Contact Us
Whether you need a product quote, technical support, or want to discuss a custom magnetic solution — our team is here to help.
Our Office
Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Guangdong Province, China, 518000
+86 136 8238 7090
Business Hours
Mon – Fri: 09:00 – 18:00 CST
Sat: 09:00 – 13:00 CST
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about our magnets, customisation, ordering and shipping.
- What magnetic materials does AIC Engineering manufacture? +
- We produce sintered, bonded, injection-molded and flexible NdFeB magnets, plus SmCo, SmFeN, AlNiCo and ferrite magnets. We also make Halbach arrays, magnetic couplers, encoders, magnetic adsorption assemblies, motor rotor assemblies and Hall-effect sensor magnets.
- Can you make custom magnets? +
- Yes. Our engineers tailor grade, shape, coating and magnetisation pattern to your specification. Rapid prototyping is typically completed in 3–7 days before mass production.
- What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ)? +
- Stock shop items follow the store's order terms. Custom components vary by specification — contact our team for a project-specific quote.
- How long does production take? +
- Prototypes are usually ready in 3–7 days. Mass-production lead time depends on quantity, grade and finishing, and is confirmed with each quote.
- Are your products certified? +
- AIC Engineering is certified to ISO 9001, IATF 16949 and ISO 14001, with about 80% automated production and roughly 20% of revenue invested in R&D, backed by 40+ years of magnetic-materials expertise.
- Do you ship worldwide? +
- Yes, we ship worldwide and provide custom packaging on request.
- How do I request a quote or place an order? +
- Send your requirements (product type, quantity, dimensions, operating conditions) through our Contact page. Our online store is currently in testing, so confirmed orders are arranged with our sales team.
- Which industries do you serve? +
- We serve electric motors, consumer electronics, magnetic sensing, automation, automotive, new energy and medical applications, supplying customers worldwide.
- Does AIC have any branches or subsidiaries? +
- AIC Engineering Ltd. is an independent company with operations solely in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
- What does AIC stand for? +
- AIC stands for "An Iron Calf." The company was founded in 1996 by Mr. Sonny Lau, who was 24 years old at the time. Embracing the fearless spirit of a "newborn calf that is not afraid of the tiger," he likened himself to an "Iron Calf." He deliberately added the word "An" to the beginning of the name to secure a top position in the alphabetical listings of telephone directories—thereby saving on advertising costs—which ultimately gave rise to the acronym AIC, a name now widely recognized within the magnetic industry.
- What engineering services does AIC Engineering offer? +
- Beyond manufacturing, we provide magnetic application design services: magnetic-circuit analysis, FEA field simulation (flux density, field distribution, force modelling), material selection, and full-cycle engineering support from concept through prototype to mass production. Our engineering team brings 40+ years of application expertise.
- Can AIC help design a custom magnetic circuit from scratch? +
- Yes. We offer end-to-end magnetic solution design — from defining requirements and selecting the optimal magnet grade, to FEA simulation, prototype fabrication (3–7 days) and production ramp-up. We optimise for performance targets such as field strength, torque, force uniformity and thermal stability.
- Where can I find definitions of magnetic-materials terms such as coercivity, remanence and Halbach array? +
- Our Magnetic Materials Glossary page (/glossary) provides concise definitions for coercivity (Hcb/Hcj), remanence (Br), maximum energy product (BH)max, Curie temperature, anisotropy, grain boundary diffusion, Halbach array and more — each entry links to related products so you can move from concept to selection in one click.
- How do I compare magnetic materials such as NdFeB vs SmCo, ferrite or AlNiCo? +
- The Magnetic Materials Comparison page (/compare) offers side-by-side tables for six common pairings — NdFeB vs SmCo, NdFeB vs ferrite, sintered vs bonded NdFeB, SmCo vs AlNiCo, NdFeB vs SmFeN and rigid vs flexible magnets — covering energy product, max operating temperature, temperature coefficient, corrosion resistance and cost, plus "when to choose X / when to choose Y" guidance and links to related products.
