Cool running: the key to long magnet life lies in preventing overheating.Lifting magnets are Important revenue generators" in most scrap metal yards. Suspended sus·pend v. sus·pend·ed, sus·pend·ing, sus·pends v.tr. 1. To bar for a period from a privilege, office, or position, usually as a punishment: suspend a student from school. from the business end of primary material handlers handlers persons involved in the handling of, for example, circus animals. Includes grooms, milkers, herdsmen, strappers. Used mostly in referring to persons handling animals for show or auction. , magnets are a critical link in the productivity of processing and shipping operations. But, one industry expert says some recyclers are not getting their money's worth from their magnets. Paul Predagovic is the director of engineering and production at Winkle Industries, a producer of lifting magnets for recycling recycling, the process of recovering and reusing waste products—from household use, manufacturing, agriculture, and business—and thereby reducing their burden on the environment. and steel mill applications. "Magnets are one of the most poorly understood pieces of material handling equipment," he claims. "They can be incredibly reliable and potentially last for many, many years of service. Instead, we find that working magnets chronically underperform Underperform An analyst recommendation that means a stock is expected to do slightly worse than the market return. Also known as market underperform, moderate sell, or weak hold. and are often costly from a maintenance standpoint." Alliance, Ohio-based Winkle Industries is a full-service manufacturer specializing in engineered components for industrial lifting and material handling equipment. The Winkle plant would see less rebuild work, Predagovic says, if yard owners and machine operators had a better understanding of how to care for their magnets. Predagovic's most important words of advice for reducing maintenance costs? "Just cool it." He says heat is the number one factor in premature magnet failure. Richard "Dick" Ptak, P.E., Winkle manager of magnetics engineering, frequently assists the Winkle sales team in educating customers on the proper use and care of their magnets. Their mission is to introduce operating and maintenance practices that will help ensure longer, better performance from lifting magnets. KEEPING YOUR COOL. The first point of reference in identifying heat-related magnet problems is the magnet's duty cycle. "The length of time that the magnet is powered up during the lifting cycle is critical," Ptak says. Winkle recommends that operators stay well within the manufacturer's recommended duty-cycle rating, which should be identified on the magnet's nameplate data tag. Operators often power up a magnet too early in the lift cycle, allowing it to get hot. "A hot magnet, running around 270 degrees Fahrenheit, loses up to 25 percent of its lifting capacity," Ptak says. "Waiting two or three seconds to energize en·er·gize v. en·er·gized, en·er·giz·ing, en·er·giz·es v.tr. 1. To give energy to; activate or invigorate: "His childhood before the magnet reaches the material to be lifted will help to keep the heat down and actually increase the amount of material it picks up. If you set the magnet down on the material and let it crush out Verb 1. crush out - extinguish by crushing; "stub out your cigar" press out, stub out, extinguish terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland some of the air gaps before you actuate it, you can improve productivity," he suggests. External sources of heat can also affect magnet performance. Little can be done to control these temperatures, Winkle admits, but it's for this reason that the company recommends purchasing magnets designed for hot surface work and proper duty cycles. Over-powering the magnet is a common cause of excessive heat that can be prevented. THE BUDDY SYSTEM buddy system n. An arrangement in which persons are paired, as for mutual safety or assistance. Noun 1. buddy system , Paul Bean, Winkle regional sales manager sales manager n → gerente m/f de ventas sales manager n → directeur commercial sales manager sale n → , says magnet owners can introduce various practices to prevent magnet failures. "We have a number of clients who now operate their magnets on the 'buddy system'," Bean says. "Anytime a magnet gets too hot, it comes out of service, and a 'buddy' magnet replaces it. Within 48 hours, the hot magnet has cooled down and it becomes the new 'buddy'--that way, neither magnet is ever overstressed." Bean says proper inspection programs can reveal the breakdown of insulating materials in the coil that can result in hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. and moisture or carbon traces in the coil that can cause excessive heating and electrical grounds to the magnet. Inspection programs can also identify mechanical problems that allow moisture to compromise the magnet. Routine system checks also aid in detecting malfunctions in the magnet controller, such as insufficient contractors, resistors and lead wire that undermine proper electrical flow. Winkle President Joe Schatz says, "Heat and improper use will not only result in premature wear, it will also undercut undercut, n 1. the portion of a tooth that lies between its height of contour and the gingivae, only if that portion is of less circumference than the height of contour. 2. the productivity of the material handling capacity for an extended period of time before the magnet finally fails. That means your crane is underperforming, and whatever it's feeding is under capacity as well." MAGNET CHECKLIST Visit www.RecyclingToday.com for a checklist on operating a lifting magnet. The author submitted this story on behalf of Winkle Industries of Alliance, Ohio Alliance is a city in Mahoning and Stark counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 23,253 at the 2000 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City" and the city is home to Mount Union College. . |
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