Two words confuse nearly every first-time magnet buyer: orientation and magnetization. They sound similar, but they happen at different stages and do different jobs. Orientation decides which way the magnet will be strong, while the part is being pressed. Magnetization switches the finished magnet on, right at the end of production.
Orientation: building the road
Sintered NdFeB magnets are made from a fine powder. During pressing, a strong magnetic field lines up the tiny crystals in one direction, and the press locks them there. Think of it as building a highway: once built, the magnet's magnetism can only travel along that road. That is why an anisotropic magnet can only be magnetized along its orientation axis — north on one face, south on the other, or as a pattern of alternating poles.
Magnetization: turning on the power
After machining and coating, the magnet is still magnetically inert — like a battery not yet charged. Magnetizing uses a fixture that works like a camera flash: capacitors charge up, then dump a huge pulse of current through a coil in a fraction of a second. The brief, extremely strong field flips all the domains into line, and the magnet is permanently on.
Directions you can order
- Axial — through the thickness (most blocks and discs).
- Diametral — across the diameter (cylinders).
- Radial — outward all around (arcs for motors).
- Multipole — alternating N/S around a ring (encoders).
Why it matters
Orientation is permanent and cannot be fixed later. If the magnetizing pulse is too weak, the magnet comes out undersaturated — weaker than its data sheet promises. Order magnets with the exact direction and pole pattern you need.
Read on: how sintered NdFeB is made → · multipole magnet rings →