Lifting electromagnet, also called as electric lifting magnet, is one of the most commonly used type of magnetic lifting devices. Let’s see how a lifting electromagnet works and how it is used in industry.
What Is A Lifting Electromagnet & How Does It work?
Literally, these two questions can be explained at the same time. A lifting electromagnet is the use of electromagnetism to lift / handle ferrous magnetic materials. It’s magnetic field is generated or produced by an electric current through the magnet.
Unlike permanent lifting magnets, the lifting power / strength / force of an electromagnet can be increased by increasing the amount of electric current that flows through it, and vice versa. The magnetic poles of a electric lifting magnet can even be reversed by reversing the flow of the electricity.
What Material Can The Electromagnet Lift?
Lifting electromagnet matched with various cranes to provide ideal material handling solution for ferrous materials such as steel, iron, ship manufacturing, heavy machinery, steel warehouses, ports and railways field, etc. for cast ingot, steel ball, pig iron, machine chip, various kinds of steel scraps, return scraps, cropping, baling scraps and so on in foundry factories and iron powder in coal washeries. During slag disposal process, it can remove large size of iron at initial step. It can be used in waste steel recovery department and steelmaking workshop.
How Are Lifting Electromagnets Used In Industry?
- Lifting Electromagnet for Cranes (Electromagnetic Crane)
A lifting electromagnet mounted on a crane, is sometimes called an electromagnetic crane. Electromagnetic Crane is a kind of lifting device that uses electromagnetic mechanism to carry steel articles. The main part of the electromagnetic crane is the electrically switched lifting magnet. Once switched on, it can absorb and pick up, hold, transport ferrous materials to the designated place. Cut off the current, the magnetism disappears, and the steel stuff comes down. Electromagnetic crane is very convenient to use, but it must be used with the current.
It provides a crane operator with complete control of the magnet in various positions. Tens of tons of heavy iron, iron wire, nails, steel scraps and other kinds of steel materials, that cannot be packed or packaged, can be easily collected and transported by the electromagnet on a crane. It not only saves labor but also simplifies work. Lifting electromagnets for cranes are commonly used in steel mills, foundries, coil and pipe distributors, junkyard, shipyards, loading docks, warehouses, and other users of applicable steel products.
- Lifting Electromagnet for Excavator
Electro lifting magnet can be used in any type of excavator by changing the bucket or the attachment placed at the boom end which is used to lift metal scraps, bundles, MS plates and ferrous materials during loading, unloading, and material handling.
Excavator lifting electromagnet overcomes the problem of working in an open yard where overhead cranes cannot be used. The mounting fixture for an electromagnet further permits the excavator operator to operate the magnet more efficiently by preventing the magnet from swinging freely at the end of the lift crane boom. It also allows the crane operator to apply a compressive force to the electromagnet in order to compress the material which is to be picked up by the magnet.
The lifting electromagnet used on excavator for sorting out steel scraps, is also referred as excavator magnet, or scrap magnet, scrap handling magnet, scrap yard magnet, junkyard magnet. All these alias suggest that electric lifting magnet’s popularity in steel industry.
