Magnets are an amazing invention with a seemingly limitless number of uses and can be found everywhere from classrooms and on whiteboards to kitchens and offices. There are also a seemingly infinite variety of shapes and sizes of magnets, most of which can be purchased in speciality shops or department stores. However, there are magnets that have a bigger purpose beyond just every day which are quite different from those sold on the commercial market.
These types of magnets are those that are used in industries such as coal mining and construction and on oil rigs. Industrial strong magnets may feature the same push and pull as ordinary magnets but are actually magnetized beyond any comparison.
All over the world companies produce magnets that are vital to the success of businesses in many different industries. These industrial magnets not only come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes but also in composition and price.
What Is Different About Industrial Magnets?
Iron and nickel are the two metals that can normally be found in everyday household magnets, allowing them to magnetize with precision. Industrial magnets need to be much stronger to suit their intended purposes and are usually made with a mix of different but complementary magnetic materials.
Industrial magnets work with the use of a magnetic field that is capable of repelling or attracting other materials, with the primary difference being the amount of pull of which it is capable. The greater strength the magnet has the more magnetism it is able to exude.
The metals used in industrial magnets include the likes of cobalt, ferrites, neodymium and samarium. The combination of the individual components of these metals into one results in the creation of crucial properties that are unique for use in industry.
The basis of every magnetic field is iron, which is the form that neodymium comes in. The strength of the iron has a direct bearing on the strength of the magnetic field. Magnets need to be forceful in some industries in order to bear weight that human beings cannot.
Ferrite also referred to as ceramic, is there to prevent demagnetization of the magnet and can also resist corrosion, which is of crucial importance for industrial magnets.
Cobalt is needed when extreme temperatures are involved, allowing the magnet to function in temperatures both below freezing and over 180 degrees.
Samarium is the name of an earth metal that helps with the slow oxidization of surrounding air, and is silver and moderately soft.
Applications Of Industrial Magnets
Agriculture
These strong magnets are used in agriculture primarily to help purify to prevent metal contamination while also offering protection from other forms of damage to equipment. Industrial magnets are used in this field to ensure that usable food resources are kept free of contaminants.
Assembly Processes
Magnets are mainly used in this industry for lifting and welding purposes. Flat sheets are required for fabrications and in the assembly of a number of different pieces and parts.
However, there are also many different types of magnets needed for the many other items of technology used in this industry including the likes of drum separators, which are responsible for the removal of contaminated metals from materials like ceramics. Magnets also help plate separators with the holding and suspension of other equipment.
Automotive
Industrial magnets play a surprisingly big role in the automotive industry. Magnets are used everywhere from on the production line to a number of aspects of the completed vehicle and also hold a number of parts together including the doors, the outer shells and the steering wheel.
Magnets are used in garages to lift and hold engines or other large pieces of equipment, help with repairs, fixture various pieces and for the purposes of tooling on construction lines.
Mining
Many industrial magnets are needed in the mining industry. Conveyor systems are reliant on small and large magnets and these magnets have to be powerful and work in the form of separators to help with sorting aggregate resources. One of the most important tasks magnets have to perform for this industry is to separate metal from ore.
Pharmaceuticals
The elimination of any danger of medical proportions is the most vital use for a magnet in the pharmaceuticals industry. Safety is the key here, with magnets helping to ensure the quality of the finished product, ensuring damage claims remain at a low rate and preventing the need for medication and prescription recalls, something that is of crucial importance for hospitals and businesses.
Welding
Industrial magnets are used in welding in order to increase both productivity and quality. These strong magnets are made use of primarily to ensure that bits of ferromagnetic materials are clamped in the right position to allow them to be aligned and welded together into bigger substances. Magnets assist with the bonding of smaller bits into a larger whole until the welding has been fully completed.
There are many other unique uses for industrial magnets, including in restaurants, airlines and even in law enforcement as well as for the improvement of safety with the likes of cranes and forklifts. Magnets are a crucial part of every amplifier, electric motor and transformer and form the basis of many items of equipment such used in recycling, building and demolition.
Industrial magnets can be tiny yet still possess incredible strength and have a remarkable impact on the everyday world we take for granted around us.