About Electron Energy Corporation

EEC Founder
Marlin S. Walmer
(1/11/29 – 12/12/99)

Marlin S. Walmer was a pioneer in the rare earth magnet industry.

In 1968, the US Air Force introduced technology using rare earth cobalt magnets. Marlin was struck by the potential of this new technology and dedicated a thirty-plus year career to the development and commercialization of Samarium baltbased rare earth magnets.

Under his direction, magnets produced at EEC have enhanced many high tech devices used in aerospace, spacecraft, satellites, telecommunication, marine vessels, military systems, and medical science.

A tireless innovator, Marlin brought together researchers and engineers from around the world. He and his colleagues at EEC collaborated with members of several research institutes to develop a new class of ultra-high temperature Sm-TM magnet materials for use in applications that operate at temperatures up to 550°C, a break-through that paved the way for new applications.

Marlin proudly served in the US Navy from 1946 to 1948. An alumnus of Lehigh University (BS 1952) and Franklin & Marshall College (MS 1958), he began his career as a metallurgical engineer at the Hamilton Watch Company. At Hamilton, he worked with platinum cobalt magnets used in wristwatches. It was this work that laid a foundation for the next 30 years of his pursuit to develop, commercialize, and improve rare earth magnets.

Marlin founded Electron Energy Corporation in 1970. The company started in a milk house on a dairy farm near Manheim, Pennsylvania, with two employees and a license to practice the magnet technology developed by the US Air Force by Dr. Strnat. Steady growth in sales and employees prompted several moves until 1985 when a 40,000 square foot facility was built. From this site, EEC has emerged as an international leader in the production of rare earth magnets and magnet assemblies.

Founded in 1970, we are headquartered at 924 Links Avenue in Landisville, PA,  We occupy 40,000 SF of office and manufacturing space in a building designed and constructed in 1985 specifically for the production of rare earth permanent magnets and magnetic systems. 

Our talented staff of 100 continually exceeds expectations of customers including military and aerospace prime contractors, as well as medical and oil exploration companies. We provide magnets and magnet assemblies for demanding applications such as the JSF, F-18, Patriot, Predator, and Navy nuclear programs. Our customization and ability to precisely control material compositions allow us to partner with our customers as a virtual “in-house” source of magnet technology. 

Other company and technical facts about EEC:

• As a specialty manufacturer, we address the permanent magnet needs of the traveling wave tube (TWT), accelerometer, gyro, high speed (30,000 to 100,000 rpm) permanent magnet generator and motor, medical device, telecom, electric spacecraft propulsion and other industries that require high quality, high performance permanent magnets and/or systems.
  
• Our accomplishments include technology leadership in the early commercial production of Samarium Cobalt 1:5 magnets, and later commercialized SmCo 2:17, followed by a new series of SmCo 2:17 magnets patented in 2002 from DOD SBIRs, which can operate at temperatures up to 550 degrees C, 250 degrees C above any other SmCo available in the world.
• EEC offers the only temperature compensated magnets which have near zero change in magnetic field over temperature. 
• For applications that require very low reversible temperature coefficient (αT ~ 0.001%) such as inertial devices, we provide magnets with αT determined to parts-per-million accuracy where the change in B_r per degree C is less than .001%. 
• We design many different types of magnetic subsystems for our customers, including traveling wave tube (TWT) stacks, pumps, mixers, magnetic holding devices, permanent magnet field sources, and Hall Effect sensing subsystems.
• We recently developed magnetic coupling systems for various applications, including the pharmaceutical industry. EEC has worked on support technologies for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.
• As a fully integrated US supplier, we develop, produce, design and market custom Samarium Cobalt and NdFeB sintered and bonded permanent magnets, materials and magnet assemblies.
• EEC has received 18 SBIRs and STTRs since 1996, including five Phase II awards from NASA, DOE and DOD sponsors.
• We are designing and building through a NASA Phase II SBIR, a unique permanent magnetic bearing system that can operate at up to 1000 degrees F (523 C) with 500 pounds radial load capacity and 750 pounds axial load capacity while weighing only 50 pounds. These ultra-high temperature high performance magnetic bearings can potentially be used in space-based power generators, jet engines, and turbomachinery.
• EEC offers the only temperature compensated magnets which have near zero change in magnetic field over temperature.
• We are designing and building through a NASA Phase II SBIR, a unique permanent magnetic bearing system that can operate at up to 1000 degrees F (523 C) with 500 pounds radial load capacity and 750 pounds axial load capacity while weighing only 50 pounds. These ultra-high temperature high performance magnetic bearings can potentially be used in space-based power generators, jet engines, and turbomachinery.
• EEC’s Finite Element Analysis capabilities, based on our strong magnetic materials understanding as a magnet producer, are unique.
  
• We comply with 10 USC 2533 b preference for specialty metals provisions applied in DOD procurements through DFRAS 252.225-7014 Alt 1 (DEVIATON).  These provisions are applicable for Samarium Cobalt magnets and other alloys used in magnet assemblies such as stainless steels, cobalt and nickel alloys, titanium and high silicon electrical steels.
• Our quality procedures and processes have been certified by the external auditing agency, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), to ISO 9001:2000 standards in June 2005.
• We are the only American producer in the $2.5 billion rare earth magnet industry.