In recent decades, trends in automotive and other industries have spiked demand for new magnetic materials. As a result, in the mid-1990s the very first components made from soft magnetic composite were born. And the trend of using these soft magnetic composites (SMCs) only continues to grow.

Those first SMC parts were ignition cores, used extensively in most GM vehicles. They were compacted round, and no insulating tape was used to protect the primary winding from the coil. Fast forward to today, and powder metal -- and SMC -- technology has come a long way. Keep reading to learn the basics of soft magnetic composites and what makes them so important to electromagnetic parts in multiple industries.