China Commissions "World's Largest" Bell-Type Furnace for Magnet Materials

Highlights

• Chinese company Hunan Jinlu Intelligent Manufacturing introduces a high-performance bell-type furnace.
• The furnace solves key production challenges in magnet manufacturing.
• Technological improvements include:
  • Precise temperature uniformity (±4°C)
  • 10% energy reduction
  • Innovative dust-removal process
• Strategic innovation potentially strengthens China's position in the critical magnet supply chain for:
  • EV (Electric Vehicles)
  • Wind technology
  • 5G technology
  • AI hardware technologies

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Hunan Jinlu Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Jinlu Intelligent) says its 40-stack bell-type furnace—described as the largest of its kind in the industry—has been successfully commissioned at an unnamed global magnetic-materials leader. The system is a high-temperature thermal-processing line used in producing advanced magnet materials. The company frames the launch as a major technical breakthrough that strengthens China’s high-end magnet supply chain.

The news is made available by Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallury Co. Ltd. (opens in a new tab)

What’s new and why it matters.

China’s magnet sector has expanded quickly but has struggled with three production bottlenecks: poor temperature uniformity (uneven performance), high energy consumption (higher costs), and low yields (scaling limits). Jinlu Intelligent says its R&D team spent six months solving these issues with three upgrades:

• Precise heat-field and atmosphere control holding temperature uniformity within ±4 °C, aimed at tighter, more consistent material properties.

• Redesigned equipment that cuts energy use by 10%+ versus conventional lines, lowering overall cost.

• An innovative composite dust-removal process to reduce surface defects and improve appearance/yield.

The company adds that a single charge exceeds 5 tons, and claims “internationally leading” comprehensive performance. On the commercial side, Jinlu says the unit’s stability and cost advantages have already produced multiple batch orders from marquee customers, boosting its brand influence in thermal-equipment for magnets.

Strategic context for U.S./Western readers.

Bell-type furnaces are critical gear in sintered-magnet manufacturing. If Jinlu’s performance claims prove out at scale—especially ±4 °C uniformity and double-digit energy savings—Chinese producers could gain further cost and quality leverage in NdFeB/SmCo supply, the backbone for EVs, wind, 5G, and AI hardware. Equipment-level gains matter: tighter thermal control typically improves coercivity consistency and yields, which can reduce scrap and stabilize downstream performance—advantages that compound across large volumes.

What we don’t know (yet).

The customer was not named; no independent test data, uptime statistics, or third-party audits were provided. It’s also unclear whether the technology will be exported or held domestically, how IP is protected, and how the system performs across different alloy grades and lot sizes over time. Those details will determine whether this is a demonstration win or a step-change in China’s magnet manufacturing economics.

What’s next.

Jinlu says it will keep iterating bell-type, roller-kiln, and vacuum-furnace platforms while targeting new applications (e.g., polymers, advanced materials), aligning with China’s goals for higher-end, smarter, greener industrial equipment.

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