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How to Qualify a Magnet for Mass Production: Process and Documentation
In the modern manufacturing landscape, permanent magnets are no longer considered simple hardware components or standard catalog items. The qualification of magnets for series production represents a fundamental step to ensure that every component complies with the required standards. The efficiency, durability, and safety of the products you bring to market depend directly on their performance.
When making the major transition from a laboratory prototype to large-scale mass production, a crucial question arises: how can we be mathematically certain that every single permanent magnet, within batches composed of tens or hundreds of thousands of pieces, complies 100% with the agreed geometric and magnetic standards?
Introducing a magnet into a series production process is not an operation that can be completed simply by purchasing from a catalog and carrying out random dimensional checks. It requires a structured, rigorous, and standardized process.
The answer is called PPAP (Production Part Approval Process), the production part approval process. It is not a simple bureaucratic formality, but a real guarantee: the documented and scientific proof that the supplier is capable of producing large volumes with exactly the same quality as the first approved samples.
What is PPAP and why is it essential for magnets?
PPAP was originally developed in the automotive sector but has become the benchmark standard of excellence throughout the entire manufacturing industry. Its goal is to demonstrate to the customer that the supplier’s production process is stable, repeatable, and under control.
When dealing with permanent magnets, the process becomes even more critical. Unlike a screw or an aluminum casing, a magnet has “invisible” characteristics: the alloy microstructure, magnetic flux strength, and heat resistance cannot be seen with the naked eye. A defective magnet may appear perfectly intact but could demagnetize at the first operating temperatures, causing the failure of the entire system.
The PPAP package is the shield that eliminates this risk before series production begins.
The 5 PPAP Levels: How deep do we need to go?
Depending on project criticality, target market, and the customer’s internal procedures, the required documentation submission level is agreed upon before production starts:
- Level 1: The supplier provides only the final certificate (PSW) and a visual report.
- Level 2: Certificate, physical samples, and limited dimensional data.
- Level 3 (Industrial/Automotive Standard): This is the complete level. The supplier provides physical samples and the full package of tests and analyses described below.
- Level 4: Customized requirements defined jointly with the customer.
- Level 5: Complete documentation and physical examination of the processes directly at the supplier’s facility.
PPAP-Based Qualification Process Stages
The qualification of magnets for series production follows the PPAP methodology step by step. The process is divided into four operational macro-phases.
Phase 1: The Technical “Contract” (Specifications and Design Record)
Everything begins with the technical drawing and specifications (the PPAP Design Record). At this stage, the rules of the project are defined. For a magnet, the drawing must not only include geometric tolerances but, above all, the essential magnetic properties such as grade, coercivity, and magnetization direction.
Phase 2: Risk Analysis and Process Mapping (FMEA and Flow Chart)
Before starting production equipment, the supplier must map the entire journey of the raw material through a Process Flow Chart: from powder mixing, to magnetic field pressing, to sintering (heat treatment), mechanical grinding, protective coating, and final magnetization, if required.
At the same time, the PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) is created. This study identifies everything that could go wrong during the process and explains how the manufacturer intends to prevent it. For magnets, the focus is placed on specific risks such as:
- Formation of micro-cracks or internal porosity (magnets are as fragile as ceramics).
- Oxidation of powders before sintering.
- Incomplete or misaligned magnetization compared to the technical drawing.
Defining the technical specifications is one of the most important factors in ensuring a successful transition to serial production. If you have questions about technical requirements, the appropriate PPAP level, or selecting the most suitable magnet for your application, contact CIBAS Group to discuss your project with our specialists.
Phase 3: General Testing and Validation (Pre-Series, MSA and Capability)
This is the most operational phase. The supplier produces a pre-series batch using the final production molds and machinery. Three fundamental checks are carried out on this pre-series:
Measurement System Analysis (MSA / Gage R&R): Magnetic measurement systems are extremely sensitive. The supplier must scientifically demonstrate that its instruments (Gaussmeters, Fluxmeters, Hysteresisgraph systems) are accurate and that measurements are not affected by operators or laboratory temperature variations.
Process Capability Studies (Cpk): Through statistical formulas, it is demonstrated that the production equipment is sufficiently stable to virtually eliminate the risk of producing parts outside tolerance. This calculation is performed on critical geometric dimensions and total magnetic flux.
Performance and Material Tests: Hysteresis curves are generated (graphs showing how the magnet behaves under real operating temperatures, such as 150°C), along with chemical certificates verifying rare earth purity. To test the protective coating against corrosion, magnets undergo salt spray testing (Salt Spray Test) or autoclave testing (Pressure Cooker Test).
Phase 4: The Green Light (Samples and PSW)
The process reaches its final stage. The supplier selects physical samples from the pre-series batch (Sample Production Parts) and ships them to the customer.
Together with the samples, the PSW (Part Submission Warrant) is provided. This document represents the final declaration: the supplier summarizes the results, certifies the PPAP level, and signs a commitment to produce the series exactly as described in the submission package. Once the customer also signs the PSW, the magnet is officially qualified for series production.
The Customer’s Role: What Are the Real Key Steps?
PPAP is not a supplier monologue, but a collaborative process. The customer’s role focuses on strategic alignment, application validation, and formal approval:
Clear Definition of Requirements (Phase 1): The customer is responsible for providing unambiguous technical specifications and drawings (Design Record). It is not enough to request a generic “Neodymium magnet”; it is necessary to specify actual geometric tolerances, maximum operating temperatures, and minimum acceptable magnetic values.
Functional Application Testing (Phase 4): Once pre-series parts (Sample Production Parts) are received, the customer does not test the magnet itself but rather the finished product in which the magnet is installed. The customer’s engineers install the samples in their prototypes to verify that the product operates correctly in real conditions and reaches the expected performance standards.
Documentation Approval and PSW Release: The customer reviews the documentation package submitted by the supplier to verify compliance. If everything matches the agreed requirements, the customer’s quality manager signs the PSW (Part Submission Warrant). This signature represents the official “green light”: only from this moment is the supplier authorized to begin series production.
Automotive and E-Mobility Focus
If your target market is automotive (electric vehicle traction motors, EPS steering systems, actuators), qualification criteria reach the highest level of severity. In this sector, certification of magnets operating in automotive environments cannot ignore the IATF 16949 standard.
IATF 16949 is the international quality management standard developed by the world’s leading automotive manufacturers. In the context of permanent magnets, it guarantees long-term reliability requirements.
Our production partners in China hold both IATF 16949 certifications, ensuring native process control fully compliant with automotive requirements.
Implementing a structured PPAP-based qualification process requires transparent collaboration, but it is the only secure investment to transform a component into a real competitive advantage.
Relying on a qualified partner and avoiding production downtime or market returns allows you to deliver reliable products that maintain their efficiency promises over time.
Do you have a new development project requiring high-performance permanent magnets?
Contact us to review your project specifications together: we will evaluate the technical requirements of your application and support you in defining the most suitable qualification path, laying the foundations for a reliable, traceable series production process that meets the required standards.
