The transport of heavy materials often presents a great challenge. It is easier when the materials that move are loads that contain iron, such as metal sheets, tubes, cans and barrels. In such cases, a manual magnetic lifter is an ideal and practical tool.
Magnetic lifters are usually permanent magnets. In recent years, they are the most common form of lifting and transport technology.
Magnetic Lifters are made using neodymium magnets. The main components are neodymium, iron and boron. Neodymium magnets are often referred to as "rare earth magnets". Their magnetic force is greater than ferrite magnets. The strength of a magnet is measured in "Newtons". The greater the de Newton value, the greater the magnetic energy by volume. When choosing a magnetic lifter, you must pay attention to the Newton value. The value necessary, will depend on the loads you want to lift or transport.
Operation of the magnetic lifter
Magnetic lifters are available in many different shapes and designs. In principle, they can be adapted to all the loads that you want to lift or transport. A manual lifter is fixed on steel plates, tubes, beams ... and the high-power neodymium magnet is activated with a lever. With the help of a crane, you can transport the material you want. Once it has reached the target position, the lever is released and the magnetic lifter becomes completely non-magnetic again. The great advantage of such durable neodymium magnets over an electric transport magnet, of course, is that it works without electricity and yet can be magnetized or demagnetized. If the locking lever is in the "off" position, the charging magnet is absolutely non-magnetic and can be transported safely and conveniently.
As with all jobs that involve heavy loads, safety instructions must also be observed.
People with pacemakers should avoid manipulating such charging magnets. It is also important to remove it after "turning on" the magnetism of the permanent magnet. The wearing of safety helmets and safety shoes, should be a matter of course. Since neodymium magnets are relatively sensitive to heat, the material to be lifted should not exceed a maximum temperature of 80°C.
There are many factors to consider for choosing an appropriate magnetic lifter. Not only the shape of the materials to move is decisive, but also the required strength or its maximum resistance. Therefore, the best technical advice should be taken. At IMA you will find competent contact persons to search for solutions for your application. Feel free to contact us.
Due to the scarcity of fossil fuels and the incidents in different nuclear power reactors, the use of wind energy has acquired a new relevance. Due to the change in energy policies that many consider necessary, wind energy is becoming increasingly important, being one of the options as a renewable energy source.
The operating principle, is that a wind turbine collects the kinetic energy of the wind and converts this energy, through a generator, into electrical energy. The wind represents a form of alternative energy, very respectful of the environment, which is available with relative frequency, although in different degrees, due to the temperature differences between day and night and the turbulence induced by atmospheric climate conditions.
If there is a relative movement between a magnetic field and an electrical current conductor located within it, an electric current flows through the conductor when the circuit is closed. The resulting voltage and current depend on the speed of relative motion and the intensity of the magnetic field.
It is easy to see that with a weaker magnetic field, a higher speed of this relative movement of the conductor is necessary to obtain an economical electrical power from the wind turbine.
An increase in the speed of movement can be achieved in conventional wind turbines, by a transmission, connected between the wind rotor and the generator. The higher the ratio of this transmission, the greater will be its mechanical losses, which in turn reduces the overall efficiency of the wind turbine. Therefore, the desire is to keep the transmission ratio as short as possible. Of course, this requires a stronger magnetic field in the generator. Of all the magnetic materials known today, neodymium magnets are the strongest. They can generate stable and very powerful magnetic fields. Ferrite magnets can also be used, in cases where their resistance to corrosion and humidity is of interest.
Conventional wind turbines operate at helix speeds of 10 to 12 rpm. However, the induction generator requires a speed of 1800 U / min.
In order to move forward with the energy change that has been deemed necessary, the search for options to optimize newer wind turbines, has also intensified. Since the use of permanent magnets promises greater energy efficiency, neodymium magnets and ferrite magnets have been investigated. The rotors of permanent magnets in the generators must inevitably have a larger diameter to achieve a higher peripheral speed. In addition, a large number of permanent magnets must be installed, forming a circle.
An essential measure of the performance of wind turbines is the use of magnets, enabling the calculation of the magnetic mass used in kg per MW of power generated. For older wind turbines up to 4 MW, the use of this magnet is 600 kg per MW of power. For the newer plants with a capacity of 5 MW, this value is around 500 kg per MW of output. Using these guidelines, it is possible to obtain a higher economic performance of the wind turbine, even at lower wind speeds.