- Which magnet material should I choose for high-temperature environments? +
- For continuous use above 150–180 °C, SmCo is the primary choice — AIC supplies high-temperature grades with maximum operating temperatures up to 550 °C. Standard SmCo covers 250–350 °C; AlNiCo suits closed magnetic circuits up to ~500 °C where low Hcj is acceptable. Sintered NdFeB reaches 200 °C only in high-temperature grades (SH/UH/EH). See the comparison tables on /compare for temperature coefficient and selection guidance.
- Which material is best when corrosion resistance is critical and coatings are not allowed? +
- SmCo and SmFeN are intrinsically corrosion-resistant and usually need no coating, making them ideal for skin-contact, medical, marine or humid environments where nickel/zinc/epoxy coatings are unacceptable. Sintered NdFeB, by contrast, requires a protective coating. SmFeN also offers a low temperature coefficient (−0.05 %/°C), close to SmCo.
- What is the difference between sintered and bonded NdFeB? +
- Sintered NdFeB is ~3–4× stronger (35–52 MGOe) and used for high-performance motors and sensors, but is limited to simpler shapes produced by grinding/slicing. Bonded NdFeB (8–12 MGOe) is injection- or compression-moulded, enabling complex shapes, tight tolerances (±0.02 mm) and multi-pole/isotropic magnetisation, at the cost of lower magnetic strength and a 120–150 °C binder-limited temperature. See /compare for the full table.
- What is a Halbach array and what is it used for? +
- A Halbach array is an arrangement of permanent magnets that concentrates the magnetic field on one side while nearly cancelling it on the other, producing a stronger, more uniform single-sided field without extra material. It is used in magnetic couplers, eddy-current brakes, particle accelerators, magnetic levitation and high-field sensor targets. See the Halbach array entry on /glossary and related products.
- Can AIC supply high-temperature SmCo magnets for extreme environments? +
- Yes. AIC Engineering manufactures high-temperature samarium cobalt (SmCo) magnets rated for maximum operating temperatures up to 550 °C — beyond standard SmCo grades (250–350 °C) and typical AlNiCo limits (~500 °C). These magnets combine SmCo's low temperature coefficient, high intrinsic coercivity (Hcj) and excellent corrosion resistance, making them ideal for aerospace actuators, downhole oil & gas tools, turbo machinery and precision instrumentation. Share your temperature, field and mechanical requirements and our engineers will recommend the appropriate grade.
- How do I choose between NdFeB, SmCo and ferrite permanent magnets? +
- Start with four drivers: energy product (size), operating temperature, temperature stability and cost. NdFeB (35–52 MGOe) delivers the strongest flux per unit volume — choose it for miniaturised, high-performance designs (EV motors, sensors, consumer electronics) when continuous temperature stays below ~180 °C (SH/UH/EH grades to ~200 °C); it requires a protective coating and has a Br coefficient of about −0.12 %/°C. SmCo (16–32 MGOe) wins when temperature exceeds 150–200 °C, when flux must stay very stable (Br ~−0.03 %/°C — about 4× better than NdFeB), or when coating is undesirable; standard grades operate to 250–350 °C and AIC high-temperature grades reach 550 °C, with excellent corrosion resistance but cost typically 1.5–3× NdFeB. Ferrite (3.5–4.5 MGOe) is 5–10× cheaper, rare-earth-free and needs no coating, but is ~10× weaker — equal flux needs a much larger magnet; Br coefficient ~−0.18 %/°C and performance drops faster above ~150 °C. Best for cost-sensitive, high-volume uses where size is not constrained (speakers, magnetic chucks, simple motors). Quick rule: maximum flux in minimum volume below ~180 °C → NdFeB; high temperature, low drift or no coating → SmCo; lowest cost, size flexible → ferrite. See /compare for side-by-side tables or contact us with your operating conditions for grade and magnetic-circuit support.