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A winner in every aspect! With a legendary adhesive force of 200 kg, the ALB is not only the strongest but also reigns supreme as the most beautiful magnet in the supermarket selection, thanks to its high-quality coating.

However, be aware: This magnet is definitely not suitable for beginners!

In 2nd place follows the huge magnet ALB-51 – with a 50 kg difference to the winner.

This neodymium block magnet with its adhesive force of 150 kg offers the magnet enthusiast everything he or she could wish for.

Nevertheless, gloves and protective eyewear are a must when handling this magnet.

Our customer service team member Fausto proves that you can be safe and still look good.

The disc magnet S-70-35-N is a true heavyweight in every respect.

It is the largest, strongest, and with a weight of 1 kg by far also the heaviest disc magnet in our assortment.

Because of that, and because of an insane adhesive force of 140 kg, it ranks 3rd.

Fourth place is shared by no less than 4 pot magnets:

The simple pot magnet ALB-60 is glued into indentations.

Items can be hung on ALB-75, thanks to its hook.

With its threaded stem, ALB-60 can be screwed to equipment and casings.

ALB-60 has a counterbore and can be attached with a countersunk screw.

This one is the most popular with our customers among these 4 pot magnets.

Ring magnet R-60-06-30-N clearly sets itself apart from the other ring magnets in our shop.

It is much heavier and most of all has an incredible adhesive force of 120 kg.

This strong magnet is especially popular with people who fish with magnets.

Simply attach a rope and you are ready to fish.

Once again we find pot magnets share a ranking in our Top 10.

With a strong adhesive force of 110 kg, the pot magnet with screw socket ALB-63, and the hook magnet ALB-63 both come in 6th place.

The latter is slightly more popular with our customers, most likely because it makes it easy to hang items on ferromagnetic surfaces.

Even though by now there is no more room on the podium, the DEATH MAGNET has definitely become a true classic;

because this legendary magnet is among the absolute top sellers in our online shop.

Though we are not quite sure what meaningful tasks our private customers accomplish with such a strong magnet.

Here too the rule is: Be careful with it.

The ALB-600 is the strongest pot magnet with a cylindrical borehole in our shop.

It can be mounted as needed, using regular screws.

However, its adhesive force of 95 kg, only takes full effect when it is positioned flush against a thick iron surface.

This pot magnet is reliable.

Thanks to its M8 internal thread, this strong magnet can be screwed together with objects that have a matching thread.

The ALB-600 holds the heaviest loads when mounted to a ceiling.

If it is mounted to a wall, on the other hand, you will have to take the shear force into account.

This means: The magnet will only hold about 15% of the stated adhesive force.

Pot magnet ALB-480 rounds out our Top 10.

It is the little brother of CSN-60 but doesn’t have to hide with its adhesive force of 87 kg.

It too can be mounted with a countersunk screw, which makes it especially popular in electrical engineering and for kitchen installations.

Frequently Asked Questions on Magnets & Magnetics

How permanent is a magnet’s strength?

If stored away from factors that adversely affect the magnet such as power lines, other magnets, high temperatures, etc., a magnet will retain its magnetism essentially forever.

What might affect a magnet’s strength?

Factors that can affect a magnet's strength include:

Strong electrical currents in close proximity to the magnet

Other magnets in close proximity to the magnet

Neo magnets will corrode in high humidity environments unless they have a protective coating.

Shock and vibration do not affect modern magnet materials, unless sufficient to physically damage the material.

Will magnets lose their power over time?

Modern magnet materials do lose a very small fraction of their magnetism over time.

With samarium cobalt magnets, for example, this has been shown to be less than 1% over a period of ten years.

Which are the strongest magnets?

The most powerful magnets available today are the rare- earth types.

Of the rare-earths, neodymium magnets are the strongest.

However, at elevated temperatures (of approximately 150°C and above), samarium cobalt magnets can be stronger than neo magnets, depending on the magnetic circuit.

Magnet-to-Magnet vs. Magnet-to-Steel

When sticking a magnet to something, should the magnet attract to a piece of steel or to another magnet?

It’s a great question that we hear quite often. As always, the answer depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. In this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of each method.

Strength vs.

Why would you want to use a magnet attracting to a piece of steel rather than two magnets? The biggest motivation is reduced cost. A piece of steel is less expensive than a second magnet. If you can get the same results for less cost, why wouldn’t you?

It turns out the answer isn’t so simple. The cost savings aren't always so clear. Let’s look at a few rules-of-thumb we’ve learned by measuring the strength of so many magnets.

Rules of Thumb:

If the steel is big, magnet-to-steel is the same as magnet-to-magnet.

With a large steel surface, the pull force from a magnet to the steel is about the same as the pull force to a second, identical magnet.

When touching, a magnet sticking to a big, thick steel plate requires about the same amount of force to pull the magnet straight away from the steel plate ( Pull Force, Case 1 ) as it would to pull the magnet straight away from a second, identical magnet ( Pull Force, Case 3 ). If your steel surface is large and thick enough, the force is the same.

