Magnets are much more than mere toys; in fact, there are many industrial and business applications for this powerful technology. From medicine and manufacturing to heavy industry, magnets are used in a wide variety of settings. The unique characteristics of magnetic fields make magnets the perfect choice for studying everything from the inner workings of the galaxy to the inner workings of the human body.
Mining
Magnets and magnetic technology are widely used throughout the mining industry. Powerful magnetic separators are routinely used in many mines, especially coal mines. These industrial magnets are used to recover valuable materials that would otherwise go unclaimed, and many mining operators make full use of industrial magnets for this purpose. Drum magnets are also used in coal mines and other mining operations to remove contaminants from the mined materials, helping companies get the most value from every ton of coal and other mined materials.
Food and Medicine
The food production and pharmaceutical industries also make heavy use of magnetic technologies to remove excess iron that would otherwise contaminate their products. In order to remove that excess iron food, food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies use a variety of magnets, including magnetic drums, magnetic grids, and magnetic tubes. Magnetic grids and magnetic drums are often placed in chutes and hoppers to remove contaminants, while magnetic tubes are used to capture iron and other potential contaminants as the foodstuffs and pharmaceutical ingredients pass through them.
Plastics and Glass
Magnets are also routinely used in the manufacture of all kinds of plastic and glass products. Many different types of materials are used in the manufacture of both plastics and glass, but in order to be useful those materials must not contain impurities. Magnetic technology is used to remove those impurities from the ingredients before they are used to manufacture the plastic and glass products we use every day.
Industrial Ceramics
Magnets are used in the manufacture of ceramics in order to remove metallic impurities. These impurities could reduce the quality of the finished ceramics, and it is important for companies to remove those impurities as part of the manufacturing process. The industry uses a variety of different magnetic technologies, including plate separators, suspended magnets and drum separators, to remove metallic impurities from ceramic glazes and other materials widely used within the ceramic manufacturing industry.