Researchers at a commercial spin-off of a UK university claim they can eliminate rare-earth elements (REEs) from in-car audio systems.
Warwick Acoustics, a commercial trading entity born from the School of Engineering at Warwick University and now headquartered at the automotive testing ground MIRA Technology Park, Warwickshire, believes this can be achieved thanks to its ‘zero-REE’ ElectroAcoustic panels.
The company, which supplies automotive audio components to brands such as Sony, Bose, Harman Automotive, Meridian Audio, McLaren Automotive and JLR, says its technology is moving away from the traditional format of a speakers, which have not altered much since the first car radio was installed in the 1930’s.
Its audio panels claim to be lighter and thinner than any conventional speaker while not using any REEs by eliminating the magnet and replacing it with a 1mm (0.04-inch) thin electrostatic panel. This reduces a loudspeaker’s weight by up to 90% lighter. The panels also use 100%-by-mass upcycled and easily recyclable materials in their manufacturing process and are designed to be easy to disassemble at end-of -life.
Warwick Acoustics’ ElectroAcoustic Panels are now in the final phases of industrialization for the first customers and primarily aimed at automakers looking to meet rapid transitions to electrification and life cycle sustainability.
The company’s CEO, Mike Grant, said: “More and more enquiries are coming in from OEMs wishing to eliminate sources of REE from their vehicles due to the toxic waste generated in the mine-to-magnet process and supply chain stability. The big target has been permanent magnets in electric motors, with each motor containing roughly 500g (1.1-lbs) of REEs.
“However, as much as 30% of the total REE content in a premium EV is actually in the audio system,” he adds. “The extraction and processing of REE is unfortunately a process which generates a huge volume of waste per gram refined REE – some sources suggest the amount of waste is 2,000 times the amount of refined product. OEMs are keen to eliminate this legacy and at the same time remove any future issues with the very concentrated supply chain.”