The development of wind turbines has experienced a far-reaching increase for reasons of environmental protection and, to counteract global climate change, which is also promoted by the state. In the optimization of wind turbines, the use of high performance permanent magnets plays an increasingly important role. If you are interested in getting more information about the magnetic properties, do not hesitate to contact IMA.
This week a highly qualified professional from the Magnet-Physik (MPS) team, a German company with more than 40 years of experience and specialized in providing magnetic calibration and measurement services to its customers, has visited our facilities.
Dr. Wagner, an Engineer of high prestige in the field of physics, calibration, magnetic studies and measuring standards, has performed different calibration tasks upon all our magnetic measuring equipment, such as:
Measuring coils
Measuring probes
These measuring equipments are very important since their purpose is to verify the quality of certain processes and products.
Calibration is not exactly what the equipment indicates according to the reference standards. According to Magnet-Physik, "calibration is a documented measure of the relationship between the values of a reference standard, which have been determined by exact methods, and the values indicated for a particular item that is being calibrated." That is why our company, with qualified personnel in the Calibration and Verification of Measurement Equipment, and through the issue of certificates by MPS, has the appropriate tools to ensure the proper functioning of all its equipment, taking the appropriate decisions for the assurance of quality.
Dr. Wagner has also given different internal training to members of the IMA team, sharing knowledge of processes of verification and control, so that future magnetic measurements are performed correctly according to standards, by our laboratory professionals.
In the same way, IMA’s Laboratory, through the acquired experience and the training given by Dr. Wagner, affirms its commitment to the high quality of the measurements made, through carrying out intermediate controls and verification of equipment used as part of their facilities.
All this is geared to customer satisfaction in the first place and to an assurance of “work well done” by IMA staff. Complying in this way with the established Calibration Plan and updating necessary knowledge, our Company can ensure the correct condition of the products and articles supplied by us.
One of the greatest physical phenomena is, without a doubt, magnetism. You were surely fascinated by the operation of a compass, when you learned about it in school, how magnetic fields were created, how they were attracted and repelled or how they could be generated.
Magnetism has been used for a long time in electrical engineering. Each electric motor works with a magnetic field. The music industry has also long discovered the benefits of magnetism to amplify different sounds. However, an industrial sector, in which the benefits and effectiveness of a magnet are increasingly used, is that of recycling.
Different types of metal objects hidden in recyclable waste are difficult to detect. The demand for powerful magnets and industrial magnetic separation systems in the recycling industry is increasingly high. Some products like plastic are not magnetic, but others like aluminum can be detected by their weak magnetism.
In general, in classic steel grades, the higher the carbon content, the greater the magnetic properties, otherwise, they would have little magnetism. It is also the case that stainless steel is less magnetic than ferrous steel, so a ferrite magnet for example will react better with classic steel.
In the recycling sector, you can find different types of magnets. Often, the most used is the electromagnet. With electromagnets, the magnetic field generated, can be activated or deactivated. Also, at the first loading points of recycling, where a first sorting of the waste takes place, we can find load lifting magnets.
Normally, strong neodymium magnets are needed in recycling processes. Whether in the form of magnetic plates, magnetic rollers or magnetic drums. The magnets can be made by manufacturers so that they meet the exact, specific requirements indicated by the customer. For this same reason, IMA is the ideal manufacturer for this type of magnets, since we can manufacture according to requirements and have the perfect solution for every occasion.
Therefore, we come to an essential point of the magnet industry and the possible fields of application. Since the discovery of magnetism, its technological applications and potential uses have advanced. Especially in the recycling sector, the magnet industry faces increasing challenges. In many cases, a customer is unsure of the possibilities available. Therefore, when buying a magnet or a magnetic system, it is recommended to consult the manufacturer in detail. The knowledge and experience we can contribute, benefits the client.
Strong magnets require experts who know exactly the different areas of application and possible solutions. Some types of magnets such as magnetic disks have a number of unlimited applications like the ferrite magnet. In short, magnetism in the recycling sector has virtually no substitute. If you want to ask about any magnet, you can contact us. Our commercial team will advise you of the best options possible.
