Where Are Magnets Used in Industry?

Magnets do four main jobs in a factory. They remove iron from a product. They hold parts still while they are worked on. They lift steel. And they clean up.

This guide describes each job in plain terms, and names the type of magnet used for it.

Removing iron from a product

Raw materials pick up iron on their way to a factory. Screws, wire, rust flakes, wear particles and pieces of broken machinery all end up in the flow. A magnetic separator pulls this iron out before it damages a machine or reaches a customer.

The magnet is chosen to suit the way the product moves:

• Grids and grates sit in a hopper or above a sieve. Dry powders and granules fall through the rods.
• Drawer housings are fitted into a pipe or a chute. The product passes over two or more rows of rods, and the drawers slide out for cleaning.
• Liquid traps are fitted into a pipeline. Liquids, oils and slurries pass over a bundle of rods inside a sealed housing.
• Plate magnets are mounted above a belt or inside a chute. They collect larger pieces of iron from a deep product bed.
• Chute magnets are hinged plates fitted into a sloping duct.

These separators use permanent magnets. They need no power and no maintenance beyond cleaning.

Holding parts while they are worked

A magnetic chuck holds a steel workpiece flat on a grinding machine or a lathe. The operator turns a lever and the part is locked to the table. There are no clamps to get in the way of the wheel, so the whole surface can be ground in one pass.

Rectangular chucks are used on surface grinders. Circular chucks are used on rotary grinders and lathes. After grinding, the part keeps a little magnetism. A table top demagnetiser removes it in a few seconds.

Small pot magnets and power magnets do the same job on a smaller scale. They hold jigs, guards, sensors and fixtures in place, and can be moved without tools.

Lifting steel

A permanent magnetic lifter picks up a steel plate, block or round bar with no chains or slings. The operator sets the lifter on the load, turns the handle to switch it on, and the crane does the rest. One person can move a heavy plate in seconds, and the load can be set down on a stack without anyone reaching under it.

Lifters are rated by the flat load they hold. The SMAG Maxx range covers 100 kg to 6,000 kg.

Cleaning up

A magnetic sweeper is a bar of magnets on wheels, or on a handle. It is pushed over a floor, a yard or a car park and picks up nails, screws, swarf and wire. A release lever drops the load into a bin. Sweepers protect tyres and feet, and save the time spent picking up by hand.

Hand held magnetic rods do the same job in a small space. They are also used to check a product sample for iron.

Measuring magnets

A gauss meter measures the strength of a magnet at its surface. It is used to check that a separator still meets its certificate, and to compare one magnet with another. Every SMAG separator is supplied with a tested certificate, and a gauss meter is the tool for checking against it.

The SMAG range

Santosh Magnetic Works has made magnets and magnetic equipment in Mumbai since 1978. See the stock magnets and tools, the separation range, the lifters and the workholding range, or contact us and describe the job.