Sometimes it’s good to get back to the basics! Everything you need to know about handling and using magnets is in this handy guide — be sure to “bookmark” it to refer back anytime!  Magnets 101 Magnet History  Even though magnets have been around for thousands of years — the most definitive date  can be traced back to 600 BCE! — there is still so much we’re constantly learning about them! To start, check out this blog about the evolution of magnet history. From not realizing what household objects use magnets to learning about dipoles and lodestone, this blog goes into just 6 of the lesser-known things about magnets. Read it here!  Interesting Facts about Magnets Did you know the name ‘neodymium’ comes from the Greek neos 'didymos’, which means “new twin." Or that neodymium magnets are used to enhance the image quality in our TVs by redirecting electrons toward the screen. There’s 12 more facts where that came from. Read ‘em all in this blog post.  Purchasing and Using Magnets Different Types of Magnets NdFeB, SmCo, Alnico...these aren’t for a word scramble! Each of these are a type of magnet — with an additional two as well. As you can probably guess, each type has their own strengths, weaknesses, and uses! If you need a magnet, start with this guide first.  A Basic Guide to Magnet Strength  The truth is, a lot of magnets can be used interchangeably. But, just because they can be used doesn’t mean it is the best possible product for your application! Safety, reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness are all factors that can be factored into choosing the correct strength of magnet. This guide should be your go-to anytime you need magnets — read it here! Packing and Storing Magnets Not only do magnets differ in size, strength, and purpose, they also have different sensitivities and shelf-lives. Meaning, some require more careful, deliberate storage than others. Magnets are strong but delicate, which is why packing and storing are so important. Read all about how to pack and store magnets in this handy guide. Magnet Safety “With great power comes great responsibility” was definitely referring to neodymium magnets. If you’re using any type of neodymium magnet, you should read and know these basic safety tips, which you can bookmark for safe keeping.  Best Practices Neodymium magnets can pinch if allowed to come together against the skin and larger magnets are even capable of breaking bones. For this reason, children should not be allowed to play with the larger magnets and should be supervised if using any product that contains small magnets. When you’re working with magnets, here are 4 things you should keep in mind: 
  • Wear heavy protective gloves to avoid developing a nickel allergy
  • Move other magnets or metals out of the way before handling 
  • Wear eye protection and keeping arms and legs covered
  • Inspect all magnets before use for any faults in the plating 
To go further into best practices for using magnets, read this guide!  First Aid with Neodymium Magnets Sometimes, accidents happen no matter how much you prepare. Common injuries from neodymium magnets include; fire, pinching, broken bones, swallowing magnets, exploding magnets, and allergies. When you use magnets correctly, you should be safe, but we always recommend being ready for the worst-case scenario. We’re covering first aid techniques to treat the aforementioned injuries in this helpful blog. Be sure to bookmark it to refer back to should something happen.  Technology That You Should Never Put Near High Powered Magnets Another aspect of magnet safety includes protecting your data! This includes credit cards, hard drives, phones, televisions, pacemakers, and anything else with magnetic data. Now, this doesn’t mean that magnets will ruin your tech devices — we covered that in this blog post — but some devices such as navigation devices or heart pacers can be affected by magnets, so you should take caution to keep them away from any magnet usage.  As you can see, there’s so much to know about magnets! Check out our FAQ for answers to some basic magnetic questions as well. As always, we’re here to help answer any questions you may have about magnets. Just give us a call or email us!