Magnet production as a business: equipment, description of manufacturing technologies, nuances of business organization 2

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In this article we will find out HOW MAGNETS ARE MADE

The unique properties of some substances have always surprised people with their unusualness. Particular attention was drawn to the ability of some metals and stones to repel or attract each other. Throughout all eras, this has aroused the interest of sages and the great surprise of ordinary people.

Starting from the 12th – 13th centuries, it began to be actively used in the production of compasses and other innovative inventions. Today you can see the prevalence and variety of magnets in all areas of our lives. Every time we come across another product made from a magnet, we often ask the question: “So how are magnets made?”

What are magnets made of?

Iron, neodymium, boron, cobalt, samarium, alnico and ferrites are used to produce permanent and temporary magnets.

They are crushed in several stages and together melted, baked or pressed to obtain a permanent or temporary magnetic field. Depending on the type of magnets and the required characteristics, the composition and proportions of the components change.

How to produce

An absolute advantage of a business related to the production of small souvenir products, such as magnets, is a quick payback.

Of course, the production of large, expensive products promises corresponding profits, but a lot of investment is required. And you have to wait months or years for payback. You can earn money by producing refrigerator magnets in the first months.

To organize your own business you need a minimum set of equipment and materials. The ability to take photographs, work with Photoshop and design skills will be a huge plus. In general, the creative side is largely decisive, since there is competition in this area, and consumer sympathy depends on the ability to stand out from the general magnetic mass.

How magnets are made in different ways

Pressed magnets are magnets made by mixing a special type of NdFeB powder with polymer binding materials. This mass is then pressed into a mold and heated.

Magnetic products obtained in this way can be of complex shapes and usually do not require additional processing. They have lower product energy than sintered magnets, up to 10 MGse.

Isotropic NdFeB magnetoplasts can be magnetized in any direction.

By using special solenoids, it is possible to obtain multi-pole magnets or magnets with a special shape of the magnetic field.

Of course, such complex solenoids can be very expensive depending on the complexity of the design and the required performance.

Cast magnets - in this method of producing magnets, NdFeB powder is mixed with a polymer material and extruded into a mold. The resulting magnetic products have product energies of up to 5 MGse, but can be made into intricate shapes.

Sintered neomagnets - fine NdFeB powder is pressed into a mold, then sintered and processed to the desired size (ground).

The production of neodymium magnets is a complex high-tech process that requires compliance with the composition and impurity content. All operations, except for grinding to size, are carried out without oxygen in a vacuum or an atmosphere of inert gases. The direction of magnetization is determined by the texture of the magnetic field during pressing.

About neodymium magnets

Compound

Neodymium is a rare earth metal with powerful magnetism endowed by nature. In the periodic table, the chemical element occupies position 60. It is not found in nature in its pure form. It is isolated from a substance such as didymium, where it is found in a mixed state with other lanthanides.

Permanent magnets

Despite being a “rare earth”, the element is quite common in the earth’s crust. The main metal production is concentrated in China.

In answer to the question of what a neodymium magnet is, it follows that it is an alloy of neodymium and iron with the addition of boron. In order to obtain such an alloy, the outgoing components are reduced to a powder state. After mixing, the composition is baked in a special oven, placing the mixture in molding containers in advance.

Peculiarities

The rare earth metal Nd cannot be used in its pure form due to its poor corrosion resistance and softness. To reduce these disadvantages, magnets began to be made from the above-mentioned alloy. It was possible to obtain a powerful magnet that is not susceptible to corrosion processes and can withstand high temperature conditions (up to 1400C).

Application

Neodymium magnets have found wide application in engine building for the aviation industry. In some medical devices, NMs play an important role as the main functional parts. In everyday life, these are various magnets that are attached to refrigerators. They are also used to make various puzzle toys.

NM makes excellent knife holders for kitchen walls. Disc-shaped magnets are used to hold furniture doors closed. Home craftsmen invent various household gadgets, demonstrating what can be made from a neodymium magnet.

