ODB Blog

Collaborative Design Helps Prevent Production Problems

Collaborative-design-prevents-production-problems

When developing a new product or improving an existing application, component selection often takes place during the final stages of the project.

This is a common approach, but not always the most effective.

When it comes to permanent magnets, involving the supplier from the early design stages can make the difference between a project that works correctly from the start and one that requires modifications, additional testing or production adjustments.

A Magnet Is Only One Part of the Project

When selecting a magnet, attention is often focused on its size, shape or magnetic strength.

In reality, proper performance depends on many other factors, including the available space, the mating material, the fixing method, assembly tolerances, operating temperature and the working environment.

Evaluating these aspects only after the design has been finalized can limit the available options and make it more difficult to identify the best solution.

Why Involve Your Supplier Early?

Working with your supplier during the design phase makes it possible to identify potential issues while changes are still simple and cost-effective.

Sometimes a small adjustment to the geometry, the magnet position or the material selection is enough to improve reliability, simplify assembly or reduce production costs.

The objective is not to redesign the product, but to optimize it.

Fewer Changes, Greater Efficiency

A collaborative design approach can help to:

Reduce development time
Avoid production-stage modifications
Simplify assembly
Improve reliability and repeatability
Reduce industrialization costs and lead times

These benefits may not be visible in the finished product, but they have a significant impact on the success of the entire project.

The Value of a Technical Partner

At ODB Magneti, we support our customers from the earliest stages of product development, sharing our expertise in magnetic applications.

For us, supplying a magnet means much more than delivering a component. It means helping to develop a solution that performs reliably today and in the future.

Because many production problems can be solved much more easily before manufacturing even begins.

Why do two apparently identical magnets perform differently?

How-to-Distinguish-Between-Seemingly-Identical-Magnets

Sometimes the problem does not come from a “wrong” magnet, but from a magnet that only appears to be correct.

It happens quite often: the sample works, the component has the required dimensions, and the declared material is the expected one. However, once it is assembled in the real application, the performance is not the same.

The force is different.
The behaviour changes.
The holding strength is not as expected.
Or the magnet loses performance over time.

This is because the performance of a magnet does not depend only on its shape, dimensions and declared material, but on a series of technical factors that are not always visible to the naked eye.

The magnetic grade makes the difference

Saying that a magnet is made of “neodymium”, “ferrite” or “SmCo” is not enough.

Within the same material family, there are different grades with different performance levels.

In the case of neodymium, for example, an N35 and an N52 magnet may have the same geometry but behave very differently in the final application.

Parameters such as Br, Hcj and BHmax help to read these differences from a technical point of view.

If you would like to learn more about the meaning of these values and how to interpret them in a technical datasheet, you can find the full article in last week’s blog post.

The production process also matters

With the same declared material, the production process can change the final result.

Pressing, orientation, sintering, heat treatments and machining all influence the magnetic characteristics of the component.

This is why two magnets that look the same can perform differently if they are produced with different processes or controls.

Magnetization and orientation

A magnet must be magnetized in the correct way for the application.

Magnetization can be axial, diametral, radial, multipolar or produced according to specific geometries.

Tolerances, coating and distance

Even small dimensional differences can have an impact.

Thickness, chamfers and tolerances can modify the behaviour of the magnet inside the assembly.

The same applies to the coating: even a few tenths of a millimetre can increase the distance between the magnet and the counterpart.

And when the distance increases, the available magnetic force can be significantly reduced.

Why proper checks are needed

For industrial applications, it is not enough for the magnet to be compliant on paper.

It is important to check dimensions, attraction force, magnetic field, magnetization direction, coating and batch characteristics.

Conclusion

Two magnets may look identical but perform differently for many reasons: magnetic grade, production process, magnetization, tolerances, coating, temperature and real operating conditions.

That is why, when choosing a magnet, it is important not to stop at its shape or declared material.

The component must be evaluated in its real application context, with the right checks and proper technical support.

At ODB Magneti, we support companies precisely at this stage: helping them choose the most suitable magnet for the real application, not just the one that appears to be similar.

The Real Challenge of Magnet Sourcing: Preventing Non-Conformities at the Source

When sourcing technical and precision components, attention to detail is essential. One of the biggest risks in supply chain management is discovering a non-conformity after the goods have already arrived at their destination.

A magnet with incorrect tolerances or lower-than-expected performance is not simply a logistics issue. It can lead to production delays and disrupt an entire manufacturing process.

How can this be avoided? The key is not managing the problem once it occurs but preventing it from happening in the first place.

The Hidden Cost of Late Non-Conformities

When a defective batch reaches a European warehouse, the operational damage has already been done. Transit time has been wasted, shipping costs have been incurred unnecessarily, and the risk of delaying customer deliveries becomes very real.

