Mounting Magnets are strong neodymium magnets that are set inside a steel cup or channel. Most come in round shapes, but we also offer a few Rectangular Mounting Magnets.
They include countersunk holes or threaded features that allow for mounting with standard hardware (nuts and bolts), as well as various hooks.
They are intended to attract to a steel (or other ferromagnetic) surface.
Why would I want to use a Mounting Magnet instead of a plain disc or ring magnet?
1. More Magnetic Strength. A Mounting Magnet offers much more strength than you get with the magnet alone. If you took the magnet out of a Mounting Magnet, you might only see half the pull force that you had fully assembled. In terms of dollars spent per pound of pull force, they can be a better value than a plain magnet.
Why is it stronger? Their construction consists of a disc or ring magnet sitting inside a steel cup. With a plain disc magnet sticking to a steel surface, the magnetic field looks as shown in the top part of the magnetic field picture at left. You get a strong attraction where the magnet touches the steel, but the magnetic field on the opposite side of the magnet isn't doing much to provide pull force.
With the steel cup of a mounting magnet, the steel structure redirects the magnetic field from the back-side of the magnet, turning it into more useful holding strength. A Mounting Magnet gets a lot of its strength by the steel cup attracting to the surface, because the steel cup is magnetized by the magnet. In the magnetic field picture, the steel cup looks purple on the color scale because the steel is magnetically saturated -- as full of magnetic flux as it can get.
You could say that the Mounting Magnet is stronger because the magnetized steel makes the assembly act like a bigger magnet. Also, you get a lot of strength by having those poles close to one another, which provides a strong magnetic flux in the steel surface it sticks to.
2. Durability. Neodymium magnets are made of a hard, brittle material. If you let them slam into one another or into a steel surface, they can chip or break.
Our Mounting Magnets are constructed so that the surface of the magnet is set very slightly below the surface of the steel cup. When it hits a steel surface, the steel cup takes the brunt of most impacts.
3. Mounting Options.Our Mounting Magnets come in a variety of mounting options. This includes a number of options that include threaded steel features (with male or female threads) that you can attach using standard hardware.
Neodymium magnet material is so hard and brittle that you can't make usable threads with it. We've tried in the past, but the threads shear as soon as torque is applied on a screw or bolt. It is like trying to make usable threads in ceramic. By providing threads in a steel part, you get a sturdy mounting solution not possible with plain magnets.
Mounting Magnets are available in both metric and standard/American/Unified sizes, millimeters or inches. Styles include
How strong are Mounting Magnets?
Each of our Mounting Magnets product pages includes a listed Pull Force number, expressed in pounds. This is the force required to pull one of these magnets straight away from a steel surface.
Note: When loading the magnets in a different orientation, expect different results. Stuck to a vertical surface like a wall, a mounting magnet won't necessarily hold up a weight that's equal to the listed pull force number. In fact, it is usually lower. How much it will hold depends on the friction between the surfaces, the shape of what is being held up, and a few other factors.
The magnets with hooks on them are especially worth mentioning in this regard. When you hang a weight vertically on one of these hooks, the maximum load is less than the listed pull force. The long hook provides some leverage that makes the magnet easier to pry off when loaded this way. Fishing for Lost Objects
Mounting Magnets are great for trying to retreive objects that are lost underwater. They are often used to fish up magnetic objects lost on the bottoms of lakes and rivers. If there is a large steel component to the item, it can be possible to lift with these magnets.
Mounting Magnets are not waterproof. If used outdoors, consider some means of protecting them from moisture. Without protection, these magnets can rust over time.