In industrial production, neodymium magnetic products are used in various filtration systems to capture the smallest metal particles. Using NM, production areas are cleared of metal shavings. Cereal seeds are treated with magnets to increase yield.

A plug with a neodymium magnet is installed in the car engine crankcase, which removes metal chips from the engine oil.

Is it possible to make it yourself?

NMs are quite expensive. Many homemade DIY enthusiasts are trying to learn how to make a powerful magnet from neodymium alloy themselves. In fact, the production of NM is a complex technological process that cannot be reproduced in everyday conditions.

The fact is that neodymium magnets can only be made using powder metallurgy. The production of NMs involves sintering neodymium, iron and boron powders. The complex process involves special technological equipment. Therefore, the only way to acquire powerful neodymium magnets is to use disassembly of discarded electronics or other devices.

Additional Information. It is strictly forbidden to drill or crush neodymium magnets. If their integrity is damaged, magnets lose their properties. The same thing happens if magnetic surfaces are damaged.

The amazing properties of magnets have always attracted the inquisitive minds of people. The use of magnetic field sources has brought world civilization many valuable inventions in almost all spheres of human activity.

Are there currents inside a magnet?

Let's imagine that the entire volume of a bar permanent magnet (with an arbitrary cross-sectional shape) is filled with microscopic Ampere currents. A cross section of a magnet with such currents is shown in the figure below.

Each of them has a magnetic moment. With the same orientation in the direction of the external field, they form a resulting magnetic moment that is different from zero. It determines the existence of a magnetic field in the apparent absence of ordered movement of charges, in the absence of current through any cross section of the magnet. It is also easy to understand that inside it, the currents of adjacent (contacting) circuits are compensated. Only the currents on the surface of the body, which form the surface current of a permanent magnet, are uncompensated. Its density turns out to be equal to the magnetization M.

Master class 5. Magnets from clothespins

Let's reveal a little life hack - magnets made from clothespins can not only store lists and bills, but also clamp bags of food as shown in the photo below. It turns out to be very convenient - I took the clothespin off the refrigerator and immediately fixed the opened bag with it.

Wooden clothespins can also hold a piece of paper on the refrigerator door and at the same time clamp something between the teeth.

Clothespins can be painted, decorated with glitter, covered with colored tape or appliques, or decorated using decoupage technique, following the following simple instructions.

Materials and tools:

• Wooden or bamboo clothespins (you can take regular or decorative ones for scrapbooking);
• Scissors;
• Double-layer napkin with a pattern;
• One glue brush and one varnish brush;
• PVA glue;
• Glue "Moment" or its equivalent;
• Matte acrylic varnish;
• Small magnets.

Instructions:

1. Separate the patterned layer from the napkin, then cut out a strip of it slightly larger than the end of a clothespin.
2. Glue the cut strip onto one end of the clothespin using PVA glue, then use a brush to carefully spread the glue over the napkin. Leave the craft to dry.
3. Trim the excess napkin with scissors.
4. Coat the clothespin with varnish and wait about 2 hours for it to dry.
5. Glue a magnet to the other end of the clothespin. Voila! The craft is ready!

Technology

The manufacturing technology of different refrigerator magnets differs significantly from each other.

It is better to start a business with the production of vinyl and acrylic - they are the easiest to create.

Acrylic blank + printed image = finished magnet. To make vinyl, you need to print out a picture, laminate it, stick it on an adhesive vinyl backing and cut out the finished product with a plotter.

Plaster and clay magnets are easy to produce, but you will need to purchase additional molds and be prepared to paint the product yourself or hire an artist separately. If baked clay is used, it can be placed in an oven preheated to 100 - 130 degrees. But a microwave is not suitable for baking clay. A gypsum product, on the contrary, needs to be cooled.

It is important that the back side of the volumetric magnets is perfectly flat for a tight connection with the magnetic base (vinyl).

The cost of wooden types is quite high, plus you need to purchase a laser plotter (from 70,000 rubles). To create rubber and ceramic magnets, you will have to rent a separate room and install a baking oven. This is worth thinking about when the business gains good momentum.

