About Us
About Our Patents
Strip Casting Patents
SC Patents Information on our patents for strip casting
In 1991, our company was the first in the world to successfully mass produce thin pieces of unidirectional solidified RE-Fe-B based alloys for sintered magnets using a tundish Single Roll Strip Casting Process (hereafter referred to as “Santoku’s SC Process”). Currently, Santoku’s SC Process is the main technique used in Japan and around the world for the production of alloy raw materials used in high-performance magnets. Through our longstanding technology, we have continually provided major domestic and international magnet manufacturers with the alloy raw materials needed for their high-performance magnets.
Our company possesses both domestic and international patents for Santoku’s SC Process (hereafter referred to as “Santoku-held SC Process Patents”), and the majority of domestic manufacturers of alloy raw materials for high-performance magnets are licensees of Santoku-held SC Process Patents.
Among these, our patents for alloys, production methods and equipment are displayed on the chart below. For your reference, our company provides all patent information. For questions regarding these patents and licenses, please contact our department for intellectual properties.
■Santoku-held SC Process Patents and their Terms of Validity
(an excerpt of our patents)
Japan | America | Europe | Korea | China | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic patent for equipment 1) | 2015 | - | - | - | - |
Cooling control unit patent 2) | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 |
RFeB magnet alloy patent 3) | 2022 | - | - | - | - |
RFeB magnet alloy patent 4) | 2023 | - | - | - | - |
Magnet alloy production method patent 5) | 2025 | 2026 | - | - | 2025 |
1)JP 3201944
2)JP 4224453
3)JP 4133315
4)JP 4303074
5)JP 4486084
When purchasing alloy raw materials for magnets
- (1)As we possess numerous patents related to Santoku’s SC Process, we recommend that you confirm with the supplier whether the alloy you desire infringes upon Santoku-held SC Process Patents before purchasing.
- (2)As a rule, we do not permit RE-Fe-B based alloys manufactured according to Santoku-held SC Process Patents to be brought into Japan. Accordingly, we recommend as above that you confirm with the supplier beforehand whether RE-Fe-B based alloys manufactured through the SC process overseas infringe upon Santoku patents before importing these products.
When manufacturing alloy raw materials for magnets
Please be aware that, regardless of the intended purpose, manufacturing, sale and in-house production related to SC-manufactured RE-Fe-B based alloy raw materials may infringe upon Santoku-held SC Process Patents in regions where these apply.
When purchasing SC equipment
In regions where Santoku-held SC Process Patents are in effect, we recommend that you confirm with the supplier beforehand whether the equipment you desire infringes upon Santoku-held SC Process Patents.