October 2020
The physics department at Buckley Systems Limited has been conducting practical research on the manufacture of rare-earth permanent, fixed field, bending magnets. While the potential advantages are great, the practicalities of manufacture and use pose some significant challenges. The magnets are difficult to handle and place in position, as strong attraction and repelling forces occur when they are brought close to iron objects or themselves. Permanent magnets are also very sensitive to temperature change.
Buckley Systems’ physicists are experimenting with using different magnetic materials arranged around the main magnets to help minimise any field drift over a wide temperature range. Working closely with the engineering and design departments, a prototype magnet using permanent neodymium (NdFeB) blocks surrounded by compensating shims has been manufactured. After extensive testing, the physicists managed to reduce the temperature dependence by an order of magnitude and are ready to design these types of magnets for our customers.