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Comment by ajsnigrutin | Hacker News Reader

I might be getting old, but if there is no "buy now" button on the webpage, i just assume it's vaporware...

I hear you. Batteries, magnets, and motors seem especially prone to this type of page where it constantly says "will enable", "will produce", and experts who "will help" this technology come to fruition.

At this point I consider it spam unless it says "has enabled", "have produced", or gives some already achieved numbers.

And windmills. And solar cell improvements.

Oh, and don't forget anything to do energy will have "use cases" that list everything we use electricity for, as-if we had never heard of lighting our homes with power delivered via a grid.

"You can even power your electric cars with <insert new tech name here>!"

No. Shit.

Like that recent post saying your tech stack isn't your product, your customers tech stack also isn't your product.

I'm guessing that they've spent the last 13 years figuring out a production process, then raising money to make them rather than selling out to another company.

With 39 million raised to date that's a lot of figuring.

https://www.google.com/search?q=niron+magnetics+funding

How much does a magnet factory cost? How big is the market? Does the market expand if the cost drops by a factor of 2? Of an order of magnitude?

I have no idea of the scale, except that rare earth element production appears to be about 250000 tonnes per year.

A typical magnet manufacturing installation is a few hundred K of Capital expense. You need to have a way to create blanks and then you need a way to magnetize the blanks. The usual method in a nutshell:

- combine the powdered raw materials in a die

- compress the powder to create a blank

- coat the blank to prevent oxidization

- magnetize the blank using a powerful electromagnetic field

- QA to ensure proper field strength and inspect for damage

I wonder what the hang-up here is.

It has a bit of a penny-stock vibe. Just a feeling, I could be off base and I don't have any evidence, but I'd wait to get excited.

Same. I spent a minute or two clicking around, and, failing see the ability to purchase one or even get a price sheet from sales...

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