A magnetic force control device includes a first pole piece having an interaction surface, made of a ferromagnetic material, and configured to be in contact with an N pole of a permanent magnet, a second pole piece having an interaction surface, made of a ferromagnetic material, and configured to be in contact with an S pole of the permanent magnet or another permanent magnet different from the permanent magnet, rotary permanent magnet configured to be rotatable to define a first arrangement state in which an N pole thereof is magnetically connected to the second pole piece and an S pole thereof is magnetically connected to the first pole piece and a second arrangement state in which the N pole is magnetically connected to the first pole piece and the S pole is magnetically connected to the second pole piece.

A switchable permanent magnetic unit is disclosed. The unit comprises: a housing, first and second permanent magnets, and a conductive coil. The first magnet is mounted within the housing and the second magnet is rotatable between first and second positions and mounted within the housing in a stacked relationship with the first magnet. The unit generates a first level of magnetic flux at a workpiece contact interface when the second magnet is in the first position and a second level of magnetic flux at the interface when the second magnet is in the second position, the second level being greater than the first level. The conductive coil is arranged about the second magnet and generates a magnetic field. A component of the conductive coil's magnetic field is directed from S to N along the second magnet's N-S pole pair when the second magnet is in the first position.

An electric permanent magnet chuck, comprising a casing (1), the casing being provided thereon with at least one open inner cavity; reversible magnetic material (2) is provided at a lower portion of the inner cavity, and a coil (3) is arranged in the inner cavity along an outer wall of the reversible magnetic material; a magnetic pole (4) is superposed and fixed in the inner cavity, an annular groove being provided at a lower surface of the magnetic pole, and permanent magnetic material (5) that matches the annular groove being disposed in the annular groove. The electric permanent magnet chuck has the advantages of a simple structure, low processing difficulty, good sealing performance, small magnetic loss and so on.

The invention describes a device suspension arrangement comprising a ceiling region, at least one mobile device comprising a ceiling interface with at least one freely rotatable element arranged to partially protrude from the ceiling interface to facilitate movement of the suspended device to an arbitrary ceiling position; and at least one magnetic field generator realised to generate a magnetic field between the ceiling region and the ceiling interface of a mobile device. The invention further describes a mobile device for use in such a device suspension arrangement.

A carrier for use in a vacuum system is described. The carrier includes: a magnet arrangement including one or more first permanent magnets; one or more second permanent magnets; and a magnet device configured to change a magnetization of the one or more first permanent magnets. The carrier may be used for carrying a mask device or a substrate in the vacuum system. Further, a vacuum system and a method of operating a vacuum system are described.

An electromagnetic mooring system (MMS) that includes a first object and a second object, at least one of which includes an electronic coupler configured to connect the first object with the second object. The electronic coupler comprises a pair of magnets, at least one of which is an electro permanent magnet (EPM), having a flux path. When the electronic coupler is in the ON states, the flux path moves towards the first or second object transferring heat from the first or second object to the second or first object, and when the electronic coupler is in the OFF state, the flux paths moves towards the EPM.

A system for processing semiconductor wafer storage cassettes, comprising: a vertical batch furnace assembly configured to process a semiconductor wafer storage cassette, the vertical batch furnace assembly comprising a vertical batch furnace configured to process wafers from the cassette; a floor assembly arranged at the vertical batch furnace assembly, the floor assembly comprising a two-dimensional array of electromagnets arranged below a top surface of the floor assembly, the array extending along the top surface; at least one platform assembly comprising a magnet and configured to support at least one of the cassettes thereon;, wherein the system is configured for levitating the at least one platform assembly above the top surface of the floor assembly.

A method and apparatus for supporting a cross in a magnetic field is provided comprising the positioning of at least one electromagnet above the cross to be levitated and connecting the electromagnet to a switchable electrical power source. The display stand preferably has a support base, a pair support members extending upwardly from the base, and an electromagnetic housing positioned between the support members and disposed over the base, spaced a distance apart from the base. A permanent magnet is disposed in an upper portion of the cross. Rotational stability magnets are positioned on distal ends of each arm of the cross, and corresponding magnets are positioned on the support members adjacent the distal ends of the cross arms, in order to provide rotational stability to the cross during levitation.

An apparatus, including an external component of a medical device configured to generate a magnetic flux that removably retains, via a resulting magnetic retention force, the external component to a recipient thereof, wherein the external component is configured to enable the adjustment of a path of the generated magnetic flux so as to vary the resulting magnetic retention force.

The invention relates to a loading method for a machine tool (12), especially for a bending machine, having a tool-transfer device (1), a tool holder (17) of the machine tool (12), and a tool rack (13), wherein the tool holder (17) and the tool rack (13) are connected via a guide rail (4), and the tool-transfer device (1) has a magnetic retaining device (5). The tool-transfer device (1) is moved to a machining tool (18), which is arranged in a pick-up position (20) in a tool holder (17) or in a tool rack (13). The machining tool (18) is picked up and retained by means of a magnetic retaining device (5) of the tool-transfer device (1) and moved along the guide track (4) to a deposition position (21). There the machining tool (18) is deposited by deactivation of the magnetic retaining force (22). The magnetic retaining device (5) has an electromagnet (6) having an electronic activating device (7) wherein, upon deactivation of the magnetic retaining force (22), a demagnetization is performed by the activating device (7).