How magnets are used in security systems - advancing security worldwide
Over the last century, magnets have been progressively used within security systems; the first example being the reed switch. These switches have been utilised throughout numerous applications, from laptops to cars, and most importantly your security system.
We've all had an experience at some point after purchasing items at your local supermarket and walking towards the exit we've been greeted by an alarm that's been triggered as one of the security tags on your items hasn't been removed. However, what you may not have known is that the alarm has been trigged due to the magnets within the security tag.
Security tags, otherwise known as acousto-magnetic tags or magnetostrictive tags, utilise a magnetostrictive metal combined with a metallic strip to create "pulses". Magnetostrictive metals expand and contract when exposed to a magnetic field, generating magnetic energy which can be harnessed to create mechanical energy as the metal is moving. This movement is then read by the sensors, which triggers the alarm to deter criminals and theft from the store.
"In 2014, shoplifting accounted for 38 percent of retailers' shrinkage"
- National Retail Security Survey
Domestic alarms are designed to ensure your assets, property and, most importantly, that you are kept safe from intruders. So, how does the alarm know to sound when a door, window or other means of entrance to the property has been opened?
In these systems, a reed switch is implemented which uses a magnet attached to both the entry point and the frame. The magnet stops the inner electrical circuit until the entry point has been opened, in which case the electrical components are then set back into place to complete the circuit and sound the alarm.
"Homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures. "
- police.uk (UK Government Website)
Whilst these are very basic examples of where magnets are being used within the security industry, they are currently revolutionising the technology that can be offered the clients, both domestic and commercial.
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