Coded magnet applications

What you can build with coded magnets.

Coded magnets are programmed with many small poles instead of one north and one south. That lets a flat magnet align to a position, latch, act like a spring, hold and then release, or click into a detent. This page is a gallery of where that pays off, and a quick check of whether your product is a fit.

Browse the gallery Source a part

Coded magnets are made by Polymagnet (Correlated Magnetics Research), the company that invented the technology. This site points you to them; it is not a store.

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Design around the function, not the force.

Pick a coded magnet for what it does at the joint: it aligns parts to one repeatable position, latches them, springs them back, holds then releases with a deliberate move, or indexes into a detent. The pole pattern is what gives you that behavior, so the design conversation starts with the job, not the pull number.

The honest limit: a coded magnet pulls its field in close to the surface. That makes the grip strong and sharply defined right at contact, and it falls off fast with any gap. Coded magnets are the right tool when the two parts actually touch or sit very near each other. They are the wrong tool for reaching across an air gap or pulling from a distance.

Applications gallery

What people build, by domain.

Consumer electronics

Mounts and docks that find their spot

The problem: a device should drop onto a dock and sit in exactly one orientation, every time, with no fiddling.

A coded pattern lets a mount rotate the device into a single aligned position and hold it there, so it seats the same way by feel. The same idea makes cable and accessory connectors self-align as they come together, instead of relying on the user to line up a plug.

Enclosures and panels

Tool-free latches and covers

The problem: a cover needs to stay shut under handling, yet open without screws, clips or a tool.

A coded latch holds a panel firmly closed, then lets go with a deliberate motion such as a slide or a twist that the plain pull of a regular magnet cannot distinguish. You get a clean, fastener-free seam that still feels secure.

Medical and wearable

Break-away connectors and repeatable alignment

The problem: a connector on or near the body must align the same way each time, and must give way safely if it is yanked.

A coded connector snaps to one correct alignment for an attachment, so it is easy to seat by hand, and it can be tuned to break away at a chosen force rather than drag a cable or a device along with it.

Industrial

Self-aligning fixtures and detents

The problem: a fixture or tool must return to a known position repeatedly, often with no room for a mechanism.

Coded magnets let a fixture pull itself into one indexed position and settle into a detent, so parts register the same way across a run. It is positioning and light holding without a spring, pin or moving linkage to wear out.

Aerospace and defense

Lightweight latching, no-power holding

The problem: hold a panel or part in place with minimal weight and no electrical power, and still release it cleanly.

Because a coded magnet holds with no current and no standing mechanism, it adds very little mass and nothing to power. The programmed pattern sets how it holds and how it releases, which suits access panels and captive parts.

Across domains

Hold-and-release as a building block

The problem: you want a joint that is firm in use but comes apart on purpose, not by accident.

The shared thread in all of these is a joint you can program: strong where it should be, aligned to one position, and released by a specific motion. That is the behavior to design toward when a plain magnet or a mechanical catch is too blunt.

A quick gut check

Is your product a fit?

Coded magnets tend to earn their place when most of these are true of the joint you have in mind.

The two parts touch or sit very close when they do their job.
You need them to land in a repeatable position, the same way each time.
You want a hands-free hold that still releases on a deliberate move.
You would like to drop a mechanism: a spring, catch, pin or hinge detent.

If you are trying to pull across an air gap, lift at a distance, or carry a heavy load far from the surface, a coded magnet is probably not your answer, and it is better to know that early.

Questions

FAQ

What is a coded magnet?

A coded magnet, also called a multipole or programmable magnet, is a magnet written with many small poles arranged in a deliberate pattern, rather than one north face and one south face. The pattern is what gives it behaviors like alignment, latching, spring action and detents.

Why are coded magnets strong on contact but weak at a distance?

The pattern of small poles pulls the magnetic field in close to the surface. That concentrates the force right at the joint and makes it drop off quickly as a gap opens. It is a feature for close-contact joints and a limit for anything that needs to reach across space.

When should I not use a coded magnet?

When you need to pull across an air gap, lift from a distance, or hold a heavy load that sits away from the surface. For those, the close-range field works against you. Coded magnets shine where parts actually touch or sit very near each other.

Can a coded magnet hold and then release?

Yes. A pattern can be programmed so parts hold firmly in one orientation and let go when you apply a specific motion, such as a slide or a twist, that a plain magnet could not tell apart from ordinary handling.

Who makes coded magnets, and where do I get one?

They are invented and manufactured by Polymagnet, the product line of Correlated Magnetics Research. To design a pattern for your application and order a real part, go to polymagnet.com.