"Bullet" provides enhanced means to protect lifting magnet power cables

Winkle Industries, America’s innovation leader in engineered material handling solutions, has introduced a practical and enhanced means to protect lifting magnet power cables.

The Bullet, developed by Winkle, is a highly effective device that prevents smashing and exposing of electrical conductors in power cable, which can restrict the performance capabilities and service-life of lifting magnets and components in magnet systems. The new patent pending Bullet is a high-density polymer device that is designed to slide over power cable and protect magnet leads from abrasions, cuts and heavy impacts that cause electrical interruptions and catastrophic failures.

Winkle’s engineering team developed the Bullet ensuring simple attachment, maximum cable flexibility and optimum protection for a full range of magnet power cables. The bullet-shaped units are modular in design, providing desirable coverage and reliable operation. The polymer material is also impervious to environmental factors such as UV degradation, as well as extreme hot and cold conditions, ensuring durability and extended service-life.

Common Industry Hazards

Ferrous metal operations inherently are harsh environments and present potential safety concerns and hazards for personnel and equipment when utilizing and maintaining lifting magnet systems.

“Constant handling of sharp metal objects, coupled with notorious impacts on swinging power cables are a nasty combination that damage power cables; a leading cause for maintenance costs associated with lifting magnet systems,” says Joseph Schatz, President of Winkle Industries.

Schatz notes that, “When grounds and short circuits occur during operation, magnet system performance is restricted and power surges may inflict considerable damage to components. Sometimes instantaneous and virtually always over time, the detrimental effects are a major reason why lifting magnets and system components may underperform and prematurely fail. We repair a lot of lifting magnets, magnet controllers and power supplies that have failed as a result of damaged magnet leads. In extreme cases, the machine’s main electrical system can be interrupted or damaged due to faulty power cables.”

“Phenomenal” Savings

“The cost of the Bullet is really negligible compared to the savings it offers,” says Mark Volansky, Winkle Industries Director of Sales. “Technicians today frequently have to repair or change out damaged magnet leads and operators don’t like interruptions in productivity – preventing those repairs or cable changes makes this product a valuable investment. If you factor in the indirect costs of downtime and the direct costs associated with the repair or replacement of magnet system components and the machine’s main electrical system, the potential savings is phenomenal.”

Volansky continues, “We showed the Bullet to one of our larger scrap metal recycling customers and they can’t wait to install this product on all their material handling machines equipped for magnet use.”

The Bullet is currently in production and Winkle Industries expects to offer customers Bullet kits to suit various magnet lead lengths. “This product is a little outside the usual range that magnet suppliers provide to the marketplace,” states Volansky, “but our focus at Winkle is on providing complete material handling solutions to our customers. This was a problem that required a solution – and the Bullet provides that solution.”