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Product category: Materials and components
News Release from: Energy Conversion Systems | Subject: Magnetic catches
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 18 July 2001

Smart magnetic catch developed quickly
for new Jag

Working closely with the design team of the automotive first-tier suppliers Lear Corporation, Anchor Magnets has developed a magnetic catch assembly that goes into Jaguar's latest X-Type luxury saloon

The Kane Magnetics International subsidiary Anchor Magnets Ltd of Sheffield, UK, has conceived and developed a magnetic catch assembly that goes into Jaguar's latest X-Type luxury saloons, the X-400 made at Halewood (Liverpool) and X-200 at Castle Bromwich (Birmingham) The project has been carried out to a very urgent deadline, working closely with the design team of the automotive first-tier suppliers Lear Corporation, to whom Anchor Magnets now makes regular, just-in-time deliveries of the finished assembly

The problem has been how best to hold closed a vertical side panel, hinged at its base and covering the compact disc (CD) autochanger, of six-disc capacity, on the left side of the boot or trunk.

The point of closing must be as secure as possible yet smooth and unobtrusive.

US-based Lear Corporation are known throughout the World as leaders in the design and manufacture, to the highest attainable Standard Six Sigma, of moulded interior trim and seating for automotive and aerospace applications.

So, after being approached by Lear's UK Engineering Department, Anchor Magnets has used its ingenuity to meet the technical challenge.

Forming a two-pole circuit, two elliptical, sintered metal magnets, in neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) for superior holding power, are produced by Anchor Magnets in black to complement the anthracite shade of moulded trim specified for the Jaguar X-Series boot (trunk).

Anchor Magnets injection moulds a soft neoprene rubber cover and then fits it onto the reverse of the magnets, also attaching a steel backplate (latch plate).

The neoprene cover gives a number of important benefits to the user.

It affords silent closing, is soft to the touch, lends the necessary resilience, and has a high shear or friction resistance (preventing sideways movement).

Lear fix this sub-assembly in place with metal pop rivets, locating it in a rectangular hole they cut automatically out of the polyester fibre, trilaminate moulding by precision waterjet.

The magnetic catch assembly itself is concealed from the car owner's view behind the vertical side panel inside the boot on the left.

Fulfilling the supreme quality standards expected of any component in Jaguar X-Type prestige cars, Anchor Magnets is now successfully manufacturing - and delivering to its satisfied customers the Lear Corporation - a steadily rising amount per month on a just-in-time basis.

Founded in September 1984, British company Anchor Magnets Ltd is one of Europe's largest and best known manufacturers of magnetic extrusion and flexible magnetic sheet products, serving over a thousand customers in the signage and display industries.

For wider uses throughout engineering, transportation, office and home, Anchor Magnets also produces standard and bespoke magnets of all sizes as well as injection moulded plastic enclosures into which dipole or multipole magnets fit.

Since March 1998, Anchor Magnets has been a subsidiary of Kane Magnetics International (KMI), a $65 million annual turnover, international group based in Pennsylvania with a mainly British board of directors and more than 560 employees.

Anchor Magnets represents about one-tenth of the total turnover and personnel.

KMI is a provider of engineered magnetic solutions with markets worldwide and has traded for almost 45 years.

The company supplies millions of magnets and magnetic assemblies to manufacturers of motors, sensors, gauges, meters, timers, materials separation and holding magnet systems for thousands of applications around the World.

Typical end uses for KMI magnets range from assembly automation, automotive engineering, domestic appliances, power tools, tooling, display and signage through to the materials handling, medical equipment, retail security, sports, leisure, toy and telecomms industries.

Kane's best-known products include complete-function, value-added magnetic assemblies, ferrite (strontium or barium iron oxide ceramic) magnets - sintered, extruded or injection-moulded; rare earth (neodymium iron boron or samarium cobalt) magnets - extruded, injection-moulded or compression-moulded; and flexible magnetic sheet products.

Having been the World's first magnet supplier certified to QS.9000, in recognition of the rigorous quality systems implemented at its two US factories, the Group operates cellular manufacturing and assembly for a number of high-volume items.

Each year at its US sites alone, the company makes more than 100 million magnets and processes 20 million pounds weight of magnetic powder.

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