Many folks feel like this answer is incorrect because it doesn't feel right. When you handle a magnet and a piece of steel, it does seem to feel weaker than a magnet to another magnet. While true, it's usually because of the next two rules...

If the steel is thin or small, magnet-to-steel is weaker

If the steel surface is too thin, the force to the steel might be less.

If the steel isn't substantially larger than the magnet, the force might be less.

If your steel isn’t quite so big and thick, it’s possible that you’ll see less force with the magnet-to-steel setup. We find that the steel part should be at least a little bit larger than the magnet size. If you’re using a ½” x ½” magnet like the B882 block, then you might want the steel plate to be something like ¾” x ¾” in size.

The thickness of the steel piece also matters. For that B882 block magnet, anything thinner than about 0.055” thick will result in less force. You can estimate this minimum desired thickness using our online Steel Thickness Calculator.

If there’s a gap, magnet-to-magnet is stronger

If there's a gap between the magnet and the thing it's sticking to, the magnet-to-steel might be weaker than the magnet-to-magnet.

If there’s a gap between the magnet and the thing you’re sticking it to, the magnet-to-magnet setup will provide more force than the magnet-to-steel. You can experiment with this using our online Pull Force Calculator. That B882 block magnet will stick to a big, thick steel plate with about 7.34 lb of force. It will also stick to another B882 magnet with the same amount of force.

If you have a gap between the magnet and what you’re sticking it to, however, the force decreases more for the magnet-to-steel. If I stack 20 pieces of paper between the magnet and what its sticking to, I’ve introduced about a 1/16” gap. The magnet-to-magnet setup might pull with 3 lb of force, compared to 2.3 lb with the magnet-to-steel.

The Pull Force Calculator screenshot below shows how, for distances greater than zero, the magnet-to-magnet pull force can be greater than the magnet-to-steel.

Lateral Forces and Automatic Centering

Two magnets (left) pull to center upon one another, while a magnet and a steel disc (right) can stick together offset.

There’s another difference you’ll want to think about that isn’t described in pull force numbers or tallying the cost. When you stick two magnets together, the pull force attracting one to the other isn’t the only thing going on. There are also lateral forces and torques that act to pull the magnets to center upon one another. If you’re using Sewing Magnets to make cool buttons on a shirt, this is a perfect way for them to behave.

Our Magnetic Forces article has some great, hands-on examples of the forces you might see with a magnet-to-magnet setup.

With magnet-to-steel setups, you don’t get this same “centering” force. In fact, a magnet will happily sit just about anywhere on a larger piece of steel. They won’t pull to center on one another. This is great if you’re making a magnetic cabinet latch, where the position of the cabinet door might vary a bit. With the steel strike plate that’s larger than the magnet, the force feels the same despite minor positional changes.

In that cabinet latch example, a magnet-to-magnet setup might even perform worse. When misaligned, you don’t get nearly as much force. Mis-align two magnets enough, and you’ll start to see repelling forces!

Which method you choose depends on how you want them to behave. Are centering forces good?

Let’s consider a specific example:

Two D82 magnets holding a name badge to a shirt pocket

Here’s the scenario: Let’s imagine we’re using a ½” diameter x 1/8” thick D82 magnet to hold a badge on a shirt. Glue one magnet to the backside of the name badge. Place either another D82 magnet or a chunk of steel inside the shirt pocket. Which is the better solution?

The thin cotton shirt I’m wearing has a material thickness of about 0.012”. With the badge’s magnet on the outside of the pocket and the magnet or chunk of steel on the inside, the magnets are attracting towards each other across that 0.012” distance. How does this affect the strength?

According to the calculator, the magnet-to-magnet setup (Pull Force, Case 3) is about 10% stronger at 4.76 lb vs.

4.31 lb. In practice, because my steel disc isn’t too large, the magnet-to-steel might actually be a bit weaker still. Let's say the magnet-to-magnet is 10-15% stronger.

Let's look at the cost of the two solutions:

A single D82 magnet is $0.99. We don’t sell steel strike plates, but let’s say you used an NSW82 ($0.45) steel washer. The two-magnet solution is more expensive, at 2 x $0.99 = $1.98.

The magnet-to-steel method at $0.99 + $0.45 = $1.44.

The magnet-to-steel is the winner if cost is the only factor. I might still pick the magnet-to-magnet setup because I like how they pull to center on one another.

Same name badge, now on a thicker fleece

Let’s solve the same problem again, but this time we’ll stick the name badge through a warm fleece jacket. It measures about 0.04” thick, so the magnet has a larger gap to reach across.

Running the numbers in the calculator, we find:

Magnet-to-Steel, Pull Force, Case 1 = 2.53 lb

Magnet-to-Magnet, Pull Force, Case 3 = 3.19 lb

Here, the magnet-to-magnet setup is more like 25% stronger.

