Although you might not recognize it, magnets have a significant impact on the things we use on a daily basis. They’re used for a ton of products spanning a variety of different industries. We use them to hang notes and pictures on our refrigerators, to close the cabinets in our homes, and even to direct us through a hiking trail with our compasses. But what about signs? Many signs you encounter every day heavily depend on magnets. We’ll explore a few examples below.

Flip-disc Displays

When walking down a city street, have you ever noticed a message flashing across the top of a public transit bus? As it turns out, those function by utilizing a type of magnetic force called flip-disc technology. A flip-disc display is used for large outdoor electrical signs that are typically exposed to direct sunlight – like billboards on a highway or signs on a bus. The display consists of a grid of metal discs. When power is applied, the disc flips to show the other side. Once flipped, the discs will remain in position without power. The disc is attached to an axle which carries a small permanent magnet. By pulsing the solenoid coil with the appropriate electrical polarity, the permanent magnet on the axle will align itself with the magnetic field, also turning the disc. A computerized driver system reads data, typically characters, and flips the appropriate discs to produce the desired display.

Car Signs

We’ve all seen cars with advertisements posted all over the hood, trunk, and sides. Those are magnetic car signs. They are often used as a marketing tool by different companies in order to reach a wide target audience. You’ll usually see some type of company logo or design with their contact information. Even some food trucks or delivery vans use these signs. The sign has a magnetic strip on the back side of it, allowing it to stick to the exterior of the car in all types of weather.

Fridge Magnets

Fridge magnets are used for a variety of purposes, which makes them exceedingly popular among the magnet signage industry. Local businesses can use them for advertising, while real estate agents can use them for personal branding. In addition, sports fans purchase fridge magnets with the regular season schedules of their favorite club as a collectors item, and tourists collect them as a hallmark of the place they visited. These are just four examples, and in reality, the possibilities expand far beyond them.

Mouse Pads

Mouse pads are typically made with a magnetic material underneath to keep them from sliding across the surface of the table. Personalized magnets contain signs and logos imprinted on them with different colors, graphics and other aesthetics that can be used for both promotional and recreational purposes. If you’re using a mouse, then you’re likely using a mouse pad along with it while putting its magnetic force to work!

Use Apex Magnets Today

At Apex Magnets, our stock magnets are perfect for most applications, providing a variety of options without gross tolerance variation. Sort through our entire product line, or jump straight to some of our most popular B2B products, such as magnetic hooks and countersinks. Contact us with questions, and we’ll help you find the best product for your needs.