Highlights

• Hosokawa Alpine will present precision grinding, air classification, and process optimization systems for high-performance sintered NdFeB magnet production at The Magnetics Show Europe, February 24–26, 2026 in Amsterdam.
• Europe's magnet supply chain resilience depends on advanced powder processing equipment that delivers tight particle size distribution, oxygen control, and industrial-scale throughput—capabilities central to Hosokawa Alpine's competitive position.
• As global rare earth magnet demand is forecast to exceed 300,000 metric tons annually by 2030, competition among equipment suppliers like Hosokawa Alpine, NETZSCH, and Gasbarre Products intensifies around integrated, scalable solutions for automotive and aerospace-grade magnets.

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As Europe accelerates efforts to strengthen its rare earth and permanent magnet supply chains, Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft (opens in a new tab) will spotlight its advanced powder and particle processing technologies at The Magnetics Show Europe (opens in a new tab), February 24–26 inAmsterdam.

The Event

The Magnetics Show Europe, held February 24–26, 2026, at the RAI Amsterdam as part of Materials Week Europe, is a premier trade exhibition and technical forum dedicated to the magnetic materials and technology value chain. It brings together industry professionals, manufacturers, researchers, and supply-chain stakeholders from across the magnetics sector to showcase cutting-edge innovations in materials, processing, and applications—from permanent magnets and magnetic systems to emerging technologies—through exhibits, expert presentations, and networking opportunities, all aimed at advancing magnetic materials development and collaboration across industries.

Processing: The Quiet Bottleneck in the Magnet Race

Rare Earth Exchanges™ has emphasized since our Oct 2024 launch: mining is not mastery. In the global magnet supply chain, downstream processing precision defines performance.

Sintered NdFeB magnets require tightly controlled particle size distribution, oxygen control, and powder homogeneity. Small deviations can degrade coercivity, energy density, and thermal stability — the very properties that make magnets viable for EV drivetrains, wind turbines, robotics, and defense systems.

Hosokawa Alpine’s expertise in ultrafine grinding, classification, and system integration addresses these constraints directly. Its equipment supports manufacturers aiming for:

• High material purity
• Narrow particle size distribution
• Process reproducibility
• Industrial-scale throughput

These factors are foundational to producing magnets capable of meeting automotive and aerospace specifications.

A European Industrial Signal

Europe’s magnet ambitions hinge not just on rare earth oxide supply, but on scalable metallization and powder-processing infrastructure. Companies like Hosokawa Alpine occupy a crucial middle layer in this ecosystem — bridging raw materials and finished magnets.

While China maintains dominant capacity in magnet production, Western supply chain resilienceincreasingly depends on advanced equipment suppliers capable of enablingprecision powder metallurgy at scale.

Strategic Implications

As global demand for rare earth magnets is forecast to exceed 300,000 metric tons annually by 2030, driven by EV, hybrid, wind, robotics, and AI infrastructure growth, enabling technologies will determine which regions capture value-added manufacturing.

German Engineering

The Germany-based engineering leader will present solutions tailored for high-performance sintered NdFeB (neodymium-iron-boron) magnet production, focusing on grinding, air classification, and process optimization systems critical to magnet-grade powder preparation.

Hosokawa Alpine’s presence at The Magnetics Show Europe underscores a key reality:

The magnet race is not only about resource access.

It is about engineering excellence, process control, and industrial execution.

Europe’s magnet strategy will require all three.

The Market

Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft competes primarily with global powder processing and fine-grinding technology providers serving rare earth magnet manufacturers, particularly in the preparation of NdFeB alloy powders used for sintered permanent magnets. Key competitors include NETZSCH Group, (opens in a new tab) known for high-performance jet mills and air classifiers for ultrafine alloy grinding; Hosokawa Micron Corporation (opens in a new tab), part of the broader Hosokawa Group with overlapping powder processing capabilities; and GEA Group (opens in a new tab), which supplies large-scale industrial powder handling and process systems. These firms compete on precision particle size distribution, inert gas milling under oxygen-controlled environments, throughput efficiency, and system integration—critical parameters for producing high-coercivity, high-energy NdFeB magnets.

Beyond grinding and classification, Hosokawa Alpine also encounters competition from magnet production equipment suppliers such as Pennsylvania-based Gasbarre Products (opens in a new tab) (interviewed via Rare Earth Exchanges podcast (opens in a new tab)), which provides magnetic powder compaction, alignment presses, and powder metallurgy systems, as well as other specialty integrators serving the sintering and finishing stages of magnet manufacturing.

 As Western magnet capacity expands to reduce structural dependence on Chinese processing dominance, competition among advanced equipment and engineering suppliers is intensifying. Ultimately, differentiation in this segment is not defined by machinery alone, but by the ability to deliver integrated, scalable, oxygen-controlled process solutions that meet demanding automotive, aerospace, and defense-grade magnet specifications.

Profile

Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft is a global manufacturer of machinery and integrated systems for powder and particle processing as well as blown film extrusion. Founded in 1898 and headquartered in Augsburg, Germany (with an additional site in Leingarten), the company employs roughly 840 people and generates approximately €255 million in annual revenue (by 2023/2024), with about 80% derived from exports. Since 1987, it has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hosokawa Micron Corporation. Serving industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, minerals, metals, and recycling, Hosokawa Alpine is structured into key divisions: Chemicals, Minerals & Metals, Pharma & Lab, Food, Recycling, Compacting Technology, and Blueserv (after-sales service).

Its core capabilities include size reduction, milling, air classification, mixing, drying, and compacting technologies, often delivered as customized turnkey systems—including solutions for hazardous and high-purity materials. In parallel, the company is a leading supplier of high-performance blown film extrusion lines (up to 11 layers) and monoaxial orientation (MDO) systems for advanced packaging applications.

Strategic priorities include sustainability—particularly recycling systems and “Full PE” circular film solutions—digitalization through its ExVis process monitoring platform, and long-term investment in German production and logistics infrastructure. Through its global subsidiary and partner network, including Hosokawa Alpine American, the company maintains a strong international footprint supporting advanced materials manufacturing worldwide.

See the link for the forthcoming The Magnetics Show Europe (opens in a new tab), February 24–26 in Amsterdam. Note a forthcoming Rare Earth Exchanges article will further report on the conference.