Electromagnet sliding
Electromagnet sliding
(OP)
Hi all,
I'm trying to make a buggy that adheres to a steel wall using an electromagnet. The problem is that the buggy needs to move along some tracks. With an air gap, we're not getting enough force, and without one, the friction is too much and the buggy can't move. Anyone know a way to get around this? I was considering making special shoes with rollers on them, but I'm not sure if I won't just have the same problem again.
There's an air gap of ~1.5mm with the current setup, and the electromagnet is a bi-polar 4x1" magnet, if this helps for some project scope. Thanks!
I'm trying to make a buggy that adheres to a steel wall using an electromagnet. The problem is that the buggy needs to move along some tracks. With an air gap, we're not getting enough force, and without one, the friction is too much and the buggy can't move. Anyone know a way to get around this? I was considering making special shoes with rollers on them, but I'm not sure if I won't just have the same problem again.
There's an air gap of ~1.5mm with the current setup, and the electromagnet is a bi-polar 4x1" magnet, if this helps for some project scope. Thanks!





RE: Electromagnet sliding
What is the load capacity rating on the electromagnet? Which way is is positioned? Any steel in the buggy that will absorb/shunt the magnetic field from the electromagnet?
Reducing the air gap will help. Any reduction in the air gap will help.
RE: Electromagnet sliding
Because I can't post everything here without a NDA I can't provide a proper sketch.
RE: Electromagnet sliding
Once the friction is removed, you essentially require infinite field strength to keep something from sliding, so you have to depend on the friction between track and wheels.
TTFN
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RE: Electromagnet sliding
RE: Electromagnet sliding
IRstuff, do you have any suggestions for how to reduce friction between the magnet and the steel wall? If i can make that negligible, I would be able to achieve a near 0 gap.
RE: Electromagnet sliding
But, again, it's the friction that stops the sliding, not the magnet. The magnet's sole purpose in a kitchen magnet is to create the friction that keeps the scraps of paper from sliding. In fact, a smooth finish on the refrigerator makes things much worse. The bottom line is that you have to have mu*m*g to keep the buggy from sliding, therefore, you need to have your buggy's wheels to keep that from happening. You could possibly coat the magnet with PTFE or Delrin, but your wheels then have to have sufficient friction alone.
TTFN
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RE: Electromagnet sliding
RE: Electromagnet sliding
What material are the steel walls made of?
Can you magnetize the wheels of the buggy?
RE: Electromagnet sliding
RE: Electromagnet sliding
RE: Electromagnet sliding
RE: Electromagnet sliding
1. Use vibration rather than wheels to move the magnets in the same way that a vibratory conveyor will move material up-hill. The magnet would essentially make dozens of hops every second without ever actually leaving contact with the surface. The line of action of the vibrator would be at a 45 degree angle to the plane of the surface. Two vibrators allow for steering.
2. Use a walking action where each pole face is made of two bars. One bar retracts and moves forward while the other bar is still in contact with the surface.