Industrial Magnetic Separation FAQs
What is a magnet?
A magnet is an object or device that produces a magnetic field.
What is a magnetic separator?
A magnetic separator is a device that uses a magnetic field to separate ferrous objects from nonferrous objects.
Is the magnetic field dangerous to me?
Magnetic fields can produce dangerously strong forces on iron or steel objects which can cause crushing or impact hazards for persons in the area. Magnetic fields can damage or interfere with pacemakers and other electronic devices. The danger of a particular magnetic field depends on its strength and other characteristics.
What is a permanent magnet?
A permanent magnet is an object made from a material that is magnetized and from then on creates its own persistent magnetic field. Once magnetized, a permanent magnet does not use an external power source to produce and maintain a magnetic field.
What is the difference between a permanent magnet and an electromagnet?
Permanent magnets produce a magnetic field without the need for any external source of power. The permanent magnet’s properties exist when the magnet is magnetized. An electromagnet generates a magnetic field only when an electrical current is applied to it. The magnets on your refrigerator are permanent magnets.
Can my magnetic separator lift an object that weighs X pounds?
Magnetic separators are not specified by the weight of a steel object that they can remove, they are specified by the size and shape of steel objects that they can remove. In general, larger objects are easier for magnetic separators to remove, so the limits of a magnetic separator are usually found by asking how small of an object it can remove. Additionally, the shape of a steel object has a large effect on the magnet’s ability to remove it. Your magnet might be able to remove an object of a certain weight and shape but not another object of the same weight but different in shape. Objects that are similar in length, width and height (like spheres and cubes) are much more difficult for a magnet to lift than objects that have large variations between length, width and height. Your magnet might be able to lift a 20 lb. steel rod from a certain distance but be unable to lift a 1 lb. steel sphere at the exact same distance.
Why is my magnetic separator not as strong as it used to be?
Permanent magnetic separators are most commonly weakened by extreme temperatures. Electromagnetic separators most often lose strength due to less power being supplied to the magnet or reduced effectiveness of the magnet’s cooling system. In either magnetic separator type, the introduction of ferrous structure or components around the magnet can also lead to reduced performance.
How do I make my magnetic separator stronger?
If your magnetic separator is generating a weaker field than it was designed to, it may be repairable. In some cases, basic maintenance can restore the strength of your magnetic separator. In cases of more serious damage, sometimes the magnet can be taken apart and rebuilt. Dings offers magnet refurbishment and other repair services to fix broken or weakened magnetic separators. If your magnetic separator is generating the strength of magnetic field it was designed to, it cannot be made stronger. However, changes to how the magnetic separator is located and/or used within your system may be able to increase the effectiveness of the magnetic separator. Call an expert at Dings to find out how to improve the performance of your magnetic separator.
Does the eddy current separator work with all metals?
Eddy current separators can be used to separate some types of common non-ferrous metals. Eddy current separators are most effective on aluminum or copper objects and are the most common applications. Eddy current separators produce an effect on all types of non-ferrous metals, but the effect is generally too small to be usable for other types. Eddy current separators cannot separate ferrous (iron or steel) objects and should not be presented with them because they can damage the separator.
How does a magnetic head pulley work?
Magnetic head pulleys are installed as the head pulley on conveyor belts. A magnetic head pulley pulls ferrous objects towards the pulley so that they discharge from the magnetic head pulley at a different location and with a different trajectory from non-ferrous objects.
How do I know which product to use for my application?
Let Dings recommend the best solution for your application. Dings Co. Magnetic Group has over 120 years of expertise in applying the proper magnet to our customer’s applications. Our highly trained staff of engineers, sales, manufacturer’s representatives and manufacturing work closely together to provide customer service focused support. All of our industrial magnetic products are designed and manufactured in Milwaukee, WI USA.
If I have a metal detector in my facility, do I also need a magnetic separator?
Metal detectors and magnetic separators, when used together, ensure maximum product purity and the most protection for your processing equipment. Our sister company, Advanced Detection Systems, designs and manufactures industrial metal detectors in Milwaukee, WI USA. Advanced Detection Systems identifies and meets unique metal detection needs with built-in patented software. Metal detection experts with over 30 years of manufacturing metal detection systems, Advanced Detection Systems’ products are consistent, reliable and easy-to-use. Advanced Detection Systems offers services like: free product testing with guaranteed detection levels and HACCP certified technicians that conduct annual certifications on any make and model metal detection systems.
