Magnetic Mats

It is placed at the entrances to production areas; by catching small metal particles carried on shoes or vehicles, it protects sensitive areas from contamination.

The part of contamination carried on foot

Metal contamination often enters clean production areas not with the raw material but on shoe soles and wheels. A piece of swarf picked up from the workshop floor can be under a sensitive assembly table a few steps later. The magnetic mat, placed at crossing points, cuts off this transfer.

How it works

With permanent magnets embedded in it, the mat attracts and holds iron-based particles on the shoes and wheels passing over it. It needs no electricity and has no moving parts, so there is nothing about it to break down.

Where it is placed

• Entrances to production areas and clean rooms
• Crossings between the assembly line and the machining department
• The point where forklift and pallet truck routes enter the sensitive area
• The mold shop exit

Maintenance

The effectiveness of the mat depends entirely on regular cleaning. After a while, particles building up on its surface prevent it from holding new ones; a full mat is no different from having no mat. The cleaning frequency is determined according to the contamination load in the area and should be tied to a maintenance plan.

Complementary solutions

A magnetic sweeper, or for large areas a sweeper machine, is used to collect metal that builds up on the floor, and magnetic separators for protection inside the production line.

When choosing

The mat size must fully cover the width of the crossing; a mat that can be walked around loses its function. If it is to be used on a forklift and pallet truck route, it must be built to withstand the wheel load. From an occupational safety point of view it should also be checked that the surface material does not increase slipping on a wet floor.