Developed in the early 40's, Alnico magnets are still used in certain applications. Alnico is an acronym that refers to a family of alloys which, in addition to iron, are mainly composed of aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), including copper and sometimes titanium. Alnico is produced by either a sintering or, more commonly, a casting method. Alnico magnets have very high Br values, comparable with NdFeB and SmCo magnets. They have an advantage in that they can be cast into complex shapes and can be magnetized during the production heat treatment stages to give Alnico its final magnetic properties. The magnets are often magnetised during final assembly to provide the best performance (where magnetizing is possible).

The main feature of the Alnico magnet, in addition to its low coercivity, is its very stable behavior, even at high operating temperatures.The main feature of the Alnico magnet, in addition to its low coercivity, is its very stable behavior, even at high operating temperatures.

In the production of small magnets, it is more convenient to use powder metallurgical technologies. The mix of the various metals is ground to transform it into a powder and then pressed into shaped moulds to obtain the necessary hardness.