Equipment for the production of magnets and products made from them

The production line for the production of permanent magnets should include the following equipment (using neodymium as an example):

• induction oven;
• ball chopper;
• linear/isostatic press;
• sintering furnace;
• grinding machine;
• annealing furnace;
• unit with induction;
• coating device.

To produce souvenir, advertising and household magnets you will need the following equipment:

• laptop;
• inkjet photo printer;
• vinyl cutting machine;
• machine for rolling magnets;
• laminator;
• laser engraver;
• metal detector

When expanding the range, you will have to purchase additional devices.

Master Class. 1. Hook magnets made from branches

You can hang keys, towels, ladles and other things on these branch hooks.

Materials and tools:

• A dry small but strong branch with a branch;
• Hand saw or jigsaw;
• Small neodymium magnets;
• Glue;
• Drill and drill bit equal to the diameter of the magnets;
• Acrylic paint (optional).

Instructions:

1. Using a saw, cut the branch so that it looks like a hook. Then cut the branch lengthwise so that the back side is flat as shown in the photo below on the left.

1. In this flat back of the branch, drill a recessed hole the size of your magnet.
2. Glue the magnet into the resulting cell.

1. If desired, paint the craft and cover it with matte varnish. Ready!

What are they made from?

To set up the production and production of refrigerator magnets, you need to decide on consumables. Based on the type of material, the following types of magnets are distinguished:

1. Acrylic. Acrylic is a common plastic. Such magnets are easy to make, since there are special blanks - an acrylic box with a lid, into which you just need to insert a printed picture or photograph.
2. Vinyl. Vinyl is a soft polymer sold in rolls or sheets. It's easier to buy magnetic vinyl with an adhesive backing. Then you will need to attach a printed and laminated picture to it.
3. Clay. To make clay refrigerator magnets, polymer self-hardening or baked clay is used.
4. Wooden. The wooden look looks quite original, and they are also environmentally friendly. But their creation requires a lot of time, effort and special equipment. You need a laser plotter that burns a drawing or engraving onto the working surface.
5. Plaster. Gypsum is perfect for the production of a variety of volumetric types.
6. Phosphor. Glow-in-the-dark magnets have become very fashionable items lately. When created, they are coated with a special phosphor powder that can draw energy from the environment and transform it into light radiation. This glow will definitely last all night.
7. Sunsets. The sunset look usually refers to some kind of symbolism and is attached to clothes or bags. In addition to the acrylic form into which the image is inserted, a metal base is required. To secure the finished magnet, a special rolling press is required.
8. Rubber. Magnets made of soft PVC rubber are quite in demand, but they are difficult to produce. The rubber must be poured into molds and then baked in a special oven at a temperature of about 250 degrees Celsius.

Product sales and advertising

The advertising and marketing campaign depends on the type of product being manufactured. In any case, you need to start working in this direction already at the stage of organizing a business.

Permanent magnets

The main consumers of permanent magnets are manufacturers of a wide variety of products, primarily:

• computer equipment;
• furniture and door locks;
• MRI machines;
• electronic cigarettes;
• musical instruments;
• generator engines;
• search devices;
• various sensors (position, movement).

There are also many other companies that require magnets. You need to work directly with all potential buyers, which will allow you to significantly save on advertising. Although expanding sales channels will require the creation of your own website and its active promotion, as well as publications in the media, participation in various specialized events and installation of outdoor advertising media.

Magnetic products

Since the retail markup for all these products is quite high, sellers most often turn to the manufacturers themselves. Therefore, you can save a lot on advertising, but you need to make yourself known. In addition, it makes sense to independently sell your own goods, which will significantly increase the profit of the enterprise.

Online advertising will be the most effective. Here, too, you don’t need a lot of expenses; it’s enough to use very inexpensive tools:

• create an official website and groups on social networks;
• constantly update information about manufactured products;
• publish posts on city forums.

In addition, several advertisements in local print media will be required. Then word of mouth will start working and the product will advertise itself.

You can sell magnets through your website if you make it in the format of an online store. It is also recommended to go around retail outlets and leave information about yourself or immediately conclude cooperation agreements.