An apples-to-apples comparison that has about equal pull force

To make a fair comparison of strength vs.

cost, we have to compare two solutions that have the same strength. We can do that with a larger magnet or a magnet in a higher grade. If we change to the grade N52 D82-N52 magnet, it works out that the strength is comparable to the two-magnet solution. The calculator says it’s 3.13 lb.

Let’s compare the cost of these two solutions of about equal strength:

Magnet-to-magnet uses two D82 magnets, 2 x $0.99 = $1.98

Magnet-to-steel uses one D82-N52 magnet and a steel disc , $1.24 + $0.45 = $1.69

Again, the magnet-to-steel solution costs less, but not quite half.

Try it yourself.

The good examples here are a great way to understand the ideas behind what magnets will do, but they might not completely answer your questions. If you’re in doubt, get a few magnets in your hands to experiment with what feels best. A bit of experimentation to find the right feel can often be the fastest, best way to find the right solution.

Technical Content: Plate Size vs.

Strength

Study pull force of a D82 disc magnet sticking to a steel disc with different diameter and thickness dimensions.

We mentioned that in a magnet-to-steel scenario, both the thickness of the plate and the size of the plate can change the pull force. While our online Steel Thickness Calculator can provide specific estimates about how steel thickness affects pull force, it only considers very large steel surfaces. It assumes the steel is way bigger than the magnet. What if you’re faced with a situation where the steel is both thin and small? How much force can you expect then?

It turns out that the two factors are somewhat interrelated.

In the data presented below, we’ve considered the theoretical pull force of a simple D82 disc magnet to a steel disc of varying dimensions.

The table below shows the percentage of pull force you might expect, as a fraction of what's possible with a very large steel disc.

Super Strong Magnets +20kg Pull

If you’re still in two minds about big magnet and are thinking about choosing a similar product, ALB is a great place to compare prices and sellers.

We’ll help you to work out whether it’s worth paying extra for a high-end version or whether you’re getting just as good a deal by getting the cheaper item.

And, if you just want to treat yourself and splash out on the most expensive version, ALB will always make sure you can get the best price for your money, even letting you know when you’ll be better off waiting for a promotion to start, and the savings you can expect to make.

ALB takes pride in making sure that you always have an informed choice when you buy from one of the hundreds of stores and sellers on our platform.

Does the size of a magnet make it stronger? How are magnets made? How does the shape of a magnet affect its magnetic field?

Size is just one of the ways one can change the strength of a magnet.

However, it can get very difficult and expensive to simply make a magnet bigger.

The other way is to make it BETTER.

This can mean all sorts of things.

With electromagnets, the modern method to make them better is to construct a superconducting magnet.

That is, the electrical coils are made of materials that will lose all electrical resistance when immersed in a tremendously cold substance, such as liquid helium.

Jefferson Lab has lots of liquid helium just for the purpose of attaining superconductivity, although most of it is not for magnets but for the accelerator's niobium cavities.

However, the point is still the same.

By reducing the electrical resistance, much higher amounts of electrical current can be put through the magnets, thereby generating a much stronger magnetic force.

Another way to make a magnet better is by carefully choosing the material from which it is made.

The standard strong magnet found in labs is usually made from ALNICO - a special alloy where strongly magnetic bits, made from an iron-nickel - aluminum alloy are embedded in an iron-cobalt alloy base.

If you want something lighter that can generate a strong magnetic force, then one can try FERRITE (or ceramic) magnets which are made from iron oxide plus barium, strontium, or lead oxide.

Like other ceramic materials (such as toilet bowls), they are brittle, so some care in handling is necessary.

If you want to look over some varieties of permanent magnets, you can check out the online Edmund Scientific catalog.

The strongest permanent magnets are made from an iron- neodymium - boron (Fe-Nd-B) alloy.

This kind is actually used as a critical part of a nuclear physics experiment called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) .

Almost without exception, nuclear physics experiments require a strong magnet and it is often a superconducting one.

The AMS was designed as a compact system capable of being launched into space aboard the space shuttle.

The standard nuclear physics electromagnet was out of the question.

With the new type of permanent magnet made from the Fe-Nd-B alloy, the required strong magnetic field could be attained in a very compact volume without using any electrical power or liquid helium.

The details of manufacturing permanent magnets are proprietary (i.e., a trade secret).

However, the general technique is to take a FERROMAGNETIC material such as the ALNICO and expose it to a strong magnetic field, probably generated as very short (on a time scale) but very powerful bursts from a nearby electromagnet.

The magnetic "bits" in a ferromagnet are small collections of material (say, a millimeter or so) called domains that have a definite magnetic field with a north and south pole.

Normally, these domains are oriented in random directions, thereby canceling each other out.

When exposed to this powerful outside field, the domains start to orient themselves according to the direction of the strong outside field.

The newer Fe-Nd-B alloy magnets have the added advantage that after the field is established, it tends to be more stable than other types of permanent magnets.

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