A cross belt overband magnet can be easier to fit across a conveyor and it may be more convenient to discharge ferrous metal to the side of a conveyor.
An in-line overband magnet tends to produce a cleaner ferrous metal and will usually have less belt wear than a crossbelt.
Overband magnets need to be positioned above a non-magnetic section of conveyor. This includes the head pulley of the conveyor if it is an in-line installation.