The Best Method to Separate Neodymium Strong Magnets

Neodymium rare earth magnets have extremely magnetic strength. If you’ve never handled them before, you will be surely surprised by how powerful these magnets can be.

This is because neodymium magnets are the strongest type of rare earth permanent magnet on earth. In fact, they are far stronger than all other ceramic or alnico magnets of equal size – with a magnetic energy value as much as 18 times greater than these other magnets by volume and 12 times greater by mass.

Instead of trying to pull them apart, slide and / or twist them tightly to keep them away from each other and keep them far enough away so that they will not be sucked back together by strong magnetic force,You can look at the figure below. The black square represents the magnet attracted together, and the arrow represents the direction of force,

Helpful Tips On Separating Neodymium Strong Magnets

The fundamental concept in a nutshell: Neodymium magnets pull towards each other with a strong force, more than double the pull force rating of each magnet.

As a result, if you attempt to pull one magnet off a stack or two magnets directly apart you will need at least double the pull force to separate them as well as a greater amount of leverage than the magnet’s actual size allows. This challenge becomes even more pronounced with medium and large neodymium magnets.

So the most efficient way to separate neodymium strong magnets is to devise a method to get more leverage or a better way to grip the magnets and to provide enough force to move the magnets laterally or sideways, which requires far less strength or force than trying to pull them directly apart.

How to Separate Small Neodymium Magnets

 
Small magnets with listed pull force ratings of up to five pounds can be slid apart without much resistance. The key is to slide one or more magnets off the stack with a lateral motion, as shown in the diagram above. Small neodymium magnets can normally be separated by hand, usually without much effort or mechanical help.

How to Separate Medium Neodymium Magnets

Be very careful with neodymium magnets in this size and strength range. While they may appear small and relatively harmless, they can easily snap back together forcefully and pinch your skin and even draw blood.

While many medium-sized neodymium magnets can be separated by hand, it can be helpful to use some kind of leverage such as a vise or the edge of a workbench or table with the stronger ones.

Also, many medium-sized neodymium magnets come with small plastic washers or spacers between them. This is because it's more easier to separate two neodymium magnets when a spacer is kept between them. Once the spacer is removed, it is much more difficult to separate the powerful magnets by hand.

You may also want to consider wearing work gloves and safety glasses when handling neodymium strong magnets of this size. If not handled properly, they can slam together with such force that small chips of the nickel coating can fly into the air.

How to Separate Large(Big) Neodymium Magnets

Some strong and large neodymium magnets with spacers can be separated by highly-experienced and strong hands. In most cases, however, added leverage is needed – such as using the edge of a workbench or table, a vice or a magnet splitter.

While they may still appear small and relatively harmless, they will jump back together more quickly and forcefully than small or medium-sized magnets. You will also need to be extremely careful with big neodymium magnets of this size and strength.

Be sure to get them far apart once you have separated them.

You may also want to consider wearing work gloves and safety glasses and working with another experienced person when handling large neodymium magnets with super strength.

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