NEW CASTLE, PA - Magnetic Lifting Technologies US, a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of industrial lifting magnets, has announced today the launch of the Armadillo Lead Protection System, a new patent-pending technology that prevents electromagnet leads from being severed or damaged during normal operation.
The system was developed to eliminate one of the main issues facing businesses that use large electromagnets to move material, said MLTUS Operations Manager Mike Gordon. Namely, the downtime caused by accidentally damaging or severing the cable that energizes the magnet during operation.
"Many applications, scrap lifting in particular, are incredibly abrasive and can quickly break the circuits powering the magnet," Gordon said. "Anyone who has ever operated a magnet crane knows how easy it is to accidentally cut the lead."
Conceived and developed by former MLTUS Chief Designer Dan Love, a 40-year veteran of the magnet industry, the Armadillo Lead Protection System is a series of rings that wrap around the magnet's lead power cable. Each piece measures a few inches in width and is flared at one end to fit over the piece below it. The result is a flexible armor of overlapping, free-spinning plates that prevent the lead from being crimped, crushed or severed during routine scrap handling operation.
The mix of PVC-like materials that comprise each link in the system, according to the patent, is designed to be nearly impervious to the types of abrasion, cuts, and impacts that most magnets encounter in the field.
"We have put the Armadillo Lead Protection System through a battery of tests," said Love, who has since retired, of the system's development. "We hit it with a band saw, smashed it with a sledgehammer; we even crushed it with another three-ton magnet. There was no damage to the magnet leads in any of our tests."
"Customers who have adopted this system have seen a nearly 100 percent success rate," Gordon added. "The amount of downtime and labor saved is substantial."
After a limited release of the system of in 2015, MLTUS and Dan Love were awarded the "2015 Best Practice Award" by the National Slag Association for reducing costs and damages to magnets.
Severed leads, Love explained, do more than damage the cable. If a magnet is energized when a lead is cut, for instance, the interior of the magnet can also be damaged, requiring the magnet to be sent in for repairs or even a complete overall.
"In the field, scrap magnets are subject to a constant barrage of falling debris and scrap," Love said, "but the damage caused by those hazards is preventable. The Armadillo is designed to be a simple solution to a chronic problem." Love added that the Armadillo Lead Protection System can be installed in moments and adjusted to fit leads of any length. It requires no additional tools or maintenance costs, nor does it change how the magnet is used.
"Every company in the industry has the same problems with cut leads," Gordon said. "When you compare the cost of adding the Armadillo to repairing or replacing multiple magnets each year, there's really no question about the value."
Gordon noted that even with little promotion surrounding the product he has already received inquiries from businesses outside of the scrap handling industry who are interested in using the Armadillo to protect sensitive cords and cable.
"It's such an elegant solution to a common problem," Gordon said. "The market for the Armadillo going forward will be significant."
About MLTUS:
Magnetic Lifting Technologies US was founded in 2010 with the goal of providing advanced lifting solutions for customers in the scrap, steel, slag, rail, and foundry industries. Since its opening, MLTUS has grown to become a one of the North America's leading manufacturers of industrial lifting magnets. In addition to engineering and production, MLTUS also offers repair and maintenance of magnet systems, magnet parts, and field service.
In 2014, the company moved from its original location near Youngstown, Ohio into a brand new, 35,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility in New Castle, Pennsylvania. In 2015, MLTUS was the recipient of a 2015 Impact Award from the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation. MLTUS is a proud member of the H&K Equipment Family of Companies, with over 250 employees and sister locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.