in the stator if the slider is removable from the stator however the azimuthal angular alignment can be changed by removal reorientation and re insertion fig5 illustrates a non limiting example of a force curve 505 for a magnetic spring according to an embodiment of the present invention stator 101 and slider 111 are mechanically free to undergo an axial movement relative to one another along axis 117 fig1 over a predefined range in a direction 507 or in a direction 509 slider 111 and stator 101 have a spatial relationship with a magnetic interaction between the spatially modulated magnetic field pattern of magnetic regions in slider 111 with the spatially modulated magnetic field pattern of magnetic regions in stator 101 the magnetic interaction results in axial force curve 505 which is a function of the axial displacement of slider 111 relative to stator 101 axial force 505 is plotted according to a force axis 501 against an axial displacement axis 503 the precise form of force curve 505 depends on the specific properties of the spatially modulated magnetic field patterns of magnetic regions in this non limiting example a portion 515 exhibits a relatively constant force over a portion of the displacement range and another portion 517 exhibits a different relatively constant force over another portion of the displacement range embodiments of the present invention provide different force curves by having different spatially modulated.