Alnico magnets exhibit high residual inductions, are extremely resistant to elevated temperatures, and have relatively high energy products.

They are made primarily from alloys of Aluminum, Nickel, and Cobalt, and may be either cast or sintered. Cast Alnico can be made into intricate shapes that may not be possible with other materials.

Sintered Alnico, while slightly weaker than cast material, exhibits superior mechanical characteristics.

Sintered Alnico magnets are manufactured using a powder metallurgy process which uses controlled atmosphere, high temperature sintering to produce near net shape parts. These may range in size from as little as .05g to 150g. Semi automated production enables adjustment of materials, and processing allows either a  standard range of magnetic properties or individually tailored alloys to meet customer specifications.

In comparison with other permanent magnetic materials, the Alnico magnets produced this way are  characterized by: 

• Near full density 
• Fine crystalline metallic structure 
• High temperature stability
• Good corrosion resistance
• High mechanical strength

Alnico material can be easily demagnetized due to its low coercive force and must therefore be handled properly. A length to diameter ration of at least 5:1 should be maintained for parts made from Alnico 5 if optimal performance is to be achieved.

In cases where this ratio is impossible to maintain -such as when complex shapes or smaller sizes are required - it may be necessary to use Alnico 8 material.