How do Lifting Magnets Work?

13 May.,2024

 

How do Lifting Magnets Work?

Do you know about lifting magnets? What are its types? How has it made handling and lifting objects easier? Well, the lifting magnets introduction is a great revolution in the industry that has reduced human workload.

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So, if you are wondering how lifting magnets work, you're at the right place. Scroll down to find out Lifting Magnet types, their working principles, applications, advantages, and disadvantages.


Introduction of Lifting Magnets

Lifting Magnets are a type of powerful permanent magnets that are specifically designed to lift heavy objects. These magnets are portable, cost-effective, and efficient solutions to easily lift items such as steel plates, metallic plates, sheets, coils, tubes, disks, etc.  

 

Its composition usually consists of rare earth metals and alloys (e.g. ferrite) that make it capable of producing a stronger magnetic field. Its magnetic field is not consistent as it can switched on or off based on the particular needs.


Types of Lifting Magnets

There are three main types of lifting magnets in terms of their characteristics. These are:

1. Permanent Lifting Magnet

The permanent magnet, as its name indicates, uses a permanently magnetized material to create a magnetic field. These magnets can be manually switched off/on by the lever and are used to safely lifting of flat or round steel parts such as plates, rods, or pipes.

Permanent magnets are highly portable that are less-weighted and smaller in size to be easily carried from one place to another. Despite being reliable, their capacity of lifting is not efficient as compared to its other types. Its bigger disadvantage is; that to lift charged magnetic materials, it needs electric current to flow through them to keep surfaces in position.

 

2. Electro Lifting Magnet

Electromagnets are custom-designed and operate on Direct Current to lift heavy objects. There is a deep magnetic flux penetration due to its magnetic field that is created by leading ferrous material particles. Handling of steel bundles such as tubes, pipes, or hot rolled steel wire rods is easy with electro-lifting magnets.     

The characteristic that makes it different from permanent magnets is its constant power source. However, there is a high tendency for more power failures during continuous lifting. Universal power supplies and backup battery system are great alternatives available nowadays that has ended such concerns by providing variable current feasibility.

 

3. Electro-permanent Lifting Magnet

As the name indicates, it is a combination of its former two types producing the best magnet unaffected by power failure, and doesn't require a continuous power supply to maintain a magnetic field for lifting heavy objects. It reduces the overall energy consumption because there is a need for power only during activation and deactivation of the magnet.  

Due to its high lifting capacity, it is used for a variety of handling works that include loading and unloading plate and cut parts, thin/thick plate lifting, and steel material handling such as tubes, pipes, slabs, billets, coils, etc.

 

4. Circular Lifting Magnets

Circular lifting magnets are a special form of electro-permanent magnets designed in a circular shape. They can be effectively placed and used in less space working environments to lift steel and heavy materials from one place to another while having low energy consumption.

These circular lifting magnets are lightweight and have a simple installation process. A single operator can perform the tasks without putting much effort. Their sealed structure and waterproof performance make them highly reliable magnets to be used in mining, metallurgy, and other industries.

 

How Lifting Magnets Work?

Lifting magnets are designed with precise configurations and specific magnetic materials, such as iron alloys, to have a more powerful weight-bearing capacity to lift heavy objects. The source of magnetic force generation is different for each magnet type.

Lifting magnets are used for a variety of industrial lifting purposes due to their high magnetic clamping force. Each magnet type works on a different principle as described below:

· Permanent Lifting Magnets Working Principle:  

It consists of 2 magnets, one in the main body and the other in the rotor placed in a single block. To create a magnetic flux, these 2 magnets are positioned in the same direction to reach and lift metallic objects.   

Whenever the direction of the rotor's magnet changes or is switched off, the load is released because of changes in the magnetic field, leading to no magnetic pull. So, the magnetic should be as close as possible to avoid air trapping and hold the object tightly.

  

· Electro Lifting Magnets Working Principle:

These magnets use electric current to generate lifting power. This electric current flows around the electric coils of wire wrapped around the magnet. When the DC Passes, the charges in the coil move and create a magnetic field and turn the coil into a magnet.

The electric current can be disconnected later when the magnet is switched on, reducing the power consumption.   

 

· Electro-permanent Magnets Working Principle:

The more powerful and efficient electro-permanent lifting magnet consists of 2 magnetic power sources. One is a set of low intrinsic coercive force (Hci) magnets, wrapped in wire coils, and the other is high intrinsic coercive force magnets.

To gain a magnetic force, there is a need for these 2 sets of magnets to direct in the same direction and produce attraction towards the lifting object. Changing its current pulse directions can lead to differences in the magnetic field orientations, and loses its all magnetic force when placed in opposite directions.  

 

Lifting Magnets Applications

Lifting magnets are widely used for multiple industrial works. Its applications include:

· Construction Purposes: In construction industries, lifting magnets are widely used to lift heavy objects such as steel plates, large steel beams, columns, slabs, bundles of steel pipes, double-layer billets, rod coils, rolled strips, or scrap iron, etc. for the fabrication of multiple things.

· Recycling Process: Lifting magnets have improved the recycling process efficacy by time-saving lifting and transporting scrap metals.  

· Heavy Machinery: Heavy machinery industries like Shipyards or Mining utilizes permanent lifting magnets to operate the lifting of large engine blocks or hull section safely within a short time.

· Automotive Manufacture: To lift heavy automotive parts, industries use permanent lifting magnets during the assembly processes that not only help improve efficacy but also reduce manual labor.