The magnetic field of the Earth plays a very important role in our lives, it protects us from the solar winds. These are currents of particles charged of energy emanated from the sun which emit radiation.
The magnetic fields of Earth extend from the core to the surface of the planet, an area known as the magnetosphere. This "sphere" around us is composed of invisible lines originated at the two poles (as if it were a magnet). The magnetosphere deflects the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun, keeping us safe from any risk.
When such solar mass collides with our protective sphere, solar radiation, charged of particles, move along the magnetosphere creating a beautiful and amazing light show. This phenomenon is known as the aurora Borealis.
Auroras are created when the electrically charged particles from the sun collides with gas atoms in the magnetosphere making these emit colored lights.
If we placed an imaginary magnet inside the Earth in the north-south direction and solar wind magnetic field that collided against, what we would see would be many uniform lines of magnetic field but instead, the solar winds push the magnetosphere and deform it, getting an elongated comet-shaped structure with a long tail in the opposite direction of the sun.
The northern lights usually occur at night in the polar regions, but can also occur in other areas of the world for short periods of time. When produced in the southern hemisphere is known as Aurora Australis while in the northern hemisphere is known as Aurora Borealis.
Transferring electromagnetic waves would suppose a great improvement for many technologies. This can be seen with information being circulated worldwide via optic fibers. However, a device capable of doing this with static magnetic fields does not exist. A Catalan, German and Austrian group of physicists has now found a surprisingly simple solution for this problem.
In Innsbruck, theoretical physicist Oriol Romero-Isart and his team have developed a new technology to transfer magnetic fields to arbitrary long distances, which is comparable to transmitting and routing light in optical fibers. They have theoretically proposed and already tested this new device experimentally, which is comparable to transmitting and routing light in optical fibers.
"Our theoretical studies have shown that we need a material with extreme anisotropic properties to transfer and route static magnetic fields," explained Romero-Isart. Therefore the material has to have really good permeability in one direction but zero in the perpendicular direction.
It does not exists any material with this extreme anisotropy, so the group of physicists found another way to solve this obstacle. They used a ferromagnetic cylinder and wrapped it with a superconductor shell, to act as a magnetic insulator. "Superconductors are perfect magnetic insulators," explains Romero-Isart. The researcher's calculations showed that a structure of alternated superconducting and soft ferromagnetic concentric cylindrical layers could transfer more than 90% of the magnetic field to any distance. Remarkably, the researchers also calculated that up to 75 % of the magnetic field can be transferred by using only a bilayer scheme – a ferromagnetic core with a superconducting outer layer.
After theoretically proposing this scheme, the team experimentally demonstrated such a device. They wrapped a ferromagnet made of cobalt and iron with a high-temperature superconductor and conducted several tests. "Even though our technical set-up wasn't perfect, we could show that the staticmagnetic field is transferred well by the hose," says Prof. Sanchez, the Catalan group leader of Oriol Romero-Isart's collaborators.
This new method could be used, for example, for future quantum technology coupling distant quantum systems magnetically, applications in spintronics and other nano technologies.
The work of the physicists from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics, the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Innsbruck has been published in the renowned journal Physical Review Letters.
IMA Magnet Factory participates in the NANOPYME project that brings together 11 institutions from 6 countries in order to design and develop permanent magnets capable of replacing in certain technological applications to current magnets, due to frequent fluctuations in the prices of rare earths and the absence of the corresponding natural resources in Europe. The project was funded with 3.5M € from the European Union, it's part of the 7th Framework Programme and is led by IMDEA Nanoscience Institute of Madrid.
The project aims to establish a knowledge model in Europe and open up the world market of permanent magnets to EU countries with a prominent leadership position. NANOPYME will use the knowledge gained in nanoscience in combination with an energy-efficient processing technology to develop competitive next-generation permanent magnets.
IMA will work during 3 years with prestigious institutions such as the IMDEA Nanoscience Foundation, the Interuniversity Consorzio Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali, IFE Institutt for Energiteknikk Norwegian or Arhaus Universitet in Denmark. The market for permanent magnet currently moves over 9 billion dollars a year worldwide and is estimated to reach 14 billion by 2020. IMA wants to have a relevant role in this sector. Actually exports to 60 countries and their goal is to continue expanding their international presence.
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