In a fast-moving market, relying solely on supplier documentation is often not enough to guarantee business continuity and consistent product quality.

ODB Magneti's Quality Strategy: Scalable AQL Inspection

At ODB Magneti, we do not leave quality to chance. We have developed a proactive quality control system designed to ensure that defective products never reach our warehouse or our customers' production lines.

Our approach is based on three key principles:

Direct Inspections at Source

Quality inspections are carried out before shipment, directly at the manufacturing facilities. If a batch of magnets does not fully meet the required specifications, it simply does not leave the factory.

Scalable AQL Inspection Levels

We do not apply a static inspection process. Our quality system is based on scalable AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) plans. Whenever the slightest quality deviation is detected, inspection levels are immediately increased, allowing us to focus more closely on any potential issue before shipment.

Technical and Instrumental Verification

Our inspections go far beyond visual checks. We verify dimensional tolerances, coercivity, coating integrity, and magnetic orientation using dedicated measuring equipment, ensuring full compliance with the required engineering specifications.

A Protective Barrier for Your Production

This methodical approach allows us to create an effective quality filter. Potential issues are identified and resolved thousands of kilometres away, before they can impact our customers' operations.

Choosing ODB Magneti means receiving components that are fully compliant and ready to be integrated into your products without unexpected issues or costly delays.

Because true quality is not checked at the end of the supply chain—it is built and protected from the very beginning.

Br, Hcj & BHmax: A Practical Guide to Reading Magnet Datasheets

The Three Key Factors for Choosing Magnets

Two magnets may have the same shape, dimensions and even look identical.

Yet once installed in the same application, they can deliver completely different performance.

The reason is not always the magnet grade (N35, N42, N52...), but three key parameters found on every magnet datasheet: Br, Hcj and BHmax.

Understanding these values helps engineers select the right material, avoid oversizing and prevent performance issues during operation.

Br (Residual Induction)

Br (Residual Induction) represents the magnetic induction remaining in the material after magnetization.

In practical terms, it describes the magnetic flux available on the magnet surface (expressed in Tesla or Gauss).

A higher Br generally means a stronger magnetic field and higher performance for the same magnet geometry.

Hcj (Intrinsic Coercivity)

Hcj measures the magnet's resistance to demagnetization and magnetization reversal.

It becomes particularly important when magnets operate:

at elevated temperatures;
in opposing magnetic fields;
inside electric motors, actuators and dynamic systems.

A magnet with high Br but insufficient Hcj may initially perform well but become unsuitable under demanding operating conditions.

BHmax (Maximum Energy Product)

BHmax represents the maximum magnetic energy stored per unit volume.

Simply put, it defines the magnetic power density of the material.

Higher BHmax values often allow engineers to design smaller, lighter and more compact magnetic assemblies while maintaining the required performance.

The Most Common Mistake

One of the most common mistakes is selecting a magnet based solely on its commercial grade (N35, N42, N52...) without evaluating Br, Hcj and BHmax.

The correct material should always be chosen considering operating temperature, geometry, magnetic circuit and real working conditions.

For example, an N42SH magnet may be a far better solution than a standard N52 when the application operates at elevated temperatures.

A Datasheet Tells Much More Than the Magnet Grade

Br, Hcj and BHmax are not just technical abbreviations.

They define how a magnet will actually perform inside your application.

Understanding them means making better engineering decisions, improving reliability and avoiding costly design mistakes.

If you need support interpreting a magnet datasheet or selecting the most suitable material, our engineering team will be happy to assist.

Plastic Bonded: the new section dedicated to plastic bonded magnets is now online

Plastic Bonded: the new section dedicated to plastic bonded magnets is now online

As many customers already know, ODB is currently the only company in Italy able to offer a 100% Made in Italy production of Plastic Bonded magnets for injection molded and overmolded technologies, subject to technical and production feasibility requirements.

For this reason, we decided to completely update and expand our section dedicated to plastic bonded magnets, with the goal of creating a more technical, clear and comprehensive area focused on the different bonded technologies.

In the magnetic industry, strongly connected to the Asian supply chain, we believe it is important to promote Made in Italy manufacturing solutions capable of ensuring greater technical control, production continuity, quality and application support.

Thanks to advanced production technologies and more than 30 years of experience in the industrial magnet sector, we aim to provide customers not only with a magnetic component, but also with concrete technical support in selecting the most suitable solution for their application.

The three available technologies

The new website area is now divided into three main categories:

Injection molded magnets – Made in Italy

Ideal for high-volume production, complex geometries and direct integration with technical plastic components.

Overmolded magnets – Made in Italy

A technology that allows the magnet to be integrated directly into the final plastic component, simplifying assembly processes and product management.