Various Shapes and Uses of Neodymium Magnets
Everything is produced in different shapes and sizes, including neodymium magnets. The shape and size of a product may be determined by the purpose for which it is manufactured. It may also be for aesthetics or other mundane reasons.
However, the various sizes and shapes of neodymium magnets are significant to their uses and strength. For instance, a neodymium magnet’s shape determines the arrangement of its external magnetic field and the power of its pull.
On the other hand, the size of a neodymium magnet determines the number of domains that can align and produce a magnetic field. Hence, a large neodymium magnet will be stronger than a smaller neodymium magnet of the same material.
Today, we will examine the various shapes and uses of neodymium magnets.
What are the Various Shapes and Uses of Neodymium Magnets?
The following are the various shapes and uses of neodymium magnets.
Disc
Disc neodymium magnets have a circular shape and are flat, so the thickness is not more than the width. The disc is one of the most popular shapes of neodymium magnets, and they have a vast range of applications.
Despite their compact size, they have extraordinary magnetic strength. You can use disc neodymium magnets in:
- Toys
- Transducer
- Electrical motor and rotor
- Bags and suitcases
- Personal experiment
- Electronic products
- Writing case
- Tools
- Mechanical equipment (big size disc)
- Smart home
- Magnetic induction product
Block
Neodymium block magnets are a popular magnet type that you can use for various tasks.
Neodymium block magnets are usually six-sided, with all angles being right angles of 90°. They can come in square, rectangle, or cube shapes, and they can be used:
- In the classroom, as a teaching appliance.
- In manufacturing
- At home
- In offices
- In DIY projects.
Cylinder
Neodymium cylinder/rod magnets are long and circular, and their length is often longer than their diameter. They can generate larger magnetic fields, sometimes up to 3 times stronger than thinner neodymium disc magnets of equal diameter.
Neodymium cylindrical magnets are found in:
- Medical equipment
- Read switches
- Holding applications
Ring
Neodymium ring magnets are like neodymium disc magnets, but a neodymium ring magnet will have a straight-sided hole through the center. You can find them in many everyday appliances such as vacuum cleaners, generators, and rotor shafts.
Neodymium ring magnets are also widely used in producing sound equipment, especially speakers.
Although ferrite magnets were the go-to type for application of this type, manufacturers now use neodymium magnets since they can produce high-quality sound with a smaller size.
Neodymium ring magnets are commonly used in:
- Motor
- Electronic
- Sound equipment
- Scientific Experiments
- Several other applications
Ring with Countersunk Holes
These are often smaller and thicker than neodymium ring magnets. However, neodymium ring magnets with countersunk holes can take screws through the hole in the center. With this hole, you can screw them to wood, metal, and plastic items.
The hole on these neodymium magnets being countersunk holes, the head of a screw will set right into the hole, not protruding at the top. Neodymium ring magnets with countersunk holes are used in
- Industrial mechanical equipment
- Industrial assembly
Arc
Neodymium arc magnets are probably the least popular shape of neodymium magnets since they have a specialized application.
While they are used in magnetic flywheel assemblies, you commonly find them in rotors and stators. Here’s the list of their applications:
- Motor field
- Motor
- DC motors, Rotors, and Stators
- Electric car
- WindTurbines
- Car motor
- Car drive motor
- Electric motor, generator
- DC motor
- Electric vehicle motor,
- Motorcycle motor
- Compressor motor
- Electrical tools
- Permanent neodymium magnet DC motor
Balls/Spheres
Neodymium magnet balls are small; they can be as small as 1mm, and as big as 2 inches.
In most instances, neodymium magnet balls are designed as recreational and stress-relieving objects. Besides being used as toys, you can use them to construct miniature or prototype buildings and hold paper against metal or magnetic board.
Due to specific reasons, some applications of neodymium magnet balls and spheres have been banned in some countries.
Illegal uses: several countries, including Canada and New Zealand, have banned using neodymium magnet balls as toys for children. However, they are still available for use in offices and schools.
Jewelry: magnetic balls and spheres have also been used in jewelry to make clasps or form parts of authentic jewelry.
Neodymium Tube/Block Magnets with Countersunk Holes
You can use neodymium magnets with countersunk holes for mounting, holding, lifting, and positioning furniture, items, door latches, and frames.
The magnetic force of neodymium magnets with countersunk holes is focused on the working surface. So the working surface is significantly stronger than an individual neodymium magnet.
To make a neodymium magnet with a countersunk hole:
- Drill a countersunk hole on the base of round, square, column, ring, and tile neodymium magnets, and use them with screws.
