HOW ARE LIFTING MAGNETS MADE
A high-quality lifting magnet has a welded construction, never bolted. The core of a permanent magnet is composed of neodymium. An electromagnet has a heart of coil, an electropermanent magnet has both neodymium and coil inside. Get a sneak peek into our magnetically attractive production!
The “mag” in MPCO stands for magnets, and we often introduce ourselves as a producer of “magnets” — when in fact, our products are lifting magnets and magnetic chucks. The word “magnet” in its true sense should be used only for the actual magnets hidden inside our lifting/clamping devices.
HOW ARE LIFTING MAGNETS MADE
Lifting Magnets Production Step by Step
1. Prepping & Machining
Prep is an essential part of any manufacturing process; for each of our products, the first step is gathering the necessary material and parts. We use only high-quality structural steel for the outer construction of our lifting magnets — we work mostly with European suppliers, and only if we can’t find the exact type of steel we need in Europe do we search in other parts of the world. Yet, we always insist on the steel meeting all European standards.
We machine our steel parts on CNC machines — shaping them first, then welding them together. Welding is a very important moment in our manufacturing process as it’s a sign of quality. Lifting magnets with bolted construction can never match welded magnets — bolts always get loose after some time, which often causes construction deformities resulting in magnets literally falling apart.
2. Inserting Magnets and/or Control Unit
When the outer construction of the lifting magnet is ready, it’s time to insert the actual magnets inside. Magnets differ according to the lifting magnet type — a permanent magnet, electropermanent magnet, or an electromagnet. We insert the parts inside the construction and then set them with epoxide to make sure they stay in place.
Permanent lifting magnets have multiple neodymium magnets inside (the exact number depends on the required lifting capacity of the magnet) as well as a rotor which turns the magnet on & off. When switched on, the magnets rotate so that their magnetic force is directed outside the lifting magnet, attracting ferromagnetic objects in their vicinity. With the switch handle in the OFF position, the neodymium magnets inside rotate in such a way that they only attract each other — their magnetic force is contained inside the magnet.
Lifting electromagnets have a coil inside which gets de/magnetised according to whether the magnet is connected to a power source or not. The coils in Walmag’s magnets are produced by us.
As the next step, we insert a control unit into more advanced electropermanent lifting magnets and lifting electromagnets. Fine electronics get installed and everything is double-checked to make sure it’s 100% functional.
3. Control & Certification
Lifting capacity tests and certification are a crucial (and obligatory) step in our production process. According to legal requirements, every lifting magnet should be able to safely carry three times more than its nominal capacity. This quality is tested during the so-called pull-off test.
At MPCO, we make the pull-off test even more challenging — we insert a piece of paper between the pull-off device and the lifting surface of the magnet, simulating the air gaps that often occur in real life (due to uneven surface of the lifted object — its paint might be peeling off, it could be dusty or otherwise contaminated). Air gaps always make the lifting magnet slightly less powerful, and our demanding pull-off test makes sure our magnets’ lifting capacity is even higher than required by law.
4. Varnishing, Labelling, Shipping
Once the lifting capacity is confirmed, the magnet gets varnished, labelled and sometimes even accessorised — such as our new lifting magnet, which comes equipped with an NFC chip bearing its entire documentation, making it easy to display the magnet’s certification and/or the user manual conveniently on one’s smartphone.
A lifting magnet, properly labelled and packaged, is then sent on its way to our customer.
Handheld Electro Permanent Magnetic Pickup Devices
5mm x 3mm Neodymium Magnetic Disc N45 Gold
9mm x 5mm Rare Earth Magnetic Disk NeodymiumN50 Ni
MPEPP-30L Handheld Electro Magnetic Lifter Tools
N50SH NiCuNi Plating NdFeB Oval End Rectangular Speaker Magnet
Zinc N52SH Permanent NdFeB Laptop Speaker Magnets
Heavy Duty Big Permanent N52 Neodymium Magnet Disc D70 x 40mm
Disc Round Strong Permanent N54 Neodymium Magnet D70 x 40mm
D100mm x 50mm Huge Disc High-performance Neodymium N54 Magnet
D100mm x 60mm Super Strong Large Disc N55 Neodymium Magnet
Can Magnetic Rods Be Coated or Plated With Other Materials?
