Magnetic Products

The need to measure magnetic fields extends far beyond the university lab. Magnetics have become increasingly common in modern technical products, appliances, automotive, and industrial products and systems. Factors such as the continuing emphasis on energy efficiency and the drive to reduce cost and parts count have prompted a revived interest in using magnets.
A number of products such as motors, speakers, interlock switches, and magnetic separators benefit from magnetic components due to their ability to transmit force across a space without physical connection. Then there’s the increasing use of rare earth materials. The use of rare earths has increased the efficiency of magnetic products by producing high magnetic fields, often in very compact spaces, such as in lightweight electronics, toys, and handheld telecommunications devices.
With this rise in the use of magnets, there’s a greater need for the right testing tools. Some of the instrumentation conventionally used in various phases of inspection may test magnets and magnetic assemblies indirectly, but this type of testing can often provide questionable results or disclose critical flaws too late in the process. Indirect testing might, for instance, fail to detect a faulty or under-performing magnet in a multiple-magnet assembly, or it might fail to identify a magnet that is only marginally defective before it is integrated into a product.