The oil and gas industry, both above and below ground, offer some unique challenges for permanent magnet designs. This is particularly so in downhole applications, where the combination of temperature and corrosion tends to dominate. Here MSS has been able to provide many solutions where SmCo, and in some cases high-temperature grade NdFeB has offered designers the ability to solve many problems. Some examples of applications include:
- sensors
- bearings,
- seals
- torque drives
- couplings,
- fishing tools
- well-bore cleaning tools
- switchable lifting magnets
- specialist holding devices
- voice coil motors for gas valves
All of these must function reliably under hostile conditions.
Above ground, robustness is a key feature and MSS has produced mud cleaning devices for many years, these include ditch magnets and, tube separators. Pipeline inspection tools also require many magnets, not only for collection of ferrous contamination used in PIGs (Pipeline Inspection Gauges), but also for sensing, tracking and magnetic flux leakage testing, all of which are non-destructive testing techniques.
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