Maglev to allow manufacture using soft materials

A system which allows objects to float in suspension could aid manufacturing with fragile materials say scientists – and it uses magnets similar to those found in the fridge. Harvard scientists have developed a system using magnetic levitation or maglev, to manipulate non-magnetic materials. This could mean that materials once considered too fragile to be subjected to traditional manufacturing methods could now be used. “What we’ve demonstrated in this paper is a noncontact method for manipulating objects,” said Anand Bala Subramaniam, a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry and chemical biology. The system – described in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – consists of two magnets, similar to those found in your fridge. “This brings the technology of maglev into the everyday use,” said Subramaniam. “We can now begin to experiment with methods to make this system more complex with servos (automatic devices) to move the magnets, or combine electromagnetics with permanent magnets.” At the heart of the system is a paramagnetic solution – a mixture of water and metallic salt, in this case manganese (II) chloride. “The physics behind how the system works is that the paramagnetic liquid wants to be closer to the magnets,” Subramaniam said. “An object that was initially at the bottom of the chamber, when placed in the device, levitates toward the centre. The region closer to the magnet, which has a higher magnetic field than the centre, is now filled with the paramagnetic liquid.” The researchers found that the shape of the object played a role in determining its orientation when levitating in the device. For example, a screw would naturally levitate horizontally, but when the shaft was shortened, it changed to a vertical orientation. “The object orients to maximise the amount of liquid that occupies regions with a high magnetic field,” said Subramaniam. “Once the object is levitating and orientated, we can manipulate it without contact by using an external magnet or by rotating the maglev device.” The Harvard team hope the system could open the door to manufacturing using soft, fragile or sticky materials that couldn’t be used in traditional systems. Noncontact orientation of objects in three-dimensional space using magnetic levitation Noncontact Orientation using Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er_4gLlmQV4