Scrap yard magnets are made from coiled wire. When an electric current flows through the wire, a magnetic field is generated. When the current ends, it stops being a magnet.
Ancient civilizations learned about magnetism from lodestones, which are naturally magnetized pieces of iron ore. Lodestones were suspended to turn and became the first magnetic compasses.
The earliest known surviving magnets are from 2,500 years ago and were found in Greece, India and China.
Today’s magnets are very different from those 2,500 years ago. CMT’s Lifting Magnet Division provides the steel and scrap industries with design, repair and rewinding of lifting magnets, as well as the manufacturing of new. CMT offers magnets in both aluminum and copper as well as our line of heavy duty drop ball magnets, which are currently in use around the world. Our new magnets are fully backed by our service center, a facility that can also serve as a repair center for all of your magnets – regardless of manufacturer.