Why Are Strong Magnets Called Rare Earth?

Bunting Neodymium Magnets

The first ‘Rare Earth’ Magnet was developed in the 1960s based on work done by Karl Strnat and Alden Rey at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the University of Dayton.  The development of the Samarium–Cobalt Magnet (made of an alloy of samarium and cobalt SmCo) was a major advancement in magnet technology.   For the first…

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Offshore Winch Eddy Current Brake with Magnetic Powers

Magnet Assembly

Bunting’s magnet product design team were contacted and asked to manufacture a Magnet Assembly that would act as an emergency eddy current brake on an offshore winch. The original design called up bespoke Neodymium Rare Earth Magnets with a strength of 50MGOe (MegaGauss oersted).  Such an assembly had an ten-week lead time, which was too…

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