A magnetic substance holding device includes: a first pole piece assembly comprising at least one first pole piece, at least two second pole pieces, and at least two first permanent magnets; a second pole piece assembly comprising at least one third pole piece, at least two fourth pole pieces, and at least two second permanent magnets; a coil; and a control device. The first pole piece assembly and/or the second pole piece assembly is configured to be movable such that they are switched between a first arrangement in which the second faces of the first pole piece assembly are spaced apart from the first faces of the second pole piece assembly, and a second arrangement in which the second faces of the first pole piece assembly come in contact with the first faces of the second pole piece assembly. The control device controls holding and detaching of a workpiece on and from the first faces of the first pole piece assembly or the second faces of the second pole piece assembly, by way of controlling electric current applied to the coil to switch between the first arrangement and the second arrangement.

In an interactive environment, a user action may dictate what type of action a base device performs using an entertainment object. In one embodiment, the base device includes a controllable electromagnet that uses magnetism to move one or more permanent magnetics mounted in or on the entertainment object. For example, the entertainment object may be a doll or character that jumps, vibrates, slides, or sways in response to a changing magnetic field generated by the electromagnet. Moreover, the user may wear headphones that determine the location of the base device (and the toy) relative to the user. Using this location, the headphones can output 3D positional audio that the user perceives as originating from the location of the entertainment object on the base device. The 3D positional audio can be outputted synchronously with the action performed by the entertainment object to further immerse the user in the interactive environment.

A laboratory sample distribution system and to a laboratory automation system comprising a printed circuit board arrangement and a coil are presented. The printed circuit board arrangement and the coil are configured such that assembly and maintenance of the laboratory automation system are greatly simplified.

An electromagnetic bed for a workpiece includes an electromagnetic bed body having a top surface that includes magnetic blocks arranged in a rectangular array, at least one of the magnetic blocks has a positioning pin protruding from the second top surface, the at least one of the magnetic blocks being fixed in the electromagnetic bed body by a bolt, a bottom plate placed proximate to the second top surfaces, and a cover plate is arranged correspondingly with the electromagnetic bed body, the cover plate being made of a magnetic material, with the workpiece placed between the bottom plate and the cover plate.

An actuator includes a holder, a case, a support assembly, a first magnet, a second magnet, and a coil. The holder includes a sphere centered at a reference point and houses an optical module. The case houses the holder. The support assembly is in the case and supports the holder in a manner rotatable about the reference point. The first magnet is on a portion of the sphere in a first radial direction from the reference point. The second magnet is on a portion of the sphere in a second radial direction from the reference point. The coil is in the case and is energized to generate a magnetic field acting on the first magnet and the second magnet. The first magnet and the second magnet are located asymmetric to each other with respect to the reference point and have different lengths in a circumferential direction of the holder.

This relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting a structural component to which access is restricted, comprising a movable unit including a superconductor and an inspection device, a drive unit including a magnetic field generator adapted to generate a magnetic field, wherein said movable unit and said drive unit are arranged with a predetermined gap therebetween for receiving said structural component and are coupled in a force-locking manner by means of the frozen magnetic flux, i.e., without a physical connection, between the magnetic field generator and the superconductor. Thus, spaces or areas to which access is restricted can be inspected without the need of physically connecting the drive unit and the movable unit.

A power converter for a linear drive system having improved control of the switching devices to reduce the effects of localized heating within the power converter is disclosed. The linear drive system controls multiple movers along a track. Multiple coils are positioned adjacent to each other along the length of the track. Each coil is connected to a switching device within the power converter to energize and de-energize the coils. Pairs of adjacent switching devices are connected to coils that have at least additional coil located between the adjacent switching devices. Thus, adjacent switching modules do not conduct the same level of current and those switching modules that arc required to conduct elevated levels of current are spaced apart from each other within the power converter. Consequently, the heat generated as a result of the elevated current and increased switching is similarly spread out within the power converter.

Methods and apparatus for moving a molten metal are provided in which the electromagnetic inductor includes at least two pairs of electromagnetic pole pairs and in which a first magnetic field component is generated between one pole in a first electromagnetic pole pair and a second pole in a different electromagnetic pole pair, and in which a second magnetic field component is generated between the two poles in one or more electromagnetic pole pairs, the second magnetic field component thereby generating one or more eddy currents in the molten metal. Those eddy currents are generally parallel to the surface of the molten metal and so have greater magnitude and extent that eddy currents perpendicular to the surface. Such eddy currents provide useful additional movement to the molten metal, for instance for stirring purposes, particularly when the depth of molten metal is small.

Metal and other magnetized objects are often dropped into hard-to-reach, magnetic-rich places where a retrieval tool will often latch onto the surrounding metal, all but the target object. This makes the retrieval of the target object with an ordinary magnet very difficult or sometimes even impossible. The invention relates to a magnetic retrieval tool with a selectively on/off component, allowing the magnetic force to be exerted only when the target becomes localized. Said magnetic force or field, will be encapsulated either by shielding, or by a second magnet that will neutralize the magnetic field turning the magnet off until the object is reached.

An apparatus and method for unloading a rotor bearing is described. The apparatus includes an electromagnet for levitating the rotor. In one embodiment, a sensor of the magnetic field near the electromagnet is used to control the current to levitate the rotor. In another embodiment, a method is provided that includes rotating the rotor, increasing the current to levitate the rotor and decrease the gap between electromagnet and rotor, and then reducing the current to levitate the rotor with a minimal amount of electric power to the electromagnet.