What is a Magnet?

A magnet is something that can pull some metals. Think of a magnet on your fridge. It holds up pictures! That pull is called a magnetic field. You can’t see it, but it’s there! Like a secret superpower.

Types of Magnets

There are difffernt types of magnets. It depends on what it is, and what is it used for.

• Permanent Magnets: These magnets always have their magnetic power.
• Temporary Magnets: These only act like magnets sometimes.
• Electromagnets: These use electricity to become magnets.

Different Kinds of Magnets

Let’s look at the magnets we see most often:

Permanent Magnets

These are the ones that stick to your fridge! They are always magnetic.

• NdFeB (Neodymium) Magnets: These are the strongest kind! They are made of special stuff: neodymium, iron, and boron. We are experts at making these! They should use this type of magnet for doing big things. These magnets account for 40% of the magnetic market. [^7]
• Samarium Cobalt (SmCo) Magnets: These are strong, too. They can handle hot temperatures.
• Ferrite (Ceramic) Magnets: These are the cheaper kind. They are not as strong, but they are good for lots of things.
• Alnico Magnets: These were used a long time ago. They are not as strong as NdFeB.

We created the table below for easy reference on these types:

Temporary Magnets

These are not always magnetic. You can have a piece of iron. It’s not a magnet all the time. It can become a magnet for a little while.

Electromagnets

These are special. You use electricity to make them magnetic. When the electricity is off, they are not magnets. These are used in big machines and cranes.

What Makes Magnets Work?

Magnets have something called magnetic properties. Let’s learn some big words:

• Coercivity: This is how hard it is to make a magnet stop being a magnet. NdFeB is very hard to stop!
• Remanence: This is how strong the magnet is. NdFeB magnets have a lot of remanence. They are very strong!
• Temperature Resistance: Is how much heat a magnet can hadle, and be magnet.

NdFeB is the best at these things! Some other magnets, like SmCo, are better in very, very hot places.

Where Do We Use Magnets?

Magnets are everywhere! Here are some places you see them:

In Factories/Industrial

• Motors: NdFeB magnets make motors go! They are in electric cars, wind turbines, and many machines. See our motor magnet options.
• Lifting heavy things: Big electromagnets can lift cars!
• Holding things: Pot magnets are used to hold metal things.

Medical

• MRI machines use superconducting magnets to scan a human body. [^6]

In Your Home

• Speakers: Your phone, TV, and radio have magnets in the speakers. Check out our solutions for consumer electronics.
• Computers: Hard drives use magnets to store information.
• Toys: Many toys have magnets in them!

In Wind Turbines/Green Energy

• Wind turbines use big NdFeB magnets to make electricity from the wind!. This is good for the Earth! Learn more about our work with NdFeB for wind turbines.
• Electric Cars: Electric cars use lots of NdFeB magnets!

Other cool examples of Magnet use

• Magnetic levitation
• Bar magnets
• Horseshoe magnets
• Disc magnets
• Ring magnets

Case Study: A company used our NdFeB magnets to make their wind turbines work better! That’s showing the power of good magnets.

Picking the Right Magnet

It’s important to pick the right magnet! Here’s how:

1. What do you need?: Do you need a strong magnet? Does it need to be hot? How big does it need to be?
2. How much does it cost?: NdFeB can cost more, but it works better. It can be worth it!
3. Will it last?: Some magnets can get rusty. NdFeB magnets need a special coating, like nickel, to keep them safe. We can help with that! Consider magnet coating for your application.
4. Do you need a special shape?: We can make NdFeB magnets in almost any shape! Ask us about Custom NdFeB Magnets.

Why Pick Us for Your NdFeB Magnets?

We are the best at making NdFeB magnets! Here’s why:

• We make them really well!: We use the best machines.
• We check them carefully!: We make sure every magnet is perfect.
• We ship them fast!: We can send magnets all over the world.
• We are green!: We recycle old magnets. This is good for the Earth.

Questions You Might Have (FAQs)