Winkle Industries, Alliance, Ohio, has released a new line of scrap handling magnets. These magnets, now called OptiMag, have been redesigned and additions have been made using proprietary engineering software to achieve lighter weights, increased lifting capacity and lower costs for recyclers and steel mills.
Paul Predagovic, Winkle’s director of engineering and production, credited the use of advanced design software developed by the company’s in-house engineering department for the new design. “Refining our magnet modeling software was a big first step in this project,” said Predagovic. “Then we applied the new design parameters to every scrap magnet in our catalog, with great results.”
The new Winkle catalog provides basic specifications for all scrap magnets. The lineup includes cast and fabricated casings, aluminum and copper coils and ranges in size from 30 to more than 100 inches in diameter, as well as a full range of rectangular and octagonal magnets. The scrap magnets are designated according to their design type and are engineered to achieve optimum lift-to-weight ratios and superior duty cycles without sacrificing strength and durability. Winkle also designs and manufactures an unlimited range of specialized lifting magnets for unique customer requirements.
Jeff McCartney, Winkle’s senior magnet engineer, said that the design and redesign effort considered every aspect and component of the magnets. “Our modeling process looked at everything below the hook, from the chains to the bottom plate of the magnet," he said. "We also surveyed other magnets in the market, and we found that some published specifications were not complete. We feel that an all-inclusive design model is essential, not only to optimize lifting performance, but to ensure safety in our customer yards and mills, as well as for their operators.”
At Winkle, the OptiMag lifting magnets are engineered and manufactured using strap-wound deep-field and extra-deep field coils in Winkle’s facility. “Our engineering software allows us to design strapped wound coils with the accuracy that’s needed to manufacture the coils efficiently,” said Predagovic. “Wire-wound coils are more costly to produce and repair. We have optimized our magnet designs so our customers can have long term sustainability and a cost effective rebuildable product.”
Winkle has a long history of rebuilding and rewinding all makes and models of electromagnets, including units for separation and brake coils for magnetically driven crane brakes. For scrap recyclers, Predagovic says that his rebuild capabilities can reduce costs associated with rebuilding strap-wound magnets by cleaning and recovering conductor from the used coil. “This is where our engineering capabilities really shine,” said Predagovic. “Not just designing the right magnet for the job, but designing the right long-term solution for the customer.”
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
