There’s no denying cranes are an important piece of industrial equipment in the construction, automotive, and manufacturing industries. Skyscrapers, apartment complexes, and other massive man-made structures would not be possible without one!  You probably were already aware of the importance cranes are in our world, but did you know they wouldn’t be able to function without electromagnets? Find out why below.  Why Use Electromagnets? In large industrial cranes, extremely strong electromagnets are used to lift heavy objects off the ground and transport them from one place to another. Steel storage crates containing cars or manufacturing machines heavily rely on cranes to be placed onto ships before they are transported overseas.  While permanent magnets can have large pull forces, they do not have the ability to lift heavy objects, such as a steel beam or a crate carrying an automobile which is why industrial electromagnets are used.  Another difference? Electromagnets aren’t as permanent as everyday magnets. The magnetic force of the electromagnets can be controlled by switching the current that flows through them on and off. So, when there’s no electric current, electromagnets stop working.   How Electromagnets Work Simply put, electromagnets are devices made up of a soft iron core with windings, or turns, of electrically conducting wire that creates a magnetic field through the application of electricity. The windings increase the size of the core which then increases the level of magnetic current that flows through the wire.  When electricity is applied, either from a battery or another source, it flows through the wire and creates a magnetic field stronger than that of any natural magnet. To prevent corrosion or malfunction, electromagnets are typically stored in a metal casing within the crane that insulates them from the copper or aluminum windings inside. Discover More With Apex Magnets Today Even though we here at Apex Magnets do not have electromagnets, we do have a large variety of interesting and quite frankly, addicting, sizes and shapes of magnets. For more break-through magnetic discoveries and general magnet knowledge, browse our magnet in the news section of the blog.