Custom Electromagnets and Coils
Stangenes Industries simulates, designs, manufactures, and tests a variety of AC, DC, and pulsed electromagnets. These range from high-precision DC focusing and steering magnets to pulsed coils operating at 300kA, and generate fields as high as 40T. We manufacture a variety of electromagnetic products to meet our clients’ numerous application requirements, including water and air-cooled, wire wound, and foil wound electromagnets. These electromagnets can be constructed with either copper or aluminum windings which enable a variety of weight to power output ratios.
Economical to build in low quantities, our wire wound electromagnets enable affordable prototyping for experimental applications. Our foil wound electromagnets are economical to build in larger quantities and offer extremely high winding precision. Unlike wire wound coils, foil wound coils can be machined to accommodate special mounting or access needs.
3D FEA simulations are performed in house to predict and optimize the various field parameters. These designs are analyzed with and approved by the client
before being fabricated.
Our water-cooling schemes are optimized for efficient generation of high fields with tight volume and power constraints. Our water-cooled and air-cooled magnets are designed for long lifetimes and 24/7 duty operation. For more information about any of our premium electromagnets, please contact Stangenes Industries today!
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Custom Electromagnets and Coils
At Stangenes Industries, we specialize in designing, building, and testing AC, DC, and pulsed electromagnets. The customer may provide a polished design for us to fabricate or collaborate with our team of skilled design and simulation engineers to bring an idea into reality. Stangenes specializes in both ferrous and non-ferrous electromagnets for applications such as beam focusing, bending, and kicking as well as force, flux uniformity, and levitation.
Stangenes Industries uses Poisson 2D FEA and Opera 3D FEA programs to simulate AC and DC flux patterns to optimize the magnets’ shape and fields before any copper or steel is cut. Inventor CAD allows us to also model dynamic thermal, mechanical, and fluid systems. Once the design is approved by both engineers and customers, our highly trained team of assemblers, some with decades of experience, fabricate the magnets. On the other end our testing group has the capability to automatically field map the unit as well as perform stretched-wire or rotating-coil tests if necessary. The test group will also ensure the magnet meets all design specifications.
Depending on the application, our magnets can be air or water-cooled and are therefore considered “room-temperature” electromagnets. For high current densities Stangenes offers hollow-conductor coils where low-conductivity water flows through the wire itself. For high-current density applications where high packing-factor is required, Stangenes Industries also offer a foil-wound option. These foil-wound coils can be machined like steel and efficiently cooled via cooling-plates. Foil-wound electromagnets also minimize transverse fields in solenoid electromagnets.
Whether you are a Fortune-500 company, an international laboratory, or working out of your garage, Stangenes Industries would love to hear about your specific need in the fields of medical, scientific, military, industrial and commercial applications. At Stangenes Industries, we can help you choose the right electromagnet for your application.
To find out more, get in touch with us!
Electromagnet Capabilities
An electromagnet refers to a type of magnet where the magnetic field is created by an AC, DC, or pulsed electric coil. The magnetic field ceases once the current in the coil is removed, unlike permanent magnets where magnetic fields remain. Electromagnets are used in a variety of applications, including electromechanical relays, satellites, radiation therapy, and particle accelerators.
The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by winding the coil of wire around a core of material that is highly magnetic. The strength of the magnet can also be increased by adding more turns to the coils. The magnetic fields produced by an electromagnet can be oriented in any direction depending on the application.
Types of Electromagnets:
Wire Wound Electromagnets
- Electromagnets that have a coil of wire wrapped around the core of the material. The wire is typically made of copper or aluminum.
- Wire wound electromagnets are composed of enameled copper wire wound around a magnetic steel core. The wire is wound in a tightly controlled pattern, which maximizes the packing factor and reduces the volume. This results in a very efficient use of the magnetic materials and enables the electromagnet to generate very high levels of magnetic flux. Wire wound electromagnets are often used in applications where high levels of magnetic force are required, such as lifting heavy objects or providing a strong magnetic field for medical imaging.
- They are also commonly used in generators and motors, where their high efficiency enables them to operate at high magnetic fields without overheating. When choosing an electromagnet for a particular application, it is important to consider the shortest first-unit delivery time, building from standard materials, utilizing standard tooling, and flexible options for heat dissipation.
Foil Wound Electromagnets
- Electromagnets that use a metal foil in place of a wire.
- Foil wound electromagnets offer a unique combination of qualities that make them ideal for a wide range of applications. They are extremely precise, making them perfect for use in medical or scientific equipment. They are also very economical to build in larger quantities, making them ideal for industrial or commercial use. Capable of being water-cooled, they have a very compact weight and space-saving configuration. All of these qualities make foil wound electromagnets an excellent choice for a wide variety of applications.
- Voice coils used in microphones and klystron solenoids are an example of foil wound electromagnets and are the most commonly used in commercial applications.
- Foil wound electromagnets also excel in beam-focusing applications where axial field must be maximized while minimizing any transverse fields.
