FDB Panel Fittings admire the way that some manufacturers use materials to their customers’ advantage while keeping aesthetics in the forefront of their design – such a manufacturer is their sales partner Sugatsune whose range of neodymium magnetic catches stand out for their high performance and very neat design made to exceptionally high tolerances – such as their hermetically sealed and stainless steel products.
Applications include aircraft cabin equipment, high and general level furniture, industrial enclosures, office equipment, shipboard cabinets and panels, as well as specialist vehicles, e.g. coaches etc., where the specialist touch latches are of great convenience, featuring push to latch/unlatch and so eliminate the need for handles or knobs.
Back in the eighties the first neodymium magnets were devised by companies in Japan and America. They are enormously strong compared to ferrite magnets and have found themselves at the heart of many aspects of modern technology, from hard drives to hybrid and electric cars.
The Sugatsune range includes hermetically sealed plastic-coated magnets for high corrosion environments and also ensure no metal to metal contact which is ideal for cleanroom environments.
Ultra-thin catches are ideal for tight spaces while others are suited to high temperature applications up to 250°C without loss of magnetic properties.
FDB likes Sugatsune catches because their density and strength allow incredibly thin magnetic catches to be produced like the MC-159. At less than 3mm thick it is an easy to fit closure device which does not disrupt the integrity of your design. Perfect for sheet metal applications it can also be utilised in furniture production where the ample 4kg force will keep large doors closed. A lower strength version, the MC-158 has the same great looks but lesser strength at 1.5kg for those light weight applications, at the other end of the scale an 8kg force version has also recently been introduced.
But the focus is not just on looks either! They have concentrated on sound too. Whilst the satisfying “Click” of a magnetic catch closing might reassure most, in some applications a quiet close is also desirable and “sealed catches” offer this feature. The MC-MS45 is covered in silicone rubber to deaden sound and the MC-JM45 is perfect for clean rooms, being completely sealed in polypropylene making them NSF approved.
Of particular interest to the electrical controls industry and the data protection environment are the units with built-in reed switch designed to detect when a door is closed or open – also available with IP67 protection level.
For general use they have nickel plated versions and for more corrosion resistant latches like the MC-159-SUS, they coat the magnet with an acrylic resin. For temperatures exceeding 80°C and up to a whopping 250°C there are catches like the MC-YN001P made from a Samarium Cobalt magnet.
Also worth a mention within this great range is the tiny 2.2mm thick MC-YN001 magnetic catch family. The MC-YN001 family is smaller and thinner and comes in nickel-plated or corrosion resistant stainless steel.
Sugatsune magnetic catches are available from the FDB online store and by contacting FDB Panel Fittings on 0208 568 1616.
FDB Panel Fittings
Tel: 0208 568 1616
www.fdb.co.uk
www.fdbonline.co.uk
www.fdbnews.co.uk
