Understanding which magnet to use and for what purpose can be overwhelming. We’ve assembled this small fact file about our magnets to help you understand their properties, and decide which of our magnets will be best for your DIY and crafting needs.
Multipolar magnets are those that are built not from one, but multiple magnets.
Multipolar magnets come in three primary types; dipole, quadrupole and sextupole. This refers to the number of poles that each formation of magnets has. They are most often used to control beams of electric charge, and each different type of multipolar magnet has a different purpose. For example, quadrupole magnets have a magnetic charge that rapidly increases its magnetic field.
Being composed of multiple magnets extends the application of multipolar magnets and in many cases, this offers a much stronger magnetic hold when compared to a magnet and a ferrous material (see point 4). This, therefore, can make them ideal for certain crafting and DIY projects.
An important consideration is that not all magnets are compatible with our multipolar magnets and as you will have some sections that will attract (or pull the magnets together) and other parts that will try to repel (or push the magnets apart). These two opposing factors will create a much weaker magnetic pull as half of the surface is trying to push the magnet away. To combat this, you would need to look at our ferrous material (see point 4) range.
Many things can impact the effectiveness of a magnet. Temperature, material and thickness. The one that needs the most consideration, however, is the force that is going to be applied to the magnet.
It is easier to move a magnet by sliding it away from a surface than by pulling it vertically. Five times easier, in fact. For example, magnets with a rated pull of 15kg, may only be able to support 10kg of weight if being used on a vertical wall and when paired with a bulky object, as opposed to a slimmer one.
Therefore, it is important to consider what you want the magnet to do, before reviewing the maximum weight the magnets can carry.
You may be wondering why we produce magnetic pairs and clasps separately to our sheets and shapes. Our range of pairs and clasps have been designed so that our customers can buy magnets for a range of specific purposes.
If you remember the key facts mentioned in point 1, our multipolar magnets offer a strong magnetic pull when paired correctly ensuring that the magnetic poles line up with one another. Due to the linear multipolar design that we incorporate, it also reduces the risk of the magnets sliding in one direction, as the multipolar layout will help prevent this.
This does also mean that the magnets must be used in fixed positions and you wouldn’t be able to freely move the magnets around. If freedom of movement is more important than magnetic strength and rigidity, then combining a magnet with our ferrous material (see point 4) is far more beneficial.
Magnetic strips and clasps can be used for signage in schools, museums and retail, or for crafts and hobbies, such as bookmark making.
If something is ferrous, it means it contains iron. Within our product range, our ferrous sheets and Ferro-Mounts are flexible rubber materials infused with magnetically receptive iron.
This is a key attribute as it allows any type of magnet to stick to the ferrous material. Unlike our multi-polar sheets, you can use either single pole magnets or multi-pole magnets and the strength of the magnet will not be compromised in certain positions. This does, however, mean that the magnetic pull is mostly reliant on the strength of the magnetic side and not the ferrous side.
Another positive aspect of using our ferrous sheets, is that you can freely place any magnet anywhere on the sheet as there are no parts of the sheet that will try and repel (or push) the magnet away. This can give you more creative freedom when creating a clasp, magnet movement tray / container or magnet display.
A key point to consider, when looking at our ferrous range, is the thickness. The thicker the ferrous material, the more ferrous there is for the magnet to hold on to, which can have an impact on the magnetic strength. Therefore the thicker materials will make it easier for magnets to have a stronger pull - though it will never out class a stronger magnet to begin with.
A magnetic material is something that has its own magnetic charge. A magnetically receptive material is something that has no magnetic charge, but is attracted to objects that do.
Magnets such as our Fridge Poetry and Magnetic Circles are examples of magnetic materials. The fridge that you may stick these to is a magnetically receptive material. It is worth noting that magnets can be both magnetic and magnetically receptive though within our range of products, we will refer to magnetic materials as magnets and magnetically receptive materials as ferrous.
