Magnets don’t often receive the praise they deserve because they’re often tucked deep inside the incredible devices that require them. Likewise, there are dozens of industries in the U.S. that owe their success to powerful magnets used behind the scenes. If you know where to look, you’ll soon find magnets are everywhere. 

Where to Find Magnets in Industry

Here’s a small sample of the many fascinating ways industries use magnets each and every day:

Computers

While the death of CRT monitors means magnets are no longer needed for computer screens, magnets have proven their staying power in memory storage. In a hard drive, a magnetic platter stores tons of information in binary form, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

Food and Pharmaceuticals

When manufacturing foods and medication, factories use magnets to pick out iron particles that inadvertently mix with the other ingredients. But magnets don’t stop at the production line. Once an item is packaged, a magnetic strip may be incorporated into the label to get the product shelf-ready.

Magnetic sorters

Just as the food and pharmaceutical industries remove iron particles with magnets, other industries use magnets for similar purposes. Mining companies use magnets to separate metals from ore. Meanwhile, vending machines often use magnets to separate coins (and the occasional foreign bit of metal) after they’re popped into the coin slot.

Automobiles

Though you might not realize it, you use magnets every time you drive. Magnets are useful in electric motors, so they’re found inside electric windows, windshield wipers, and door locking systems. This also makes them extremely important in electric cars that require generators for power. Many oil filters contain magnets to catch tiny metallic particles before they can create clogs or cause damage. Starter motors, fuel injectors, vacuum lines, speakers, and many more components also rely on magnets.

Medical

We’re all familiar with Magnetic Resonance Imaging. MRI machines use a magnetic field scanner to detect positively charged ions of water throughout the human body. The result: Pictures capturing the contract between the tissues throughout the body. Magnets also hold an important place in smaller but equally impressive medical devices. For example, blood flow detectors, which assist in locating blood vessels, taking weak pulses, and assessing vessel patency, also require magnets. Magnets in industry

Energy

Magnets are critical in the creation of electricity. When coiled wires are rotated around a magnetic field, they generate an electric current. This concept is incorporated into all sorts of power plants, including those using coal, wind, or water to spin turbines to create electricity. Magnets are also found in portable generators that require gasoline or propane for fuel.

Plastics and Glass

Manufacturing plastic or glass requires materials free of impurities. Magnetic technology works to separate unwanted impurities from the ingredients before they enter the manufacturing process.

Cranes

For moving huge pieces of metal, some cranes will use a power electromagnet. These electromagnets are incredibly strong, even more powerful than natural magnets. They work by flipping a switch that directs a current through the electromagnet. Need magnets for your business? Apex Magnets can provide custom magnets to suit your needs. If you need help figuring out what you need, our friendly experts are ready to help.