Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: spycatcher
I believe this is the same company mentioned in the article.

Looks like the plant closed and the move happened.

source

History

1982
General Motors, Sumitomo Special Metals and The Chinese Academy of Sciences independently discover a new permanent magnet material composed of neodymium, iron and boron.

1983
Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Convention in Pittsburgh, PA - debut of Neodymium production methods by General Motors and Sumitomo Special Metals.

1986
General Motors creates business unit, Magnequench, and builds 175,000 sq. ft. plant in Anderson, Indiana, U.S.

1995
Beijing San Huan New Material High-tech, Inc., China National Non-Ferrous Metals Import & Export Corporation, and an investment group led by Sextant Group, Inc. acquire Magnequench and establish Magnequench International, Inc.

Magnequench begins capacity expansion in Anderson, Indiana. Total expenditures exceed $30 million over next four years.

1998
Magnequench acquires GA Powders to develop gas atomization process for making NdFeB powder.

Magnequench acquires Xinbao Special Metals in Tianjin, China.

Magnequench breaks ground for Tianjin, China powder manufacturing plant.

1999
Magnequench commences construction of its $10.5 million one-of-a-kind Technology Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

The United States International Trade Commission issues a General Exclusion Order, excluding from entry into the United States any unlicensed rare earth magnets or magnetic materials that infringe the claims of Magnequench's basic composition patents.

Magnequench International, Inc. forms a holding company, Magnequench, Inc., as its operations become more global.

2000
Magnequench's Technology Center opens in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, offering design engineers a unique environment for working with our staff to create optimized prototypes.

Magnequench opens powder plant in Tianjin, China to expand capacity and to better serve Asian markets. The Tianjin plant also puts production close to the source of raw materials, reducing processing time and the need to carry excessive inventories.

Magnequench acquires Widia Magnet Engineering and the rare-earth magnet business from UGIMAG, Inc. to expand their permanent magnet offering to include sintered and injection-molded NdFeB, samarium-cobalt, Alnico and ferrite.

2001

Magnequench files patent lawsuit against US companies:Acer America Corp.; Acer Inc.; Best Buy Co. Inc.; Circuit City Stores, Inc.; CompUSA Inc. and its parent, Grupo Sanborns SA de CV; Philips Business Electronics North America Corp., Philips Business Electronics International B.V.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; Samsung Electronics America, Inc.; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.; Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.; Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.; Toshiba America, Inc.; Toshiba Corporation, Compaq Computer Corporation and Hewlett-Packard Company.

2002

Magnequench closes Anderson, Indiana plant and consolidates all powder production at Tianjin, China facility.

Magnequench opens magnet production facility in Juarez, Mexico.

The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences of the United States Patent and Trademark Office rendered final judgment affirming Magnequench's rights to all claims in its core neodymium-iron-boron patents.

2004

To better serve the majority of powder customers who are in Asia, Magnequench closes Technology Center in Research Triangle Park, and relocates all R&D to a new 17,000 sq. ft. facility in Singapore Science Park.

Magnequench divests all of its magnet businesses, to focus on providing rare earth-iron-boron powders and powder products.

Magnequench files patent infringement lawsuit in the US against: Microsoft, Philips, Sony Corporation, Eastman Kodak, Dell Corporation, Acer Inc., ASUS Computer International, Iomega Corporation, LG Electronics, Lite-On Technology Corporation, Memorex Products, Inc., TEAC Corporation and Wal-Mart.

 

6 posted on 06/29/2005 11:16:07 AM PDT by show me state
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: show me state

What are the patent infringements that they sued about?

Unable to find details. Were these companies manufacturing using Magnequench patented process?


10 posted on 06/29/2005 11:32:50 AM PDT by free_life
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]

To: show me state

Those parts are still covered by ITAR restrictions. Magnequench is no longer allowed to supply the magnets. The main user of this product is up here and had to scramble to find new suppliers.


14 posted on 06/29/2005 11:46:05 AM PDT by MNlurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson