Alnico magnets are composed primarily of alloys of aluminum, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron, and sometimes titanium, which possess characteristics like high residual induction and excellent temperature stability . Alnico products are widely used in applications such as meters, motors and sensors. Alnico magnets have a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of the common shapes are blocks , discs , rings , horseshoes , bars and holding magnets . Some of them can be painted with red or blue.
High residual induction
Excellent temperature stability Wide range of working temperatures, up to 550C
Good corrosion resistance
Wide range of complex shapes and sizes available
Can be plated or painted
Ease of magnetization High field strengths at medium prices
Lower initial tooling cost
Casting and Sintering are two major processes used to manufacture the Alnico magnets. Cast Alnico Magnets Cast Alnico is manufactured by pouring a molten metal alloy into a mold and then further processing it through various heat-treat cycles. The resulting magnet has a dark gray exterior appearance, and may have a rough surface. Machined surfaces have a shiny appearance similar to steel. It permits high temperature operation. It has been used in a wide application in the following fields: Electron, Machinery, Communication, Transportation, Energy & Medical Device, Office Automation, and Auto Mobile Industry . It is also widely applied in high stability fields as aviation, spaceflight, and military technology.
The coercivity values, the high remanence and thermal stability of Alnico make it the most cost effective material for certain applications:
motors
sensors&switch
suction part
electrical machines
telephone & speaker
meters: odometer, electrical meter, water-meter, etc.
security systems
Cast Alnico 5 is the most commonly used in the industry: rotating machinery, motors, and instruments, sensor devices, holding applications and so on. Alnico 8 has a higher coercive force and is usually used in disc shapes.
Block, Disc, Bar and Cylinder Magnets Red Painted Magnets Other Magnets
Sintered Alnico Magnets
Sintered Alnico is manufactured by compacting fine Alnico powder in a press, and then sintering the compacted powder into a solid magnet. It is usually restricted to smaller sizes and offers slightly lower magnetic properties, but has tighter dimensional tolerances due to its processing.