Hollow Tube Electromagnets and Electromagnet Advantages
- Electromagnets that have a hollow tube wrapped around a core of material. Hollow tube electromagnets are used where high current densities are required. Low conductivity water flows through the center of the conductor effectively cooling it.
- Hollow tube electromagnets are widely used in applications requiring high power. The advantages of electromagnets over permanent magnets include the following:
- Electromagnets can be turned on and off as needed. Permanent magnets are always on. Because electromagnets are not permanently magnetized, they do not suffer from demagnetization, which can reduce the strength of a permanent magnet over time. This allows for greater flexibility in their use.
- Compared to permanent magnets, electromagnets can be made much stronger. This is because electromagnets are not limited by the material properties of permanent magnet material. Electromagnets can be used in a wide range of applications where a strong magnetic field is required.
- The strength of a permanent magnet cannot be changed. The strength of an electromagnet can be easily controlled by changing the current flowing through it. This is not possible with a permanent magnet, which has a fixed magnetic field. Electromagnets can be made much larger than permanent magnets of comparable strength.
- Electromagnets can be oriented in any direction. Permanent magnets have a fixed north and south pole that cannot be changed, while electromagnets can have their poles oriented in any direction. This is because electromagnets rely on an electric current to generate their magnetic field, while permanent magnets have a naturally occurring magnetic field. This means that electromagnets can be used in a wider range of applications than permanent magnets. For example, electromagnets can be used to create magnetic fields that are not axially symmetric, which is not possible with permanent magnets.
With a wide range of capabilities and customization options, custom electromagnets are an ideal solution for many unique applications. If you’re looking for a powerful and versatile magnet that can be tailored to your specific needs, a custom electromagnet is the perfect choice.
- Industry Standards
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ISO-9001-2015
International Organization for Standardization
- General Information
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- Dipole, quadruple, sextuple, corrector, bending, and solenoid electromagnets
- Wire, hollow conductor, and foil conductors in both copper and aluminum
- Paper, film, fiberglass, b-stage, varnish, and vacuum epoxy casting insulation
- Air cooling and/or liquid cooling using water or oil running through hollow conductor, cooling loops, or cooling plates allowing current densities as high as 15 A/mm2
- 2D & 3D field modeling, thermal, mechanical stress, and fluid flow analysis capabilities
- Axial & transverse magnetic field, hi-pot, ring, turns-ratio, pressure and flow testing capabilities
Stangenes Industries can design, fabricate, and test a wide variety of coils and electromagnets, from precision low current DC focusing magnets to pulsed coils operating at 300kA generating fields as high as 40T.
- Wire Wound Electromagnets
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- Economical to build in low quantities
- Shortest first-unit delivery time
- Built from standard materials, utilizing standard tooling
- Enables affordable prototyping for experimental applications
- Successfully serves a broad range of applications
- Flexible options for heat dissipation
Copper or optional aluminum windings enable a variety of weight to power output ratios.
Hollow tubes are built into the coil to provide a liquid cooling layer. Depending on power consumption and duty cycles, cooling may be unnecessary, or provided/supplemented by forced air.
Square or rectangular wire options enable reduced power requirements over round wire.
- Foil Wound Electromagnets
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- Extremely high winding precision
- Highest field accuracy with lowest transverse field
- Highest fill and packing factor, yielding highest field to weight ratio
- Economical to build in larger quantities
- Most compact weight and space-saving configuration
- Most flexible configuration in shape and size
- “Sculptable” for slots and holes
- Vastly improved heat dissipation
A super-thin insulation layer between foil windings allows fill factors (compactness) unavailable from wire or hollow-tube windings.
Foil also spreads current more evenly throughout each coil.
Unlike wire wound, foil coils can be cut or sculpted to accommodate special mounting or access needs. The current path is largely undisturbed, and the impact on the magnetic field is minimal.
Construction in “coil sets” (rather than a single large coil) lowers build costs and enhances field accuracy and predictability.
Copper, aluminum or combination windings enable customized coil sizes and power to weight ratios.
Foil construction has high thermal conductance, enabling cooling to occur in layers between windings.
- Hollow Tube Electromagnets
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- Best for “brute strength” applications requiring high power (20kG and greater)
- Coaxial coolant path in direct contact with entire coil length
- Highest thermal conductance delivers maximum heat dissipation
- Extremely malleable into complex or unusual shapes
Liquid coolant flows through the entire coil length inside the hollow tube centers. This allows greater winding heat transfer than any other construction method, enabling the highest field strengths with extremely low temperature rise.
Non-conductive tubing carries coolant without impacting the magnetic field pattern.
Stangenes design routes cooling liquid in parallel, despite the necessary series path for coil current. Each coil set receives fresh incoming coolant at the same temperature.
Positive isolation of turns eliminates shorting, allowing low AC losses.
Extreme flexibility and malleability enables electromagnets of nearly any shape, including racetrack, thin pancake, open yoke, and much more.