What is a magnetic field?
A magnetic field is a volume of space in which magnetic forces are exerted on charged particles. Magnetic fields can vary both in intensity and orientation at any particular point in space. Magnetic fields exert forces on certain types of materials (ferrous materials like iron and carbon steel being the most common examples).
What is magnetism?
Magnetism is a class of physical phenomena that occurs due to magnetic fields. Magnetism is a subset of electromagnetism, which describes the physics of interactions between electrically charged particles.
Are permanent magnets actually permanent?
Permanent magnets will produce a magnetic field indefinitely if they are not subjected to physical damage, other magnetic fields that overpower their internal magnetization, or extreme temperatures outside of their operating ranges.
What is an electromagnet?
An electromagnet is a device that uses electric current flowing through a conductor to produce a magnetic field.
How are magnetic fields measured?
Magnetic fields are measured by magnetic flux density. Common units for magnetic flux density are gauss and tesla. A gaussmeter is a tool that measures magnetic flux density.
How strong is my magnet?
The strength of a magnet is measured in different ways depending on the intended use of the magnet. All magnets produce magnetic fields, which can vary in magnitude and orientation at any point in space. In general, the strength of a magnet is determined by measuring what the magnet is intended to do at the most appropriate location in space relative to the magnet. For example, the strength of holding magnetic separators are measured by the forces they exert on ferrous objects of particular sizes and shapes when located on the face of the magnet. The strength of magnetic separators which are designed to pull ferrous objects to them from a distance are measured by the distances at which they can attract ferrous objects of particular sizes and shapes. Measuring a magnetic field by what it can do at a particular point is far more useful than measuring what the magnetic flux density is at a point.
What is the difference in separating strength between permanent magnetic separators vs. electromagnetic separators?
Permanent magnetic separators, in general, produce concentrated magnetic fields and are used for applications requiring holding strength or for pulling applications with small to medium operating gaps. Electromagnetic separators can be designed to produce deeper magnetic fields which allow them to be used for pulling applications requiring large operating gaps. Some of our electromagnetic separators and permanent magnetic separators are designed for similar operating gaps, but only our electromagnetic separators can be specified for large operating gaps.
What kinds of magnets are the strongest?
Rare earth magnetic material is the strongest type of permanent magnetic material. Rare earth magnets produce the strongest field for a given size of permanent magnet and are mainly used in applications where space is limited. The strength of any type of magnet is based on its size and design. Permanent magnets made with “weaker” magnetic materials can be much stronger than rare earth magnets if they are much larger in size.
How does an eddy current separator work?
Eddy current separators separate certain nonferrous metal objects from nonmetallic objects by creating electric currents (eddy currents) in the nonferrous metal objects which are generated from strong magnetic fields that oscillate in orientation. The created electric (eddy) currents in the nonferrous metal objects produce their own magnetic fields which oppose the orientation of the magnetic fields that created them – this generates repulsive magnetic forces on the nonferrous objects which allows them to be separated from the nonmetallic object.
What is a demagnetizer?
A demagnetizer is a device that removes remnant magnetization.
How does a demagnetizer work?
Our demagnetizers use an electromagnetic coil to create an oscillating magnetic field that reduces in strength as the magnetized object passes through it, which removes remnant magnetization from the object.
How does a deep draw drum work?
A deep draw drum is a powerful self-cleaning magnetic drum separator which pulls ferrous objects out of a material stream. The drum shell rotates around a powerful internal stationary permanent magnet and separates ferrous objects off of the magnet at a different location from nonferrous objects.
How do I repair/refurbish my magnetic separator?
Dings offers in-house repairs or refurbishments on all of our magnetic separators and industrial magnets. We even service our products from over a century ago! We have expert support staff under one roof: engineering, sales and manufacturing – all in our Milwaukee, WI facility. This allows us to respond to our customer’s requests quickly. Contact us today to get your separation equipment serviced promptly and eliminate costly production downtime.
Why Choose Dings Company Magnetics Group?
Since 1899, companies worldwide rely on Dings magnets to be the most durable, cost-effective and reliable in the market! Dings manufactures powerful magnetic solutions for all applications in various industries. Dings offers magnetic separators that protect processing equipment, ensure product purity, recover materials and prevent costly downtime. Visit the Dings Difference page to see why our magnetic separator solutions are the best fit for your application.