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Benefits of Lifting Magnets Over Other Hoisting Equipment

Posted on March 29, 2017

Lifting magnets are useful material handling equipment that can easily transfer a range of ferromagnetic materials varying from rods, scraps, large blocks, to thin sheets. Instead of using traditional hoists, straps or chains by multiple people, lifting magnets can improve overall production efficiency requiring normally only one person to operate the lifting task with increased accessibility. The main awareness is to lift, move and release the load safely, and to do so the device has to be accurately stated and applied. Whenever the operator is unsure of the application, the lifting job must be stopped immediately and he/she must consult with an expert or product supplier before proceeding.

Magnetic lifters can be an attractive option for both quality and productivity. In many circumstances, there is no need for drilling and tapping holes in the metals to attach eyebolts for transportation. Upon completion of the job, these holes often need to be re-filled and the loads need to be resurfaced, which would add more cost to the product and prolong the entire operation.

Let’s take a look at a common situation at many machine shops where lifting magnets can be an advantage over other hoisting equipment. It is often that the operators need to take metal parts vertically out of their storage container and move them to a plasma cutter. If the operators were to apply straps, they would need to lift the heavy metal load in order to slide the slings across underneath for every single piece of the metals. Please note that in this case, it is assumed that the weight of the metal is physically manageable; yet in most cases, loads can easily be up to 4,000 lbs each. For any person to repeat the work constantly, it can be tiresome and may very likely cause injury. On the contrary, a lifting magnet can be lowered from a crane, place on top of the ferrous part, easily switched to on position manually or electrically, and raise the load vertically and effortlessly.

They also create minimum potential damage to the product material leaving no scratches, holes, or dents if magnets are properly handled with care. Though the lifting magnets themselves require good maintenances and proper usages to extend its shelf life.