 

5 Best Facts about Lifting Magnets

Here are five best facts about lifting magnets that you probably didn’t before:

1) High Lifting Capacity

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Lifting magnets are stronger and powerful enough to lift heavy-weighted objects, mainly ferrous work pieces safely and efficiently. The lift rating of 660 pounds was recorded for some magnets and reached 6,600 to 13,200 pounds for a few ones.

2) ON/OFF Operating System

Most lifting magnets feature an on/off control system to activate and deactivate the magnets which makes it easy to use. Once the switch is ON, the magnetic flux generates and travels through the body to hold the objects. Turning it OFF will simply lead to the detachment and placing of a workpiece in the desired position. So, a single operator can easily perform such tasks within a short time.

3) Corrosion Resistance:

Almost all the lifting magnets are resistant to corrosion which makes them highly durable to be used for many years. Those magnets that are nickel-plated offer excellent corrosion resistance. Nickel is best known to withstand humidity and moisture that doesn't let the corrosion affect the other magnetic particles.

4) Portable

Many lifting magnets are lightweight makes them easy to move from one place to another without any use of heavy machinery or cranes. Usually, the lifting magnets weigh a little over 6 pounds. One can easily lift them manually to place them in their desired working place for performing heavy lifting tasks.

5) Lift Different Shapes

The lifting magnet's capability is not restricted to any particular shape. They support the lifting of multiple shapes of objects such as round, cylindrical, bars, etc. The only requirement is to direct the magnets in the correct positions to maintain proper (no-gap) contact with the workpiece.

Common Questions for Lifting Magnets

1. How to Operate a Lifting Magnet?

Lifting magnets feature a simple operating system to lift

 and release loads. Following are the steps by which the lifting has to be carried out:

· Firstly, adjust the correct position of the magnet before switching ON. Until then, there is no magnetic field generated

· As a preventive measure, the operator should move away from the system to avoid any mishaps.

· Switch ON the button to create a magnetic field around the magnets, moving from the rotor's magnet to the main body's magnet. Such force will attract the object to be lifted towards the magnets, ensuring no air space between them.

· Either OFF the button for safety or keep it on, as it doesn't affect the magnetic field during loading once the magnets are activated.

· Now the operator can move the object to its desired destination.

· Once the object reaches the destination, you can release the load by switching the button "OFF" to stop the magnetic flux and place the object.

2. What are the factors that decrease the lifting capacity of magnets?

The working environment can highly influence the working capacity of lifting magnets. These are the predominant factors that usually affect and reduce the lifting capacity:

· Air Trapping: If the magnets are not positioned properly, the air can trap between the loading objects and magnets, and not let the proper magnetic force of attraction be created.

· Dust or unnecessary coatings in the materials can also lead to air gaps and reduce lifting capacity.

· Temperature Differences: Usually, the magnet loses its magnetization when the temperature rises above its threshold.

· So, the high-temperature differences between material and magnetic particles or extreme temperatures in the working space can drastically affect the lifting capacity.

· High Carbon Content: Whenever there is high carbon content in the lifting object, more than a magnet can bear, there will be less magnetization.

3. Does the number of coils affect the electromagnet strength of magnetization?

The answer is YES! Increasing the number of coils adds more field lines to the magnets, which produces a stronger magnetic field by allowing the movement of more electrically charged particles. So, turning more coils around the magnet and passing an electric current will have a stronger electromagnetic effect.

4. What are the differences between permanent and electromagnets?

These magnets are differentiated based on their ability of magnetic field generation during the electric current flow. The permanent magnets form by heating the inbuilt material on which its strength relies. On the other hand, electromagnets produce a stronger field when the current passes through its ferrous material.

Permanent magnets don't require a continuous supply of current. However, electromagnets lose their magnetization effect once the current supply stops.

 

5. What are the benefits of Permanent Lifting Magnets?

Permanent lifting magnets offer a variety of benefits to the industry, including:

· High durability and low energy consumption as they only consume energy during magnetic ON/OFF processes.

· There are fewer safety issues as long as the system is operated correctly.

· Easy to use and can be operated simply by hand.

· Permanent magnets are highly durable due to their first-class composition of magnet material and steel parts and require less maintenance.  

· These magnets are more affordable as compared to other lifting magnets.  

6. How long can an electro-permanent magnet retain its magnetism in case of power failure?

The electro-permanent magnet uses permanent magnet material that doesn't rely on an electric source to maintain its electric field. If the working environment is the same, the magnetic will not lose its strength and remain magnetized to keep hold of the lifting object. The workpiece will not fall off even for 10-15 years in case of blackout.

7. Are electromagnets used for underwater lifting?

Some variety of electro-lifting magnets are constructed with waterproof materials to make them usable for underwater lifting. They can produce a stronger magnetic flux even in submerged conditions and can be easily operated there as well.

8. Is there a need for a backup battery with electro-permanent magnets?

No! As electro-permanent magnets are independent of electric current to produce a powerful magnetic field, there is no need for backup batteries to operate lifting.

9. Are electro-permanent magnets harmful to persons having a pacemaker?

No, because the magnetic field lines are limited to a particular height and concentrated in the lifting workpiece by running from the north to the south pole.  


Final Verdict

Lifting magnetics are powerful devices for lifting and moving heavy shapes of different shapes. The lifting magnets construction has improved industrial production and performance by reducing labor work and injuries, saving time and effort. These magnets are safe to use and are great for transferring steel places, bars, rods, or sheets within no time.   

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