Stronger forces through MaxField technology

A conventional magnet is a crude device. One north pole, one south pole, and a field that radiates in every direction. Most of that field strength dissipates into open air. Only a fraction reaches the mating surface. We saw this problem early, and MaxField is the technology we built to fix it.

How MaxField concentrates force

MaxField magnets are Polymagnets whose maxel arrangement has been optimized for tensile (pull) strength. The principle is straightforward. We concentrate magnetic flux into a prescribed near-surface region rather than letting it radiate outward from a conventional single dipole. The energy stays at the magnet face, where it produces attachment force against the mating surface.

We print dozens or hundreds of individual maxels onto a single piece of magnetic material. Each maxel is a tiny magnetic region with its own polarity. Adjacent maxels of opposite polarity create tight flux loops right at the surface. Those loops keep the energy dense and local instead of spreading it across a wide volume of space.

The measurable result is dramatic. We’ve tested a MaxField pair against a conventional pair of N42-grade neodymium iron boron magnets, both the same size and material. Our MaxField pair reached a peak attachment force above 250 lbs. The conventional pair topped out around 40 lbs. Same magnet material, same dimensions, more than six times the usable force.

Why conventional magnets waste so much energy

A standard single-dipole magnet produces one broad field. That field extends several inches from the surface and weakens with distance. Any ferrous object within range will feel it. Loose metal nearby will accelerate toward it. The field wastes energy into empty space and creates a safety hazard at the same time.

MaxField Polymagnets concentrate that same magnetic material into a tighter, shorter-range field. Flux density at the surface is higher, but it drops off fast. Our lab measurements show near-zero flux at less than a quarter inch of separation. Two inches away, the magnet is undetectable by any instrument we own.

The field is not weaker. More energy reaches the contact point per unit of material. A designer who needs 100 lbs of attachment force can use a smaller, lighter MaxField Polymagnet. Less material, lower weight, and a smaller footprint in the assembly.

Tuning to metal thickness

Most engineers don’t expect this: MaxField can be tuned to the thickness of the target metal. Conventional magnets are weak on thin sheet metal because their field passes straight through and out the other side. Flux that escapes the back of the sheet contributes nothing to the holding force.

MaxField Polymagnets address this by matching field depth to metal thickness. A magnetic code designed for 0.020-inch sheet steel will keep its flux concentrated within that thin cross-section. We’ve achieved strong attachment on metal as thin as thousandths of an inch, a regime where conventional magnets are nearly useless.

Consumer electronics, medical devices, and wearable technology all require thin-metal attachment. A tablet cover that uses a magnetic attachment to a 0.5 mm steel plate needs a magnet tuned to that plate. The same conventional grade will deliver maybe a third of the force on the same target.

Automotive interiors have a similar constraint. Trim panels, instrument clusters, and removable console pieces all use thin stamped steel. MaxField Polymagnets can deliver full holding force on these lightweight targets without requiring thicker substrates or additional mechanical fasteners.

The printing process

We produce every MaxField Polymagnet on our MagPrinter, a production magnetization system that imprints maxels onto permanent magnet blanks. A small magnetizing coil moves across the surface in software-controlled increments. Each maxel receives a precise charge, and the polarity direction alternates according to the magnetic code.

Current printing speed: roughly 120 maxels of 2 mm diameter on a 3/4-inch-square N42 neodymium blank in 10-15 seconds. Resolution goes down to 500 micrometers. Software controls every variable, from maxel size and spacing to polarity and saturation level. An engineer can change any of those parameters between prints with no tooling cost. If a prototype doesn’t perform as expected, the engineer modifies the code and reprints in minutes. Conventional magnet redesign requires new tooling and weeks of lead time.

The materials are not exotic. We print MaxField codes into standard neodymium, samarium cobalt, ceramic (ferrite), and flexible magnetic stock. The MagPrinter accepts any magnetizable material, and the process itself is room-temperature and non-destructive to the blank.

Max-Attach product performance

Max-Attach is our commercial product line built on MaxField technology, available through Industrial Magnetics. These are off-the-shelf Polymagnets engineered for general attachment: hooks, hangers, mounts, closures, whiteboard magnets.

Performance against conventional magnets of the same size and grade:

• Shear strength (vertical hold). 2x-8x greater than conventional magnets
• Holding force range. 8-96 lbs across 28 standard sizes
• Available configurations. Round, ring, and rectangular
• Material grade. Neodymium rare earth, up to N52
• Field reach. Encoded to engage only at close proximity

Shear strength is where the improvement is most visible. Conventional magnets slide on vertical surfaces because the field produces very little resistance to lateral motion. Max-Attach Polymagnets generate stronger lateral holding through better field saturation of the target metal. An 8x improvement in shear strength is the difference between a coat hook that holds and one that drifts to the floor.

Implications for product design

Stronger attachment from a smaller magnet allows designers to reduce the size and weight of magnetic components in their products. The concentrated field eliminates the risk of stray fields damaging credit cards, pacemakers, or magnetic storage media from across a room. A Max-Attach Polymagnet strong enough to hold 50 lbs is undetectable at an inch from its face.

We’ve watched engineers replace mechanical fasteners with MaxField and cut assembly steps from their production lines. A magnetic latch that eliminates a screw-and-clip assembly saves time and simplifies the user experience. The force profile stays consistent across millions of cycles because there are no moving parts to wear.

Defense and aerospace applications demand this kind of durability. A magnetic connector rated for repeated field use cannot degrade over time the way a friction-based latch will. MaxField force profiles are determined by the magnetic code itself, and that code doesn’t fade. Neodymium itself is stable. We measure demagnetization at roughly 0.5% per decade under normal conditions, which is negligible for any product lifecycle.

Every MaxField configuration lives in software and is stored in the Polymagnet Catalog. A product designer can select a pre-engineered Polymagnet from the catalog or request a custom code optimized for a specific assembly. Prototypes ship within days, and production volumes scale on the same MagPrinter hardware that produced the original sample.