When Aerospace Needs Something That Doesn’t Exist, MSL Builds It

A customer walks in with a problem no catalog part can fix. It’s a unique aerospace challenge that off-the-shelf components simply weren’t built to handle.

This is where Magnet Schultz Ltd. (MSL) steps in. Based in Woking, United Kingdom, the firm engineers electromagnetic devices from the ground up, providing bespoke solutions in one of the world’s most demanding industries.

MSL's focus is narrow by design, centered mainly on solenoids and electromagnetic actuators, electric locks and latches, sensors, and valve technology. Beyond its expansive standard product range, MSL's custom manufacturing capabilities set it apart. That specialization is backed by more than a century of combined engineering experience, hundreds of custom products designed, and a growing list of patented solutions.

But the story of MSL goes deeper than parts, into the process in which they are made.

It starts with a process built on what the company calls “collaborative innovation.” As an approach, it means drawing out the real technical and commercial requirements of a project, rather than guessing at them. It becomes a process, pulling in different perspectives at every stage, from first concept through design, manufacturing, and quality assurance. And it ends in strategy, using more than 100 years of electromagnetic know-how to carry an idea past the basics and into a product ready for market. Customers come to MSL for that reason.

A global leader in target drone systems needed a parachute recovery mechanism that could lock a canopy securely through a high G-force launch, then release it cleanly on command, cycle after cycle, without adding cost or complexity to a fleet deployed worldwide. Rather than hand over an off-the-shelf part, the engineering team reworked the armature itself, adding a spring-loaded ball and detent arrangement machined into the design, then built a custom wiring harness to fit the drone's tight airframe and built to handle vibration and temperature swings in the field. The result has held up across thousands of deployment cycles with no electromagnet-related failures reported, and the relationship between the two engineering teams has continued for more than 15 years.

“The best way to solve a complex engineering problem is to bring together diverse expertise, establish a shared understanding of the challenge, and iteratively develop, test, and refine solutions,” said Robert Sam, Managing Director of Magnet Schultz Ltd. “This collaboration on projects is what drives innovation at MSL and helps to benefit our customers.

The team ties it all back to trust. Customers hand MSL the job of designing high-value electromagnetic solutions their own businesses depend on, and honoring that trust is why these customers keep coming back.

Sam described that philosophy more broadly: “We aim to be the leading provider and a trusted technical partner within our industry. Trust is the foundation of our company culture. When customers, but essentially people, which is what business is about, trust each other, collaboration, innovation, and success naturally follow.”

That commitment is showing up in MSL’s next chapter too. The company holds ISO 9001 certification and publishes an active blog where it shares its engineering knowledge and findings. MSL grows the same way it engineers: deliberately, and with a focus on long-term benefit.

So when a customer walks in with a problem no catalog part can fix, MSL doesn’t start with an item off its shelf. It starts with a conversation about needs, priorities, and goals, and from there, it develops into a relationship focused on building whatever comes next.