Sintered magnet producing apparatus
A sintered magnet producing apparatus is provided having a device for fixing a filling container and a lid for the container in the process of orienting alloy powder in the filling container by means of a magnetic field. The sintered magnet producing apparatus includes a filling system for supplying an alloy powder into a filling container and then compacting the alloy powder, a sintering device for sintering the alloy powder, an orienting device having a coil for generating a magnetic field for orienting the alloy powder in the filling and sintering container before the filling process and after the compacting process, and a fixing device for covering the filling container with a lid, and simultaneously, fixing the filling container only during the orienting process. The filling container is prevented from moving due to the magnetic field applied in the orienting process and, simultaneously, the scattering of the alloy powder is prevented.
1. A sintered magnet producing apparatus, comprising:
a) a high-density filling system configured to fill a fine powder of an alloy into a filling container to a density within a range from 40 to 55% of a true density of the alloy;
b) an orienting device configured to orient, by means of a magnetic field, the alloy powder as contained in the filling container;
c) a fixing device configured to cover the filling container by moving the filling container to a lid or moving the lid to the filling container to prevent the alloy powder in the filling container from being scattered, and to fix the filling container at a predetermined position in the magnetic field, during an orienting process by the orienting device;
d) a sintering device configured to sinter the alloy powder by heating the alloy powder together with the filling container; and
e) a conveyer configured to convey the filling container among the high-density filling system, the orienting device and the sintering device.
2. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing is configured to fix the filling container by vertically clamping this container.
3. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing device is made of a non-metallic material.
4. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the orienting device comprises a coil.
5. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the fixing device is provided within the coil.
6. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the coil is arranged so that its axis extends parallel to a conveying direction of the filling container from the high-density filling system to the orienting device.
7. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field is directed perpendicularly to an open face of the filling container.
8. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein after a plurality of the filling containers are conveyed from the high-density filling system, the fixing device is configured to simultaneously fix all of the plurality of the filling containers.
9. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the high-density filling system and the orienting device are contained in one closed container, and the closed container communicates with a furnace for sintering the alloy powder.
10. The sintered magnet producing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the orienting device is a coil wound around the closed container.