|
There are many benefits to using a lifting magnet over traditional hoists, chains, and hooks when moving ferromagnetic materials. The two primary benefits are the levels of safety and increased efficiency. A lifting magnet can attach to the top of its load, which requires less hands-on involvement and reduces damage to the material. This allows for greater accessibility than using a sling or chain. The ease of use, portability, and easy access can all result in a more efficient operation that requires reduced handling time.
For loads that are very heavy, an electromagnetic (EM) device can be used. These require continuous power in the form of a direct current to generate an EM field and maintain the attractive force. If the electric current is interrupted, any load being hoisted would be released. A lifting magnet of this sort can incorporate a battery to protect against accidental switching (turning off) in power outages. This kind of equipment can pick up to 11000 lbs., and the EM field can be adjusted by changing the current to make it stronger or weaker.
A typical permanent lifting magnet has a safe working load (SWL) that is less than 5,000 lbs., but some are available with a SWL up to 10,000 lbs. The strength of these devices is constant and they can only be turned on or off. This kind of equipment is much more portable than EM mechanisms because they are more compact and do not require electricity. Because they do not depend on electricity, if power is lost they will not drop a load due to accidental switching. Switching is done by using a lever in weaker devices, but the stronger equipment is more difficult to handle when attempting to activate or deactivate it. A more powerful permanent magnet can incorporate an EM that is only responsible for switching it on or off. These have the strenghth of standard EM equipment but the safety of the permanent devices. Loss of power will not result in accidental switching. Electricity will only need to be restored in order to release the load.
The SWL depends on a number of factors including the material itself, the thickness and length, the surface conditions, the material’s temperature, the complete of contact between the device and the material, and whether multiple pieces are picked up at once. They are most effective when used with ferrous materials, which are the ones that usually have large amounts of iron in them, like steel or nickel. When a SWL is listed on a manufacturer website it usually assumes clean pieces of steel of a given thickness that can absorb the energy. Be sure to consider these factors when selecting equipment. Many manufacturers use a 3:1 test load to safe working load ratio, so the equipment has a relatively large margin of error in order to improve safety.
For someone looking to move away from hoists and traditional systems, a lifting magnet is an appealing option. By using this sort of technology the risk of bodily harm can be greatly reduced and time can be saved. Their portability makes storing them easy and provides a wider range of flexibility when using them.
|
