Motherson Group has announced a collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore to advance ‘Spinheat,’ a magnetic induction technology. This technology aims to cure industrial coatings in minutes, using significantly less energy than conventional methods. The partnership will industrialize Spinheat for real-world applications, particularly in automotive and aerospace components, potentially leading to faster, cleaner, and more efficient manufacturing processes.
Motherson Group and NTU Singapore Forge Advanced Manufacturing Partnership
Motherson Group, a global leader in design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and logistics, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. The partnership aims to advance ‘Spinheat,’ an innovative magnetic induction technology designed to significantly speed up the curing of industrial coatings.
Spinheat Technology: Faster, Greener Curing
The Spinheat technology utilizes magnetic nanoparticles embedded within coating materials, such as adhesives and resins. When exposed to an alternating magnetic field, these particles generate heat directly within the coating, enabling it to cure in minutes rather than hours. This process is considerably more energy-efficient than conventional oven-based methods and is expected to reduce energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions. Initial lab results indicate that Spinheat can achieve the bonding strength of a conventional 24-hour oven cure in approximately one hour.
Industrializing for Automotive and Aerospace Applications
This collaboration between NTU Singapore and MSSL (S) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Samvardhana Motherson International Limited, focuses on industrializing Spinheat technology for practical, real-world applications. The goal is to implement this advanced curing method for resin coatings across automotive and aerospace components. The partnership leverages NTU’s expertise in magnetic materials and polymer science with Motherson’s extensive manufacturing and engineering capabilities.
Quotes on the Collaboration
Dhruv Mehra, Director, Motherson Singapore, highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation, stating, “Innovation is at the core of how Motherson builds for the future. Partnering with NTU Singapore & using Motherson’s proprietary SVAG E3 methodology, we are excited to bring cutting-edge material science into real manufacturing environments and explore possibilities that can make our processes faster, cleaner, and more efficient. This collaboration underlies our commitment to invest in foundational R&D, strengthening long-term value creation and supporting sustainable manufacturing.”
Assoc Prof Terry Steele, NTU School of Materials Science and Engineering, commented on the technological advancement: “The first generation of our technology showed that we could use magnetic nanoparticles for directed energy materials curing, unlike conventional oven heating. The next challenge is to understand how this can work reliably within automotive manufacturing. Working with Motherson will give us the advantage and opportunity to develop Spinheat around real industrial needs, the actual materials, component geometries and production requirements.”
Prof. Raju V. Ramanujan, NTU School of Materials Science and Engineering, added: “The development of Spinheat technology for industrial applications is the next logical step to demonstrate its numerous advantages. Our collaboration with Motherson to study the use of Spinheat for demanding automotive and aerospace applications can be a game changer, given the urgent need to reinvent and reimagine manufacturing.”
Source: BSE
