SmCo Ring Magnets

Samarium Cobalt magnets, like Neodymium magnets, are difficult to press directly into precise shapes and dimensions when an external magnetic field is applied during compaction. This limitation makes it hard to produce parts that fully match the requirements of real-world applications. Therefore, Samarium Cobalt magnets are first made as sintered blanks and then finished by machining to reach the final specified size and geometry.

For Samarium Cobalt ring magnets, machining also starts from cylindrical blanks. Because Samarium Cobalt is a hard and brittle material, it is prone to cracking and chipping during processing. To reduce defects and improve yield, the holes in these magnets are usually made by trepanning or wire cutting instead of conventional drilling, resulting in better quality and more reliable ring magnets.

SmCo ring magnets are usually magnetized axially or diametrically, much like Neodymium ring magnets. However, unlike Neodymium, there are very few cases where SmCo ring magnets are made with diametrical multipole or true radial magnetization. Radially magnetized magnets are mainly reserved for high-end uses, such as aerospace gyroscopes.

When an application requires diametrically multipole or radially magnetized behavior, the solution is typically to assemble several SmCo arc magnets into a circular arrangement instead of using a single SmCo ring magnet. Axial multipole magnetization is also uncommon for Samarium Cobalt, because achieving full saturation demands higher magnetizing capacity, and standard magnetizing fixtures often become the limiting factor.