0.4 kg yet can securely hold a brake disc weighing approximately 10 kg (total load: 30 kg). The key advantage lies in its exceptional performance:

1. Rapid response: Magnetization/demagnetization time ≤ 0.2 seconds, meeting the pace requirements of high-speed production lines;
2. Precise Control: Achieve magnetic grading by adjusting the current, preventing excessive magnetic force from damaging the workpiece.
3. Energy-saving and safe: Power is consumed only during the magnetization and demagnetization processes, with zero energy usage in standby mode—and no loss of magnetism when power is cut off.
   This solution reduced Brembo's production line cycle time per unit by 30% and lowered the product defect rate to below 0.02%.

II. Truss Handling: Innovative Slinging Technique Using Long Strip Magnets

When handling long-workpieces such as profiles and rails, traditional fixtures often lead to deformation, while simultaneously controlling multiple electromagnetic lifters poses significant challenges. Qianhao has overcome these issues by developing a modular, strip-shaped electro-permanent magnet design, enabling efficient multi-lift operations.

Case Study: Automated Production Line for Rail Transit Profiles

A 6–12-meter steel rail production line at a certain rail transit equipment enterprise originally relied on wire rope bundling for lifting and transportation, which resulted in issues such as surface scratches and positioning inaccuracies. In Qianhao's solution featuring the QEPMZ-010140 model long-strip electro-permanent magnet:

1. 5-unit parallel lifting design: By adopting a distributed magnetic circuit layout, the magnetic uniformity of the 6-meter steel rail reaches 98%.
2. Dynamic magnetic adjustment function: Automatically increases or decreases the number of activated magnets based on rail length, reducing energy consumption;
3. Fall Protection: Built-in magnetic sensors instantly trigger an alarm when magnetic strength drops by more than 10%.
4. After implementation, rail lifting efficiency improved by 40%, while the surface damage rate dropped from 15% to just 0.5%. This has resulted in annual savings of over 2 million yuan in rework costs.

3. Sorting and Palletizing: Flexible Adaptation with Dot-Matrix Magnets

In scenarios involving the sorting of irregularly shaped parts such as steel plates and aluminum materials, significant variations in workpiece specifications and disorganized placement are the core pain points. Qianhao’s newly developed dot-array electro-permanent magnet end effector achieves "one device for multiple applications" through its independent magnetic control units.

Case Study: Intelligent Steel Plate Sorting System for Shipyards

Qianhao partners with Huagong Saibai to build a steel plate sorting line for a certain shipyard. The system features a dot-array end-effector composed of 30 independent magnetically controlled units, each of which can be individually magnetized and demagnetized.

1. Specification Adaptation: The visual system identifies the steel plate dimensions and automatically activates the corresponding magnetic zones.
2. Anti-adhesion control: Adjacent magnets operate alternately to prevent multiple layers of steel plates from being simultaneously attracted.
3. Data tracing function: Records the number of times and exact locations where each steel plate is adsorbed, optimizing the lifespan of the magnetic circuit.
4. This system has boosted sorting efficiency from 8 units per hour to 25 units per hour, while also increasing the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) to 85%.

IV. Technical Core: The Design Philosophy Behind Qianhao Electric Permanent Magnets

Qianhao Electric's core competitive advantage in permanent magnets stems from its deep mastery of three key technological dimensions:

1. Magnetic circuit optimization: Utilizing a composite magnet material of neodymium iron boron and aluminum-nickel-cobalt, combined with finite element analysis to refine the magnetic field distribution, resulting in a 25% increase in magnetic attraction force per unit weight.
2. Intelligent Control: Integrated CAN bus communication interface enables seamless connection with PLCs and robot controllers, delivering millisecond-level response times.
3. Modular Design: Offers options such as standard cores, custom housings, and quick-change mold systems, reducing delivery times to within 2 weeks.

V. Market Strength: From Technological Leadership to Ecosystem Building

Qianhao's industrial influence is evident at three levels:

1. Customer Coverage: Serving over 6,000 customers, including industry leaders such as Sany Heavy Industry and CRRC Group, with products exported to more than 20 countries.
2. Standard-setting authority: Participated in drafting the industry standard for "Electropermanent Magnetic Chucks" and holds 56 patented technologies;
3. Scenario Expansion Capability: From traditional metal processing to emerging fields such as new-energy battery handling and composite material molding.

VI. Industry Insights: The Future Outlook for Electric Permanent Magnets

As Industry 4.0 advances into deeper waters, electro-permanent magnets are evolving from single-function components into intelligent sensing units. Qianhao has already positioned itself at the forefront of technologies such as magnetic feedback sensors and adaptive magnetization algorithms. Its next-generation products are expected to monitor workpiece weight in real time and dynamically adjust magnetic force, with error margins kept within ±2%. This trajectory of technological evolution signals that electro-permanent magnets will unlock even greater value in fields like collaborative robots and flexible manufacturing systems.

Conclusion

From the precise gripping of robotic arms to the efficient handling of long components by gantry systems, from the flexible adaptation of sorting production lines to groundbreaking applications in emerging fields—Qianhao Magnetic Electric has demonstrated through practice that the potential of electric permanent magnets is far from reaching its limit. By continuously advancing technology and pioneering innovative applications, this company is propelling China’s magnetic equipment industry from "following" to "keeping pace," and eventually toward "leading the way." In the vast and boundless realm of intelligent manufacturing, the versatile applications of electric permanent magnets may well pave the way for even more industrial legends.