Question 1

Securing your gate with magnetic gate latches

Accepted Answer

AMF has several Gate Latch magnets that are suitable for a range of outdoor uses. Latch devices containing Ferrite material inside a plastic case are ideally suited to outdoor use because they have excellent resistance to water damage and corrosion. Magnetic latches on garden gates and outdoor areas can stop pets from accessing an area where they are not welcome or from escaping onto the street or a neighbour’s property. Magnetic latch devices also provide practical and easy to use solutions for farm gates, animal pens, aviaries, enclosures, cattle yards and shearing sheds.During day-to-day activities, farm gates can be magnetically held open or closed for convenience and then secured with a padlock and chain at night. Inward opening gates on farmyards that are held closed magnetically cannot be pushed open by livestock inside the yard, but are easy to push open by workers from the outside. This can make drafting livestock through stockyard gates much easier and more accurate. Gates between paddocks can also be held open magnetically as vehicles or livestock pass through, which saves time and avoids the traditional fiddly and difficult to use chain-type gate latches. Magnetic gate latches are also found in pool fencing access points, but they must legally comply with council regulations.

Question 2

Humid environment coatings

Accepted Answer

In high humidity atmospheric conditions, standard nickel-coated Neodymium magnets will eventually succumb to corrosion and over time will stop performing at an acceptable level. Ferrite or Samarium Cobalt magnets may be viable alternatives. Ferrites and Samarium Cobalt magnets have excellent resistance to corrosion and will largely remain unaffected by moisture and humidity.In some applications, a larger size Ferrite or Samarium Cobalt magnet may need to be applied to compensate for its relatively weak holding power. In other situations, where using a larger Ferrite magnet is not possible because of space restrictions, a highly strong Neodymium  magnet with a protective coating may prove to be a suitable alternative. AMF also supplies Neodymium magnets with Teflon, Gold, Epoxy and Plastic coatings that are generally humidity and moisture proof. It should be noted that additional coatings of any kind have a negative impact the strength of a magnet because of the gap they create between the two bonding surfaces. Samarium magnets are a type of magnet that is highly suited to high humidity and high temperature environments. Harsh environments with high-humidity conditions may arise due to latitudinal location or because of more localized influences such as seaside locations, proximity to sea breezes or constant exposure to weather. Choosing the right magnet and coating of Ferrite magnets, Samarium magnets or coated Neodymium magnets can overcome these conditions and reliably perform to a high standard.

Question 3

Marine applications

Accepted Answer

Few metal-based surfaces are able to endure the relentless corrosive forces that occur around Marine environments. For this reason, anti-corrosive magnetic alloys or magnets with protective coatings are often employed to resist these conditions. Businesses or recreational activities that encounter Marine environments include shipyards, commercial and charter fishing operations, public marinas, cruise ships and sightseeing vessels, seaside infrastructure maintenance, underwater salvage operators and all the associated plant, marine craft and boating equipment they need to conduct their activities.Samarium Cobalt  (SmCo) magnets are manufactured from highly corrosion-resistant Rare Earth alloy and are ideal for harsh aquatic conditions. They are also able to tolerate heat affected applications (up to 250°C). Similar to high-humidity applications, magnets with protective coatings are also suitable for marine environments. Coatings of Teflon, Plastic or Epoxy protect the magnet from the harsh conditions that marine environments present. Shipwrights that need to repair or modify steel hulled vessels find countless uses for corrosion resistant magnets and often find them to be an excellent holding or clamping tool as they perform their work. International shipping companies with vessels that move thousands of steel containers around the world also find magnets invaluable. Booms that float on the ocean surface and contain oil spills from ruptured tankers are often attached magnetically, as are the access ladders that harbour pilots use to board container ships as they approach a port or prepare to dock at a terminal. Some underwater salvage operators use sealed magnetic retrieval devices to drag the seabed or waterways for submerged metallic materials that need to be removed to prevent contamination or retrieved for their monetary value.

Question 4

Fishing Magnets

Accepted Answer

In a similar vein to underwater commercial salvage work, but in a more amateur form, Magnetic Fishing involves mostly private citizens magnetically trawling underwater surfaces to attract metallic debris or lost metal items, some of which may be valuable or otherwise of historical interest.As hauling up submerged metallic objects requires a considerable amount of holding power, Neodymium Pot-style Neodymium Pot-style Magnets are the most commonly used for this growing recreational activity. Pot magnets are robust and powerful and have attachment capabilities that are ideal for magnetic fishing. Hook and Eyelet accessories that attach to Pot magnets allow ropes or cables to be secured in place for casting into lakes, dams, rivers and any other waterway. Some innovative metal anglers fabricate devices that incorporate several magnets attached to aluminium angle iron so a broader area is covered with each drag of the river or lakebed.As with conventional sports fishing, magnetic fishing participants experience a degree of excitement and exhilaration in their search for hidden metal objects or valuables that have often lay undetected below the surface for decades. Recovering metal contaminants from community waterways is a pleasant, rewarding and environmentally friendly way to spend some spare time, adding to the popularity of magnetic fishing.Handling rusted and sharp metal materials from polluted waterways can be hazardous to your health, so precautions that include protective clothing, gloves and eyewear should be undertaken.Check out our range of Fishing Magnets .

FAQ & Knowledge Base

Outdoor Applications

Securing your gate with magnetic gate latches

Humid environment coatings

Marine applications

Fishing Magnets