Neodymium Irregular Magnets
Neodymium irregular magnets are produced not to fit categorically into any of the standard shapes of neodymium magnets, including balls, rings, arcs, spheres, discs, and blocks.
Neodymium irregularly shaped magnets include those with countersunk holes, arc, and special-shaped neodymium magnets. They are very efficient and can function in electrical equipment. They are also ideal for being fitted into metal, plastics, rubber, and other durable materials.
Neodymium Thin-type Magnets
Neodymium thin-type magnets are used in several consumer products, such as earphones, to produce sound. Usually, it is zinc plated. Here’s how it works:
Fix the enameled coil on the diaphragm, and place a neodymium magnet underneath. When the electric signal passes through the enameled wire, it will generate a magnetic field of different strengths.
Because the permanent neodymium magnet is fixed, the enameled coil drives the diaphragm to vibrate and becomes music to your ears.
Neodymium Mini magnet
These are little bits of neodymium magnets that are used in everyday consumer products. You can use them in:
- Lipstick covers: modern lipstick and other cosmetic cases now have two pieces of neodymium magnets to hold their lids in place.
- Smartphone: while it is true that neodymium magnets will negatively affect smartphones, certain parts of phones require neodymium mini magnets to work. They include the speaker, camera, and vibration module.
- Jewelry boxes: stores use magnetic jewelry boxes to store, transport, and display jewelry. If adapted to a product, a magnetic jewelry box may ensure that the product remains in its position even when knocked.
- Magnetic toys: tiny pieces of magnetic balls that stick together while moving them around to form different shapes and patterns.
Neodymium Fishing Magnet
Neodymium Fishing magnets are those you can use to search for and grab ferrous metal objects that are underwater. It has nothing to do with catching live fish.
Neodymium fishing magnets are often round in shape, and one will have an iron hoop where you can tie a rope to let the neodymium magnet down into any body of water. Mind you, and neodymium fishing magnets cannot pick gold or silver.
Neodymium Pin Magnet
- Office, Culture, and Education: You can use pin neodymium magnets in the office or classroom to hold sheets and notes to the Whiteboard. This method eliminates the use of pins and tack boards that leave holes on paper. There’s also little management involved since the neodymium magnets cling to the board alone.
- Calligraphy and Painting: These are neodymium magnets produced mainly for decoration purposes. Frequently, you would find these neodymium magnets attached to freezers or metal frames.
- Magnetic Whiteboard: magnetic whiteboards combine the functionality of classroom and tack boards. You can use them both at school and at the office. They are magnetic, so the neodymium pin magnets used to fix objects on them don’t get lost easily.
Single Giant Neodymium Magnet
A single giant neodymium magnet can be of any of the shapes listed above. A single giant neodymium magnet will fall in a rating group between N35 and N52AH, the former being the weakest and the latter being the strongest.
How to Glue a Broken Neodymium Magnet Back Together?
- Get an epoxy or a cyanoacrylate.
- Apply to both surfaces to be glued together.
- Put them together and hold them till the epoxy or cyanoacrylate sets.
Neodymium magnets are metals, so epoxy is your best bet to glue one that has broken into two or more pieces back together. However, how easy it will be to glue a broken neodymium magnet depends on the behaviors of the two pieces after the breakage.
If the two parts stick together naturally, gluing them back will be easy because both pieces attract one another. However, if the two parts repel, you may need something to hold them in place while the epoxy sets and the pieces are fixed together.
What Are 3 Interesting Facts About Neodymium?
- Neodymium was discovered by Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1841 when he extracted a rose-colored oxide from cerite, a complex silicate mineral group. Carl named this oxide “didymium.” Then in 1885, Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach separated didymium into two new elemental components, neodymium and praseodymium.
- Neodymium has a bright and silvery luster. It is one of the very reactive lanthanide rare-earth metals and quickly combines chemically with oxygen. So it should be sealed tightly in a plastic container or kept under oil.
- Neodymium’s atomic number and symbol are 60 and Nd, respectively. It has a boiling point of 1,021°C and a boiling point of 3,074°C.
Where Can You Get Quality Neodymium Magnets?
ROBO Magnetic is your best bet if you’re looking to purchase high-quality neodymium magnets in bulk for office, educational, industrial, or personal use.
We are a leader in manufacturing and supplying custom neodymium magnets across Europe, Asia, and America. We have best-in-class technicians and state-of-the-art equipment to ensure we deliver the best neodymium magnets. Contact us today to discuss how we can help.
